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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'The 195 stories collected in this first anthology of Aboriginal myth were told to anthropologists Ronald and Catherine Berndt, who spent nearly fifty years working among the Aboriginal peoples of Australia.
'The Berndts developed a system of field research that allowed them entrance into a culture that has been alive for more than 100,000 years: Ronald Berndt met with male storytellers, while Catherine met with the women. The myths they collected come from the oldest collective memory of humankind, describing characters and events of the "Dreamtime"--a time that existed before the material world was formed.
'The Speaking Land touches on all aspects of life: creation, natural forces, social rules, and the exotic. Stark, tinged with fantasy, sometimes bizarre, the myths chronicle the actions of the Ancestors, portraying not only beauty and wonder but also scenes of conflict: treachery and theft, jealousy and lust, greed and antagonism, injury and death. The lessons of life implicit in these stories are still reflected in the simplicity and deep spirituality of this culture.
'In all of the myths collected here the land is as important as the living characters who travel it. In the Dreamtime creation, mythic, shape-changing characters moved across the countryside, leaving part of their eternal spiritual qualities in the land. Eventually, these characters and forces retreated into the living environment, where they remain today, spiritually anchored. The land still speaks to us, and The Speaking Land will help us understand its language.' (Publication summary)
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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Moving through Space and (Not?) Time : North Australian Dreamtime Narratives
2015
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Narrative and Identity Construction in the Pacific Islands 2015; (p. 15–35) 'This chapter is concerned with an analysis of narrative structure in the endangered non-Pama-Nyungan language Jaminjung and Australian Kriol. Previous analyses of Aboriginal narratives and story-telling techniques focused on the significance of place in plot and content (McGregor, 2005; Klapproth, 2004; Bavin, 2004). This study aims to extend these observations to include expressions of motion as a major structuring device in narratives. Furthermore, spatial may take precedence over temporal ordering of events in narrative. I argue that spatial narrative structuring is deeply rooted in cultural and environmental features creating a connection of unique identity for every ‘owner’ and audience of a story.' (Publication summary) -
The Land Speaking?
1990
single work
review
— Appears in: Meridian , October vol. 9 no. 2 1990; (p. 166-169)
— Review of The Speaking Land : Myth and Story in Aboriginal Australia 1989 anthology short story -
Aboriginal Myths Speak on Myriad Levels...
1990
single work
review
— Appears in: Antipodes , Spring vol. 4 no. 1 1990; (p. 71)
— Review of The Speaking Land : Myth and Story in Aboriginal Australia 1989 anthology short story -
Mooning Along the Expressway: Some get Nearer Than Others
1990
single work
review
— Appears in: Social Alternatives , January vol. 8 no. 4 1990; (p. 71-72)
— Review of The Nearest the White Man Gets : Aboriginal Narratives and Poems of New South Wales 1989 anthology short story poetry prose ; Colonial Voices : Letters, Diaries, Journalism and Other Accounts of Nineteenth-Century Australia 1989 anthology correspondence biography prose autobiography short story ; The Speaking Land : Myth and Story in Aboriginal Australia 1989 anthology short story ; Expressway : Invitation Stories by Australian Writers from a Painting by Jeffrey Smart 1989 anthology short story ; My Father's Moon 1989 single work novel -
[Review Essay] The Speaking Land: Myth and Story in Aboriginal Australia
1990
single work
essay
— Appears in: Australian Aboriginal Studies , no. 1 1990; (p. 47-49)'This new book from Ronald and Catherine Berndt, based on over forty years of fieldwork with Aboriginal people throughout Australia, reminds us of the link between Aboriginal stories and the land of the story-tellers. It also presents a fascinating national perspective on the traditional life of Aboriginal Austraians.' (Introduction)
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Untitled
1989
single work
review
— Appears in: Fremantle Arts Review , August vol. 4 no. 8 1989; (p. 15)
— Review of The Speaking Land : Myth and Story in Aboriginal Australia 1989 anthology short story -
Mooning Along the Expressway: Some get Nearer Than Others
1990
single work
review
— Appears in: Social Alternatives , January vol. 8 no. 4 1990; (p. 71-72)
— Review of The Nearest the White Man Gets : Aboriginal Narratives and Poems of New South Wales 1989 anthology short story poetry prose ; Colonial Voices : Letters, Diaries, Journalism and Other Accounts of Nineteenth-Century Australia 1989 anthology correspondence biography prose autobiography short story ; The Speaking Land : Myth and Story in Aboriginal Australia 1989 anthology short story ; Expressway : Invitation Stories by Australian Writers from a Painting by Jeffrey Smart 1989 anthology short story ; My Father's Moon 1989 single work novel -
Sleeping Giant of Australian Literature
1989
single work
review
— Appears in: The Advertiser , 12 August 1989; (p. 15)
— Review of Black Words, White Page : Aboriginal Literature 1929-1988 1989 single work criticism ; The Speaking Land : Myth and Story in Aboriginal Australia 1989 anthology short story -
In the Days of Dreaming
1989
single work
review
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 22 April 1989; (p. B5)
— Review of The Speaking Land : Myth and Story in Aboriginal Australia 1989 anthology short story -
Jolley's Latest
1989
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Bookseller & Publisher , April. vol. 68 no. 992 1989; (p. 51)
— Review of The Speaking Land : Myth and Story in Aboriginal Australia 1989 anthology short story -
Moving through Space and (Not?) Time : North Australian Dreamtime Narratives
2015
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Narrative and Identity Construction in the Pacific Islands 2015; (p. 15–35) 'This chapter is concerned with an analysis of narrative structure in the endangered non-Pama-Nyungan language Jaminjung and Australian Kriol. Previous analyses of Aboriginal narratives and story-telling techniques focused on the significance of place in plot and content (McGregor, 2005; Klapproth, 2004; Bavin, 2004). This study aims to extend these observations to include expressions of motion as a major structuring device in narratives. Furthermore, spatial may take precedence over temporal ordering of events in narrative. I argue that spatial narrative structuring is deeply rooted in cultural and environmental features creating a connection of unique identity for every ‘owner’ and audience of a story.' (Publication summary) -
[Review Essay] The Speaking Land: Myth and Story in Aboriginal Australia
1990
single work
essay
— Appears in: Australian Aboriginal Studies , no. 1 1990; (p. 47-49)'This new book from Ronald and Catherine Berndt, based on over forty years of fieldwork with Aboriginal people throughout Australia, reminds us of the link between Aboriginal stories and the land of the story-tellers. It also presents a fascinating national perspective on the traditional life of Aboriginal Austraians.' (Introduction)