The Death and Dying Beliefs of Australian Aborigines Although the Aborigines are often classified as a primitive race whose religion is based upon animism and totemism like the American Indians, the Aboriginal funeral practices and beliefs about death have much in common with other cultures. This paper will discuss the death and dying beliefs of the Aborigines that share a common thread with many popular religions of today. Aboriginal beliefs in death and dying are original in that they combine all these beliefs in a different way. The purpose of looking at the commonalties is to examine the shared foundations of all religions by investigating the aspect of death and dying in a very localized and old set of beliefs. As in many religions, Aborigines share a belief in a celestial Supreme Being. During a novice's initiation, he learns the myth of Daramulun, which means “Father," who is also called Biamban, or “Master.” Long ago, Daramulun dwelt on earth with his mother. The earth was barren and sterile. There were no human beings, only animals. Daramulun created the ancestors of the tribes and taught them how to live. He gave them the laws that are handed down from father to son, founded the initiation ceremonies and made the bull-roarer, the sound of which imitates his voice. It is Daramulun that gives the medicine men their powers. When a man dies, it is Daramulun who cares for his spirit. This belief was witnessed before the intervention of Christian missionaries. It is also used only in the most secret initiations of which women know nothing and are very central to the archaic and genuine religious and social traditions. Therefore it is doubtful that this belief was due to missionary propaganda but istruly a belief of the Aborigines (Eliade, 1973). Another belief that is reminiscent of the Christian faith is that death came into being only because the communications between heaven and earth had been violently interrupted. When Adam and Eve were thrown out of the Garden of Eden, death came into existence. This belief of the origin of death is common to many archaic religions where communication with heaven and its subsequent interruption is related to the ancestor's loss of immortality or of his original paradisal situation (Eliade, 1973). The Australian ritual re-enactment of the “Creation” has a striking parallel in post-Vedic India. The brahmanic sacrifice repeats what was done in the beginning, at the moment of creation, and it is only because of the strict uninterrupted performance of the sacrifice that the world continues and periodically renews itself. It is only be identifying himself with the
The Dreaming in Aboriginal Spirituality Dreaming is at the core of traditional Aboriginal religious beliefs. The term itself translates as various words in different languages of the Aboriginal people of the country. Groups each have their own words for this. concept: for example the Ngarinyin people of north-Western Australia. use the word Ungud, the Arrernte people of central Australia refer to as Aldjerinya and the Adnyamathanha use the word Nguthuna.
Emile Durkheim, a French sociologist born in 1858, was a man on the leading edge of sociology in his time, but do his theories still hold up today? In 1897, he studied the French public records regarding suicides, and made some interesting connections. He found that people with a weaker connection to their community or family were more likely to commit suicide then those who had stronger ties in their social group. For instance, those who were married were less likely to end their lives than those who were single. A surprising example however would be that the wealthy had a much higher rate of suicide then the poor. Durkheim attributed this to the isolated and centric nature of wealthy members
Kemp, C., & Rasbridge, L. (2001). Culture and the end of life. East African cultures: part I, Somali. Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing, 3(2), 59-61. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
learned the tough ships of life and it is what got him to help others throughout. Another thing
When we hear the phrase voluntary euthanasia people generally think of one of two things: the active termination of life at the patient's or the Nazi extermination program of murder. Many people have beliefs about whether euthanasia is right or wrong, often without being able to define it clearly. Some people take an extreme view, while many fall somewhere between the two camps. The derivation means gentle and easy death coming from the Greek words, eu - thanatos. Euthanasia was formerly called "mercy killing," euthanasia means intentionally making someone die, rather than allowing that person to die naturally. Put bluntly, euthanasia means killing in the name of compassion.
It is understood that all roles on planet Earth are only temporary. Whether it is in Eastern or Western culture, we do not prepare for death while still alive because it something we do not want to discuss and we know we cannot give a quick fix to it or change it. Death is approaching us as we grow older. (Excluding heart attacks or accidental death where death occurs instantaneously.) It is always there in our mind, in our shadows, regardless of our beliefs about what happens after death. Even in the present millennium, we still discuss death less willingly and perhaps we still have a kind of fearful feeling when we meet our final count-down.
Death is universal, but various cultures have their own unique traditions. The Jewish culture has explicit rules which are steeped in tradition, and have significant meaning. The rituals are based on events from the Hebrew Bible.
him and always protected them, like the time he shot the dog that had gone mad, or stood outside of
The concept of human mortality and how it is dealt with is dependent upon one’s society or culture. For it is the society that has great impact on the individual’s beliefs. Hence, it is also possible for other cultures to influence the people of a different culture on such comprehensions. The primary and traditional way men and women have made dying a less depressing and disturbing idea is though religion. Various religions offer the comforting conception of death as a begining for another life or perhaps a continuation for the former.
Oppression (of their identity) eg. on their cultural practices due to their land (what was originally their ancestor’s land) being adjusted by other cultures, laws and expectations eg. to find employment/seek (westernised) medical advice that are westernised (as opposed to being like what the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders’ culture was based on)
He planted trees, Olorun made rain water fall from the sky and grew the seeds
In a modern Australian society, there is still tribulation in the lives of the Indigenous regarding controversial issues around. The bloodthirsty eradication of trees and other vegetation is intimidating towards the natural atmosphere, as well as to those who are from an Indigenous landscape, as the link between biodiversity and Indigenous people is believed as supernatural. In Indigenous holy beliefs, practices like deforestation rubbish the spirit and soul out of the biodiversity and is considered as the discrimination of god and Mother Nature. This makes the Indigenous more susceptible to a culture they feel is mistreated, which further ruins the nature’s spiritual identity. In addition, living organisms lose their habitat, particularly
For all intents and purposes, there are two views of the beginning of the universe. One of these is the creation told in chapters one and two of Genesis. Genesis confirms that God created the Heavens and the Earth on the first day of the first week of Earth’s history.
all He had preached and taught. The fact of the matter is this: all the
It was interesting to see that nearly all of our participants had travelled out of the country. Some of our interviewees had even been to more than 10 different countries. One girl that was a participant in particular had been to over an incredible 20 countries such as Italy, Germany, France and Hong Kong, more incredibly at only age 16. She said that she loves going to new countries and getting a feel for how different cultures live, and to be able to learn their cultural customs during her ventures. Another insight provided from our interviews was that only just this year, a 19 year old student went on a month long trip to India with his family. As his mother was from India; this trip involved meeting relatives for the first time and getting in touch with the culture his biological background presented. He described this opportunity as the best thing he’s ever done. It is safe to assume that this month long voyage would have provided meaningful insight towards his growing global mindset.