Rainbow Serpent: This deity of the aboriginal Australians creates life and destroys it too!
Have you ever visited Australia? If you do, then you will see artworks depicting bright images of Rainbow Serpents. The Rainbow Serpent is a deity and the most prominent character in Australian aboriginal mythology. Aboriginals are indigenous Australian people dwelling on the continent of Australia for thousands of years.
Wondering who this mythological character is? The Rainbow Serpent is commonly referred to as the creator god, the one who created humans. It guards the land, the inhabitants and the origin of all life. But if the Rainbow Serpent is not treated with respect, it unleashes storms and floods as punishment. In Australian aboriginal mythology, the Rainbow Serpent is considered both as a life-giving and destructive force as well. If you are curious to know more about the Rainbow Serpent and the fabled stories that have been passed down from generation to generation in Australia, read on.
Rainbow Serpent: What does it symbolise?
The Rainbow Serpent is believed to be a huge, rainbow-colored serpent mostly having a mane. Would you want to discover the meaning behind its rainbow colour? Well, the relationship between the snake and the rainbow refers to the seasonal cycle.
According to some scholars, the colour blue represents winter, red represents summer, yellow represents spring and orange represents autumn. When the rainbow appears in the sky, it is believed to represent the Rainbow Serpent crawling between waterholes!
Rainbow Serpent in fables
The serpent is associated with innumerable names and tales. All of them serve to highlight the significance and prevalence of its presence in aboriginal traditions. Let's take a look at the most common ones.
The myth of Northern Territory: The Northern Territory of Australia has its version of the Rainbow Serpent tale. In this narrative, a wonderful mother travels across Australia. As she journeys, she gives birth to the forefathers of the aboriginal tribes. The Rainbow Serpent follows the great mother wherever she goes, bringing rain and water with her.
The fable of Great Sandy Desert: The Great Sandy Desert is located in the northern part of Western Australia. In this version, the Rainbow Serpent descends from the sky, leaving behind the Wolfe Creek Crater, a large hole in the desert. In some stories, a hunter follows his prey into the crater and perishes there in the serpent's burrows.
Rainbow Serpent in modern culture
In addition to ancient beliefs, the Rainbow Serpent is frequently mentioned in modern Australian culture. For example, there is The Rainbow Serpent Festival, an annual music event held in January in Australia and The Rainbow Serpent Project (2010), a TV programme in Australia inspired and named after the serpent.
The Rainbow Serpent is also utilised as a subject in art lessons to teach students about colours, symbolism and painting techniques. It continues to be a source of inspiration for many aboriginal Australian artists who use it as a theme in their artworks. A good example is the Mimi and the Rainbow Serpent painting by aboriginal Australian artist, Peter Marralwanga. Rainbow Serpent has its presence in Australian literature too, a prominent one being The Rainbow Serpent (1975), a children's book by the aboriginal Australian artist, Dick Roughsey.
This Australian aboriginal mythical character has made its way to America too! It has been featured as a character in the American comic book, Hellblazer, published by DC Comics since 1988.