The Rainbow Serpent is a creator god according to aboriginal dreamtime legends.
The story of the Rainbow Serpent varies amongst the different aboriginal nations.
She was a great multi-coloured beautiful serpent that shaped the land and controlled the waters, some say it was female, others say male, some yet again state it was androgynous.
I sense she was a female, grounded and productive in birthing reality.
It is believed that the rainbow serpent emerged from beneath the earth during the Dreamtime.
The space before time began.
She then carved out the landscape alongside other ancestral beings that assisted in creating the land, animals and people.
The Rainbow Serpent represents different aspects in different first nation cultures.
Creation and transformation, given that her movements wove the environment into existence. She is also the connection from the past to the present. She symbolises renewal and change.
She is also linked to water and life. Some nations believing that she controls that rain cycles to ensure that land remains fertile. Others say she protects the rivers.
Lastly, law and order. She is the enforcer of traditional law, she punishes those who disrespect the land. She also promotes harmony with nature.
Oneness.
I am always drawn to artistic interpretations of the Rainbow Serpent.
Especially ones that represent her beauty.
This particular piece has just been put up in the Zig Zag Cultural Centre in Kalamunda, and the photo really doesn't do it justice as it is a very large impressive painting.
Next time I am in I will ask about the artist who created this stunning piece...
