The Death and Dying Practices of the Australian Aborigines

The Death and Dying Beliefs of Australian Aborigines

        Although the Aborigines are often classified advertisement as a primitive race whose religion is found upon animism and totemism like the American Indians, the Aboriginal funeral practices and beliefs about final stage engender much in commonplace with other cultures. This paper volition discuss the death and dying beliefs of the Aborigines that constituent a common thread with many popular religions of today. Aboriginal beliefs in death and dying are original in that they combine alone 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 verbal expression of death and dying in a very localize and old set of beliefs.

        As in many religions, Aborigines share a belief in a celestial supreme Being. During a novices 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. at that place 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 turn over 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 music men their powers. When a man dies, it is Daramulun who cares for his spirit. This belief was witnessed before the interposition of Christian missionaries. It is also used only in the approximately secret initiations of which women know nothing and are very exchange to the archaic and genuine religious and social traditions. Therefore it is provisional that this belief was due to missionary propaganda but is truly a belief of the Aborigines (Eliade, 1973).

        Another belief...

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