Love Songs of Arnhem Land

Fülszöveg

Lovc Songs of Arnhem Latid is a contribu-tion towards undcrstanding Australian Aboriginal culturc. It looks at traditional Aboriginal erotic activity and belief from the perspcctivc of onc important group of people living in north-castcrn Arnhem Land. This eroticism is considcrably muted because of its wider social implications, and particularly because of its relevancc to local religion. Except for an carlier study, this is the first serious consideration of Aboriginal sexuality through the médium of traditional songs. These songs open up a new world of indigenous Australian poetry, and pro-vide an insight into one of the mainsprings of Aboriginal traditional living and thinking.
The core of the book consists of two song cycles in long-verse structure and a series in key-word style. The first two are closely associated with mytho-fitual themes and all are rich in symbolism. The inter-linear texts from which the translations were taken arc provided in the appendixes.
The... Tovább

Fülszöveg

Lovc Songs of Arnhem Latid is a contribu-tion towards undcrstanding Australian Aboriginal culturc. It looks at traditional Aboriginal erotic activity and belief from the perspcctivc of onc important group of people living in north-castcrn Arnhem Land. This eroticism is considcrably muted because of its wider social implications, and particularly because of its relevancc to local religion. Except for an carlier study, this is the first serious consideration of Aboriginal sexuality through the médium of traditional songs. These songs open up a new world of indigenous Australian poetry, and pro-vide an insight into one of the mainsprings of Aboriginal traditional living and thinking.
The core of the book consists of two song cycles in long-verse structure and a series in key-word style. The first two are closely associated with mytho-fitual themes and all are rich in symbolism. The inter-linear texts from which the translations were taken arc provided in the appendixes.
The song-poetry itself is hauntingly beautiful. Its traditional imagery creates a special and unique atmosphere. Each cycle has its own internál theme. Men and women are agents in a divine plan in which they play a crucial role, working in harmony with the forccs of nature symbol-ized by the mythic beings. The three faces of love reflect differing approachcs to the physical act of sex. Only in the third song-sequence is it regarded almost as an end in itself In the two main cycles it is linked directly with the wider world of nature, with change and transformation and, by implication, fertility and procreation among all living things in that world. Vissza