Dreamtime
In Australian Aboriginal mythology, the foundational period when creator spirits shaped the world and established the laws of existence.
The Dreamtime (also called 'The Dreaming' or 'Alcheringa') is the central concept in Australian Aboriginal spirituality and mythology. It refers not to a historical period but to a simultaneous past, present, and future — a sacred, ongoing reality in which ancestral beings created the landscape, established laws and customs, and continue to influence the living world. Dreamtime stories explain the creation of geographical features (Uluru, the Great Barrier Reef), the origin of animals and plants, and the basis of Aboriginal law. The Rainbow Serpent is one of the most important Dreamtime beings. These stories are passed through elaborate song cycles, rock art, and ceremonial performance, and represent the world's oldest continuous narrative tradition, stretching back over 60,000 years.