CREATION STORY: the Aborigine

... when Great Father of All Spirits gently awakened Sun Mother her opening eyes sent a warm ray of light towards the sleeping Earth.



"Mother, I have work for you. Go to Earth and awaken the sleeping spirits and give them form."


Sun Mother glided to the Earth, which was bare. She began to walk in every direction. In every step plants grew. After returning to where she started Great Father of All Spirits met her and saw her work.


"Good. This is good work, Sun Mother. I want you to continue. Go into the caves and wake the spirits."


She went into the dark caves of the mountains awakening spirits with her light and insects of all kinds flew out of the caves. Sun Mother sat down and watched the insects mingle with the flowers in the light.


Father of All Spirits urged her on. She went into a very dark cave spreading her light. The heat of her light melted the ice and rivers and streams were created. She created fish, small snakes, lizards, frogs... Deep within another cave she awakened the spirits of birds and animals who burst into the sunshine in an array of colors...


Father was happy with Mother’s work. Mother called all the creatures to her telling them to enjoy the wealth of the Earth, and to live peacefully with one another. Then she arose into the sky and became the Sun. The creatures watched Sun Mother in awe as she crept upon the sky towards the West. When she sank into the horizon they panicked. Frozen in terror in their places upon the Earth they thought the end of the world had come. After a long time Sun Mother peeked out from the East. Soon they learned this was her way and ceased being afraid of the night.


At first, the children lived together peacefully until envy came in amongst them. They began to argue. Sun Mother had to come down and mediate. She gave the animal’s power to change form to whatever they wished. She regretted it. Rats turned themselves into bats. There were great lizards and fish with blue tongues and feet. The oddest creature had a duck’s bill, teeth, a beaver’s tail and the ability to lay eggs. He gave himself a name: Platypus!


Sun Mother looked down upon the Earth and thought she must create new creatures lest Father of All Spirits be angry by what he saw. Sun Mother birthed a son and a daughter: Morning Star and Moon. The children borne to them were sent to live upon the Earth and began to have children. Those children became our ancestors. They were superior to animals because they had part of Sun Mother’s mind and would not want to turn into other animals.

asian woman on white sofa in white negligee is a creation story to one, and profane to another. The telling is a telling.