I Dreamed a Dream Trivia Quiz

Answer: The time when the world was created

In Australian aboriginal belief, The Dreaming is not only Dreamtime, the sacred era of creation, but can also refer to the state of eternal existence that precedes and follows life on Earth and, by inference, creation itself. In this belief system, the land itself, the cultures and the laws and duties governing the life of each individual are also aspects directly part of The Dreaming.

Answer: Totem spirits

Aboriginal creation belief is different from that of most religions in that it does not credit a single divine being or small group for creation but the world as we know it is rather the joint effort of many spirits. Several cultures however believe in a master creator called Altjira (among other names) who created the Earth itself.

Answer: Emu

It is quite interesting that a principal creator spirit of a totemic belief system (which identifies spirits with animals or plants) has no defined shape, but this is the case for Altjira, the god or spirit of the sky. Practically all versions of the belief that include Altjira describe the emu's feet, but little else is ever mentioned (some depictions use a kangaroo's body).

His wives and daughters are similarly only identified by the shape of their feet, which are those of dogs.

Answer: The arrival of Europeans in Australia

Altjira's retirement coincides with the appearance of human beings that do not believe in nor live according to The Dreaming. These humans not only brought their lifestyle to Australia, but also diseases that severely hit the Australian indigenous population who had no resistance to the various infections spread by European settlers, most devastatingly smallpox, measles and influenza.

Answer: A rainbow

The Rainbow Serpent is a spirit or deity who is either revered as a creator or a maintainer. It is believed to refresh springs and water holes and also to cause the cycle of the seasons. Some cultures see it as a single, unique being while others believe in many Rainbow Serpents.

Answer: When the fetus is first felt kicking in the womb

Unlike the Western view which uses conception and birth as the two defining moments that mark the beginning of life, aboriginal belief uses the first perceptible movements of the growing child as the point where the earthly human life truly begins. The place upon which the mother feels this first movement is considered the place the growing child is bound to become a custodian of.

Answer: Humans, animals and plants

During Dreamtime, the souls that had always existed became physical beings - animals and plants. The very last soul was placed as a custodian and guardian of the others - the first human being. The laws of The Dreaming oblige every human to act as custodian of their sacred land and to protect those souls that live from and upon it.

Answer: False

Each soul in The Dreaming is one and only one being, knowing that it will once awaken to become a plant, animal or human but not when that will happen. Once the soul has lived out its natural lifespan, it returns to the eternal state of The Dreaming. Resurrection events do exist in aboriginal belief tradition and stories, but the people returning from the dead came back to their original bodies.

Answer: There is no specific convention

Members of the same culture live according to overall laws that apply to every member, but they also each have their individual beliefs and role, determined by the Dreaming they have. Dreamings can be named after almost anything - many are associated with animals and plants, but there are also Dreamings related to sites, constellations and rituals. Each Dreaming is associated with a specific creation story and is considered to be owned by the person who inherited or adopted it. Depicting other persons' Dreamings without their permission is considered "stealing" the Dreaming and is taboo in aboriginal culture.

Answer: True

While very few (only about 5000) aborigines have identified themselves as active practitioners of the traditional rituals in the 2001 Australian census, many still do believe in the spiritual meaning associated with the land, the animals and the sacred sites, in spite of also being Christians or members of another organized religion.

While vastly different in scope and history, the traditional Australian belief system and monotheistic religion have very few points in which they are truly and irreconcilably contradictory.