ABC Wednesday, Z for Zoomorphism

Zoomorphism

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Zoomorph" redirects here. For the toy line, see Zoomorphs.

Zoomorphic decoration from the Book of Kells

Zoomorphism is the shaping of something in animal form or terms. Examples include:

• Art that imagines humans as non-human animals^.
• Art that portrays one species of animal like another species of animal
• Art that creates patterns using animal imagery, or animal style
• Deities depicted in animal form, such as exist in ancient Egyptian religion^.

The word derives from the Greek ζωον (zōon), meaning animal, and μορφη (morphē), meaning shape or form.
 Long before the common era, people tried to communicate by means of drawing images of animals. First these paintings were important for hunters to know where animals were available. Lateron the paintings got a religious meaning. Cave paintings were found all over the world in mountainous regions with caves

Emoe, Australia

Dingo, Australia

Bats, Australia

Rock paintings by Aborigines in Australia

Egyptian Religion

Thot with the head of an ibis

Horus  Zoomorphic representation in religion in Egypt.

Israel

Zoomorphic representation in religion

Some tribes of Israel are

 represented by animal symbols.

Read Gen.49

 

The stained glass windows by Marc Chagall  Israel

 

 

The Milbi Wall in Cooktown Australia represents a wall of stories told by the Aborigenes .

Each story is represented by an animal.

•  
• 
  Tribal animals depicted by the Indigenous people of Australia
  
  
• Tribal animals depicted by the Indigenous people of Australia
• 
  

• We thank Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC, and we must thank Roger too for the weekly job to find  ten bloggers for each of the ABC Team members  to visit and to read their posts. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar . This week we are looking for words   beginning with Z.

  Norway

  

  The Vikings used a dragon as their symbol.

  

  Norwegian legends often used animals.

  
  

  

  The dog Garm guards the entrance of the other world

  
  
  
  
  

  

  Odin on his eight-footed horse Sleipnir

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
• 
  

The Reconciliation or Acceptance Story.

Willie Gordon tells:"In the 1930s there was a decision made by my clan to accept a little girl, my Auntie Ruby, into their midst, even though she had a lighter coloured skin. We called this event the Reconciliation or Acceptance Story.

First of all my Auntie Ruby, when she was old enough to understand, was asked to put her handprint in a cave to symbolise her acceptance into the clan. A hand stencil was made to give the hand's true shadow and to record that she was there. (Aunt Ruby's hand is the first on the left.) The stencil was made by blowing ochre through a hollowed bone to create the spray effect. Thagu, the left hand, was used as this is generally regarded as a person's signature, and because it is the peaceful hand; whereas nganhthirr, the right hand, is generally the first used in anger.

Then the artist and the story-teller sat down to document the event. They had to find a symbol they could paint to represent the story. So in a cave close to the handprint cave, they painted a big fish to symbolise the good decision made.

The reason they painted a fish is because when fish are swimming they sometimes turn and reflect the light. This is called gandal. Light has always been the symbol of spirituality, where good spirits are found. Darkness is where the bad spirits linger. So the reflection of the fish reminds us of how we should be accepting of all people, regardless of skin colour or culture".

Cooktown & The First Reconciliation
The Aboriginal Family: Moieties & Marriage
Yirmbal, the Creation Story

www.guurrbitours.com

This is what Willie and Judy wrote to me:"Wil - Wonderful to see all your lovely photos again, and to know you remember your time with us. We remember your visit well, and hope we'll see you again some time soon :) Stay well and happy. Willie & Judy".

ABC Wednesday,R for Roy McIver, Australian Artist

I dedicate this post to my good friend Roy McIver, artist of Hopevale, the Aboriginal compound near Cooktown in Australia.

Roy McIver at the opening of the art exhibition. On the right his wife and sister( my daughter's mother-in-law).

To enlarge click on slide. These are the words of the uncle of my daughter's ex-husband about each painting:

"I am Roy McIver. I was born at Cape Bedford, Hope Valley Mission, north of Cooktown. I am a Binthi Warra elder of the Guugu Yimidirr people- a nation north from the Annan River to Starke River. I now live at Hopevale, northwest of Cooktown.
I trusted the land to inspire me to paint.
Bayi( Dilly Bag)
When I think of our old ladies I remember them being so busy. As a child I saw them making dilly bags and using them in so many ways. All young girls were taught the processes of making these bags.

Birri Gurra Walngangay( Homeland River and Lagoon)
Special sites of varied and plentiful foods were called "thamaam". It had special significance as a meeting place for ceremony.

Maji Bithaaygu Buliili ( Raindrops)
When I look at nature in the tropics, there are two seasons: Wet and Dry.
The power of the raindrop is renewal.

Manyjalbi Nanggurr ( Mountainside Camp )
At times mountainside camps were necessary. A protected cave made a good birthingplace and site.

Ngayu Binaa Ngathu Bubu ( I love My Country)
After many years I was able to make a successful claim on some of my traditional country.
When I go to my land I feel relaxed and happy and I commune with nature.Being there gives me great joy. I feel I have come home, I belong.
A feeling of not belonging somewhere adds to a feeling of insecurity.This is very important to address in land issues and Reconcilliation.

Buurraay Thabulthabul( Sacred Waterhole )
I was going back to my country and on the way I stopped by the sacred waterhole.This waterhole is said to be the site where the Creator Spirit, the Rainbow Serpent, returned to rest after moving over the land creating all that is.

Dunggangay Thawunhthirrgu ( Friendly Spirit People )
Dunggans are from the Spirit world.At times they come down into this world, They visit waterholes and lagoons, making merry, paddling canoes, laughing and screaming with joy and diving for fresh water mussles.Whenever people come nearby, talking or making noise the Dunggans would disappear.


ABC is created by Denise Nesbitt.For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar or Here. This week we are looking for words beginning with R.