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Wise Women of the Dreamtime: Aboriginal Tales of the Ancestral Powers
Extending deep into the caverns of humanity's oldest memories, beyond 60,000 years of history and into the Dreamtime, this collection of Australian Aboriginal myths has been passed down through the generations by tribal storytellers. The myths were compiled at the turn of the century by K. Langloh Parker, one of the first Europeans to realize their significance and spiritual sophistication. Saved from drowning by Aboriginal friends when she was just a child, Parker subsequently gained unique access to Aboriginal women and to stories that had previously eluded anthropologists.
In the stories, women tell of their own initiations and ceremonies, the origins and destiny of humanity, and the behavioral codes for society. Included are stories of child-rearing practices, young love in adversity, the dangers of invoking the spiritual powers, the importance of social sharing, the role of women in male conflicts, the dark feminine, and the transformational power of language. Wise Women of the Dreamtime allows us to participate in the world's oldest stories and to begin a new dream of harmony between human society and nature.
In the stories, women tell of their own initiations and ceremonies, the origins and destiny of humanity, and the behavioral codes for society. Included are stories of child-rearing practices, young love in adversity, the dangers of invoking the spiritual powers, the importance of social sharing, the role of women in male conflicts, the dark feminine, and the transformational power of language. Wise Women of the Dreamtime allows us to participate in the world's oldest stories and to begin a new dream of harmony between human society and nature.
160 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1993
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489 people want to read
About the author
Katie Langloh Parker
27 books2 followersKatie Langloh Parker lived in the Australian outback most of her life, close to the Eulayhi people. She was rescued from drowning by an aborigine when very young, this incident has survived in modern memory and been depicted in the film
Picnic at Hanging Rock
.
Catherine (Katie) Langloh Parker (1 May 1856 - 27 March 1940) was a writer who lived in Northern New South Wales in the late nineteenth century.
She is best known for recording the stories of the Aboriginal people around her. As their culture was in decline, because of pressure by European settlers, her testimony is one of the best accounts we have of the beliefs and stories of the Aboriginal people of North-West New South Wales at that time. However, her accounts reflect European prejudices of the time, and so to modern ears her accounts contain a number of misconceptions and racist comments. Their value is illustrated by her recording of an account of Baiame dating from around 1830, which is the earliest known reference to Baiame, casting doubt on the assertion that it was a construct of European missionaries.
She was born Catherine Eliza Somerville Field on board the 'Luilyl', in Encounter Bay, in South Australia, daughter of Henry Field, pastoralist, and his wife Sophia, daughter of Rev. Ridgway Newland. She grew up on her father's property at Marra Station in Northern New South Wales. In 1875, at the age of 18, she married her first husband, Langloh Parker, and moved to his property, Bangate Station, near Angledool, New South Wales where she collected most of the Yularoi, or Euahlayi, stories which were to make her famous. After Langloh died in Sydney in 1903, she met and married Percival Randolph Stow, the son of Randolph Stow, in London, and lived with him in Adelaide until her death in 1940.
Catherine (Katie) Langloh Parker (1 May 1856 - 27 March 1940) was a writer who lived in Northern New South Wales in the late nineteenth century.
She is best known for recording the stories of the Aboriginal people around her. As their culture was in decline, because of pressure by European settlers, her testimony is one of the best accounts we have of the beliefs and stories of the Aboriginal people of North-West New South Wales at that time. However, her accounts reflect European prejudices of the time, and so to modern ears her accounts contain a number of misconceptions and racist comments. Their value is illustrated by her recording of an account of Baiame dating from around 1830, which is the earliest known reference to Baiame, casting doubt on the assertion that it was a construct of European missionaries.
She was born Catherine Eliza Somerville Field on board the 'Luilyl', in Encounter Bay, in South Australia, daughter of Henry Field, pastoralist, and his wife Sophia, daughter of Rev. Ridgway Newland. She grew up on her father's property at Marra Station in Northern New South Wales. In 1875, at the age of 18, she married her first husband, Langloh Parker, and moved to his property, Bangate Station, near Angledool, New South Wales where she collected most of the Yularoi, or Euahlayi, stories which were to make her famous. After Langloh died in Sydney in 1903, she met and married Percival Randolph Stow, the son of Randolph Stow, in London, and lived with him in Adelaide until her death in 1940.
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July 9, 2018This book has two important issues that makes it difficult to have any confidence in this book's content. Because of these issues, I felt it was impossible to decide how to rate this book.
The first issue deals with the collector of the tales. The editor points out that the collector of the tales had a Christian bias. The editor also implies that there was a mistake in translation in one of these tales which I would interpret as due to the collector's Christian bias. This means that we can't know whether we can rely on the collector's translation of any tale in the collection.
The second issue deals with the editor. Based on her commentary and the sources she cites, she is a New Ager. This is a very different perspective from the Aboriginal one which is based on traditions that are thousands of years old. Can I rely on what the editor has to say about Aboriginal beliefs when she has a New Age bias?
There were some commentaries that seemed likely to be reliable, but there were also many statements that seemed to be based on opinion rather than research. As is often the case in New Age material, the editor doesn't always make a clear distinction between fact and opinion. This is very unfortunate.
I did read the entire book because I thought there might be a tale that I could appreciate for its own sake regardless of whether it was authentic. The tale that I liked most was "Goonur, the Woman Doctor".
I would advise taking a cautious approach to this book.
The first issue deals with the collector of the tales. The editor points out that the collector of the tales had a Christian bias. The editor also implies that there was a mistake in translation in one of these tales which I would interpret as due to the collector's Christian bias. This means that we can't know whether we can rely on the collector's translation of any tale in the collection.
The second issue deals with the editor. Based on her commentary and the sources she cites, she is a New Ager. This is a very different perspective from the Aboriginal one which is based on traditions that are thousands of years old. Can I rely on what the editor has to say about Aboriginal beliefs when she has a New Age bias?
There were some commentaries that seemed likely to be reliable, but there were also many statements that seemed to be based on opinion rather than research. As is often the case in New Age material, the editor doesn't always make a clear distinction between fact and opinion. This is very unfortunate.
I did read the entire book because I thought there might be a tale that I could appreciate for its own sake regardless of whether it was authentic. The tale that I liked most was "Goonur, the Woman Doctor".
I would advise taking a cautious approach to this book.
March 2, 2015
I came to this book, roundabout, by way of "The Unpersuadables." The author says our minds turn every experience into story: cause and effect, plus emotion. He illustrates his point with a comment about Australian Aborigines possessing the oldest continuous cultural traditions in human history; all their history, knowledge, law, and philosophy transmitted through countless generations via stories. Coincidentally, I recently read that sea level rises which took place ~30,000 years ago are clearly recorded in a number of different local Aboriginal oral histories.
Obviously, any tradition that keeps its oral history accurate for 30,000 years is super intriguing. The stories in this book were recorded by K. Langloth Parker in the late 19th century, as told to her by Aboriginal friends.
And the stories themselves are amazing. I would love to read more.
Sadly, more than half the book consists of commentary by Johanna Lambert. She shared a few (very few) pieces of relevant/interesting information about Aboriginal culture and mores; those were helpful in understanding the stories.
The rest of the commentary could have been written by any freshman Women's Studies major who discovered Joseph Campbell and the Feminine Divine during fall semester. By chapter two I was struggling to skim the commentaries for cultural nuggets while averting my eyes from the tide of bollocks. Bless Ms Lambert's heart; every word she wrote made a profound and vivid tale smaller.
In the Introduction, she writes, "I have based my interpretation of these stories ... in the spirit that their symbolic material is 'alive,' transforming in time, viewable in a multiplicity of ways, and with meanings that do not deny each other." I agree, in principle. But the older I get, the more I think that a story's profundity is in its uniqueness, not its similarity to other stories. Or maybe my dissatisfaction is even simpler than that; breaking out your symbol dictionary is no way to greet a culture when you're meeting it for the first time. It's like getting to know someone by talking about yourself.
The stories will doubtless survive this discourtesy, as they have survived so much else.
Obviously, any tradition that keeps its oral history accurate for 30,000 years is super intriguing. The stories in this book were recorded by K. Langloth Parker in the late 19th century, as told to her by Aboriginal friends.
And the stories themselves are amazing. I would love to read more.
Sadly, more than half the book consists of commentary by Johanna Lambert. She shared a few (very few) pieces of relevant/interesting information about Aboriginal culture and mores; those were helpful in understanding the stories.
The rest of the commentary could have been written by any freshman Women's Studies major who discovered Joseph Campbell and the Feminine Divine during fall semester. By chapter two I was struggling to skim the commentaries for cultural nuggets while averting my eyes from the tide of bollocks. Bless Ms Lambert's heart; every word she wrote made a profound and vivid tale smaller.
In the Introduction, she writes, "I have based my interpretation of these stories ... in the spirit that their symbolic material is 'alive,' transforming in time, viewable in a multiplicity of ways, and with meanings that do not deny each other." I agree, in principle. But the older I get, the more I think that a story's profundity is in its uniqueness, not its similarity to other stories. Or maybe my dissatisfaction is even simpler than that; breaking out your symbol dictionary is no way to greet a culture when you're meeting it for the first time. It's like getting to know someone by talking about yourself.
The stories will doubtless survive this discourtesy, as they have survived so much else.
June 20, 2012
This book is not what I expected which was a scholarly review of some Australian aboriginal stories. Instead one gets mostly new age commentary centered around a few very short aboriginal stories. By not taking the aboriginal culture on its own terms the author is really showing her disrespect for their traditions. This one is not a keeper as much better books exist then this one.
May 14, 2017
Useful as a source of traditional stories told to 19th century collector Katie Parker by Aboriginal women. The problems with the book are two-fold. First, although Parker made a good faith attempt to make sure her translations were accurate, the stories bear many traces of her Victorian lens. Second, the commentaries take a comparative mythological approach which continually veers away from the story-images, giving the impression (which I'm sure was unintentional) that their analogs in some way elevate them.
May 13, 2023
I could not finish this book.
The author is an actress and a writer and is not in any way qualified to provide commentary on the tales that are cataloged in this book. And yet comment she does, extensively- about the 'universal feminine.' The whole book stinks of early 90s white feminist paganism.
This book feels like someone trying to jump on early 90s fascination with indigenous spirituality the gravy train.
The author is an actress and a writer and is not in any way qualified to provide commentary on the tales that are cataloged in this book. And yet comment she does, extensively- about the 'universal feminine.' The whole book stinks of early 90s white feminist paganism.
This book feels like someone trying to jump on early 90s fascination with indigenous spirituality the gravy train.
July 2, 2021
To say this book was awful is an understatement. Many of the 'collected' indigenous stories have been filtered so extensively that they lack any sense authenticity. The 'analysis' is neither scholarly or competent, and even as just 'commentary' on the stories, it fails completely. I can't believe I read the whole thing, and parts of it several times, trying to be fair or just desperately searching for some merit in the work. The kindest thing I can say about it is that it is a good example of cultural appropriation as a means of seeking personal renown. I recommend that people interested in Aboriginal stories look for collections of traditional stories by indigenous authors instead.
May 14, 2017
This book about the world's oldest society was extremely eye opening for me. Living in the US, chasing youth and something elusive that seemed just out of reach, this book showed me that there is more to life that material goods. The Aborigione are a spiritual people who have been oppressed; these stories, gathered at the turn of the last century, give insight to the secrets of the culture and their spiritual sophistication. This book touched me deeply, and I have it here on my shelf, within reach, for frequent reference.
January 21, 2021
Extremely problematic commentary by Iohanna Lambert, which made me distrust the representation of this important body of folklore. The history about K Langloh Parker was interesting, but left me longing for books by Aboriginal women about their own experiences. In that, I'm glad I read it.
September 30, 2020
A book purchased for research purposes, and one that tickles the anthropologist in me. Lambert makes a good deal in her commentaries of these tales originally collected by Parker.
The problem I have with the stories is they are too obviously anglicized or at least westernized, both the stories themselves and definitely the commentary. Lambert works hard to present a disciplined exedition and it just doesn't work.
A perhaps interesting read that, for the most part, doesn't need to be read.
The problem I have with the stories is they are too obviously anglicized or at least westernized, both the stories themselves and definitely the commentary. Lambert works hard to present a disciplined exedition and it just doesn't work.
A perhaps interesting read that, for the most part, doesn't need to be read.
April 26, 2019
A sensible an interesting account of Aboriginal tales and myths. The sociological analysis is quite apt. True, sometimes it gets a bit carried away in its new age musings, but nonetheless provides real insight into Aboriginal thinking and lifestyle.
October 30, 2023
The commentator had some valid points in her analysis but also came off as pretentious and preachy.
Some points felt like they were just made up.
Some points felt like they were just made up.
September 5, 2013
I found this book very interesting and truly inspiring. The stories i.e aboriginal myths (are in general) very short and for someone who is not part of the culture they would probably stop at that: Myths. But what brings this book alive are the commentaries that follow each story. They are very, very good I think and they go to explain how every single part and action in the story had/has a deep meaning to the aboriginal culture regarding the way the view and relate to the universe in general and mother earth in particular ["Traditional Aboriginal society is founded on the prominence of the characteristics of the Universal Feminine, epitomized by its unwavering respect for the earth, which Aborigines refer to as "the mother""] If you find yourself totally fed up and in despair of the way our materialistic society is leading us to total self destruction and need to re-evaluate your priorities (in relation to the natural world around us) and would like to understand how the basic primal feminine force (in all of us) can be the best solution to bring this mother of all of us (mother earth) back into balance then I highly recommend this book.
July 7, 2007
I guess it should be expected that the only human culture to have continuously existed over 10,000 years(maybe over 40,000 years), and without any writing, would have boiled down their observations of the world into some of the most insightful and concise statements. This book is a collection of dreamtime stories, each one with brief commentary helping to explain some of the content of the myths. I found the commentary to be very helpful, as some of the events in a few of the myths had specific meaning to the aboriginal people which would have been lost on me, having not been raised in their culture and having as much difficulty as i have in finding anything written about them.
I would definitely recommend this book to everyone, moreso than any other on my list. It offers a rare glimpse into the beliefs of a society who's point of view is often far removed from our own. Wise Women is a fast, easy read and written so anyone can get a lot out of it, without prior knowledge of aboriginal culture, anthropology or world mythology.
I would definitely recommend this book to everyone, moreso than any other on my list. It offers a rare glimpse into the beliefs of a society who's point of view is often far removed from our own. Wise Women is a fast, easy read and written so anyone can get a lot out of it, without prior knowledge of aboriginal culture, anthropology or world mythology.
January 29, 2017
This wins the "worst book I have read in the last ten years and possibly in my whole life" award hands down.
The stories themselves are short, largely obscure and often give the impression that most of their meaning has been lost or distorted by repetition (or possibly by an unreliable source or collector - there are similar issues with a lot of the Grimm tales), but it's mostly the inane commentary that gets this book a well-deserved one star. If there had been a possibility of giving zero I would have done. The first couple of chapters still yield some vaguely interesting insights into aboriginal society (although after finishing the horrible thing I can't help but wonder in how far those are actually reliable), but mostly the author is just attempting to bend and twist the tales into the most unlikely tangles to make their supposed meaning fit her own vision of the world and getting lost into endless and pointless digressions about everything that's wrong with said world. Feminism and environmentalism both at their very worst.
The stories themselves are short, largely obscure and often give the impression that most of their meaning has been lost or distorted by repetition (or possibly by an unreliable source or collector - there are similar issues with a lot of the Grimm tales), but it's mostly the inane commentary that gets this book a well-deserved one star. If there had been a possibility of giving zero I would have done. The first couple of chapters still yield some vaguely interesting insights into aboriginal society (although after finishing the horrible thing I can't help but wonder in how far those are actually reliable), but mostly the author is just attempting to bend and twist the tales into the most unlikely tangles to make their supposed meaning fit her own vision of the world and getting lost into endless and pointless digressions about everything that's wrong with said world. Feminism and environmentalism both at their very worst.
May 8, 2012
Wise Women of the Dreamtime: Aboriginal Tales of the Ancestral Power (Inner Traditions International, 1993) is a fascinating collection of tales from Australian Aboriginal woman as dictated to a Western woman in the late 1800s. Editor Joanna Lambert expands upon these tales by providing commentary and discussion after each tale, focusing on the various folkloric traditions around the globe and emphasizing both the uniqueness of the Aboriginal tales and the similarities the Aboriginal folklore has with other cultures. Given the thousands of years in which Aboriginal traditions flourished essentially unaltered, I found it fascinating to read the folklore.
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February 24, 2013
3.5 stars. I thought the tales and the interpretations were quite fascinating and overall it was an enjoyable and enlightening read, but there were two things that bothered me. Firstly, that Lambert referenced Barbara Walker's Women's Encyclopaedia of Myths and Secrets a fair bit, a book with dubious scholarship it seems, and secondly, some of the commentary began to grate after a while. While I have nothing against Lambert's earth-mother slant, the stereotyping of all women having natural nurturing instincts was unnecessary.
May 10, 2009
Aboriginal stories of women, during the Dreamtime (before humans), with commentary, or how it wouldn't happen during humans times because of breaches of protocol. The myths were teachings to the people how to do or not to do things.
June 1, 2017
.. women must remove the image of ourselves as victims and in healing our wounds regard them as our initiation and preparation for the struggles ahead. "
Loved the book and plan to reread it, it was that good.
Loved the book and plan to reread it, it was that good.
Want to read
September 6, 2007I have this one, just havent gotten to it yet.
March 31, 2011
Can't wait to get started on this one when it arrives...
February 11, 2012
"We must remove the image of ourselves as victim and in healing our wounds regard them as our initiation and preparation for the struggles ahead." Amazing book; right place - right time - right mind
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February 21, 2012Wise Women of the Dreamtime : Aboriginal Tales of the Ancestral Powers by K. Langloh Parker (1993)
July 2, 2012
Great book for reading, helps interpreting legend for growing minds
December 6, 2012
Too educational !!
February 28, 2014
I enjoyed the introduction the most.
The myths are interesting but fail to see paralleling them with western explanations.
The myths are interesting but fail to see paralleling them with western explanations.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews