Signs and Wonders - By Elijah Weightman

Unaccountable Knowledge and Other Curious Stories

Different cultures perceive the world in alternative ways. Consider, for instance, the Dogon people, who inhabit the arid desert regions of Southern Mali. To the ordinary observer, the Dogon would seem indistinguishable from other West African tribes. However, the Dogon have closely protected information of the most profound nature, for several hundred years. The Dogon can accurately describe the so called “Dog Star”, Sirius B, in the Canis Major constellation, to Western astronomers. A star, which is invisible to the naked eye, and only discovered by Westerners in the mid-1800s. The Dogon, who claim such knowledge was imparted upon them by visitors from another star system, have passed down their learnings through the years via a combination of story-telling, and song (Temple, 1976).

The Dogon people are renowned for their colourful dancers and lively festivals, as well as curious knowledge of the Sirius system. Retrieved from: http://blissadventuretravel.blogspot.com.au/p/about-kent.html. 

Other societies impart tradition, teachings and lessons through song and stories. The Indian national epic, the Mahabharata and the Babylonian Talmud are such examples. Western civilizations achieve such through printed mediums (Kuttainen, 2017). Native American tribes, such as the Crow and Cherokee peoples, through feverish rituals and celebrations (Noorbergen, 1977).    

The Australian aborigines impart their knowledge in a manner similar to the Dogon. Australian aborigines perceive the land, and existence, through song (Chatwin, 1987). They believe that each feature and distinction of the land is explained through some ancient story, such as the ‘rainbow snake’ and ‘champion kookaburra’ (Indigenous Spirituality, 2017). Each region had a different language group, considering the fractured nature of indigenous society, there exist many variations of each story. Most involve similar elements, however.

Stories and places can be difficult to explain, and can be even more challenging to interpret. The world outlook held by and indigenous Australian would be difficult to perceive by a European person, and vice versa. Anglo Australians perceive the world in a more grounded, scientific fashion, whereas indigenous peoples see it on a more conceptual basis.

On The Roar, stories are imparted through contributors. Contributors come in the form of professional sports writers, or non-professional fan writers. Great stories, known as ‘features’, are imparted by only the most championed authors, such as father of The Roar, Spiro Zavos, and prince of The Roar, David Lord. Cautionary tales are sometimes devised by fans in the comments sections, generally regarding the demise of certain sportspersons. The tales can also apply to the fall from grace of sporting clubs that once stood like shining beacons upon a hill, but have since tumbled into obscurity from mismanagement and greed. Rumour and myth are perpetrated by unsavoury types, their whispers generally only garnering the attention of the naïve, foolish or incompetent.

As Terrance Pratchett said, “stories of imagination tend to upset those without one.” Such would explain the contempt that most Australians regard Aboriginal myth with. 

References:

Blogger. Retrieved from: http://blissadventuretravel.blogspot.com.au/p/about-kent.html. 

Chatwin, B. (1987). The Songlines. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au.

Kuttainen, V. (2017). BA1002: Our space: Networks, narratives and the making of place. lecture five: Stories of Place: Story Lines. [PowerPoint Slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au.

Noorbergen, R. (1977) Secrets of lost races. United States. TEACH Services, Inc.

Paulson, G. (2017). Retrieved from: http://australianstogether.org.au/stories/detail/indigenous-spirituality?gclid=Cj0KCQjwiqTNBRDVARIsAGsd9MpJI6iy-3v1-bYfejNE14VzG3ZCNecm1s9IYbcrN6WvKf1JhOV_8u4aAtu2EALw_wcB

Temple, R. (1976). The Sirius mystery. Lincoln, Nebraska. St. Martins Press.