In
Australian Aboriginal mythology
Australian Aboriginal religion and mythology is the sacred spirituality represented in the stories performed by Aboriginal Australians within each of the language groups across Australia in their ceremonies. Aboriginal spirituality includes ...
, Baiame (or Biame, Baayami, Baayama or Byamee) was the
creator god
A creator deity or creator god (often called the Creator) is a deity responsible for the creation of the Earth, world, and universe in human religion and mythology. In monotheism, the single God is often also the creator. A number of monolatris ...
and
sky father in
the Dreaming of several
Aboriginal Australian
Aboriginal Australians are the various Indigenous peoples of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland and many of its islands, such as Tasmania, Fraser Island, Hinchinbrook Island, the Tiwi Islands, and Groote Eylandt, but excluding the T ...
peoples of south-eastern Australia, such as the
Wonnarua,
Kamilaroi,
Guringay,
Eora,
Darkinjung
The Darkinjung (not to be confused with the Darkinyung people further inland) are the Local Aboriginal Land Council in the Central Coast, New South Wales, area of Australia and a major landowner on the Central Coast, participating in formal join ...
, and
Wiradjuri
The Wiradjuri people (; ) are a group of Aboriginal Australian people from central New South Wales, united by common descent through kinship and shared traditions. They survived as skilled hunter-fisher-gatherers, in family groups or clans, a ...
peoples.
Description and history
The Baiame story tells how Baiame came down from the sky to the land and created rivers, mountains, and forests. He then gave the people their laws of life, traditions, songs, and culture. He also created the first
initiation site. This is known as a
bora; a place where boys were initiated into manhood. When he had finished, he returned to the sky and people called him the ''Sky Hero'' or ''All Father'' or ''Sky Father''.
He is said to have two wives,
Ganhanbili and
Birrangulu, the latter often being identified as an
emu
The emu () (''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus '' Dromaius''. The ...
, and with whom he has a son
Dharramalan. In other stories Dharramalan is said to be brother to Baiame.
It was forbidden to mention or talk about the name of Baiame publicly. Women were not allowed to see drawings of Baiame nor approach Baiame sites, which are often male initiation sites (boras).
In rock paintings Baiame is often depicted as a human figure with a large head-dress or hairstyle, with lines of footsteps nearby. He is always painted in front view; Dharramalan is drawn in profile. Baiame is often shown with internal decorations such as waistbands, vertical lines running down the body, bands and dots.
Link with the Christian God
The missionary
William Ridley adopted the name of Baiame for the
Christian God when translating into
Gamilaraay (the language of the
Kamilaroi). It is sometimes suggested that Baiame was a construct of early Christian missionaries, but
K Langloh Parker dated belief in Baiame to (at latest) 1830, prior to missionary activity in the region.
Portrayal in the ''Awaba'' (Lake Macquarie) area
In the area surrounding
''Awaba'' (Lake Macquarie) in
New South Wales
)
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, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
, Australia, he was believed to have created all of the mountains, lakes, rivers and caves in the area. After he finished creating, he jumped back up to the spirit world from
Mount Yengo, which he flattened. Its flat top can still be seen to this day, near Wollombi Valley. A cave near Milbrodale contains many Wonnarua Aboriginal paintings, including a large figure of a man who may be Baiame. It is popularly known as the Baiame Cave and is part of a series of rock shelters on an area of 80 hectares. The site is listed on the
Register of the National Estate
The Register of the National Estate was a heritage register that listed natural and cultural heritage places in Australia that was closed in 2007. Phasing out began in 2003, when the Australian National Heritage List and the Commonwealth Heri ...
and is considered a
sacred site
Sacred space, sacred ground, sacred place, sacred temple, holy ground, or holy place refers to a location which is deemed to be sacred or hallowed. The sacredness of a natural feature may accrue through tradition or be granted through a bles ...
.
See also
*
Aboriginal mythology
*
Aboriginal sites of New South Wales
References
External links
{{commonsinline, Hunter Valley
Australian Aboriginal gods
Creator gods
Sky and weather gods