CONVERSATION
CONVERSATION
CONVERSATION
HUMAN TRACES:
ETHIOPIA
HUMAN TRACES:
ETHIOPIA
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
DESTINATIONS
DESTINATIONS
The Dreamtime, or the Dreaming, portrays the Aboriginal beliefs in spiritual existence. According to the tribes that first settled down in the continent, the Dreaming's roots date all the way back to the very begging of the creation of the world. The meaning and ideology of the term is generally not so well-understood by non-indigenous people as it is referred to as part of the culture of one of the early nations, which differs from modern perceptions.
The Spirits were the creators of everything. They made the land and the seas, the rocks and the plants, the sky and the earth. They were the higher power and the Australian Aborigines spent their lifetimes honoring this power, which guided their path and shaped their way of thinking. Not only creators of everything, which could be seen as well as felt, the Spirits also gave the Aborigines the Dreaming.
The time when everything started existing according to the initial Australians, was called the Dreaming. This is the foundation of the continent's culture. The origin of the Dreaming goes way back - 65 000 years back in time to be exact. The Ancestors of the nation shaped the land, forming some parts of it as sacred. The Aborigines were very careful and overprotective of those places, strongly believing in their significance.
The Australian Aborigines are known to have believed that the world didn't have any shape and was therefore empty. Darkness dominated, and life was simply asleep, but this changed when the creation began happening. After the Dreaming and the influence of the Spirits, objects began taking shapes and came to be. They created the four elements: water, earth, air and fire, as well as all the planets, the Sun and the Moon. The Dreaming therefore is a continuous process, which never ended. It is a small cosmos on its own, unifying the past, present and the future into one.
The Australian Aborigines' home riches so many vivid areas of the continent, including Fraser Island, Tasmania, Palm Island, Groote Eylandt and Mornington Island. The Aborigines had very strong believes in relation to the powers of the land, claiming that they never owned it - it rather owned them. The only reason they were able to call it their home is because they were looking after it and the land was taking care of the people in return.
Equally important to the Dreaming was the tribes' understandings of the disappearance of the Spirits. There came a time, when the creators of everything vanished from sight. Some of them were thought to have started living in sacred places, which is why the Aborigines perceived their homeland to be so sacred. The ancestors of today's Australians used to believe that the creators started living in rocks, in water holes and some went up to the sky to guide the people from above and keep them safe. Others transformed completely, taking the forms of the rain, the lightnings and the thunderstorms so they could be part of peoples' life.
Among the hundred's different Aboriginal languages, there isn't a word to describe 'time', because to them this simply doesn't exist. Dreaming and Dreamtime are used to replace it and summarize the ideologies of the Aborigines about everything they knew, everything they could see, feel and experience. This is why the Dreaming has such a vivid, and overwhelming meaning and has survived the obstacles of time. For the past couple thousand years, the Dreaming has built a rich cultural heritage that can identify a whole nation.
Read more about the Land, its connection to people and the way it has been perceived from different generations in the very first print issue of ORIGIN. The Land Issue covers varied topics, most of which remain related to cultural aspects of the land and its importance.
A lot of people travel to explore places and learn about them which is the message that ORIGIN wants to spread. With traveling, however, comes certain responsibilities that we should all be aware of. Elephants riding has become a popular way to explore locations by land. People have been doing this as part of their trips, mostly to places such as Thailand, Nepal, Cambodia and other parts of Asia. It is a common thing to see in certain places in Africa as well. We investigated the activity to explain why it is wrong and riding elephants should be banned everywhere.
Our first print issue studies culture and traveling represented through the land. We explored various location around the globe and learned what makes the land so valuable, which nations cherish it and how it helps us establish an identity. Traveling is important to us but traveling responsibly and making an impact is what we feel proud to stand behind. This is why riding elephants as a way of amusement should be reconsidered.
Let’s talk about the details. Elephants are very caring and extremely intelligent animals. It is a well-known fact that they never forget anything. When kept in captivity instead of spending their life in the wild, elephants die younger. Unlike in other species, this is common for the gentle giants and is often a result for stress.
Many African cultures respect elephants, believing they symbolize strength, loyalty and power. However, power can be a very tender concept. Elephant used as a tourism tool suffer from great pain daily. Elephants can be hurt very severely from the weight of carrying people and a trainer on their backs. The reason for this is the design of their spines. They have sharp protrusions, extending upwards from their spine instead of having round spinal disks. The protrusions and the tissue that serves to protect them can be harmed easily from weight pressure. Once a damage to their spine has been made, there is no going back and sometimes the harm can be irreversible. While this can’t be physically seen, the harm that the chairs can do to the elephants’ skin is. It is often the case that the chairs and the weight on their back can damage the animal’s skin and cause pain to their body. The chair, called Howdah, that gets attached to their backs, rubs on their skin and can cause blisters, which can sometimes get infected.
The training that elephants are required to go through when in captivity sometimes adopts a traditional Thai ‘phajaan’ or ‘crush’ technique. Explaining the technique would compare it to the animals’ spirits constantly and continuously being broken by the means of torture and social isolation. This is done in order to tame them. Elephants are wild animals, this is their nature as they are born in such conditions. Making them safe and obedient around people requires them to go through such training. As horrible as it sounds, in some places young elephants are taken away from their mothers to be abused with nails, bull hooks and bamboo sticks to make them obey rules, given by people. The animals often lack sleep and are starved to become submissive.
Actions from such nature are cruel and harmful as the technique is used to crash the animals’ spirit. Once wild and free, elephants become a source of tourism and entertainment. Nobody, who cared about sustainable tourism should ever ride an elephant.
In a sense, elephants have a human soul. They socialise and feel everything – pain, happiness, grief, sadness etc. They spend their life building families and finding friends. The largest land animals are a gift from nature and it is our responsibility to take special care of them and make sure they live according to their nature. Many animals, who are kept in captivity, are forced to live in isolation and carry heavy loads all day long, which is a wrong way to treat them. Their strength and power shouldn’t be abused but treated gently and celebrated by people. Elephants require minimal care to stay happy and healthy, which comes from giving them freedom to behave naturally and socialise. It is our responsibility to be culturally aware while traveling and make sure to spread awareness about the problem.
You can read the rest of the article as published in the LAND issue.
A GUIDE TO MALTA
NOMADSofORIGIN takes you on a day trip to Malta to show you this part of the Mediterranean in a whole new light
Words: Emily Georgieva
Photography: Annie Spratt
21 January 2019
Malta is one of the world's smallest countries that is appropriately populated but is does wake a lot of interest when it comes to travellers, who are looking for new adventures. It is the land of the constant sun as it is warm almost all year long. What is there not to like about this?!
The archipelago holds in its arms a range of coves, beaches, temples, rocky coastlines and fissile cliffs. Anyone interested in sailing, people owning boats or even yachts should plan a trip towards the Mediterranean archipelago. You won't be disappointed by the wonders of the sea because it is easy to feel one with everything that surrounds you. It is a preferred destination for divers and snorkelers. In total, there are around 100 dive sites around the country. Regardless of whether you are a beginner or a professional, Malta's waters are warm and inviting. There are a lot of fishermen boats as well. They have their own unique appeal. Most of them are colourfully painted and are given to Malta by the Venetians.
The food is, of course, influenced by the water kingdom as sea food is treasured and commonly eaten, the gbejniet cheese of Gozo is very much loved by locals. Honey is another thing that locals like to add to their meals. Influenced by the Sicilian and Middle Eastern cooking styles, the cuisine is varied, interesting and innovative.
Malta has interesting architecture. There is a lot to see in the country. The underground historic site of Hal Saflieni Hypogeum is ancient for its time - it was built over 5 000 years ago. The history of Malta is quite a challenging one, dating 6 000 years back in time. An interesting fact besides the temples that are scattered around the territory of the country are the huge female statues that have been build there as well. Once displayed on the streets, now most of them can only be seen in the local museums. Malta has some of the oldest buildings such as the Tarxien Ruins and the Megalithic Temples.
Positioned between Europe and North America, the islands have a long and interesting history. The big cities have their charm as well if you want to get away from the sea, the salty pools and the sunshine. Make sure to go to Valletta, which is also known as the 'Silent city of Mdina'.
Malta gained its independence in 1964. A huge part of it is devoted to creating and has an art influence. Years ago, bohemians and artists brought their ideologies to the land and contributed to its history. Once the sailors left the territory of the Mediterranean country, Malta was quiet and kind of empty for a while until it gained people's interest back and became more populated once again. Today, there are numerous festivals of art and music celebrating artists and bohemians - the people, who transformed the creative norms in the first place.
The cities have beautiful buildings with interesting floors, some of them with idyllic views of the sea. The villages are quieter and somewhat peaceful in their stillness - a perfect place to leave change life's busy pace for a little bit and spend some alone time or enjoy the company of friends and family.
The busiest periods to visit are the months from June to August as the weather is at its hottest. If you like kayaking, rock climbing, like music festivals, trying good cheese and swimming around underwater wrecks, Malta is the place for you. Its tropical vibe and bohemian charm don't get any better than that. Life is beautiful when you live it in Malta.
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NOMADSofORIGIN is an independent annual publication with a focus on sustainable travelling and global cultural values. Each issue features interviews, engaging articles and photo guides, which take our nomadic readers through different destinations and introduce them to local people's perspectives.
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