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.
AN ANCIENT BADLAND
Roam with us across Georgia. From the Black Sea beaches to the tranquil Caucasus Mountain villages, we take you on an adventure to prove to you why you shouldn’t plan your visit, but rather let the country's scenery guide your journey there
Words: Emily Georgieva
Photography: John Forson
26 February 2020
Georgia is a place where time stands still and everything has meaning. The locals hold dear what their ancestors valued – most of the traditions are still celebrated yearly. Depending on when you visit, you could witness an ancient celebrations being performed on the streets or in sacred places such as the century-old churches that reflect the charm of the country. Some of those rituals have been passed on from what is usually more than 20 generations onto the next, signifying their importance.
Traditions have always been cherished by Georgians. They have become a way for people to express themselves and their culture. Nowadays, you are not likely to see tourist crowds filling up the towns of the country and that’s perhaps Georgia's biggest charm. Whenever foreigners make their way to this Eurasian place, they are often greeted by locals who don’t mind sharing the secrets of their lifestyle. This is a great place to step out of your comfort zone and challenge the curious nomad in you. It's easy to visit Georgia and say ‘yes’ to things locals so generously offer to teach you, as they often do. Don’t hesitate to learn from those who are willing to share the ins and outs of their culture.
Another thing that puts Georgia on many travellers' radar is their craft of winemaking. It is believed to be the world’s first wine producer, tracing the history of winemaking some 8,000 years back, so we strongly recommend tasting this ‘juice of the gods’ whilst you’re there to get a taste of the country. Of course, a wine is best complimented with cheese and bread and there are few nations in the world that make bread better than Georgians do. If you do have the chance to watch the locals make bread, try to find the time for it and take notes. It will be an unforgivable experience that will give you a glimpse into this fascinating aspect of the country’s culture.
Georgia is visually stunning, but it goes way beyond the Black Sea tranquil beaches and the charming Caucasus Mountain villages. Nature enthusiasts can head to Mount Shkhara, known as Europe’s second highest peak – higher than Mount Blanc. The mountain ranges will have you in awe and so will the century-old churches and legendary monasteries, some of which date all the way back to 12th and 13th century. Places of such descent are not a rare view in Georgia - Vardzia monastery and the city of Tbilisi have become UNESCO heritage sites and are worth paying a visit to.
After dedicating some time to climb some of the most incredible mountain peak you’ll possibly ever hike in your lifetime, we recommend roaming off to the villages where you can mingle with the locals. Places like those make Georgia seem like time has slowed down just so people can enjoy slow-living and soak it all in.
Georgia is a cultural mishmash and will catch you by surprise many times. Ancient meets contemporary in those badlands where travellers lose track of time in their attempt to become one with this magical place. If you want to go to Georgia, don’t make a plan of how your journey should look like. Let the country guide you instead. Listen to its rhythm and embrace its multilayers. A place like Georgia is worth slowing down for.
