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.
DENMARK: WITH A SENSE OF SIMPLICITY
Trace NOMADSofORIGIN's adventure to the Scandinavian country and learn all the things we love about it
Words: Emily Georgieva
Phorography: Emma Dau
25 November 2019
Denmark is pure and has a very sophisticated simplicity. What you see is what you get, and Danes sure do know how to pay attention to details and this is easy to notice in all aspects of the way they express their individuality - from the architecture, to art and fashion Denmark has its own style and way of doing things.
Our travels to Denmark took us to a place with a very civilised society and forward-thinking urbanisation system where locals value the organic lifestyle. Nowhere near pretentious, the Scandinavian country excites with its look and balance that locals seem to have mastered between work and social enjoyment.
The cycling culture is developed much like in many cities in Germany. Cycling is very popular as there are more bikes than cars. People like contributing to the environment and keeping the streets clean by lowering the emissions that are being released by cars. You can hire a boat to explore the seas if you want to experience different kind of transportation. The Tivoli Gardens are known to be one of the most beautiful theme-parks in Europe. Visually stunning, Denmark also knows how to have fun. The streets get transformed every time there is a carnival or a concert organised, including celebrations from jazz to rock music. Each event is different. Being incredible liberal and welcoming, Denmark has a little bit for everyone.
The Nordic food is represented everywhere from the north of the country to the west. There is simplicity of the design not just when it comes to food, but also in the design of the restaurants. Some of the up-and-coming restaurants serve delicious seafood, caught directly from the sea or risottos for those with a different preference. Street food remains locals' favourite as no one can resist the famous Danish ice cream. Cafes are scattered everywhere, and organic food is easy to find. If you ever visit Denmark, make sure to try the Vienna Bread, the recipe for which was given to local chefs by Vienna culinary experts. Also, do google the Noma restaurant, you won't regret tasting the culinary extravaganza, carefully created by skilful culinary gurus. This restaurant alone has been titled as the Best Restaurant in the World four times in its existence. Spagheteria and Apollo are another favourite when it comes to food, but if you are looking for spending a nice afternoon, drinking coffee and reading a book, head towards the La Banchina coffee house.
Speaking of food and sharing culture, there is a word, commonly used and very Danish, which seems to collect all the country's charm in its meaning. 'Hygge' is essentially an association with warmth, candles and soft blankets - Denmark in a nutshell. It is a concept that defines people's style in many ways and suits the country as most of the year the weather is cold and rainy. The country is clean and cosy and mindset shows in every aspect of the locals' lifestyle. Unlike the commotion in the busy, metropolitan cities, where people prefer to go out and catch up over a meal shared in a restaurant, Danes are lovers of the home space. They will prefer hosting homemade dinner gatherings at their own homes over going out at any given opportunity. There is a strong sense of friendly intimacy, family values and communities.
Denmark has a European style and atmosphere. The cutting-edge architecture is impressive yet remains somehow simple in the most elegant sense of the word. In Aarchas, which was the European Capital of Culture in 2017, you can see the famous iceberg apartment building. Combining artistic styles with imagination is an approach that follows the outside and inside of the country and very much is what the locals represent. In Denmark less is more, which is the typical Scandinavian approach.
People are quite welcoming. They want to make everybody feel at home and are always ready to help. They carry the Scandinavian vibe with them everywhere they go. If once it was considered fashionable to be Parisian, today Scandinavians are the aspiration for many when it comes to style. They sure do know how to stay elegant, yet comfortable. The street style still dominates. Locals have a very effortless, inclusive and cosy style, which pretty much also describes their way of living. Denmark hold special place in our hearts. Go there and you will be transformed to a place that may at first seem cold, but you will soon see its warmth and be able to feel at home.
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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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