Djang'kawu

Nationality/Culture

Australian/Aboriginal

Pronunciation

jang-kuh-WOO

Alternate Names

Djanggawul

Appears In

Australian Aboriginal oral mythology

Lineage

Unknown

Character Overview

In Australian mythology, the Djang'kawu were three sacred beings—a brother and two sisters—who created all life on earth. The Aborigines of Arnhem Land in northern Australia tell the story of the three siblings in a series of five hundred songs.

Major Myths

Arriving from heaven in a canoe with their companion Bralbral, the Djang'kawu set off to walk across the land carrying digging sticks called rangga. When the Djang'kawu sisters touched the ground with these sticks, they created the water, trees, animals, and all other features of the earth. The sisters were always pregnant, and their children populated the earth.

Originally, the sisters controlled the magic objects that created life. However, one day while they were sleeping, their brother stole these objects. In the beginning, the sisters had both male and female sex organs, but their brother cut off the male parts so that the sisters appeared like other women.

Djang'kawu in Context

The Australian landscape is largely harsh and unforgiving. It is in fact the driest and flattest of all the continents, and consists mostly of desert. The only reliable source of water is an underground basin accessible through various springs, or small pockets where water rises up to the surface, that dot the land. Because of the importance of these springs, it makes sense that the Aboriginal people of Australia would include them in their creation myth as being made by the Djang'kawu.

Key Themes and Symbols

The story of the Djang'kawu is a story about fertility and the creation of the living world. The sisters symbolize motherhood, as well as water, which is seen as the source of all life. The myth of the Djang'kawu is also about how, according to myth, men control the power to perform sacred rituals. This is explained by the brother taking his sisters' rangga sticks so that he can control the magic.

Djang'kawu in Art, Literature, and Everyday Life

The Aboriginal people of Australia have passed on their myths largely through oral tales and songs. Though their culture has recendy started to become assimilated into Australian culture as a whole, the myths of the Aborigines have yet to become widespread in the public consciousness. For this reason, examples of the Djang'kawu in art and literature are mostly limited to tribal songs and art.

Read, Write, Think, Discuss

In Australia, there has been an effort over the years to assimilate or absorb Aboriginal cultures into the mainstream. A similar effort was made with many American Indian tribes in the United States during the early twentieth century. Supporters of assimilation argue that it helps members of small, alienated communities become a successful part of the national culture, which helps create economic and emotional prosperity while bringing diversity into the mainstream. Opponents of assimilation argue that it only serves to destroy the remaining traces of Aboriginal culture and force Aboriginal people to change their ways to match everyone else.

Do you think assimilation is good or bad for native cultures such as the Aborigines? Support your opinion with reasons and examples. You can research the topic for additional information that may help you establish your position.