Corroboree
A corroboree (sometimes also spelled Coorroboree ) is a traditional ceremony held by the Aborigines in Australia . There are events with dance, music, singing and body painting. Parts of the Corroberees go back to the creation story of the dreamtime . The term is also used nowadays for festive events with dance, music and theater performances, especially in English-speaking countries.
procedure
In the mythical beliefs of the Aborigines, the creation figures made the people, the animals, the plants and the birds and they made the landscape and the spirit. This created reality and the spirits behind it set rules and these rules must be observed and maintained. Rules are lived and perpetuated as the Aborigines hold their coroborees. The Aborigines keep these rules, which they consider like laws, with the holding of corroborees and thus the dreamtime (also called dreamtime) lives on. Women and men are subject to different rules and behavior in Corroborees and differ according to the traditional ideas of the respective Aboriginal peoples. There are corroborees that can only be held in certain spiritual places, but their tradition in the broadest sense is combined with nature conservation. These sites should remain completely unchanged as results of the creation figures as spiritual places. Therefore, mining and road construction that changes these sites is rejected.
At the initiation of young Aborigines, coroborees take place, at which no adult is allowed to be present. The young people adorn themselves with body painting as well as with signs, symbols and images of their totems, which are assigned to them.
In the course of the corroborees, sand painting and body painting are certainly cultivated. Specially made apparel and clothing, headdress and body jewelry are worn for the occasion. Totems made of wood and raffia are also used as carved figures and bark carving and painting in the ceremonies.
The variety of Corroborees is great and the occasions and creation stories for this are different. The Corroborees are completely different from clan to clan, partly secret and in this case no one outside of the Aboriginal community is allowed to participate or watch. The knowledge and skills, the processes, the dance and the rituals are complicated and require detailed knowledge that is only passed on to certain people within the respective Aboriginal tribes.
Corroborees with mythical content are also performed in theaters, one of the first theater performances with the title "Corroboree", designed by John Antill in 1950 in Sydney .
Surname
The name corroboree was derived from the Dharuk word garabari . In the language of Pilbara corroborees hot yanda or jalarra and in the Kimberley region is Junba traditionally used for it. In other Australian languages, the ritual dance is called juju or kobbakobba . In northwest Australia, Corroboree is a common name for any theatrical representation. Outside of Australia, especially in English-speaking countries, the term is partly known and is used for celebrations, songs, dances, music and various performances, etc. a. also include small theater performances or skits.
As an alternative to Australia Day , the Corroboree for Sovereignty takes place every year on January 26th at the tent embassy on the lawn. The festival, which has been taking place in front of the Old Parliament House in Canberra for more than 40 years, has a political character and refers in particular to the lack of political and land rights of the Aborigines.
