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The Death and Dying Beliefs of Australian Aborigines


Although the Aborigines are often classified as a primitive race whose
religion is based upon animism and totemism like the American Indians, the
Aboriginal funeral practices and beliefs about death have much in common with
other cultures. This paper will discuss the death and dying beliefs of the
Aborigines that share a common thread with many popular religions of today.
Aboriginal beliefs in death and dying are original in that they combine all
these beliefs in a different way. The purpose of looking at the commonalties is
to examine the shared foundations of all religions by investigating the aspect
of death and dying in a very localized and old set of beliefs.
As in many religions, Aborigines share a belief in a celestial Supreme
Being. During a novice's initiation, he learns the myth of Daramulun, which
means "Father," who is also called Biamban, or "Master." Long ago, Daramulun
dwelt on earth with his mother. The......

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Approximate Word Count: 3397
Approximate Pages: 14 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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