Problem relacji płciowych w mitach australijskich – zasada matrioszki

• Authors: Andrzej Szyjewski

Title variants

EN

The Issue of Sex Relations in Australian Myths – the “Matryoshka Principle”

• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

This paper discusses the ambiguity of sex identity within Aboriginal mythology. Male/female relations are the main point of the well-known Wawilag Sisters myth from Arnhem Land, based on a series of equivalent mythical unions: the penis in the vagina (male in female) ≡ the serpent in the hut (male in female) ≡ Wawilag sisters pregnancy (male in female) ≡ Wawilag sisters devoured by the serpent (female in male) ≡ subincised penis (female in male). The effect of such equivalencies may be compared to a “matryoshka” doll: the male (child) is in the female (sisters) which is in the male (serpent), which in a way also renders the male symbols female (this is why the serpent is called “pregnant”). The basis of such a construction may be understood as the creation of a series of transformations male>female>male>female etc., which eventually leads to realisation of the exchange of female with male blood; their equipoise is necessary for initiation ceremonies.

Keywords

EN

Australian Aborigines; mythology; Fertility Mother; Rainbow Serpent; gender relations; bull-roarer; initiation; gender symbols

• Publisher: Uniwersytet Jagielloński
• Journal: Studia Religiologica
• Year: 2012
• Volume: 45
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 117–124

Dates

online

2012-12-19

Contributors

author

Andrzej Szyjewski

• Instytut Religioznawstwa UJ

Identifiers

DOI

10.4467/20844077SR.12.009.0825