Yapa


iconThe First Age of Spirit

Book 1 – The Beginning

6   The Count and Name of Species

1To name and count the species of every animal and plant:
2All animals that swim, that walk, that crawl, that jump and fly;
3All two legged and four legged animals;
4All species of plant, of grasses and tree;
5This be the second path of knowledge.
6First, one must learn and remember the count and name of family.
7A boy or girl who do not learn family,
8Cannot learn the count and name of species.
9They will say kangaroo, but they will not know kangaroo dreaming.
10They will say snake, but they will not know snake dreaming.
11They will say crocodile or emu, but they will not know crocodile or emu dreaming.
12A boy or girl who first learns family,
13Can learn all manner of knowledge,
14And can learn the count of name of species.
15This is why first is family and last is family.
16When a boy or girl can speak properly of first knowledge,
17They are ready to learn second knowledge.
18What be second knowledge?
19It is the wisdom and knowledge of ancestors about species:
20It is shape and look of every plant and animal,
21And how it got its shape and look;
22It is name of every plant and animal,
23And how it got its name;
24It is the spirit of plant and animal,
25And how the spirit came to be inside that plant or animal;
26It is family of every plant and animal,
27And knowledge of its family;
28It is how every animal moves and every plant grows,
29And where it lives and what it does;
30It is the origin of the species as a totem and skin name;
31It is the respect of every species as custodians of country.
32It is the ancient ceremony of skin and totem:
33"(animal/plant) spirit is me; We are (animal/plant) spirit"