Before Time Began: Legends of the Dreamtime

Charles P. Mountford

ISBN 10: 017005070X / ISBN 13: 9780170050708

Published by Thomas Nelson Ltd (Australia), 1976

1st edition. Hardbound in dust jacket. Minor wear to board edges, otherwise very good. Seller Inventory # 89445

Synopsis:

Published in 1976, Charles P. Mountford's 96 page, colour illustrated hardback volume: 'Before Time Began: Legends of the Dreamtime' is the culmination of a lifetime's experience. Spectacular finger paintings and bark paintings collected by C. P. Mountford on two of his expeditions illustrate this collection of 23 myths, retold with all the respect, love and insight which he has for the aboriginal people of Australia. We learn of the creation of the world, the spirit children, the Pleiades and their lovers, and much more. Contained in these myths are immutable laws laid down by the mythological people of the dreamtime, which have been transmitted from one generation to the next for countless centuries, and belong to the everyday life of the tribe. Joseph Burke, in his foreword, says of Mountford that 'through this book he is our guide to a great achievement of the human imagination, an achievement which has stamped its imagery of mystery and profound sense of human unity with nature on the landscape, the fauna and flora of Australia. Contents: Foreword:Joseph Burke, Professor of Fine Arts, University of Melbourne; Illustrations, Acknowledgements; Introduction; The Beginning of the World; The Theft of Fire; The Spirit Children: The Muris and The Nagalulu; The Little Mother, Bunyil; The Story of the Echo; The Wild Cat, the Emu and the Opossum; The Pleiades and their Lovers; Kilpari and the Stolen Grinding Stone; The Kingfisher and his Two Wives; The Native Cat and the Hawk-Man; The Wild Turkey and the Emu; The Kangaroo and the Euro; The Fishermen of the Lakes; The Disobedient Kangaroo Boys; Kooboo, the Native Bear; The Opossum-Man, Kapili, and his Two Wives; The Dingoes and the Waters of Nirgo; The Moon-Man, Wira and his Revenge; The Willy-Wagtail and the Robin; The Sun-Woman and the Lizard-Men; The Moon-Man, Alinda and the Origin of Death; Journey to the Land of the Dead

Bibliographic Details

Title: Before Time Began: Legends of the Dreamtime
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Ltd (Australia)
Publication Date: 1976
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Very Good
Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good
Edition: 1st Edition