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Quiz about I Dreamed a Dream
Quiz about I Dreamed a Dream

I Dreamed a Dream Trivia Quiz


According to the ancient Australian aboriginal belief system, the world and all that exists therein are part and result of a dream. Let's explore The Dreaming - a fascinating belief system very unlike the world's major religions.

A multiple-choice quiz by WesleyCrusher. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
367,085
Updated
Sep 20 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
5 / 10
Plays
578
Awards
Top 5% quiz!
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Question 1 of 10
1. In the aboriginal belief system, The Dreaming refers to many things. Only one of them is also referred to as "Dreamtime" - which one? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. According to the most commonly believed version of The Dreaming, what kind of being or beings dreamt up and created the world? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Called Altjira, Mura-Mura or Tjukurpa, one figure is central to some interpretations of The Dreaming. Some call him a god, others identify him as a spirit. Little information is given about his appearance except for his feet which are those of which typically Australian animal? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. According to a common interpretation in the aboriginal belief system, Altjira has retreated from this world with the fading of the Dreamtime, coinciding with which real-life event? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. A serpent often revered as godlike and one of the creators is an important part of nearly all versions of the aboriginal belief system. Which celestial phenomenon is it associated with? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. As we heard, The Dreaming is also the state of a human's existence before birth and after death. Aboriginal belief places the point at which the soul or spirit enters the body of a child at which time in development? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. According to Australian aboriginal belief, which beings have been created with souls? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. In aboriginal belief, the soul is reborn to live out a bodily existence many times during its external existence, in different forms.


Question 9 of 10
9. Each individual in an aboriginal culture adheres to a specific belief system, different in details from other members of the same tribe. He or she is then said to have a specific Dreaming (or combination of several Dreamings). These Dreamings bear what kind of names? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Many aborigines today are members of an organized religion (such as Christianity) but also retain their traditional beliefs.



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. In the aboriginal belief system, The Dreaming refers to many things. Only one of them is also referred to as "Dreamtime" - which one?

Answer: The time when the world was created

In Australian aboriginal belief, The Dreaming is not only Dreamtime, the sacred era of creation, but can also refer to the state of eternal existence that precedes and follows life on Earth and, by inference, creation itself. In this belief system, the land itself, the cultures and the laws and duties governing the life of each individual are also aspects directly part of The Dreaming.
2. According to the most commonly believed version of The Dreaming, what kind of being or beings dreamt up and created the world?

Answer: Totem spirits

Aboriginal creation belief is different from that of most religions in that it does not credit a single divine being or small group for creation but the world as we know it is rather the joint effort of many spirits. Several cultures however believe in a master creator called Altjira (among other names) who created the Earth itself.
3. Called Altjira, Mura-Mura or Tjukurpa, one figure is central to some interpretations of The Dreaming. Some call him a god, others identify him as a spirit. Little information is given about his appearance except for his feet which are those of which typically Australian animal?

Answer: Emu

It is quite interesting that a principal creator spirit of a totemic belief system (which identifies spirits with animals or plants) has no defined shape, but this is the case for Altjira, the god or spirit of the sky. Practically all versions of the belief that include Altjira describe the emu's feet, but little else is ever mentioned (some depictions use a kangaroo's body).

His wives and daughters are similarly only identified by the shape of their feet, which are those of dogs.
4. According to a common interpretation in the aboriginal belief system, Altjira has retreated from this world with the fading of the Dreamtime, coinciding with which real-life event?

Answer: The arrival of Europeans in Australia

Altjira's retirement coincides with the appearance of human beings that do not believe in nor live according to The Dreaming. These humans not only brought their lifestyle to Australia, but also diseases that severely hit the Australian indigenous population who had no resistance to the various infections spread by European settlers, most devastatingly smallpox, measles and influenza.
5. A serpent often revered as godlike and one of the creators is an important part of nearly all versions of the aboriginal belief system. Which celestial phenomenon is it associated with?

Answer: A rainbow

The Rainbow Serpent is a spirit or deity who is either revered as a creator or a maintainer. It is believed to refresh springs and water holes and also to cause the cycle of the seasons. Some cultures see it as a single, unique being while others believe in many Rainbow Serpents.
6. As we heard, The Dreaming is also the state of a human's existence before birth and after death. Aboriginal belief places the point at which the soul or spirit enters the body of a child at which time in development?

Answer: When the fetus is first felt kicking in the womb

Unlike the Western view which uses conception and birth as the two defining moments that mark the beginning of life, aboriginal belief uses the first perceptible movements of the growing child as the point where the earthly human life truly begins. The place upon which the mother feels this first movement is considered the place the growing child is bound to become a custodian of.
7. According to Australian aboriginal belief, which beings have been created with souls?

Answer: Humans, animals and plants

During Dreamtime, the souls that had always existed became physical beings - animals and plants. The very last soul was placed as a custodian and guardian of the others - the first human being. The laws of The Dreaming oblige every human to act as custodian of their sacred land and to protect those souls that live from and upon it.
8. In aboriginal belief, the soul is reborn to live out a bodily existence many times during its external existence, in different forms.

Answer: False

Each soul in The Dreaming is one and only one being, knowing that it will once awaken to become a plant, animal or human but not when that will happen. Once the soul has lived out its natural lifespan, it returns to the eternal state of The Dreaming. Resurrection events do exist in aboriginal belief tradition and stories, but the people returning from the dead came back to their original bodies.
9. Each individual in an aboriginal culture adheres to a specific belief system, different in details from other members of the same tribe. He or she is then said to have a specific Dreaming (or combination of several Dreamings). These Dreamings bear what kind of names?

Answer: There is no specific convention

Members of the same culture live according to overall laws that apply to every member, but they also each have their individual beliefs and role, determined by the Dreaming they have. Dreamings can be named after almost anything - many are associated with animals and plants, but there are also Dreamings related to sites, constellations and rituals. Each Dreaming is associated with a specific creation story and is considered to be owned by the person who inherited or adopted it. Depicting other persons' Dreamings without their permission is considered "stealing" the Dreaming and is taboo in aboriginal culture.
10. Many aborigines today are members of an organized religion (such as Christianity) but also retain their traditional beliefs.

Answer: True

While very few (only about 5000) aborigines have identified themselves as active practitioners of the traditional rituals in the 2001 Australian census, many still do believe in the spiritual meaning associated with the land, the animals and the sacred sites, in spite of also being Christians or members of another organized religion.

While vastly different in scope and history, the traditional Australian belief system and monotheistic religion have very few points in which they are truly and irreconcilably contradictory.
Source: Author WesleyCrusher

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor LeoDaVinci before going online.
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