Aboriginal Lore – Wolgaru and the Dogs of Death – Djaranin

The legend of the Djaranin, or the Dark Dogs of Death within Aboriginal Lore is a legend not well known. It is however perhaps one of the scariest legends or stories told to children and adults sitting around a campfire at night. It is right up there with the hell fire of the religious purgatory and was no doubt used tin the same way as hell-fire preachers used a simialar tale to subjugate their rowdy congregations in order to extract a larger legacy, thus avoiding the hell-fire.

Wolgaru, master of the Djaranin is a Serpent, one of the Lore givers of Aboriginal Lore. He is however the judge and jury in bringing into balance the good and evil in man.

He is a dark and beautifully powerful serpent who moves through the night like a spirit of revenge and justice. He is also the serpent and Lore giver for those who keep the balance between good and evil in their society, he is the serpent of the Kadaitcha Men; but he is not a servant, he is the keeper.

The Dark Dogs of Death, or the Djaranin are the ghost dogs who serve their leader or master, Wolgaru. Similarities can be found in the Baskerville Dogs, or the Hell Hounds. As the legends tell it, Wolgaru brings judgment to men while his faithful dogs the Djaranin tear their victim apart feeding them to the flames of justice. This cleans their shadow, or spirit so that they may walk again in the sunlight reborn, their evil ways seared from their memory.

Rebirth is a large part of traditional Aboriginal Lore, allowing the spirit or the shadow to continue through life as the primary being in a persons existence. The body of the person, that which inhabits the physical plane is a mere vessel … very similar to the Christian faith and many other religious doctrine of the world but different in that the shadow of man or the primary entity is spiritual and therefore man is a spiritual, not physical entity.

Life, to the traditional Lore of the Aboriginal tribes of Aus. on this planet, or earth as we know it is like passing through a shopping mall and you may revisit at any time, taking from life the lessons into your spiritual existence. Physical life is a transitory existence; the Spirit that continues down through time and experience is what is important. Under the traditional Lore death was of no consequence as the spirit would survive and would be reborn again. For this reason infanticide was not considered a crime when it ensured the survival of the group. This was a choice in the harsh times of drought and in times of serious cultural conflict.

The Spirit and the Shadow = The Soul and the Ghost

Man is simply not just here in this world within the concept of Australian Lore, there are things which make him a spiritual as well as a physical being and his role is to care for his country and maintain a balance in all things. There is a difference between the Spirit and the Shadow in Aboriginal Lore. What is uncommon within the oldest Lore on Earth and the more modern of religious beliefs today (ie a belief structure which is only 5,000yrs old) is the duality of what could be said to be the soul.

In Aboriginal Lore the Spirit is the essence of man or perhaps what is more commonly accepted as the soul, while the Shadow is what lingers of a person, or more commonly what could be said is the ghost.

Religions in general prefer not to consider the ghost of men and instead see the ghost as a secretive and often evil component of man. They generally consider only the ghost of God or the Holy Ghost (or Spirit) in their teachings, the Holy Ghost having a different role as an intermediary that is separated from man. This is not the case with Australian Lore in which everyone has a Shadow as well as a Spirit and both must be respected.

Like the common concept of what is a ghost, the Shadow is viewed as an entity of malcontent or one bent on mischief or an entity that can be trapped or even recalled between time and worlds. The Shadow in traditional Lore needs to be encouraged to move on, it is not a being that you want around.

Of this is born the smoking ceremonies common within this ancient Lore, which encourage the Shadow to move on. I often think that it is alike those smoking pots which some religions wave about to purify their church during ceremonies within the church services as is the carolling and wailing that goes on to sanctify the gathering in a service. Observing what religion has made of more ancient practices can always be an interesting thing.

There are many differences between religion and lore and in writing the Dreaming Series I have tried to address these differences, sometimes with comic results and sometimes with tragic consequences. In all I hope that in bringing to you these tales, You … the reader will come to an understanding of something that is of legend, something ancient and that which truly exists in Australia today.

With the publication of the newer series, The Spirit Children, book 1 – Lands Edge, is the story of the Wolgaru serpent and the shadowy Dogs of Death, the Djaranin. It begins with Jeremy, a young man of the Lore who you meet as a child in the very first book in the first series – Shadow Dreaming. Available from both Amazon and Smashwords (in multi e-format).

In the new series he is now a young man facing what life will make of him. The story steps you through his initiations and takes up where the last book of the series, The Dreaming, left off. In this last book, Caverns of the Dreamtime, you are introduced to another world and an ancient Lore. One more ancient than any you have met before and you step into this world with the Spirit Children.

Lands Edge, due for release in the next months, is young Jeremy’s story, set primarily in Sydney but within the pages you also continue Tom’s journey into the Lore of the Kadaitcha. Book 2 of the new series is a companion book, due for release later in the year. Book 2 will allow you view the tale and events through Tom’s eyes and as you peel back the shades of the experience, those had by the two men and you will discover much of what is an ancient Lore.The oldest continuous belief or faith on Earth.

Each of the books within The Dreaming Series, and those of The Spirit Children Series are a story in their own right. It is an adventurous walk through an ancient world, one that survives within our own. These are fictional tales but you will come to understand a world that is as old as the earth itself. You will discover mysteries and new worlds that exist within the bounds of your own and which perhaps you have never seen before.

Life is an adventure and it is meant to be lived.

My books are available in ebook and print, check out the discounts on my web page and I hope you enjoy the journey.

You can also find me on Facebook, or visit the official page which explores the research behind the tales of The Dreaming Series. You are welcome to join me there, ‘Like’ the page and keep up with the ongoing journey into the most ancient of Lores in the world.

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