The great oval design of the design represents the egg of life;
that quality of life which cannot be created or destroyed, but
from within which all things that live are expressed. Within the
egg is coiled the rainbow snake, the Earth-shaper af Australian
and American aboriginal peoples.
“We have a legend that explains the formation of the hills, the
rivers, and all the shapes of the land. Everytime it rainsand I
see a beautiful rainbow I am reminded of the legend of the Rainbow
Serpent ...
In the beginning the Earth was flat, a vast grey plain. As the
Rainbow Serpent wound his way across the land, the movements of
his body heaped up mountains and dug troughs for the rivers. With
each thrust of his multicoloured body a new land form was created.
At last, tired with the effort of shaping the Earth, he crawled
into a waterhole. The cool water washed over his body, cooling
and soothing him ... Each time the animals visited the waterhole,
they were careful not to disturp the Rainbow Serpent, for although
they could not see him they knew he was there. Then one day, after
a huge rain storm, they saw him. His huge coloured body was
arching from the water hole, over the tree tops, up through the
clouds, across the plain to another water hole.
To this day the Aboriginals are careful not to disturp the
Rainbow Serpent, as they see him, going across the sky from one
water hole to another.”
