ELLEN ROUGHSEY | 'The Rainbow Serpent Bones' | Painting / acrylic paint on paper

"Rainbow serpent and sister had a growl and she was asking him to put baby in the humpy. She kept asking him,"Please brother put my baby in the humpy, he's getting sick and he's ready to die." She kept on asking,but he kept saying no every time making excuses. First  time he said, "No this room is for my head", Second time "Please put my baby in the humpy", and Third time said," No this is for my arms". Again she asked he said "No this is for my knees", last time she asked him, "Please put my baby in the humpy", he said  "No this is for my whole body." Then she got fire sticks and bark,and burned the humpy down, then he was rolling around inside dead. He then went into the country, first he rolled up the Dugong River, rolled through Stoney Crossing and went to Duwendi, went through all the country forming rivers and water holes and finally he went and died there in that river. Today there are stones that represent the Rainbow Serpent. This teaches us that we should share with land, sea and food." 

ELLEN ROUGHSEY | 'The Rainbow Serpent Bones' | Painting / acrylic paint on paper | 56.5 x 76.5 | 2019