Altjira
deity sky Arrernte single tradition · 1
According to Strehlow, Altjira or Altjira mara (mara meaning "good") is the Arrernte word for the eternal creator of the world and humankind. Strehlow describes him as a tall, strong man with red skin, long fair hair, and emu legs, with many red-skinned wives (with dog legs) and children. In Strehlow's account, Altjira lives in the sky (which is a body of land through which runs the Milky Way, a river).
When
- First attested
- 1890 CE
- Attested period
- 1890 – 1926
- Historical notes
- Attestations from the 1890s used the word to mean 'associated with past times' or "eternal", not "god".
Sources
wikipedia (1)
Source passages
“He noted that his Arrernte contacts explained altjira (also spelled alchera), whose etymology was unknown, as an eternal being who had no beginning. Strehlow gives Altjira or Altjira mara (mara meaning "good") as the Arrernte word for the eternal creator of the world and humankind.”
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