Corroboree
An Aboriginal Australian gathering of song, dance and storytelling.
Also: ceremony
A corroboree is a term for a gathering of Aboriginal Australians in which songs, dances and stories are performed. The word was used by outsiders for many different ceremonies, and the peoples who hold them have their own names. Performers paint their bodies with ochre and wear designs showing their totems, and dance to the rhythm of clapsticks and the drone of the didgeridoo, in northern regions. Some ceremonies are open to all, and others, such as men's and women's business, are restricted. They tell of the Dreaming and the law of the land, and are a way of passing knowledge to the next generation.
Region: Oceania