Glossary of Terms

Art Car: Also known as a Mutant Vehicle, these are vehicles that have been altered such that there’s little resemblance between what it was and what it is.

Blaze, The: Refers to the entire event itself. Also, somewhat confusingly, can be used to refer to Saturday night of the event, when the Swan burns.

Blazer: Also known as a Burner. Someone who hasn’t just been to Blazing Swan but is actively engaged with it. It’s a fuzzy definition that people with nothing better to do will spend a lot of time arguing over.

Burgin: A burner (or Blazer) virgin, someone who is yet to experience a Blazing Swan or Burning Man event.

Burner: Someone who has been to Burning Man or a regional event like Blazing Swan.

Burning Man: The original burn, still held annually in Nevada, USA.

Consent: A Blazing Swan principle. Respect the autonomy of the individual. Consent must be mutual and definite. No means No.

Cygnet: A Blazing Swan first timer. Recognisable by the words they utter upon exiting the portaloos for the first time (usually sometime around Saturday) “That wasn’t so bad”.

Darkwad: Also known as Darktard. Someone who can’t be seen at night due to not being lit up. Don’t be a darkward.

Decompression: The act of “coming down” from Blazing Swan.

Default World: The world outside of Blazing Swan.

DMT: Department of Mutant Transport. They’re responsible for licensing Mutant/Art Vehicles. You must be licensed by them in order to drive one in Jilakin Rock City.

DPW: Department of Public Works. These are the people that build the city. We owe them - volunteers who’re out here long before and after we arrive and depart.

Duck, the: Refers to the Swan effigy.

EDM: Electronic Dance Music. Really. Apparently, there are no raves or doofs at Blazing Swan.

EL Wire: Luminescent wire. Flexible wire in a variety of colors that glows when powered by batteries. Drape it through your costume, sew it onto your backpack, whatever. It’s very popular.

Esplanade: The curved street at the top of the city. The entire street is comprised of placed Theme Camps. Great place to get your mind-blown as there’s no street in Australia like the Esplanade.

Fluffer: A volunteer who supports other volunteers by replenishing their water or providing tasty snacks and/or other favours. Fluffer vacancies currently exist at Blazing Swan.

FOOP: Fire out of place – when some cold and wet retard just can’t be bothered to get to the nearest communal burn barrel and lights an unregistered fire in the middle of a sea of tents in the camping zone. FOOP has also been known to occur on Burn Night when embers from the effigy are carried by the wind and dumped unceremoniously on a theme camp making it (ever so briefly) the hottest party spot in Jilakin Rock City.

Gifting: How we give things to each other at Blazing Swan. We don’t charge for things, and we don’t trade or barter. We gift without expectation of return. We do it for the joy of it.

Grey Water: Water that isn’t clean, but doesn’t contain human waste. It cannot be dumped in Jilakin Rock City so you’ll need to pack it out.

Jilakin Currency: Euphemism referring to common items bearing unreasonably high value in Jilakin Rock City, including, rum, bacon, lighters and dry cigarette rolling papers.

Jilakin Rock City: The city formed during Blazing Swan, complete with public works, rangers, medics, and more. Jilakin Rock City holds almost four times the entire population of Kulin Shire.

Jilakin Time: Time in Default World plus or minus several hours. If you need to know it...it’s probably ‘Fuck this shit O’Clock’.

Swan, the: The giant piece of art resembling a Swan that is the namesake of the event. Always impressive, it’s burned on Saturday night of the event.

Moon Walker: A participant who has become unaware of their environment and wanders Jilakin Rock City in a dream-like state. May need to be informed that the event has ended and they need to go home.

MOOP: Matter Out Of Place. This refers to anything on the ground at Blazing Swan that wouldn’t be there if we weren’t there.

Mutant Vehicle: Also known as a Art Car, these are vehicles that have been altered such that there’s little resemblance between what it was and what it is.

Obtainium: Any useful or valued material found or obtained for free.

Playa: Originally the dry lake bed now desert at Burning Man in Nevada. Also refers to the site where Blazing Swan is held. A Wheatbelt farm also used for the annual Kulin Bush Races.

Playa names: Also known as burner names. You don’t need to have a playa name, but you might want to. Historically, they evolved from the fact that the staff, operating via two-way radios, had to have unique names to identify themselves. Names are usually bestowed upon you rather than chosen, but call yourself whatever makes you happy.

POOP: Piss out of place – that moment when the carrying capacity of your bladder is smaller than the distance to the nearest portapotty. Most commonly occurring when the brain is chemically enhanced and inhibitions are lowered. Also common between the hours of 3 and 5am when darkwads creep out of their sleeping bags to water the playa bringing new meaning to the ‘wee small hours’.

POOOOP: An exponentially more horrid version of POOP.

Radical Self-Entitlement: See Sparkle Pony.

Rangers: The volunteer force that function as internal guides/trouble-shooters for the citizens of Jilakin Rock City. If you get into trouble, call the Rangers first. They’re not law enforcement and they are not interested in doing anything but helping you.

Schwag: Trinkets and nicnacs given by the Blazing Swan organization to volunteers by way of thanks.

SOOP: Sound out of place – that noisy petrol generator in camping waking you up at 6am because some mother-fucker insomniac wants to charge their phone.

Sound Camp: A Theme Camp that exists for the purpose of playing loud music. The biggest sound camps are placed on the Eastern edge of the City. These are where you’ll find EDM playing until the wee small hours.

Sparklepony: A term reserved, derisively, for those who are hoping to rely on being attractive instead of preparing properly. Typical signs include not bringing enough water, being surprised that it gets cold at night, and sidling up to other people hoping to get fed.

Spectators: Someone you don’t want to be. Someone who comes to Blazing Swan to gawk and not participate.

Survivally-challenged: Description of a participant who is overly impaired by alcohol or drugs.

Temple, the: The structure to the West of the rock. It’s always ornate, and always beautiful. During the week people write personal messages of loss, grief, hope or change. On the final Sunday of the event, the Temple is burned in an event of general solemnity.

Theme Camp: A camp that exists at least partly to give something back to the community. Maybe it’s visually stunning. Maybe it’s interactive. Maybe it’s giving out food or drink. Typically, theme camps also live up to their name, and are organized around a theme, like “The Church of Belligerence” or “The Anti-Precludian Reading and Performance Society.” Let it never be said that the freaks, oddballs, eccentrics and weirdos don’t come out here.

Ugly Duckling: Someone who tries to attend without holding a ticket.

Unicorn: A slang term for a woman or man who is truly bi-sexual. It’s an ironic reference to the mythical nature of such a beast, with a wink. Also refers to members of the Camp Unicorn Theme Camp.

Wranglers: Blazing Swan crew members whose mission it is to cajole, hassle, negotiate or bludgeon solutions for artists and theme camps.