Creation Myths

When the modern person ponders the formation of human beings, our mind automatically goes to Adam and Eve, whom were the first man and woman created by God according to the Book of Genesis. Before there was Adam and Eve, diverse cultures came up with myths about the construction of humans. These myths included: “The Song of Creation” from the Rig Veda, An African Creation Tale, From the Popol Vuh, and A Native American Creation Tale “How Man Was Created” Each one of these legends gives a diverse perspective on the creation of human beings.

According to the book, no one myth regarding the beginning of all things or the origin of humans ever became universally accepted, however, the separate accounts mentioned all share a great deal in common, yet of course differ in some way, with many other creation myths taught so far. The creation of the world, or cosmic order, out of Chaos, is similar to the creation myths of Chinese, Indian, and Egyptian mythology, however, the details differ. In Egyptian myth, Nun embodies chaotic energies which are later put into order by the first deity. Both Greek and Indian mythology mention creating order out of Chaos but neither divulge many details on how this happened. Chinese creation myth, also making mention of creating order out of Chaos, explains

For thousands of years, scientists have tried to interpret the concept of creation. However, before people had access to modern scientific equipment, they told creations stories. A creation story is a myth that explains how and why the earth was made. A few cultures with differing opinions on creation are Europeans, Cherokee Indians, West Africans, and Hawaiians. Europeans tell the story of Genesis and God creating the earth in seven days and Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Cherokee Indians believe that the earth was created by a water beetle. In West African culture, they teach the Golden Chain story, and Hawaiians have the Kumulipo story to explain their beliefs on creation. Although each story follows a basic guideline, they all have distinct disparities.

One of the fundamental questions that religions seek to answer is that of origin. How was man put on earth? Why and from what was he created? Who created him? What does his creation imply about the status of human beings? Some or all of these questions are answered by a religion’s creation stories. Every religion’s creation myths attempt to give solutions to problems present to that religious society. Because of this, each religion may have one or more creation stories, each of those different from one another in the questions they ask and the answers they give.

Myths – as they are known to most of the world – give insight into the pasts of various countries and religions as the people saw them. They have been used to explain phenomenons in nature or describe the tales of courageous and important men and women throughout history. Creation myths in particular define how the Earth itself was created, along with the universe, heavens, hell, people, and creatures that exist today. Genesis of Christian mythology, for instance, tells the story of how the single deity God spoke and formed everything from day and night to man and woman. Various African creation myths, such as with the Yoruba, explain the creation of the Earth through at least a couple gods working together and all life

The general purpose for all myths is to bring an understanding of unknown. The ancient people widely used myths to explain new phenomena and occurrences. The lack of scientific modes of theory formulation caused the people of old to come up with myths to fill the vacuum with the knowledge that existed during their time. The need by man to explain his origin and the origin of the universe led him to the formulation of creation and origin myths. Men of olds came up with myths to explain the mysteries they had no clue about including creation.

Countless of creation myths make use of their tales to furnish their evident society or culture a perceptive or reasoning

In the article “Mysteries of Egypt” Canadian Museum of History it is explained that mystery surrounds the Egyptian origins. The first civilization was along the Nile River which nourished the Pharaonic Kingdom. The Nile River attracted all sorts of life, like during the pre-dynastic times nomadic hunters grew crops. The first communal project was the building of irrigation canal. The Egyptians believed that the sun represented the eternal cycle of birth, Pharaohs were seen as gods and after death would become immortal and would join the gods. Funerary practices included mummification and the burial in tombs to help the dead find their way. The most impressive tombs are the pyramids they were also vary ambitious projects. And the largest

Every person in America has a myth or conviction of truth as to how creation was formed and human beings came into existence. The following are inclusive in creation myths, the first is the Zulu myth found in the continent of Africa, and the other is the myth of Norse originating from Europe. Both myths give a reason as to how creation was formed on earth. Though there are endless amounts of ideas and vast amounts of myths to explore, the focus of these two particular myths brings fascination to a social phenomenon.

Ancient Creation myths are similar but at the same time are still very different. What is a myth? A myth refers to a fiction story or only half true story. What makes up a myth? It has several different characteristics that make it different from other types of stories. Ancient Greco-Roman myths are interesting because they talk about another religion and how they are being reflected. Hebrew creation myths are also interesting because they explain the power of God who made the universe in just 6 days.

Just as there existed beings outside of creation in the Enuma Elish, the Hebrew God was present prior to the formation of the world. As the universe becomes defined in the following stages, the development described in each of the stories show a resemblance in events and the order in which they occurred. It is important to note that light existed, in both stories, independent of celestial bodies. Next, in same order, the sky and ground are created, followed by “luminaries” or the sun, moon and stars. The fact that the sequence of the creation stories is nearly identical “can hardly be accidental” according to some scholars. Subsequently, man is created with elements of divinity, given the task “of working the soil”. At the conclusion of each creation story, the deities rest from their work. While it is necessary to refrain from “exaggerating the influence” found in these similarities, it is equally essential to remain open to the understanding that these works emerged “within a similar conceptual world”.

In Genesis, the first book of The Bible the Christian and Jewish creation story is told. God spoke and his Word was done. He made the heavens and the earth. He made light and drove away the dark. On the earth he created the waters and lands and man and beast.

This essay will compare and contrast the Biblical creation myths with other creation myths from Greece and the Ancient Near East. It will first discuss the initial creation of the universe followed by the creation of mankind and finally the recreation of man whilst drawing parallels to Sumerian and Babylonian texts, The Old Testament and Hesiods Theogony. In paying particular attention to the chronology of each myth it will be shown that the creation myths regarding the universe and mankind evolved from as far back as the Sumerian stories.

The motifs found in the creation myths are undoubtedly different from those found in any other type of myth. Contrary to popular belief, the purpose of the creation myths is much greater than a primitive attempt to explain the mysteries of creation. Behind each creation myth is a vast variety of symbolism along with a number of motives which are often shared between cultures, despite vast geographical differences. My intention here is not only to discuss the purpose of the creation myths, but also to compare and contrast common themes which can be found in three selected works. These being, an Eskimo creation myth, the Ongwe creation myth and the Navajo creation myth.

Each creation story highlights the most important aspects of the cultures that wrote them. Not only do they show the values of the people, but they can give us an insight into how these cultures might have been. Comparing the Atra-hasis, Rig Veda, Genesis, Yijing, and Popol Vuh has uncovered many distinct themes when focusing on the time and place the creation story occurred. Patterns found in creation stories from different parts of the world show how similar human beings are.