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. Creation stories told in the same time period as each other expose many parallels. The Rig Veda and the Yijing, written within 400 years of one another, have many fascinating similarities. Firstly, both creation stories follow a cyclical creation process and it can …show more content…
In the Atra-hasis the entire reason for man to exist is to do the work of the lesser gods, however, by the time the Yijing was copied down, there was nothing humans had to do in return to their divinities. Time reveals many relationships and patterns between creation stories. Creation stories written great time periods away from one another are shown to be very different. Our earliest creation story, the Atra-hasis and a more recent one, the Yijing were written centuries away from one another, this can be proved by the beliefs of the people. The Atra-hasis told its people to worship the gods and complete their tasks whereas the Yijing only described how man could utilize the earth for further development. Similarly, the Atra-hasis and Rig Veda have the same differences. When written in different time periods, creation stories do vary. When written in the same area as one another, creation stories share many common ideas. The creation stories which took place in Eurasia, the Atra-hasis, Rig Veda, Genesis, and the Yijing, all mention or imply patriarchy. Whether it be in male gods or the way in which males and females are placed in order, patriarchy was common in this part of the world. Though agriculture was typical in the Americas, only the creation stories which occurred in Eurasia made a point of mentioning it. The western side of Eurasia is where the cultures that wrote Atra-hasis and Genesis could be found. These two stories are both linear and humans
To conclude, the two stories of The World on the Turtle's Back and Genesis are very similar but, they also have their individual differences that really separate the two cultures. The way the two cultures view life and aspects of good and evil. The aspect each culture views nature and the impact that has on their culture. Finally, the way the Christian God and the Iroquois gods are portrayed
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.
The Drama of Scripture written by Bartholomew and Goheen takes the reader on a journey through the entire Bible in six short “acts.” The first Act discusses creation and the establishment of God’s Kingdom. In the beginning was complete darkness. Then, God created light and divided the heavens and the earth. He then split the waters and the seas, creating dry ground on which the rest of creation could walk. He proceeded to make plants and flowers and the sun, moon, and stars. He created days and seasons and animals of all shapes and sizes. And then, to add the finishing touch, God created men and women, male and female, He created them. The book states that “the Genesis story is given so that we might have a true understanding of the world in which we live, its divine author, and our own place in it” (Bartholomew, 29). Genesis 1-3, the story of Creation, is prevalent because it introduces the author of creation, humanity, and the creation upon which humanity’s drama unfolds.
Ancient authors such as Hesiod, Ovid, and Apollodorus set forth to record what they knew of their gods, especially how these gods created the world and the beings inside of it. Each author provides different variations of the myths that surround creationism. Modern westerners are familiar with the creation stories provided within Genesis, not realizing that many elements were borrowed and inspired by other cultures, such as the Greeks. These myths, even within the same book, can contradicting or confusing. Between authors, there are often different interpretations, that during the time they were written, co-existed and were accepted as truth, regardless of how impossible it was for both to be correct.
With the discovery of texts from ancient civilizations, many people have come to believe that various texts are common to one another. Examples of these texts are the creation stories from the Hebrews found in the Bible, The Hymn of Ra from the Egyptians, and the Enuma Elish stories from the Babylonians. In addition to these stories are the flood stories. These stories have caused many discussions among scholars involved with ancient civilizations.
Often a topic of debate, there are several different takes on the creation story existent in literature. Dependent on one’s religion, different beliefs about how the world we live in was created may arise. Looking deeper into the literature, one will realize there are also many similarities between creation stories. Based on the strong possibility that Genesis was influenced by the Enuma Elish, there are similarities that stem from the fact that they both describe the creation of a new world as well as differences in their interpretations and approaches to creationism.
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.
Creation stories are symbolic accounts of how the world and its inhabitants came about. These stories first developed in oral traditions, so there are multiple accounts of them from different cultures and societies. The Babylonian Creation story, the Genesis Creation story, and the Sumerian story of the Creation of Enkidu are examples of these and the similarities are interesting. As Dennis Bratcher states, “Because of many parallels with the Genesis account, some historians concluded that the Genesis account was simply a rewriting of the Babylonian Story. As a reaction, many who wanted to maintain the uniqueness of the Bible argues either that there were no real parallels between the accounts or that the Genesis narratives were
Did you know that religious texts are some of our most important documents in history serving as an idea of past. And two famous texts are The first chapter of Genesis and “Creation of Hymn”. These two documents are very similar than they are different, even though they are from different origins. The style, narration, and tone are very different in both texts, but there is a couple of things that they are in common. The idea of emptiness, the description and establishment of darkness, the setting of water, and the origin life.
Creation stories are common among different cultures, but the Greek and Genesis creation stories have both similarities and differences in how they began and how humans were created.
There are thousands of myths, fables, and legends that exist in the world today. The stories differ based on their origin and the storytellers over time. For example, the West African myth of Obatala and the Greek myth of Eros and Nyx both suggest alternative ways of how the world was created. There are many similarities and differences between the setting, characters, and culture of Greek and West African creation stories.
Throughout history many civilizations and cultures have had their own ways of explaining the world and its creation. Each of these civilizations has created unique descriptions and accounts of such events. However, when comparing them to each other, are they really different? Look at the ancient Greco - Roman creation myths as told by Hesiod in his Theogony and Works and Days and Ovid’s Metamorphoses, when compared to the creation myths as seen in the Old Testament’s book of Genesis they may not be as different as one would think. Taking a more in-depth look at both Genesis and Hesiod’s and Ovid’s work more closely, the reader can see that on multiple occasions the myths have almost identical similarities which reflect their views in
The narrative of the creation of the world in Genesis mirrors elements of other ancient creation stories, including that of the ancient Egyptians. This should hardly be surprising for two reasons: The first is that Egyptian culture (including its religion) remained one of the most important influences in the world at the time during which the earliest versions of Genesis were being
In the Western world, the most well-known creation story is in Genesis (Myth A), in the Old Testament of
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.