Throughout life, there have been many periods when men were superior to women. This fact of men being better or more superior to women is not as present in our lives anymore. Many creation myths show this aspect throughout their stories. The creation myths of the Kono, the Cherokee, the Ethiopian, the Iroquois, and the Navajo tribes identify a key human trait and all have examples of the dominance of a man over woman which signifies the human quality of superiority over inferiority.
The story of the Kono people of Guinea is about how the earth was created and where the origin of death was started. In the beginning of time, there was no light, no plants, nor animals. Life was very tiresome and there were no colors. Without light, life could not survive and people could not work or live their lives. Originally, the only people were Death, also known as Sa, his wife, and their daughter who lived in a sea of mud that Sa created with his magical powers. They lived in an awful, messy, and filthy world that they called home. Luckily, Alatangana visited them and realized that they could no longer live in this filth, so he turned the mud into solid earth and made plants and animals to populate this world that he had now created. In the end Altanagana and Sa created Earth. Altanagana was happy with the gift of Earth that Sa had given him. Sa wanted Altanagana to pay him his debt by giving him any of his offspring when Sa also known as Death, demanded. This is where the concept of death came from.
The creation myth of the Cherokee Indians explains how earth was first made and how people multiplied quickly. “The earth is a great island floating in a sea of water, and suspended at each of the four cardinal points by a cord hanging down from...
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"Cherokee Indians: Story of Creation." Cherokee Indians: Story of Creation. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.
"Death, and Life and Death." Creation Stories. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.
"Ethiopian Creation Myth - African Safari Campfire Stories." Ethiopian Creation Myth - African Safari Campfire Stories. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.
"Iroquois Creation Myth." Creation Myths --. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.
Calloway, C. G. (2012). First peoples A documentary survey of American Indian history (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
In the Navajo and Zulu creation myths they believe that their worlds first started from a seed. Then after that the seed grew it turned into a reed which the gods used to make the worlds around them. The reeds to the Navajo and Zulu people where the gateway from birth to the world. Through the reeds the gods brought life but, they also brought death. In the navajo creation myth the coyote god found and stole the water monster baby which ended up with the entire world being flooded. The inca myth says that Unkulunkulu came from the reed and made everything we see today. One day though he sent out a chameleon to tell his people they would live forever. The chameleon was to slow however so he sent a fast lizard which said that his people would die; eventually after the lizard arrived to the village death was close after.
Calloway, C. G. (2012). First peoples A documentary survey of American Indian history (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Pueblo Indian. (2002, April). History of the pueblo indians (cont.). Retrieved March 12, 2003, from http://www.puebloindian.com/pueblo_history_003.htm
Did you know that the Ancient Indian people of the Southwestern United States have dated back to the year 10,000 BC? First appearing toward the end of the last Ice Age, they were the first “Americans.” (Noble, 1998) When Christopher Columbus arrived in the America’s in 1492 and seeing the people of this land for the first time, he thought that he had landed in India, thus giving them the name “Indians.” (Noble, 1998) However, he was nowhere near India, or that region of the world. Because the Ancient Indians were nomadic people, (people who wondered the lands with no permanent home) through the years they developed, separated, and re-located their clans, developing into what we know today as the American Indian. One group or tribe, are the Hopi Indians. Although the Hopi are still a tribe today, mostly living in Arizona, their population, traditions, skills, and crafts have dwindled throughout the years. Let us sit back, relax, and explore the ancestor’s of the Hopi tribe and learn about their traditions, skill, and crafts.
In conclusion, the history of the Navajo, the culture of the Navajo, and the art and tradition of these people has been discussed. The Navajo were one of the greatest tribes of the Southwest.
Such stories and their settings establish the Native American presence on this land from time immemorial by relating how the Creator placed the First Peoples in their traditional homelands. Homelands are stable and permanent cultural and physical landscapes where Native nations have lived, and in some cases, continue to live to the present day. (Handsman 13). Creation stories thus reflect the central place their relationship with the land occupies in the culture and hi...
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 sprouting from a seed. But all share a common themes, such as a form of chaos or nothingness before life is created. Joseph Campbell notes that “... the idea of an absolute ontological distinction between God and man – or between gods and men, divinity and nature - first became an important social and psychological force in the near East, specifically Akkad, in the period of the first Semetic Kings, c. 2500 B.C.,” showing another similar trait – a god or set of gods exists to create in each story (626). Joseph Campbell makes a comparison of how both Genesis and the Book of the Dead of Egypt share the same idea of their bodies belonging to their god in some way, or being reabsorbed into them at death (630-631). Others, like the Japanese and Iroquois creation myths, claim the Earth was once covered entirely of water before land was formed. Adam and Eve of Genesis and Izanagi and sister Izanami of Shintoism provide examples of myths that share both a passive and active pair of people who eventually create the Earth's population. In any case, certain popular creation myths, some closely tied to prominent religions, share more common characteristics than others. An entire sub-study, called comparative mythology, gives insight into this subject.
Ganguly, Poushali. "History of Native American Indians." Buzzle. Buzzle.com, 29 Dec. 2007. Web. 07 May 2014.
2. “Cherokee Culture and History.” Native Americans: Cherokee History and Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2014. .
Contrary to common belief, Native American culture is not savage nor is it cruel to its people or others. The culture is considerably unique to the usual American culture known to many today. When the white Americans came to the land, they believed that the Natives were of beastly behavior and senseless actions, which was the reason why the Natives repulsed the Puritans; in fact the whites were offended when told they had something in common with the Natives. Native Americans, however, are peaceful, accepting, hospitable, tremendously environmentally friendly and their way of life is inveterate with nature and their religious beliefs. Through reading The Iroquois creation story and Red Jacket: Reply to the Missionary
In old, but not so ancient times, native americans populated our land widely with different tribes diverged. One of the most widely known and popular tribes was named the Cherokee tribe and was formed as early as 1657. Their history is vast and deep, and today we will zone into four major points of their culture: their social organizations and political hierarchy, the tribe’s communication and language, a second form of communication in their arts and literature, and the Cherokee’s religion.
Wheelwright, M. (1942). Navajo Creation Myth. Navajo Religion Series, Vol. 1. Santa Fe: Museum of Navajo Ceremonial Art.
The two creation myths chosen to compare and contrast focuses on the Norse culture of Iceland Vikings and the Genesis creation of the Hebrew origin of Christian culture. Both creation myths begin with an empty void where chaos or conflict develops. The Norse myth narrates a conflict between the fiery realm of Muspell and the dark, cold realm of Niflheim within the emptiness called ginnungagap and where nothing could grow. The Genesis conflict was between God and nothing, loneliness, and the need to create something beautiful.
The Navajo creation Myth story deals with the topics of story telling that are quite familiar to