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Comparison of creation myths
Comparison of creation myths
Comparison of creation myths
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The first requirement for a story to be a myth is creation. Almost every culture has a story of how the world and humans came to be. Many creation stories are similar. There are many ancient creation myths. Some the most famous creation myths come from Egyptian, Greek, and Norse mythology. Egyptian mythology has an explanation for how the world and humans got created. “The story begins with an ocean, a watery chaos called Nun. The sun god Atum emerged from the watery chaos and created two children. Shu was the god of the air, and Tefenet was the goddess of water. Shu and Tefenet went to explore the land. They were gone so long that Atum began to worry. When they finally came back, he wept for joy. Atum’s tears became the first humans. Shu
A myth is a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events. Each civilization has its myths about the creation of the world and its human race. Most speak of “gods” who perform feats far beyond that of humankind. Most are legends passed down through oral tradition, and embellished along the way. The book of Genesis is one of the most significant books in the Bible and is sacred scripture for Jews, Samaritans, and Christians. The Babylonian epic, Enuma Elish, is one of the most important sources for understanding the Babylonian worldview. Hesiod’s Theogony is a poem describing the origins and genealogies of
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 phenomena 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.
Dictionary.com defines a myth as a traditional story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, especially one that is concerned with deities or demigods and explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature. Native Americans passed down their history by word of mouth. Many Native American tribes share legends within their group to their children. Obviously, they did not have the resources we have today to explain why some things happen in the world, so the Native Americans used their only assets on explaining natural phenomena. The Navajo and Delaware tribe both have their own explinations on how the world was created, while they are both completely different myths they have some points that are similar.
The creation myths that I have studied are similar in many ways. They also have differences that show an inherently different way of thinking about the world. All have creators-gods that make the world into what is now. There are conflicts within their world, and these conflicts change the face world. God to god or human to god maybe be involved in these conflicts. Their bloody struggles prove who is more powerful, causing change in the control of the world. Some gods are beneficial to man and others are self-serving, using man only as a tool.
They had similar beliefs, but also immeasurable differences. It was composed of many meaningful gods and goddesses that all played a part in the everyday life of the average Roman and Greek person of that time.
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.
Can religions and cultures be anything more than their history? Why do we have a concept of history in the first place? Obviously history exists, but like the human ability to conceive of the future, history seems to be a rare phenomenon tied with our ability for language and the telling of stories. What’s even more fascinating is the human ability to make up a history or to tell a story, such as a creation myth, that seeks to explain something that has not been witnessed by anyone and does not have any role in finding food or creating shelter. We do not have a physical need to know how the earth came to be or to know how it is that we came to be here. Still, creation stories exist in almost all human cultures and, amazingly, many share many of the same elements. The question is, why? Is it a coincidence that so many of them share the same elements? By looking at a comparison of two creation stories, we should be able to understand the meaning of these similarities better.
Mythology is defined as a collection of interrelated stories of a given culture. Myths are intended to explain and describe the mysteries of nature and give understanding about the world that surrounds us. Each culture has their own mythology that reflects their values and beliefs. Myths were also generated to tell the story of the first people to inhabit the earth. The Egyptian mythology elevated these people to the level of Gods and Goddesses by giving them supernatural and special powers. These myths of creation were passed from one generation to the next, either orally or by hieroglyphs painted in sacred temples, pyramids, and sanctuaries.
Every ancient society and civilization has creation myths that were passed down and keep alive throughout the passing of time by word of mouth. These myths are the world’s oldest stories and are vital to these cultures because they explain their beginnings and give purpose to their existence. By analyzing and interpreting different creation myths it becomes easier to understand different cultures and their connections and relationships with heir beliefs and god(s).
According to Terrence W. Tilley in his book Faith “A myth is a story the sets up the word . . . . [They] are the fundamental stories that articulate the contours of the world we inhabit” (76). Myths help us understand the world in which we life in and express the values of a culture. When most Christians think of the beginning of time, they refer to the Book Of Genesis. However, creation myths arise from cultures all around the world. For example, The Norse creation myth is told from the perspective of Icelandic vikings. Both the Book of Genesis and Norse myths establish the creation of the world, but they also have numerous differing characteristics.
Mythology is an essential part of all cultures. Through myth, ancient cultures attempted to explain the world and make sense of their daily lives. Myth helps us to live in the minds and time period of people who lived many centuries ago with no technology, no running water, and a basic education. Greek myth is possibly the most commonly recognized myth simply because it is likely the most developed and best recorded. Modern Greek myth originated around 1000 B.C. in the writings of the famous Greek poet Homer in the Odyssey and the Illiad. Although early Greek myths are often vague and contain many primitive elements regarding their understanding of death, sacrifice, and fate, later myths show Greek culture developed and changed over time.
Just as we have learned to tell lies, fibs or even change one word in our concept, once believed or even questioned, we have become great storytellers. Most stories that are told are of mythical nature. They intend to inform, to surprise, to create or even to inspire. So, what is a myth? According to dictionary.com, myth is a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, especia...
Within the texts of Genesis which belong to the biblical scriptures of the Hebrews, and the myths of Egyptian origin, there are a multitude of similarities and differences. When compared side by side, the most obvious factor of both texts is that a single God was the creator of all that we know today. In Genesis that creator is simply referred to as God, while in Egyptian mythology, the creator is known as Neb-er-tcher. Both creators have striking resemblances, such as the ways they went about the production of the world.
Mythology in the dictionary is defined as a “collection of myths or the study of myths.” and while the mythologies originate from different places, they are alike in many aspects. They share similar themes, beliefs, and experts believe they are the same for many reasons. Greek and Indian mythology both share the same theme of the main character trying to avoid a prophecy only to succumb to their destiny.
Myths and legends have definitely made their way through history everyone knows. They represent the world around us and our ideas and stories. There are all different types of mythology around the world and a lot of things today are based on it. Almost every region in the world has some mythology to it. We pass myths and legends down through history and through all types of people for an explanation of something. Myths exactly the same as legends though. Majority of legends are based on true events that took place in the past, while myths are usually stories created to teach people about something or explain why something happens. Both myths and legends have been passed from person to person over huge time periods. Eventually around 700 BC we wrote them out rather than just telling them to others. Greek mythology is something almost everyone is familiar with; you might not know everything about all the gods and goddesses, but I am sure you have heard something about it.