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A close reading of creation myths compare and contrast
A close reading of creation myths compare and contrast
A close reading of creation myths compare and contrast
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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). This essay will compare and contrast Greek mythology’s The Theogony by Hesiod and the Babylonian creation story found in the Enuma Elish. Both creation myths start off with an empty universe in a formless state. Two chief god entities materialize from this state of nothingness, one represented as a male and the other as a female. “Theogony” which means “birth of the gods,” a poem written by Hesiod meant to be sung to tell the story of how the Olympian gods and Zeus came to rule over all of the earth/ heaven and it’s inhabitants. First there was Chaos, a yawning void where Gaia (Earth), Tartaros (Hell) and a few other fundamental chief deities came from. Through parthenogenesis, Ouranos (Heaven) came from Gaia (Earth). Gaia and Ouranos had a sacred marriage, which was a sacred wedding of the heaven and earth. From this sacred marriage came the children of Gaia and Ouranos, better known as the Titans. Ouranos found his offspring to be annoying and monstrousness. He hated his children and decided to hide them away in earth and did not allow them to ever see the light of day. Gaia was not pleased with Ouranos’ actions. Hiding her children within her brought her great discomfort. Gaia tried to have all her hidden children rebel against their father but the only one brav... ... middle of paper ... ...rect influence on Greek creation mythology. But the truth is that the tables date back to 1100 BC, which means the Babylonian creation myth is much older then Greek mythology’s Theogony by Hesiod. The Enuma Elish might even contain stories that much other then itself, some scholars argue. In conclusion it is obvious that there are many parallels between the Enuma Elish and the Theogony. No matter the creation myth there will most always be unexplainable similarities that cannot be explained. Comparing and contracting different creation myths is a very good way to help explain different cultures and their differences and similarities. It also opens the door to more questions that seek answers only found by looking in the past and how can any culture hope to have a rich and valuable future without being aware of it’s past; this is why creations myths are so valuable.
Like the Greek Theogony, the creation of the world in the Enuma elish begins with the universe in a formless state, from which emerge two primary gods, male and female:
Branscome, David, comp. "Greek Hesiod, Theogony, Lines 1-210 "invocation to the Muses and Creation" [Hugh G. Evelyn-White, Tr. Hesiod, Theogony and Works and Days. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914.]." Ancient Mythology East and West. Print.
The common motif for the Mesopotamian and Icelandic creation myth are “the world parent”, “a war in heaven” and “the creation of earthly matter from the body of the first mother”, ( The World of Myth, Page 19).
...ed. This composition is primarily aimed toward the illustration of several common themes that are predominant in many creation stories, including those which we have studied during the course of the semester. In its most fundamental sense, the creation myth, along with any other variety of myth must be authored in such a way that it can be easily retold for generations. Although the works discussed may seemingly be lacking in complexity and depth, it is only through careful examination that one can truly appreciate these myths as complex excerpts from history.
How is the word myth used popularly? In today’s society, myths are more commonly referred to as a story that is known amongst a group that may or may not have any truth or validity to it. These type of stories have been told from one generation to another generation with a common theme every time it is said or repeated. I remember growing up my older sister would scare us younger kids with the urban myth of Candyman. This was during a time before I even knew about the movie, and for her, it was a way to scare us kids out of our wits. She would tell us about this story of a slave who returns from the dead as a ghost who was in search of revenge and could only be summoned by saying his name five times while facing a mirror.
Even though the Babylonian and Hindu creation myths both are stories of origin, they contrast in several apparent ways. In the Babylonian creation myth Tiamat rebels and there is a great war between the gods. When Tiamat is killed, Marduk creates the earth from her body and mankind from the blood of her dead consort Kingu. Humans were born from the violence of war and the blood of a dead god while in three out the the four Hindu creation myths humans and the earth are created peacefully. For example, Non-being produces Being and Being thinks “Would that I were many! Let me procreate myself!” Then this process repeats to make heat, water, and finally food. In another Hindu creation story the divine Self-existent desired “to produce beings of
Creation stories may include multiple gods, provide insight on the creation of man, and define heroic attributes. The story, titled Enuma Elish, sketched out the creation of the world for the Babylonians. Gods make up the majority of the Enuma Elish’s personae, and the Babylonians envisioned these gods as a family: “Primeval Apsu was their progenitor. / And matrix-Tiamat was she who bore them all, / …Then were the gods formed within the(se two).” (Tablet 1, Lines 3-4, 7) The wisest and most accomplished god, Marduk, took over as ruler of the gods later in the story. The Babylonians thought of Marduk as the hero of the story, although he possessed undesirable attributes. “At his commands the gods shall pay heed.” (Tablet 6, Line 68) This quote from the Enuma Elish reveals that none of the other gods wanted to mess with Marduk. This got to his head, and, unfortunately, the hero of the story became prideful and arrogant. In the Enuma Elish, Marduk created man to work for the gods: “I shall create human kind, / They shall bear the gods’ burden that those may rest.” (Tablet 6, Lines 7-8) The creation of man takes plave after the gods formed the rest of the universe. This communicated to the Babylonians that their creation was an afterthought and that they were only useful for work. A creation story such as the Enuma Elish can certainly shape a whole civilization’s
The origin of the earth is something that people have and always will be curious about. It is full of all these amazing creatures and things that we have no idea how they came to be. The Enuma Elish and Genesis are stories of creation. These stories are almost complete opposites of each other. They have very few similarities but many differences. This essay focuses on the natural world, view of humans, and the cosmos of each story. You will be able to see how a polytheistic and monotheistic world differ. Not to mention the views each story has in general. The Enuma Elish is the gorier and violent story while Genesis is a calmer and more orderly take on the creation of the world. The Enuma Elish “…tells us the story of the birth of the gods,
There has long been a fascination with how the beginning of the world and much more specific human beings were created. Many myths and epics developed from this fascination. Though the explanation given is always a bit different from one another. Some of these myths explain the creation of the gods, humans, and the world we live in. The myths provide as entertaining stories as well. Though each story is unique, they do have common motifs as well as cultural differences. Three of these creation myths are The Enuma Elish, The Ages of Man, and The Origin of Life and Fire. Each myth gives an explanation of the creation of living beings, but also shows similarities and differences among them, such as common motifs and cultural differences.
The most well-known Greek deities are that of Olympus and are the third generations of gods after the first generation of gods, and the second generation of gods which are known as the Titans. The famous poem of the Greek writer, Hesiod, known as the Theology states the origins of the Greek Gods. This dated back around 800-700 B.C. As for the origin of Roman Gods, it is said they began to originate 1000 years after the Greeks and that Greek mythology were borrowed
Creation myths give insight to the ancient cultures and traditions of the world. The Enuma Elish and the Eridu Genesis are creation myths created in ancient Mesopotamia in 3rd century B.C.E. and 17th century B.C.E. . Thus, they share many similarities and differences. Throughout most creation myths there are patterns reused even in the most diverse of myths. Although many are similar, they can include immense differences, some including destruction, some of peacefully building. The Enuma Elish and the Eridu Genesis are myths that share both many similarities and differences.
So the story goes— God says, “‘Let there be light.’ And there [is] light,” he says “‘let the dry land appear.’ And it [is] so.” The book of Genesis outlines an ex nihilo creation myth, the narrative of God bringing the world from nothing. This cosmogonic myth addresses a question crucial to human existence: Where did we come from? It also addresses another human universal: Why are we here? We came from God and we are here thanks to Him, alive to serve Him, to be the “good” that God so hoped humanity would be. As Robert Segal writes, “[t]here is no study of myth as myth”. In this paper I will examine myth according to two perspectives (one of myth as a prescientific science, the second as a psychological point of view) and through two religious lenses (the Christian creation myth of Genesis along with the Hindu Rig-Veda hymns “The ‘Golden Embryo’” and “‘In the Beginning…”) as I explore the religious functionality of myth, and what that functionality indicates on a greater human scale.
The need to explain the origins of existence and creation is fundamental to faith and critical to the practitioner. To the Egyptians the universe was a massive swirling disorder of undistinguishable waters called “Nun.” A primary myth describes the appearance of a mound called the “benben” which was the prototype for pyramids. The god Atum appeared on the mound and created the first deities. In one account, the god Nofertum emerged from a water lily coming out of the disorder. Other myths existed offering differing creation explanations for mankind and deities. Interestingly the Egyptians saw no conflict in this mix of stories.
In the society today, there are mysterious stories that awakens in the people the inquisitive urge to discover the truth. Many of these stories date back hundreds of years. Most people do not think about how long ago it was because, as the mysterious stories become modernized with the time, so does the story itself. Some of the most known mysterious stories are creation stories. Creation stories have been told for generations, are from different cultures, and show remarkable similarities reflecting beliefs and values common to all people. Such stories however, may differ in many ways, revealing a lot of differences between cultures. Among the creation stories, the most popular ones are Genesis and Popol Vuh. These two stories share a lot of
Creation of human beings is undoubtedly the biggest story that attracts divergent explanation from different socio-cultural backgrounds. Man as the supreme work of a supernatural being in the Christian society is the greatest theory that attracts the largest number of followers across the globe. It is however important to understand that the Christianity theory is not the only theory that defines creation. There are exclusive creation theories upheld by divergent societies across the globe. This paper therefore compares the bible creation myth commonly known as the theory of special creation and the Norse creation myth.