Each culture has its own distinct origin myth, including the Hebrew and Cheyenne. Origin myths are most likely the first stories human beings told and they explain how we came to be. There are many similarities and differences between the Cheyenne origin myth, “How the World was Made,” and the Hebrew origin myth, “In the Beginning,” that tell how each culture views its god, nature, and humanity's relationship to each of these.
The Hebrew and Cheyenne origin myths have many similarities in how they are told. In the beginning of both stories there is one god who is the start of everything. This god creates the universe and before this god there is nothingness. In the Cheyenne myth, it says, “In the beginning there was nothing, and Maheo,
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the All Spirit, lived in the void,” this is a key similarity in both stories and it shows that they have one power governing all and it should not be questioned that nothing comes before this power. Another similarity in these myths is the way ribs are used to create woman. The Hebrew myth states, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man,” this is in reference to God creating woman out of Adam’s , the first man’s, rib. In the Cheyenne myth, it states, “So Maheo fashioned a human woman from his left rib, and set her with the man,” in both of these stories woman is made from a rib. This also shows the similarity of how in each story woman is made to be a companion to man and to make sure he is not alone instead of her becoming a separate being with independent purposes. Although these myths have resemblances they also have many differences.
In the Hebrew origin myth, God places restrictions and sets out rules immediately. It is said to Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, that they cannot eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, but they do. As a result, punishments such as the pain of childbirth, the need to eat, and human emotions are placed on mankind. The Cheyenne myth is very different in the way of their god punishing them and restricting them. Maheo places his beings on the earth and they are not governed by rules or punished, they are watched over by Maheo himself. Another point of contrast is each god’s power. Maheo, the Cheyenne god, says, “Now I must have help if I am to create more, for my power will only let me make four things by myself,” this means that Maheo does not have the power to do everything, and after this point in the story he relies on nature and the animals to help him create Grandmother earth and mankind. God does not need help from his creations and can do the task himself. Therefore, the Hebrew religion views its god as more powerful than the Cheyenne religion did its …show more content…
own. The similarities and differences in “How the World was Made” and “In the Beginning” show how these cultures view their god, earth, and how humanity is involved with all of these things.
Although both cultures believe that there was nothing before their god, they both have differing views of their god’s power. The Hebrew religion views its god as a power that does not need help from any thing it has created. In contrast, the Cheyenne see their god as having limit in power and needing assistance from his creations. The Cheyenne ultimately rely on nature, and they use only what they need from the land and animals Maheo has provided them with. The Hebrew don’t focus as much on the nature surrounding them, and taking care of the land and eating the animals is seen as a punishment from God. In the end the Cheyenne place more emphasis on what their god has created for them in the origin myth. Unlike the Hebrew, which focuses more on God’s punishment to man and woman that explains why certain things are the way they
are. Humans have creatively told the stories of their beginnings in origin myth like, “How the World was Made,” and, “In the Beginning.” The Cheyenne and Hebrew cultures tell of their god, the nature surrounding them, and the way humanity connects to these things. Stories like these shape the culture’s beliefs on people, animals, and the morals that they carry with them throughout their lives.
Creation stories tell of how the world was created based on the Indians. In my home state of Washington State, Makah Indians told the story of the-Two-Men-Who-Changed-Things creation story. Chelan Indians told the story of a Great Chief above that created the Indians. Both have different cultural backgrounds and live in different places in Washington.
Most cultures have a creation myth, a story of how humans came to exist in the world. Often, they involve Gods of some capacity who exist without much question or explanation. Many myths have a common idea for the origin of the world, like Earth being born from water, a golden egg, or a great monster. The Mayan creation myth and the Babylonian creation myth are similar in that they both begin with water, and account the creation and purpose of man. They also differ, as the Mayan Popol Vuh chronicles a peaceful tale of trials to forge the Earth and sentient beings to worship the gods, while the Babylonian Enuma Elish tells of wars between gods that lead to the creation of Earth and of man as a servant to the gods.
The two world creation stories from the Judeo-christian and the Iroquois do have quite different perspectives how the world has been created. But, are they some similar parts as well in the stories? And do you see these similar parts even in the culture too? Where are these differences and similarities?
One of the first differences between the Iroquois’ beliefs and Christianity is the theory on “the creation of life”. The Iroquois believe in a creator God called ‘Hahgwehdiyu’, which was the good spirit of the twin Gods of Wind Breath. He shaped the world with the palm of his hands and recycled the corpse of his dead mother to create the sky, moon and the sun. He planted a grain of corn in her to give the world fertility. It is believed that when the Sky Woman, or the mother, fell from the sky, she would fertilize the earth so her granddaughters could grow and harvest many things. They also believe in a current God called “the Great Spirit”. On the other hand, the Christians believe in a different story. The Holy Bible states that one God, simply called God, created the heavens, the earth, the light and the darkness. Later on he created the first humans, which were Adam and Eve. Already we can see one difference, just by knowing...
In the article “Canaanites, Cowboys, and Indians”, Robert Warrior addresses the issues present in the church attempting to help liberate the Native Americans. Warrior states that most oppressed people relate to the Israelites during the exodus from Egypt, but the Native Americans can relate the most to the Canaanites, in the book of Joshua, being removed from their homeland.
Growing up in the tribe, Geronimo learned his people’s beliefs and customs. They believed in an ultimate power called Usen. As their origin story goes, a young boy was hid away by a painted lady. When he grew up, he went out hunting and confronted a dragon who he then killed. Usen then taught the young boy to hunt and gather medicinal herbs. This young boy’s name was Apache, the founder of all the Apache tribes. (Barrett 3-11) The Apaches also believed in supernatural forces. Sometime...
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.
In both myths the relationship between humans and nature is shown as a positive one but with negative effects from humans’ greed and necessity for more. In the beginning of the Creation Story it is stated in the first few lines “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” God then began to create the Earth in seven days. On the first day he created day and night out of the darkness and light. The second day led to the creation of the sky. The third day was the creation of the land. The fourth day led to the creation of the season. And finally on the fifth and sixth day, animals and humans were created, and the first two were a male and female named Adam and Eve. At the end of everyday during creation the words “and God saw it was good” are written. God is happy with his creation of nature. The phrase shows the positive connotation of...
Indian nations like the Cheyenne Tribe, the Choctaw tribe and the Navajo tribe are often overlooked, though they have been quite influential in our history as a continuously growing world. Modern culture and society cares nothing for the start of the tribes, nor their modern state, their help to our beginning and continuance, or to the modern culture and society of those indian tribes.
The Maori myth is a Polynesian story about the creation of the universe which according to Rosenberg was different from other creation myths because it begins with nothing and then progresses through a process of “nonbeing to thought to the creation of the universe and human beings” (351). Even though it may be different because it goes from “nonbeing to thought” instead of nothingness to a spoken word or action, it has many similarities to other creation myths in how it explains the origins of the Gods and how each one represents a natural event or aspect of nature and humanity. The myth begins with an “idea” that “was remembered” and then “became conscious” and then “a wish to create”, all of which created a “power to live and to grow, even in emptiness” (352). At this point there was still no being, only thought and desire which gives the idea that what is being addressed are the human attributes of feeling, sensing, desire and thought, this is where this story is different from other creation myths.
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.
The Cheyenne Tribe of native american indians are one of the most well known tribes in the plains. Originally in the 1600’s the Cheyenne Tribe lived in stationary villages in the east part of the country. They would rely on farming to make money and to feed their family. The Cheyennes occupied what is now Minnesota. In the 1700’s the Cheyennes migrated to North Dakota and settled on a river. The river provides a source of fresh water and many animals would go there so hunting would be easier.In 1780 a group of indians called the “Ojibwas” forced them out and they crossed the Missouri River and followed the buffalo herd on horseback. In the early 1800’s they migrated to the high plains. Later they divided into the North Cheyenne and the South
...f the divine world but the kings were in charge of vocalizing god’s wishes on earth. The most famous of these law codes was Hammurabi’s law code. The Hebrews tried to establish order by using Yahweh’s Ten Commandments and the Torah. Mesopotamian deities were hard to please and easily angered. The Mesopotamians constantly felt they were letting their gods down and usually didn’t even know the reason behind it. Hebrews had a much more forgiving god. Through texts like “The Book of Job”, it is apparent that Yahweh was a tough god but always forgiving and fair in the end. He had few demands of his people and all of them were ethical and easy to adhere to. As long as his devotees followed Yahweh’s laws, they were all capable of receiving his blessings. Through it all, it seemed that God and religion was at the center of every aspect of life in the ancient civilization.
In conclusion the apparent differences between the two cultures tend to be mainly in their religious beliefs, but these values and beliefs spread wide affecting all aspects of life. The Greeks believed in fate that could not be changed by a god, while the Hebrews believed that god made your fate. Greek culture produced strong independent men focused on conquering, and the Hebrew pushed conformity and trying to maintain peace. The Hebrew connection with their god is a far reaching more spiritual experience, while the Greeks felt connections with their gods through physical means.
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.