The earth is a beautiful place with blue skies, sky high mountains, lavish grounds, and wonderful people. There are numerous explanation and theories as to how the creation of the world came to be, and two of these explanations come from the creation myths of Egypt and Mesopotamia. Though both are very different in context, these two versions explain exactly how the sky became to be, how land was created, and most importantly how man was created and how they were destroyed and why. These two stories also contain similar themes that help build the story and are seen throughout the many situations that occurred within both creation myths. In the Mesopotamian version of how the earth became to be is derived from the Enuma Elis. This Epic of Creations story centers around Tiamat, Apsu, Ea, and Marduk. Tiamat was the mother of the gods while Apsu was the Father; they were in more ways than one, the supreme gods. When they decided to have children, they created a larger and larger domain of gods who were stronger than the last. These younger gods started to annoy Tiamat and Apsu. Even though Apsu desired to kill them; Tiamat refused and told Apsu they cannot kill their own children. However Tiamat’s words offered no comfort for Apsu and he started to devise a plan to destroy the younger gods with the help of his advisor-Mummu. However unknown to them was Ea, who was eavesdropping on their entire plot. Ea, who became furious, put Apsu into a deep sleep and then killed him. Ea proceeded by taking a tied up Mumu and placing him on top of Apsu, and this is where he made his dwelling which he called Apsu. Apsu is the personification of sweet water, and this is believed to be how the sweet waters- or drinkable water- were formed ... ... middle of paper ... ...er insatiable thirst for blood. In conclusion both the Egyptian and Mesopotamian creation stories are greatly different. In one there was much more violence than the other. However there are several themes that tie the two stories together and these themes could be seen through several examples of both stories. Both of these creation stories in their different respective ways showcase exactly how earth was created, and how men were created. They also detail how the creation of man leads to their own destruction and how the compassion of the greater God allowed them to continue to live until today. Therefore, though both the stories are very different in context, they still carry very important themes that are very similar to one another. That being said through their context they are very different, but through their themes they are similar in more than one ways.
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.
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.
Creation in Ancient Egyptian religion can be much different than the creation account taken from The Bible. Genesis has a set description of “The Beginning” while there are several different versions and variations in Egyptian mythology. The versions range from a “one god” myth (Ptah; see picture) to the more common creator out of Nun, which in itself has several derivations.
Since the beginning of time, societies have created stories to explain the mystery of the origin of man and the universe. In the Babylonian text, Enuma Elish and the book of Genesis-which originated in the same part of the world-one finds two very different stories about the creation of man. These two creation stories contrast the two societies that created them: the chaotic lives of servitude of the Babylonians and the lives of the recently freed Jewish people.
In this paper I will discuss three similarities and four differences between Enuma Elish-The Epic of Creation (King,1902) and Genesis 1:1-3:24 as described by Michael Fishbane (Fishbane, 1979). These writings are selected to describe the story of creation of the earth and the inhabitants of the earth. However, each author has a very different view and way of explaining what they have interpreted the sacred texts to mean.
Certain Near Eastern mythologies share in extremely similar concepts pertaining to the beginning of the universe, particularly a primordial ocean that exists before life begins. This essay will firstly discuss the ancient Egyptian cosmogony, particularly concerning the creator god Atum, and the role of water throughout the various ideas of creation. Following this will be a brief look at the myth of Enki and Ninmah focusing on Enki’s place in the primordial ocean that preceded the world, as well as a differing perspective in the battle of Marduk and Tiamat. Both these Egyptian and Mesopotamian concepts will then be contrasted with The Book of Genesis, exploring their shared perspectives on water and the beginning of the world. Finally, the
In the beginning, there was nothing, no sand, no sea, or cool waves. The heaven or the Earth did not exist. Before the earth was made Niflheim was made. In Niifleim rose twelve rivers. The south was Muspell, where heat and brightness guarded by Surt, who was a giant who carried a flaming sword. The north was frigid Ginnungagap, where the rivers froze and all was ice. Soon enough the ice thawed, and the drips thickened and formed the shape of a man. The man’s name was Ymir, the first of and ancestor of the frost-giants. Then more ice fell and created a cow. The milk of the cow flowed four rivers and fed Ymir. By the third day of the cow licking, a whole man had emerged, and his name was Buri. Buri had a son named Bor, who married a girl named Bestla, who was the daughter of one
Aeneis's first contact with a soul in the purgatory of the Underworld is Palinurus, who died after falling from one of Aeneis's ships. Aeneis is at the mouth of the river that flows through hell with his guide the goddess Diephobe and Charon the ferryman. Palinurus is waiting to be ferried to his place in the Underworld, so he can begin his thousand-year purge. He pleads with Aeneis's party to take him along, but Deiphobe scolds him: "Shalt thou, unburied, see the Stygian flood, / The Furies stream, or reach the bank unbid?" (107). In Vergil's Underworld one must have had a proper burial to gain a position. This serves as a warning to Romans to give their deceased a proper funeral, less they remain in hell longer.
Traffic is a drama about the consequences and ironies that happen all the time in the drug dealing business. It presents various situations in which almost everyone is involved with drug problems. A few examples of what happened in the movie showed the American anti-drugs czar's daughter consuming drugs, a known businessman in Los Angeles revealed as drug dealers, poor truck drivers trafficking drugs to the US because of the need for money, and of course the leaders of the drug cartel in Mexico. The main characters are the anti-drugs czar in the United States and his family, two Mexican cops, Carlos Ayala (drug dealer) and his wife, a Mexican colonel responsible of the fight against drugs, and a pair of American cops. Traffic tries to denote the importance of doing something about drugs in our society because, just as shown in it, almost everyone can become involved in the world's largest business, and once you are in, you can never get out of it.
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
The questions about the existence of life and the creation of the world are always mind-boggling and fascinating, however, the real answer to these questions may never surface. All there is to rely on are the myths, stories and legends passed on from generation to generation by ancestors and the clues they have left. This essay will try to uncover the ancient Mesopotamian and Hebrew views on existence and creation by looking at sources like the Genesis and other ancient Mesopotamian texts and poems. Mesopotamians and Hebrews had contrasting views on how they explained the events in their lives, and through analysis of ancient sources, those differences will be outlined. In such populated and booming areas, human conflict was inevitable and some of the law codes that were placed in effect to establish order within the society will be examined. Throughout it all, god and religion played a central role in these ancient civilizations.
The boy in the dark hooded jumper knew he made a mistake, yet he sat
The House of Hades, by Rick Riordan, is set in present time and evolves over the course of two weeks. There are eight protagonists, all demigods fighting against Gaea. Two of the demigods, Percy and Annabeth, have fallen into Tartarus, the most abysmal and treacherous part of the underworld, where no Olympian god has dared to go. Tartarus is also the god of abyss. The other six protagonists travel from Rome to Greece, where lies the house of Hades. All eight protagonists are in search of the doors of death in order to close them.
The Underworld, better known as Hades after the god who ruled it, was a dark and dreary place where the shades, or souls, of those who died lived. In the next few minutes, I will tell you about how one came to die, the topography of the Underworld, and the beings whom dwelled there.
Long, long ago, the sky was empty and Sky god, Hyborth, creator of everything, became lonely. He had two children with the goddess of the stars, Idea.They named one of their sons, Ilius and the other Amus. Ilius was a bright big star similar in shape to his mother, but he was even brighter in the sky. Amus, the younger brother, was very shy and not nearly as bright as his brother Ilius as he was made up of rock. Ilius grew up to be the Sun god, while Amus grew up to be the God of the Moon. Soon after the boys were born, Idea and Hyborth created the Earth and began to fill it with hundred of new animals and plants to live in the water and on the land. The Moon God grew up his life believing that he was only a reflection of his brother’s success. Since, Amus never got as much attention as his older brother, he spent a lot of his time alone in the darkness of the sky or