Hopi Creation Myths

Although creation myths were based on the beliefs of many different tribes, most of these myths share many moral similarities. In particular, the tribes of the Iroquois and the Hopi shared myths about the creation of the world which included many similar and different morals and beliefs. The creation myths “The World on the Turtle’s Back” from the Iroquois tribe and “The Four Creations” from the Hopi people share values such as the view of animals being very intelligent and the patriarchy that existed in each tribe, but differ in their beliefs on redemption. During the creation of the Earth, the Iroquois believed animals played an important role in their culture, because animals are divine and are a support system for humans. The woman …show more content…
When she asked of them to get soil, “they went to the limits of their endurance, but they could not get to the bottom of the ocean” (Iroquois). Even though the woman has not thanked them for anything they have done for her, the animals continually put their lives on the line. The Hopi tribe has similar views on the importance of animals as well. When the few remaining believers were sent by The Creator to live with the ants, “he told them to learn form the ants while they were there” (Hopi). The Creator believed the ants were more intelligent than the humans and to learn from their wisdom. In a similar way to the Iroquois myth, the ants give the men all the food they have left when supply runs low. The ants sacrificed for the humans to eat like the animals sacrificed for the woman. Another similarity evidenced through the creation myth was the existence of the patriarchy. When the woman lived in Sky World, she belonged to her husband and the purpose she served was to reproduce and drag the man down. The husband and wife get introduced into the story as “a man who had a wife, and the wife was expecting a child” (Iroquois). The Iroquois tribe was a patriarchy, because the man has possession over …show more content…
Even though she was “cut off forever from the Sky World above, knowing only the birds and the creatures of the sea, seeing no other beings like herself” (Iroquois), she was still able to live with the animals and her daughter in the world below. She was given a chance to continue her life down on Earth and create a world of living beings, nature, and war. And although the left-handed twin was seen as evil and devious, he was also given a second chance. After the left-handed twin was killed,