Comparing The Iroquois And Kono's Idea Of Creation Myth

The majority of cultures have developed some sort of story or explanation that lays out all the answers as to why/how the earth was created; this is called a creation myth. The two societies Iroquois and Kono are an example of people who use myths to spread a basic understanding of their beliefs and values. While some similarities between the Iroquois and Kono people’s idea of creation parallel each other, there are also some significant differences.

Creation myths are a way to explain the unexplainable, specifically, how the earth and its inhabitants came to be. In historic times, these myths were told orally and passed on by word of mouth. The purpose of these tales is to describe the basic values and beliefs of a society in a way that is abstract to human reality. Many cultures have primary story-parts that aline with that of distant cultures, breaking through geographical barriers. These stories typically begin with a prevailing higher being, who either creates the earth or creates other beings who are responsible for forming the earth. A series of events or conflicts followed this, and by the time they are resolved, the earth was finished.

The Iroquois people created a myth …show more content…
The Iroquois myth analyzes the events they believe happened in the creation of the earth, while the Kono story reveals their ideology on more than that. Along with the earth’s creation, they describe why people die and where they go in the afterlife. Another conflicting belief would be how the turtle story portrays rituals being used to spin a tiny amount of dirt into a great expanse, and the story containing Sa revolves more around creation through a god or higher power. This shows how different the values between the two cultures are; Iroquois focusing on creation through balance and godly praising, whereas the Kono myth is fixated on creation by deceiving, stealing, and