Yoruba And Iroquois Similarities

Myths are the basis of providing insight from past and present cultures all over the world. The myth of “The World on the Turtle’s Back” descends from a tribe called the Iroquois who lived in the American northeast, while the Yoruba, the creators of the myth “The Golden Chain” originate from Nigeria. Since they are from two completely different parts of the world, the Iroquois and the Yoruba approach their lives differently. These myths help emphasize the similarities and differences between their core beliefs, values, and morals. While both believe that one’s flaws are inescapable, the Iroquois disregards the world below them whereas the Yoruba display an interconnected relationship with a world unlike their own.
Compared to the Yoruba, the Iroquois are a self absorbed society, having only interest in their Sky World. The Iroquois dedicate their time and effort into preserving their Sky World because it is their only land. When a woman begs her husband to have a piece of bark from the roots of the their sacred tree, he passively declines, for “he knew it was wrong” ( Iroquois). This suggests that the Iroquois lack any form of curiosity because they live only by …show more content…
During the pregnancy of the wife’s twin grandsons, there is constant arguing of who will be the right handed twin The myth describes right-handed people as being more superior to those that are left-handed. However, “(...) they did not call these right from wrong. They called them the straight mind and the crooked mind” (Iroquois). The right handed twin is described as being truthful and reasonable whereas the left-handed twin is described as being devious. Throughout the myth, the twins are referred to as the left- handed twin and right-handed twin, rather than actual names. This supports the claim that flaws are inescapable because the left-handed twin will always be associated as being the bad in the