Creation myths

1. What is a creation myth? What is its purpose? A creation myth is a story about the creation of the world and mankind. Each culture and religion has its' own version of how the earth was formed and for what purpose. Myth's typically include the creation of both the earth and mankind, or just one or the other. The purpose of these myths, besides to give an explanation of where we have all come from, is to enlighten those who believe in them as to the purpose of their existence. 2. Creation myths often answer the question of identity, particularly group identity: Who are we? How did we come to be here? During the holiday season, it is common for families to gather together, sometimes after long absences. A common ritual at such gatherings…

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…

These divine myths provided explanations, reassured life, encouraged people to live on and inspired great achievements. The creation of the universe and also humans are the same in the myths of the Greeks and the Romans. The gods and goddesses were the same for both these cultures but the Romans gave those gods Roman names. Ultimately, creation myths are popular because they allow questions about the origin of the universe and mankind to be answered. Moreover, these myths explain the very…

Creation myths are written to serve the following functions: to show us the wonder and mystery of creation, to explain the world, to pass down morals and ethics, and to help guide people through life (Phillips). The purpose of a creation myth is to help the reader accept the existence of something, not necessarily explain why it exists. Writers do this through composing eccentric stories about creation, usually with a moral lesson learned, that inspires the reader to believe. For example, my…

making the Earth from the back of a turtle is open to interpretation. Whatever the story may be, the similarities and differences are unnerving, to say the least, considering the varying cultures. Most of these creation myths tend to include animals functioning as some part of society, but their purpose depends on the story. For example, "How The World Was Made" depicted animals as helpers of Maheo, the god of the story, who found land and for lack of a better word became the earth. While "In…

Creation myths are one of the most important works of literature in a variety of culture. In the foundation of every culture, there is a creation myth, or theory, that gives an elucidation of the formation of the Earth and its inhabitants. The phenomenon of the universe’s existence greatly impacts cultures in the world. Some believe that they have to worship a certain god (or gods) to reach a heavenly state while others believe in logic. While some creation myths are very similar, others are…

develops a central main message, or why something may occur. In this case, there are many similar ideas used in myths around the world. I think analyzing the motifs throughout different religions are important because the stories describe the beginning of the world and humanity. Some of these myths are still alive and are currently being worshipped, but others have died off and are no longer talked about. Concerning creation myths, there are three main motifs that I believe are important: the…

Creation myths often serve as a storytelling method in which cultures discuss origins of existence, values, and beliefs. Two creation myths, “The World on the Turtle’s Back” by the Iroquois tribe and “Life from Moon and the Stars” by the Zimbabwe tribe, express similar ideas of God’s tolerance for disobedience. However, the Zimbabwe tribe’s God proves more lenient than those in the Iroquois culture. In both the Iroquois and Zimbabwe myth, God/the gods give their pupils multiple fresh starts…

Throughout the diverse cultures and religions in the world, there are many different creation myths. Each culture has their own creation myth and there are many similarities, or motifs, within these creation myths. The three creation myth motifs that I thought were the most important were humans being made perfectly in the first attempt, an angry god punishing humans or another god, and women being created after men. Several cultures’ creation myths describe humans as being made perfectly in…

Creation Myths: Humanity’s Story When humans are faced with the unknown, what do they do? They create myths about this mystery. A very popular type of myth created by humans is a creation myth, or a myth about how the world came to be. There are many different creation myths from all around the world; each with different plots. When looked at closely, there are a noticeable amount of similarities between them. One major similarity is humanity; the beginning of it, its fall, and how it is…