The Importance Of Creation Myths

There are many creation myths around the world. Creation Myths may share similarities which are known as motifs. Some myths share motifs and the culture the myths were created may be separated by oceans. How would the early civilizations have creation myths that share so many motifs. In my opinion, three of the most common or important creation myth motifs are humans take care of the earth and worship their god(s), the the gods destroy earth, and Chaos is the beginning of time.

Humans take care of the earth and worship their god(s) Ancient people needed to know why they were created, so they may have thought they were created to take care of the earth and worship their god(s). Early civilizations of people may have been hunter gatherers or

The destruction motif varies across civilizations from wars between gods to ways of ridding the earth of people because the people may have become ignorant, greeded, or the people may have upset the gods in some way. Many of the civilizations believed only one or two people survived this disaster and that they would then repopulate the earth while other civilizations believed that the gods would rid the earth of people and create new races or generations of people. The Greeks believed there were five ages of humanity the gold race, the silver race, the bronze race, the hero race, and the Iron race we are in now. The Greeks also believed there was a great flood which created the Iron race. Ancient Aztecs also believed there were five races of humans which are the first sun, second sun, third sun, fourth sun, and fifth sun which we are currently a part of. The Hebrews and Christians had a majority of the population of earth destroyed by a flood. The Babylonians believed there was a great war between gods that did some damage to the earth. The Yorubas believed that a great flood had happened. The Maori god Tawhirimatea created hurricanes, tornadoes, cyclones, tsunamis, and huge storms to torment his siblings for separating their

The Norse called this dark swirling nothingness the Ginnungagap. Far south of the Ginnungagap was the fiery realm of muspell and to the north was the dark cold realm of Niflheim. The Hindus believed the beginning started with the seas being vast, deep, dark, and nonbeing.These waters, then produced a golden egg and after the golden egg hatched Prajapati came out. Early Chinese people believed the creation of the universe came from an egg that contained chaos. Out of the Chinese egg came their first god Pangu who then separated Yin and Yang which created order. Egyptian chaos was known as Nu, which was dark and swirling waters. From Nu rose Atum, which was the Egyptians’ first gods. The Maori called the nothingness Te Kore and Te Kore came Te Po the