Flood Myth: A Literary Analysis

Throughout history there have been many myths concerning a great flood that challenged the humans and animals at the time, from the story of Noah’s Arc to the tale of the Yellowstone Valley. Some are harsher than others, but all teach a lesson. In addition, many are part of different cultures. For example, the story of Baucis and Philemon is Roman, Deucalion and Pyrrha is Greek, and the Great Flood of the Yellowstone Valley is Native American. Within the stories consist of both similar and different details, such as what morals were taught and the types of roles people played. One can argue that the flood myths are considerably unique to each culture; however, some may not agree with this statement. Almost all of these stories do, in fact, share a common theme. The three tales mentioned express themselves uniquely, but also acquire both similar themes and disparate traditions as a culture. Even though all three of these myths are extremely similar, the way each is conveyed is directly correlated to the culture it represents. For example, Deucalion and Pyrrha represents the Greek culture, so its mythology is involved in the story. Unlike Zeus, the Great Spirit voices the

Some aspects are similar, while others differ. For example, Deucalion and Pyrrha and Baucis and Philemon are the most analogous of the three, considering they have the same mythological basis. Juppiter, or Zeus, is the punisher in both stories, which reflects something about the culture: the gods can sometimes have a strident voice. Yellowstone Valley and the Great Flood, however, contains a character that is less harsh. The Great Spirit warns the people about abusing the animals, showing the pragmatic customs the Yellowstone Valley people had. Each story is a display of its respective culture, demonstrating that the flood myths are independent and unique to their own cultural