Iroquois Creation Myths

Creation Myths People have attempted to answer the question of creation since before the human race invented written language. Cultures around the globe create myths regarding creation that pass down from generation to generation through storytelling. Different societies include their own unique values, beliefs, and traditions when recounting their version of creation. The Iroquois myth “The World on the Turtle’s Back” and the Cherokee myth “ The Story of Corn and Medicine” include a strong focus on balance in the natural world, but the Cherokee consider humans destructive force to earth while the Iroquois consider humans the creator of earth. A need for balance is demonstrated in both the Iroquoi and Cherokee creation myths with a strong focus on finding the medium between good and evil and a belief that harm creates. In “The World on the Turtle's back”, a right and left handed twin demonstrating opposite personalities and abilities live together on earth: “the right handed twin made the deer and the left handed twin made the mountain lion which kills the deer” (Iroquoi). The actions of the left-handed twin opposes what the right-handed twin creates which brings balance.

Although the Iroquois and Cherokee society valued balance, only the Iroquois believed humans created the earth. Both creation myths discuss the idea of good stemming from harm. In the iroquois myth, “The deep mind of the left handed twin told the truth” which demonstrates that the society believed malicious people were benign in certain situations. They understood that even harmful beings produce good. Similarly, the Cherokee myth discusses a boy, “ who had arisen from the blood of the game.” The child came to existence after another lifeform ceased to exist. This society also understood that even though the animal was killed, good came from it’s