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Common motifs in creation myths
Two creation myths compare
Similarities in the creation stories
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More handpicked essays just for you.
Common motifs in creation myths
Two creation myths compare
Similarities in the creation stories
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Common motifs in creation myths
This distinct resemblance could be explained by cults of Osiris emigrating from Egypt and dispersing ancient Egyptian myths throughout the continent. After the end of ancient Egypt, elements of the myth of Osiris can be seen in emerging cultures over the following centuries, due to the lasting influence of the cults. This is a direct example of dispersion theory, and these two gods show how it can apply to the spread and evolution of myths, also suggesting that the myths of Volos are a distant evolution of the myths of
Between “The Babylonian Creation Epic” and “Theogony” there are many similarities and differences that can be found. One similarity between these two is the idea of two beings, Tiamat and Apsu (fresh and salt water) and Gaia and Ouranos (earth and sky) who couple together and give birth to the first gods. In Gaia and Ouranos’s case, these ‘gods’ are called Titans. In the Babylonian story Marduk, a son of the gods, kills Tiamat and creates humankind from the blood of one of the gods who stood on her side. Whereas in “Theogony” Ouranos is hated by all of his children and ends up castrated by his son Kronos.
Unraveling and chaotic atmosphere with destructive waters, as described in the beginning of the story, Enuma Elish describes the world and the seasons that come with it. Enuma Elish focuses on the beginnings of gods and how they all were created with a specific job. The reason why this story was so impactful is because it was written on seven stone tablets by the famous Babylonians created in the late 12th century B.C. Genesis 1-2 begins in a similar atmosphere of darkness and hovering water and the creation of the world also followed by its seasons.
The Greek Pantheon of gods is then described in exhausting detail. Many of these gods are named after natural and emotional constants, perhaps in hopes to explain
Like snowflakes, no single creation myth is identical to another, “The Story of the Creation”, which highlights on the creation of the Akimel O’odham, more commonly known as the Pima, and Megan Wren’s “Mayan Creation Myth” are no exception; however, there are many similarities. Most creation myths, such as the “Mayan Creation Myth” and “The Story of Creation” follow the basic path that the majority of creation myths do, starting with the emptiness in the beginning, a void to be filled by a God-like figure, who would soon create vegetation, animals, and humans who he would then destroy and start anew: however, some do not, such as the “Creation of the World” and “How the World Was Made.” With most creation myths, there is a void, or an emptiness
Eos was a Titaness and the Greek goddess of the dawn. She is portrayed as a winged goddess who would rise each morning from her home near the edge of Oceanus and ride her chariot across the sky, thus bringing in the dawn. Her chariot was pulled by two horses, as described by Homer’s Iliad. The names of the horses were Lampus and Phaethon. Eos is commonly described as having a rosy appearance, with rosy fingers, a light, and a flowing pink gown woven with flowers.
The most important way to think about myths is that they are symbolic stories that attempt to answer difficult human questions about the universe. For instance, where did we and the world come from? And what is the meaning of life?. “We all want to know where we came from, but because our earliest beginnings are lost in the mists of prehistory, we have created myths about our forefathers that are not historical but help to explain current attitudes about our environment, neighbors and customs” (6). Myth functions as a guidance that explains everything that we come into contact with in the universe.
Creation stories are an integral part in the study of mythologies of different cultures. Ancient cultures usually wondered at how the world around them came to be, and creation myths were used as a means of explaining natural phenomena as well as the origins of the earth. Although there are numerous differences between each culture’s creation myth, by analyzing these stories one can often find similarities and shared themes among the various tales conceived by societies that existed long ago. The Enuma Elish is the creation story of ancient Mesopotamia. In this story the chief god Marduk defeats the goddess Tiamat in a great struggle, and creates the sky from her body.
In Genesis 5-8 and on Tablet XI in the Epic of Gilgamesh, there are stories of a flood that destroys the entirety of humanity, caused by God or gods who were displeased with the corruption and wickedness of mankind. While these stories may seem to very similar from a far, a closer look shows some differences. These differences can be used to show the cultural and religious discrepancies between the two time periods and places where these stories are written. The Epic of Gilgamesh helps to highlight the importance of obedience to God in the Genesis narrative of the flood story.
For example, W. G. Lambert states that “The story begins with a Theogony: the descent of the primeval gods culminating quite quickly in Marduk, patron god of the town Babylon” (Lambert 17, which means that before mankind, there were numerous gods named Tiamat, Apsu, Qingu, Mummu, Ansar, Kinsar, and Marduk who ruled over everything and had the power to create. The Enuma Elish speaks of creation in the story throughout the seven tablets that illustrated a narration of the entire story, thus linking it to Lincoln’s theorization of myth. It links up perfectly because the story is so long that it took four tablets for Marduk to kill Tiamat, who then goes on to create mankind and become the god of the gods. In Tablet six in the Enuma Elish, it states that “From his blood he (Ea) created mankind and had imposed the service of the gods upon them” (Enuma Elish 33-36). The Enuma Elish fits Lincoln’s theorization of myth because it’s not just the classification of gods and power that’s established, but the myth also sheds light on the creation of mankind and all the creation before us explained in narrative form by the unknown
Each every creation myth is unique in its own way. Of course, creation myths have their similarities, but each of them has at least one detail that separates them from every other myth. The question is how those similarities came about, considering for some of these groups that didn’t even know that each other existed. It would have nearly impossible and extremely unlikely for them to communicate with each other let alone, share their stories with each other. Yet, despite this there are some extremely common themes and events throughout these myths.
In the Theogony of Dunnu, Plough and Earth create the Cattle God and the Cattle God later kills Plough, his father. In Hesoid’s Theogony, Gaia gives birth to Kronos, who later kills his father Ouranos, however, in Hesoid’s Theogony, Kronos does not later marry Gaia. In the Theogony of Dunnu, the Cattle God goes on to marry Earth, his mother, after killing his father. Just like the Cattle God marrying Earth his mother, later in the Theogony of Dunnu, the Flocks God marries Sea, his mother. Before the Flocks God gets to marry his mother, he first kills his father, the Cattle God, just like the Cattle God does to his father,
In this essay I will be comparing and contrasting the creation myths of Brahma, the Hindu Creator God, and The Ennead of Heliopolis of Ancient Egypt. I will be highlighting the following; how, according to these cultures, did the world begin, how did humans originate, are there any thematic similarities between the creation myths of these two cultures, what are the most striking differences and do they have any beliefs about how the world will end, or do they believe in some kind of cyclical renewal of creation. Brahma is the Hindu Creator god:
The Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest story known to mankind, being written on Sumerian clay almost five thousand years ago (Garone). Since the story was originally known orally, the culture and themes from The Epic of Gilgamesh must have existed long before it was finally inscribed (Mark 4). Having known this, the cultures and themes can be compared to today’s society, discovering about how they have shifted and evolved, and also observe how they are similar. The ancient days of Gilgamesh has brought culture that has greatly influenced today’s society. Because Gilgamesh was set around the time of late Babylonian or early Sumerian society, the Babylonian and Sumerian cultures also play a role in shaping the world into what is is today (Mark).
Comparing Creation Myths Ancient myths have helped to shape some of the things we know today, such as religions, movies, and children’s bedtime stories. When exploring the world of mythology, it is not uncommon to find that many aspects of a variety of myths turn out to be incredibly similar. Sometimes, these aspects can even be identical simply by chance. This is a fascinating thing to witness because many myths were constructed from various places around the world in separate times.