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Why Do Cultures Develop Creation Myths

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Why do cultures develop creation myths? In general, what purpose do they serve for the members of that culture?

I believe that cultures develop creation myths to explain the unexplainable. Many people wondered why their world was created and why things such as floods, earthquakes, etc. would occur before they had any sort of scientific explanation to rationalize their thoughts, so they developed creation myths based on what they could observe and had experienced. Creation myths allow people to have meaning for their lives. They give the people a reason to harvest crops, live by a certain code of conduct, and a way to pass down their traditions and connect generations together. Without creation myths, some cultures would see no purpose in coming together as a community or cherishing the land they live on, so creation myths are important to cultures all over the world. For example, the Greeks made sacrifices to the Gods in order to bring them fertility (Aphrodite), rain (Zeus), etc. since they had Gods to represent every aspect of life. This gave them a code of conduct, so to speak, …show more content…

For example, in Egyptian mythology, Atum was the first being present, and although this being did not have a specific gender, the myth refers to Atum as a “he.” Atum went on to create a number of male beings that represented major aspects of life. Geb was associated with Earth, Osiris was king of the dead, and Seth was a trickster/evil. Geb represented the place Egyptians lived, Osiris could control who judged the dead and provided fertility and prosperity, and Seth reflected the many challenges people face against evil and mischief. While Maat represented law, order, and truth, and Hathor was considered the first great mother goddess, these female deities seemed to mainly contribute to the creation of other gods or aspects of existing human

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