After writing various pieces about folk tales and legends throughout the world, I have realized there are certain common themes regardless of location and culture. This is an attempt to make some sense of that observation.
HUMAN NATURE
Human beings, by nature, are both suspicious and curious no matter their origins. At some point in evolution, our ancestors began to think, on some level, about themselves and their surroundings. They began to question things. And they began to look for explanations.
Another aspect of human nature is the need to know “why?” Our species instinctively fears the unknown and, therefore, we want to understand everything. When the true answer is not obvious or understood, it is in our DNA to fabricate an explanation we can begin to comprehend or at least accept. Humans have never been shy about inventing explanations, viable or otherwise. To do that, we drawn on our observations of the things around us. These “explanations” have been handed down through the generations via a variety of means: verbally in story telling, in songs, in art and physical symbolism, hand gestures, and eventually in writing and electronically.
TERMINOLOGY
Most people today generalize when expressing the manner in which information is passed on from one person to another, one generation to another, and so on. We often refer to stories, explanations, and beliefs by oversimplifying the terms. This is another human trait which may lead people to refer to myths, legends, folk tales, sagas, etc. by one or two names and believe they mean the same thing. But, in fact, these terms define different concepts. So let’s get the terminology straight, just for the record.
ALLEGED ACTUAL EVENTS
Source primarily: https://www.britannica.com/topic/myth
Myths
Myths are symbolic narratives, usually of unknown origin and at least partly traditional, that ostensibly relates actual events and that are especially associated with religious belief. They are specific accounts of gods or superhuman beings involved in extraordinary events or circumstances at an unspecified time in the past, and such events are understood to exist apart from ordinary human experience.
As with all religious symbolism, there is no attempt to justify mythic narratives or even to render them plausible. Every myth presents itself as an authoritative factual account, no matter how much the narrated events are at variance with natural law or ordinary experience: an ideological belief when that belief is the object of a quasi-religious faith.
Sagas
Saga is an Old Norse word that means "what is said." The term generally refers to an extensive narrative which is intended to re-create historical events. A distinction is thus sometimes drawn between myths (set in a semidivine world) and sagas (set in a more realistic world and more firmly grounded in a specific historical setting).
Epics
An epic is similar to a saga in that both narrative forms look back to an age of heroic endeavor, but epics are almost always composed in poetry (with a few exceptions).
The relation between epic and myth is not easy to pin down, but it is in general true that epics characteristically incorporate mythical events and persons.
Legends
In common usage the word legend usually characterizes a traditional tale thought to have a historical basis, although usually unverifiable, as in the legends of King Arthur or Robin Hood.
EXPLANATIONS OF REALITY
Source primarily: https://www.britannica.com/topic/myth
This second category is narrative which teach a lesson, or refer to causes and/or explanations of something in the real world; why a thing is the way it is.
Fables
The original Latin word fabula meant the same thing as the Greek word mythos. However, it evolved to mean a fictitious or untrue story, while myths are not presented as fictitious or untrue. Fables, like some myths, feature personified animals or natural objects as characters. Unlike myths, however, fables almost always end with an explicit moral message, and this highlights the characteristic feature of fables—namely, that they are instructive tales that teach morals about human social interaction. Another difference between fables and myths is that the context of a fable is unspecific as to time and place.
Fairy tales
These narratives are not necessarily intended to explain reality, since they are peopled with fairies and other non-existent beings, but amuse and often teach a lesson. The term Fairy Tale usually refers to narratives and stories (directed above all at an audience of children) about an individual, almost always young and often extraordinary beings, who confronts strange or magical events. Like fables, they tend to have geographically and temporally vague settings and might begin with the words “Once upon a time…” In Europe, the modern concept of the fairy tale seems not to be found earlier than the 18th century.
Folk Tales/ Folk Lore
There appear to be disagreements between experts regarding the classification of folk tales, which obscures the definition. Some regard myths as a type of folk tale; others either consider folktale a subdivision of myth or regard the two categories as distinct but overlapping.
“A different and important aspect of the problem of defining a folktale relates to the historical origin of the concept. As with the notion of folklore, the notion of folktale has its roots in the late 18th century. From that period until the middle of the 19th century, many European thinkers of a nationalist persuasion argued that stories told by ordinary people constituted a continuous tradition reaching back into the nation’s past. Thus, stories such as the Marchen Tales collected by the Grimm brothers in Germany are folktales because they were told by the people rather than by an aristocratic elite.” https://www.britannica.com/topic/myth
Parables
This type of narration has the explicit purpose of illustrating a doctrine or standard of conduct. The point made by a parable is known or supposed to be known from another source. Such teaching stories are used to clarify something by using either real or fictional events.
Folk songs
Any of the above put in to song form, particularly for teaching purposes.
For the sake of simplicity, and because of overlaps of definitions, this work will use the general terms of myths, legends and folklore to encompass all the definitions. [So sue me.]
UNIVERSAL THEMES
Creation
The most common question early humans tried to answer was of how we came into being. edtimes.in/massive-similarities-
• How was the world created?
• When? How? By whom?
• birth
• death
• mating
Human beings, by nature, are both suspicious and curious no matter their origins. At some point in evolution, our ancestors began to think, on some level, about themselves and their surroundings. They began to question things. And they began to look for explanations.
Another aspect of human nature is the need to know “why?” Our species instinctively fears the unknown and, therefore, we want to understand everything. When the true answer is not obvious or understood, it is in our DNA to fabricate an explanation we can begin to comprehend or at least accept. Humans have never been shy about inventing explanations, viable or otherwise. To do that, we drawn on our observations of the things around us. These “explanations” have been handed down through the generations via a variety of means: verbally in story telling, in songs, in art and physical symbolism, hand gestures, and eventually in writing and electronically.
TERMINOLOGY
Most people today generalize when expressing the manner in which information is passed on from one person to another, one generation to another, and so on. We often refer to stories, explanations, and beliefs by oversimplifying the terms. This is another human trait which may lead people to refer to myths, legends, folk tales, sagas, etc. by one or two names and believe they mean the same thing. But, in fact, these terms define different concepts. So let’s get the terminology straight, just for the record.
ALLEGED ACTUAL EVENTS
Source primarily: https://www.britannica.com/topic/myth
Myths
Myths are symbolic narratives, usually of unknown origin and at least partly traditional, that ostensibly relates actual events and that are especially associated with religious belief. They are specific accounts of gods or superhuman beings involved in extraordinary events or circumstances at an unspecified time in the past, and such events are understood to exist apart from ordinary human experience.
As with all religious symbolism, there is no attempt to justify mythic narratives or even to render them plausible. Every myth presents itself as an authoritative factual account, no matter how much the narrated events are at variance with natural law or ordinary experience: an ideological belief when that belief is the object of a quasi-religious faith.
Sagas
Saga is an Old Norse word that means "what is said." The term generally refers to an extensive narrative which is intended to re-create historical events. A distinction is thus sometimes drawn between myths (set in a semidivine world) and sagas (set in a more realistic world and more firmly grounded in a specific historical setting).
Epics
An epic is similar to a saga in that both narrative forms look back to an age of heroic endeavor, but epics are almost always composed in poetry (with a few exceptions).
The relation between epic and myth is not easy to pin down, but it is in general true that epics characteristically incorporate mythical events and persons.
Legends
In common usage the word legend usually characterizes a traditional tale thought to have a historical basis, although usually unverifiable, as in the legends of King Arthur or Robin Hood.
EXPLANATIONS OF REALITY
Source primarily: https://www.britannica.com/topic/myth
This second category is narrative which teach a lesson, or refer to causes and/or explanations of something in the real world; why a thing is the way it is.
Fables
The original Latin word fabula meant the same thing as the Greek word mythos. However, it evolved to mean a fictitious or untrue story, while myths are not presented as fictitious or untrue. Fables, like some myths, feature personified animals or natural objects as characters. Unlike myths, however, fables almost always end with an explicit moral message, and this highlights the characteristic feature of fables—namely, that they are instructive tales that teach morals about human social interaction. Another difference between fables and myths is that the context of a fable is unspecific as to time and place.
Fairy tales
These narratives are not necessarily intended to explain reality, since they are peopled with fairies and other non-existent beings, but amuse and often teach a lesson. The term Fairy Tale usually refers to narratives and stories (directed above all at an audience of children) about an individual, almost always young and often extraordinary beings, who confronts strange or magical events. Like fables, they tend to have geographically and temporally vague settings and might begin with the words “Once upon a time…” In Europe, the modern concept of the fairy tale seems not to be found earlier than the 18th century.
Folk Tales/ Folk Lore
There appear to be disagreements between experts regarding the classification of folk tales, which obscures the definition. Some regard myths as a type of folk tale; others either consider folktale a subdivision of myth or regard the two categories as distinct but overlapping.
“A different and important aspect of the problem of defining a folktale relates to the historical origin of the concept. As with the notion of folklore, the notion of folktale has its roots in the late 18th century. From that period until the middle of the 19th century, many European thinkers of a nationalist persuasion argued that stories told by ordinary people constituted a continuous tradition reaching back into the nation’s past. Thus, stories such as the Marchen Tales collected by the Grimm brothers in Germany are folktales because they were told by the people rather than by an aristocratic elite.” https://www.britannica.com/topic/myth
Parables
This type of narration has the explicit purpose of illustrating a doctrine or standard of conduct. The point made by a parable is known or supposed to be known from another source. Such teaching stories are used to clarify something by using either real or fictional events.
Folk songs
Any of the above put in to song form, particularly for teaching purposes.
For the sake of simplicity, and because of overlaps of definitions, this work will use the general terms of myths, legends and folklore to encompass all the definitions. [So sue me.]
UNIVERSAL THEMES
Creation
The most common question early humans tried to answer was of how we came into being. edtimes.in/massive-similarities-
• How was the world created?
• When? How? By whom?
• birth
• death
• mating
Natural Disasters
• Floods • Earthquakes / Tsunami
• Fire • Volcanic Eruptions
• Avalanch • Drought / crop failures
Image Source: www.infinitylearn.como
All cultures that have been around for a while have experienced, at one time or another, a natural disaster. Such catastrophic events leave lasting impressions and ignite disasters collective creativity. As communities grapple with the fear, loss, and uncertainty brought by such events, people share their stories which eventually coalesce in community tales and songs. These may serve as a moral lesson or warning. Often, they reflect the community’s ability to navigate the realities of the aftermath and showcase heroism, resilience, and shared identity which become embedded in folklore and songs. Image Source: www.ar.inspiriedpencil.com
• Floods • Earthquakes / Tsunami
• Fire • Volcanic Eruptions
• Avalanch • Drought / crop failures
Image Source: www.infinitylearn.como
All cultures that have been around for a while have experienced, at one time or another, a natural disaster. Such catastrophic events leave lasting impressions and ignite disasters collective creativity. As communities grapple with the fear, loss, and uncertainty brought by such events, people share their stories which eventually coalesce in community tales and songs. These may serve as a moral lesson or warning. Often, they reflect the community’s ability to navigate the realities of the aftermath and showcase heroism, resilience, and shared identity which become embedded in folklore and songs. Image Source: www.ar.inspiriedpencil.com
Celestial Bodies
• Sun • Moon
• Stars • Planets
• Eclipse • Comets and other lights in the night sky
These phenomenon are so vital to human existence that every culture has woven stories around these constant companions. These narratives reveal profound truths about how different societies grappled with fundamental questions: Why does day follow night? What causes eclipses? How should opposing forces relate to one another? How these realities of our world have been treated in legend, myth, and folklore throughout the world shows “remarkable diversity in their details while revealing universal human concerns about balance, relationships, sacrifice, and cosmic order.” shystoryteller.com/myths-and-legends
• Sun • Moon
• Stars • Planets
• Eclipse • Comets and other lights in the night sky
These phenomenon are so vital to human existence that every culture has woven stories around these constant companions. These narratives reveal profound truths about how different societies grappled with fundamental questions: Why does day follow night? What causes eclipses? How should opposing forces relate to one another? How these realities of our world have been treated in legend, myth, and folklore throughout the world shows “remarkable diversity in their details while revealing universal human concerns about balance, relationships, sacrifice, and cosmic order.” shystoryteller.com/myths-and-legends
- Weather Events / Change of Seasons
• Snow • Tides
• Lightning • Tornados and Twisters
• Change of Seasons
Image Source: www.theweek.com
Sometimes referred to as weather lore, these tales about weather are “passed down through speech and writing from normal people without the use of external measuring instruments. The origin of weather lore dates back to primeval people and their usage of star studying in navigation." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather_lore
Weather is closely linked with astrology and lore about the planets and sky, and weather lore was a vital link to our ancestors' survival and understanding of the world..
Natural Environment
• Landforms • water bodies
• Shorelines and tides • Animals
• Vegetation • Other people
• life in general
Image Source: www.stock.adobe.com
Because nature is all around us, it plays a huge role in legends, myths and folktale. The natural environment is addressed in its physical sense but also as symbols for human traits and motions, such as strength or wisdom, or spiritual values. Animals often embody moral lessons. Certain plants and animals are vital to life; others dangerous or fatal. Landforms and water often are symbols or sacred places. Transformations in the natural environment are used to illustrate the interconnection between human life and the environment.
CREATION STORIES
Creation is the first and foremost basic question addresses by all forms of myths, legends, and folklore.
Homo spiens “have always been fascinated by different questions – questions about the unknown, questions about the miracles in nature, but, above all, the questions regarding the origin of the world. It is the human nature to wonder about the unknown and try to find answers for the unsolved mysteries. At the foundation of nearly every culture is a creation myth that explains how the wonders of the earth came to be. These myths have an immense influence on human beings thinking.”
https://ijstm.com/images/short_pdf/1464452045_228ijstm.pdf
Many creation myths begin with the theme of birth. This may be because birth represents new life, and the beginning of life on earth may have been imagined as being similar to the beginning of a child's life. This is closely related to the idea of a mother and father existing in the creation of the world. https://ijstm.com/images/short_pdf/1464452045_228ijstm.pdf
Despite the divergence in creation stories, there are also notable similarities. For example, many creation stories involve a divine or supernatural being (portrayed as powerful, wise, and benevolent) responsible for the creation of the world and humankind, shaping them to their will. Additionally, many creation stories feature a period when humans live in harmony with nature before the introduction of sin, suffering, or discord, often caused by a malevolent counterpart to the creator.
“Moreover, creation stories often serve as a way to explain the natural world and our place within it. They provide a framework for understanding the origins of the universe, the Earth, and humanity, as well as the relationship between humans and the divine.” https://realityreporters.com/comparing-and-contrasting-different-creation-stories/
Keep in mind that myths ostensibly relate to actual event which are unable to be demonstrated by evidence as true or existing, and are associated with religious beliefs.
• Landforms • water bodies
• Shorelines and tides • Animals
• Vegetation • Other people
• life in general
Image Source: www.stock.adobe.com
Because nature is all around us, it plays a huge role in legends, myths and folktale. The natural environment is addressed in its physical sense but also as symbols for human traits and motions, such as strength or wisdom, or spiritual values. Animals often embody moral lessons. Certain plants and animals are vital to life; others dangerous or fatal. Landforms and water often are symbols or sacred places. Transformations in the natural environment are used to illustrate the interconnection between human life and the environment.
CREATION STORIES
Creation is the first and foremost basic question addresses by all forms of myths, legends, and folklore.
Homo spiens “have always been fascinated by different questions – questions about the unknown, questions about the miracles in nature, but, above all, the questions regarding the origin of the world. It is the human nature to wonder about the unknown and try to find answers for the unsolved mysteries. At the foundation of nearly every culture is a creation myth that explains how the wonders of the earth came to be. These myths have an immense influence on human beings thinking.”
https://ijstm.com/images/short_pdf/1464452045_228ijstm.pdf
Many creation myths begin with the theme of birth. This may be because birth represents new life, and the beginning of life on earth may have been imagined as being similar to the beginning of a child's life. This is closely related to the idea of a mother and father existing in the creation of the world. https://ijstm.com/images/short_pdf/1464452045_228ijstm.pdf
Despite the divergence in creation stories, there are also notable similarities. For example, many creation stories involve a divine or supernatural being (portrayed as powerful, wise, and benevolent) responsible for the creation of the world and humankind, shaping them to their will. Additionally, many creation stories feature a period when humans live in harmony with nature before the introduction of sin, suffering, or discord, often caused by a malevolent counterpart to the creator.
“Moreover, creation stories often serve as a way to explain the natural world and our place within it. They provide a framework for understanding the origins of the universe, the Earth, and humanity, as well as the relationship between humans and the divine.” https://realityreporters.com/comparing-and-contrasting-different-creation-stories/
Keep in mind that myths ostensibly relate to actual event which are unable to be demonstrated by evidence as true or existing, and are associated with religious beliefs.
Christian Creation Story
According to the Book of Genesis in the Bible, God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. God is portrayed as a powerful and omnipotent being who created humankind in his own image.
Christian Creation Story - Image credit: Shutterstock - Image source: www.fifty.club
“Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, were placed in the Garden of Eden and given dominion over all other living creatures. However, they were forbidden from eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. When they disobeyed God, they were expelled from the garden, leading to the introduction of sin into the world.”
https://realityreporters.com/comparing-and-contrasting-different-creation-stories/ Egyptian god Ra - Image Source: www.anthropologyreview.org
According to the Book of Genesis in the Bible, God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. God is portrayed as a powerful and omnipotent being who created humankind in his own image.
Christian Creation Story - Image credit: Shutterstock - Image source: www.fifty.club
“Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, were placed in the Garden of Eden and given dominion over all other living creatures. However, they were forbidden from eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. When they disobeyed God, they were expelled from the garden, leading to the introduction of sin into the world.”
https://realityreporters.com/comparing-and-contrasting-different-creation-stories/ Egyptian god Ra - Image Source: www.anthropologyreview.org
Ancient Egyptian Creation Story
The universe started with a primordial ocean (nothingness or chaos) known as Nun. At the center of Nun was a giant pyramid called benben, and within that came forth Atum (or Ra), the creator deity.
As the physical embodiment of the sun, Atum created life in the form of the first Egyptian deities – Shu (air) and Tefnut (water/moisture). Together with his children, Atum was able to hold back the destructive forces of chaos and keep the universe in balance. Atum was also supported by Ma’at, the ancient Egyptian goddess of truth and order.
The union between Shu and Tefnut brought forth Geb (earth) and Nut (sky). Geb and Nut gave birth to famous Egyptian deities such as Osiris (God of the afterlife, resurrection, and agriculture; symbolizes rebirth and fertility), Isis (Goddess of motherhood, magic, and fertility; protector of the vulnerable), Seth (God of chaos, storms and desert; disorder and conflict, often seen as the antagonist to Osiris), and Nephthys (Goddess of the night and mourning; associated with death and the protection of the dead).
These deities illustrate themes of life, death, and the balance between order and chaos in Egyptian mythology.
The universe started with a primordial ocean (nothingness or chaos) known as Nun. At the center of Nun was a giant pyramid called benben, and within that came forth Atum (or Ra), the creator deity.
As the physical embodiment of the sun, Atum created life in the form of the first Egyptian deities – Shu (air) and Tefnut (water/moisture). Together with his children, Atum was able to hold back the destructive forces of chaos and keep the universe in balance. Atum was also supported by Ma’at, the ancient Egyptian goddess of truth and order.
The union between Shu and Tefnut brought forth Geb (earth) and Nut (sky). Geb and Nut gave birth to famous Egyptian deities such as Osiris (God of the afterlife, resurrection, and agriculture; symbolizes rebirth and fertility), Isis (Goddess of motherhood, magic, and fertility; protector of the vulnerable), Seth (God of chaos, storms and desert; disorder and conflict, often seen as the antagonist to Osiris), and Nephthys (Goddess of the night and mourning; associated with death and the protection of the dead).
These deities illustrate themes of life, death, and the balance between order and chaos in Egyptian mythology.
Mayan Creation Story
The beginning of time was filled with nothingness devoid of any structure or order, inhabited by the creator gods Tepeu (the maker) and Gucumatz (the feathered spirit). To fill the silence with substance and life, they first created Hurakan (god of wind and storms), and then together created the earth. To make the world habitable, the gods created the sun, the moon and the stars.
Mayan god Tepeu
Image Source:
Subsequently, they created four kinds of animals – a parrot, a coyote, a fox, and a crow. But then they desired intelligent beings who could worship them, so they created man out of wet clay, but it crumbled apart. In their second attempt, the gods created man out of wood, but that attempt was also unsatisfactory. Finally, they created man out of maize (corn) dough, and he thrived and was able to speak, feel and think.
The animals then went in four different directions to make a home, but because they, the gods commanded them to forever remain obedient to human beings. The myth concludes with these four fathers ascending a mountain, unable to return, symbolizing the origins of humanity and their connection to the world. Hindu god Brahma - Image Source: eee.freepik.com
The beginning of time was filled with nothingness devoid of any structure or order, inhabited by the creator gods Tepeu (the maker) and Gucumatz (the feathered spirit). To fill the silence with substance and life, they first created Hurakan (god of wind and storms), and then together created the earth. To make the world habitable, the gods created the sun, the moon and the stars.
Mayan god Tepeu
Image Source:
Subsequently, they created four kinds of animals – a parrot, a coyote, a fox, and a crow. But then they desired intelligent beings who could worship them, so they created man out of wet clay, but it crumbled apart. In their second attempt, the gods created man out of wood, but that attempt was also unsatisfactory. Finally, they created man out of maize (corn) dough, and he thrived and was able to speak, feel and think.
The animals then went in four different directions to make a home, but because they, the gods commanded them to forever remain obedient to human beings. The myth concludes with these four fathers ascending a mountain, unable to return, symbolizing the origins of humanity and their connection to the world. Hindu god Brahma - Image Source: eee.freepik.com
Hindu Creation Story
The Rigveda description of the Hindu creation story is complex and multifaceted because Hindu belief views time and space as cyclical, infinite, and multi-layered. Therefore, Hinduism holds that the world is created many times, over and over again, not just once. Further, this universe is considered to be just one of many; other universes (and other forms of life), exist on many different planes.
Therefore, there are often several creation accounts for each of these different realms.
Essentially, the god Brahma is the creator of the universe, while Vishnu and Shiva are responsible for its preservation and destruction, respectively. The concept of karma and reincarnation plays a crucial role in Hindu beliefs, as individuals are believed to be reborn in different forms based on their actions in their previous lives.
Two popular Hindu creations stories come from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad and the Vishnu Purana. Both accounts demonstrate the fundamental nondualism typical of most Hindu creation accounts.
“Brhadaryanka Upanishad 1.4: the world is said to have come into existence because the Primeval One, having become bored being the only being in existence, split Itself into a variety of forms and manifestations (i.e., the material world and all of its beings) so that, through them, It could experience a loving and playful relationship with Itself."
“The creation account from the Vishnu Purana, wherein Vishnu, lying on an ocean of milk atop the serpent Sesha, sprung a lotus from his naval that contained the god Brahma. Having been sprung from Vishnu's navel, Brahma creates all living beings, as well as the sun, moon, planets, etc. and a number of other gods and demigods. Following Brahma's creative acts, it is then said that Vishnu expanded himself into Ksirodakasayi Visnu (Paramatma) and entered into everything that exists in the material and immaterial spheres.” patheos.com/library/what-is-the-creation-story-in-hinduism The Wandjina, the creators
Image Source: pinterest.com
The Rigveda description of the Hindu creation story is complex and multifaceted because Hindu belief views time and space as cyclical, infinite, and multi-layered. Therefore, Hinduism holds that the world is created many times, over and over again, not just once. Further, this universe is considered to be just one of many; other universes (and other forms of life), exist on many different planes.
Therefore, there are often several creation accounts for each of these different realms.
Essentially, the god Brahma is the creator of the universe, while Vishnu and Shiva are responsible for its preservation and destruction, respectively. The concept of karma and reincarnation plays a crucial role in Hindu beliefs, as individuals are believed to be reborn in different forms based on their actions in their previous lives.
Two popular Hindu creations stories come from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad and the Vishnu Purana. Both accounts demonstrate the fundamental nondualism typical of most Hindu creation accounts.
“Brhadaryanka Upanishad 1.4: the world is said to have come into existence because the Primeval One, having become bored being the only being in existence, split Itself into a variety of forms and manifestations (i.e., the material world and all of its beings) so that, through them, It could experience a loving and playful relationship with Itself."
“The creation account from the Vishnu Purana, wherein Vishnu, lying on an ocean of milk atop the serpent Sesha, sprung a lotus from his naval that contained the god Brahma. Having been sprung from Vishnu's navel, Brahma creates all living beings, as well as the sun, moon, planets, etc. and a number of other gods and demigods. Following Brahma's creative acts, it is then said that Vishnu expanded himself into Ksirodakasayi Visnu (Paramatma) and entered into everything that exists in the material and immaterial spheres.” patheos.com/library/what-is-the-creation-story-in-hinduism The Wandjina, the creators
Image Source: pinterest.com
Aboriginal Australian Creation Story
The Aborigines of Australia are considered one of the oldest continuously surviving cultures in the world, encompassing hundreds of diverse cultural groups, each with their own creation stories. These stories were passed down through generations through oral tradition, art, songs, dances, and ceremonies. Songlines, or dreaming tracks, are the journeys taken by the creator spirits across the land or the sky during the Dreamtime or Dreaming, considered a sacred period of creation.
According to Aboriginal Dreamtime stories, the world was created by ancestral beings known as the Dreamtime creators or Dreaming Ancestors.
In the beginning there was only darkness and a bare land. The Wandjina, the creators, were cloud and rain spirits who roamed the lifeless earth, shaping the oceans and rivers, creating dry land and its features, creating animals, plants, and bringing the ancestors from within the earth to create humans. They established the laws and customs that govern Aboriginal life.
Some of the ancestors were like men and others were like animals. In fact, the ancestors were able to change shape and become either man or animal. In some other versions, Wandjina was not one god but many gods, or spirit gods, which are depicted with big black eyes, no mouth, and a halo, their bodies covered in dots, which represent rainfall. Their depictions are said to represent climatic elements, such as their eyes representing thunderstorms, while the Wandjina themselves are symbols of fertility.
The Dreamtime is that continues to be celebrated and honored by Aboriginal communities to this day.
The Aborigines of Australia are considered one of the oldest continuously surviving cultures in the world, encompassing hundreds of diverse cultural groups, each with their own creation stories. These stories were passed down through generations through oral tradition, art, songs, dances, and ceremonies. Songlines, or dreaming tracks, are the journeys taken by the creator spirits across the land or the sky during the Dreamtime or Dreaming, considered a sacred period of creation.
According to Aboriginal Dreamtime stories, the world was created by ancestral beings known as the Dreamtime creators or Dreaming Ancestors.
In the beginning there was only darkness and a bare land. The Wandjina, the creators, were cloud and rain spirits who roamed the lifeless earth, shaping the oceans and rivers, creating dry land and its features, creating animals, plants, and bringing the ancestors from within the earth to create humans. They established the laws and customs that govern Aboriginal life.
Some of the ancestors were like men and others were like animals. In fact, the ancestors were able to change shape and become either man or animal. In some other versions, Wandjina was not one god but many gods, or spirit gods, which are depicted with big black eyes, no mouth, and a halo, their bodies covered in dots, which represent rainfall. Their depictions are said to represent climatic elements, such as their eyes representing thunderstorms, while the Wandjina themselves are symbols of fertility.
The Dreamtime is that continues to be celebrated and honored by Aboriginal communities to this day.
Chinese Creation Story
Because China has many cultures, there are numerous myths and stories about creation, but few of them involve a creator deity or divine will. Traditionally, the world was created on Chinese New Year and the animals, people, and many deities were created during its 15 days.
Chinese Creator Pangu - Image Source: alamy.com -Chinese Creation Myth
According to one myth, time began with the void of chaos, but over the course of 18,000 years the swirling chaos formed an enormous egg. Chaos still existed in this egg, however, and the opposing forces of yin and yang constantly fought against one another. Eventually, however, yin and yang came into balance. When they did, they created Pangu, the first being to come to life, before either the heavens or earth had been created. When Pangu came into existence, he realized that he was confined in a very tight space. He began to twist and writhe, eventually breaking the shell of the egg and emerging into the void.
In one version of the story, the cracked egg became the heavenly bodies and, in some versions of the story, the earth. The light egg whites floated up to become the clouds and stars while the dense yolk sunk down and became land. The two halves of the shell became the sun and moon.
Pangu split yin and yang with his axe so they became two opposite elements in perfect balance. Still, the heavens and earth were constantly attracted to one another, so Pangu placed himself between them and pushed the sky away from the land and held it that way for eighteen millennia. Every day both he and the universe grew until he stopped growing. Then he died, and his limbs became the four pillars that hold up the sky.
Many scholars believe this myth developed during or before the Zhou Dynasty, which began in 1046 BC.
Because China has many cultures, there are numerous myths and stories about creation, but few of them involve a creator deity or divine will. Traditionally, the world was created on Chinese New Year and the animals, people, and many deities were created during its 15 days.
Chinese Creator Pangu - Image Source: alamy.com -Chinese Creation Myth
According to one myth, time began with the void of chaos, but over the course of 18,000 years the swirling chaos formed an enormous egg. Chaos still existed in this egg, however, and the opposing forces of yin and yang constantly fought against one another. Eventually, however, yin and yang came into balance. When they did, they created Pangu, the first being to come to life, before either the heavens or earth had been created. When Pangu came into existence, he realized that he was confined in a very tight space. He began to twist and writhe, eventually breaking the shell of the egg and emerging into the void.
In one version of the story, the cracked egg became the heavenly bodies and, in some versions of the story, the earth. The light egg whites floated up to become the clouds and stars while the dense yolk sunk down and became land. The two halves of the shell became the sun and moon.
Pangu split yin and yang with his axe so they became two opposite elements in perfect balance. Still, the heavens and earth were constantly attracted to one another, so Pangu placed himself between them and pushed the sky away from the land and held it that way for eighteen millennia. Every day both he and the universe grew until he stopped growing. Then he died, and his limbs became the four pillars that hold up the sky.
Many scholars believe this myth developed during or before the Zhou Dynasty, which began in 1046 BC.
Zoroastrian Creation Story
The Zoroastrian faith is one of the world's oldest monotheistic religions founded by the prophet Zoroaster (or Zarathustra) in ancient Persia an estimated 3500 year ago. Today, significant Zoroastrian communities exist in India (Parsis) and Iran.
Creator Ahura Mazda
Image source: www.megatenwiki.com
From the beginning of time, there was nothingness where existed two opposing deities in separate realms of the universe; Ahura Mazda or The Wise Lord (the deity of light) and Angra Mainya or Ahriman (the deity of darkness).
Ahura Mazda, a benevolent force, decided to make different creations. He first shaped the sky, second made pure water, and third formed the earth as flat and round. Fourth he fashioned plants, and fifth, animals. Finally, he created the first man, called Gayomard. Last, he created fire and ordered it to serve mankind.
In response to Ahura Mazda’s handiwork, Angra Mainyu created fierce demons and evil forces with the power to cause pain, disease, and death.
To guard his creations against the evil and darkness, the Wise Lord fashioned the Amesha Spentas, called archangels or The Holy Immortals, shaping them from his own soul and endowing each with its own nature:
- Khashathra, the Righteous Power, guardian of the sky.
- Haurvatat, the Peace and Perfection, protector of the waters
- Spenta Armaiti, the Holy Devotion, guardian of the Earth
- Ameretat, the Immortality, protector of the plants
- Vohu Manah, the Good Mind, protector of the animals
- Asha Vahishta, the Justice, guardian of the Fire.
- Lastly, the Wise Lord made his own Holy Spirit protector of mankind.
https://zaklynsky.wordpress.com/2012/11/28/zoroastrian-creation-myth/
The Evil Spirit and his demons destroyed Gayomard, and thought they had won out against the light, but from Gaymonard’s bones grew a rhubarb plant. After forty years, a man and a woman, Mashya and Mashyana, grew out of the plant. Mashya and Mashyana promised the Wise Lord that their children would help Him in His battle with the Evil Spirit, then gave birth to fifteen twins and every pair scattered around the world and became a race. Then each person followed the good thoughts, good deeds and good words. Each became the follower of the Wise Lord in His battle with the Evil Spirit. The Greek goddess Nyx - Image source: www.animalia-life.club
The Zoroastrian faith is one of the world's oldest monotheistic religions founded by the prophet Zoroaster (or Zarathustra) in ancient Persia an estimated 3500 year ago. Today, significant Zoroastrian communities exist in India (Parsis) and Iran.
Creator Ahura Mazda
Image source: www.megatenwiki.com
From the beginning of time, there was nothingness where existed two opposing deities in separate realms of the universe; Ahura Mazda or The Wise Lord (the deity of light) and Angra Mainya or Ahriman (the deity of darkness).
Ahura Mazda, a benevolent force, decided to make different creations. He first shaped the sky, second made pure water, and third formed the earth as flat and round. Fourth he fashioned plants, and fifth, animals. Finally, he created the first man, called Gayomard. Last, he created fire and ordered it to serve mankind.
In response to Ahura Mazda’s handiwork, Angra Mainyu created fierce demons and evil forces with the power to cause pain, disease, and death.
To guard his creations against the evil and darkness, the Wise Lord fashioned the Amesha Spentas, called archangels or The Holy Immortals, shaping them from his own soul and endowing each with its own nature:
- Khashathra, the Righteous Power, guardian of the sky.
- Haurvatat, the Peace and Perfection, protector of the waters
- Spenta Armaiti, the Holy Devotion, guardian of the Earth
- Ameretat, the Immortality, protector of the plants
- Vohu Manah, the Good Mind, protector of the animals
- Asha Vahishta, the Justice, guardian of the Fire.
- Lastly, the Wise Lord made his own Holy Spirit protector of mankind.
https://zaklynsky.wordpress.com/2012/11/28/zoroastrian-creation-myth/
The Evil Spirit and his demons destroyed Gayomard, and thought they had won out against the light, but from Gaymonard’s bones grew a rhubarb plant. After forty years, a man and a woman, Mashya and Mashyana, grew out of the plant. Mashya and Mashyana promised the Wise Lord that their children would help Him in His battle with the Evil Spirit, then gave birth to fifteen twins and every pair scattered around the world and became a race. Then each person followed the good thoughts, good deeds and good words. Each became the follower of the Wise Lord in His battle with the Evil Spirit. The Greek goddess Nyx - Image source: www.animalia-life.club
Ancient Greek Creation Story
Hesiod, a Greek poet prevalent between 750 to 650 BC, is credited as an authority on the Greek Creation story. In his book – Theogony – Hesiod explains the beginnings of key figures and outlines how the universe came into being from the perspective of Greek mythology.
In the beginning, the first of all the gods, the goddess Nyx, the deity of darkness, ruled the universe which was a great emptiness and a vacuum. In one version of the myth, the goddess Nyx is believed to have laid a golden egg. After sitting on the egg for eons of years, the egg hatched, producing the deity of love Eros, and the broken shells of the egg became the sky and the earth.
In other versions, the void gave rise to Gaia (Earth or goddess of Earth), Eros (love), the Abyss (Tartarus), and Erebus (darkness), and Gaia gave birth to two sons without a mate. These sons were Uranus (the God of the sky) and Pontus (the God of the ocean). Then, Gaia formed a relationship with her son, Uranus, and birthed the monsters Cyclops and Hecantonchires and the 12 Titans, six male and six female.
Uranus resented his children and ultimately banished the Cyclops and the Hecatonchires to the underworld ruled by Tartarus. When the youngest, Cronus or Kronos, became aware of the fate of his siblings at the hands their father, he and his mother plotted against Uranus.
Cronus castrated Uranus with a sickle, and the resulting blood produced the Giants, the Erinyes, and the Nymphs. Aphrodite, the Goddess of Beauty, also arose from the sea foam that was created when Uranus’ genitals hit the ocean.
Cronos then ruled the Titians, the generation of gods preceding the Olympians, who were overthrown and replaced as the ruling pantheon of gods by Zeus and the Olympians in a ten-year war known as the Titanomachy (battle of the Titans).
TAKE AWAYS
All human beings have basic characteristics that are the same no matter where (and when) we come from, but we all live in our own cultures which have similar as well as unique experiences, beliefs, values, traditions, so on. We have learned, often the hard way, that human beings have many similarities but also many differences.
According to goddessnikee.weebly.com history tells us that “Humans are very different, and those differences can tear nations apart which proves, humans can be so arrogant about beliefs and would rather cause a war, than to accept that there are other opinions in this world and their opinion isn’t just fact.” https:// /creation-myths.html
Another approach is expressed by edtimes.inc, "Each culture deserves its unique glory for its contribution to humanity."
However, at a time when we are ripping ourselves apart in racial, religious, and political sectarianism, perhaps we should take a moment to study the roots that we all share.
massive-similarities-between-different-world-mythologies/
JUST SAYIN'
Sources:
www.Yahoo.search.com – AI
https://www.merriam-webster.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparative_mythology
https://www.ancient-origins.net/human-origins-folklore/world-mythologies-0020210
https://people.howstuffworks.com/folklore3.htm
https://leakproject.com/blog/beyond-reality-5-common-themes-in-world-mythologies/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/myth
https://ijstm.com/images/short_pdf/1464452045_228ijstm.pdf
https://worldhistoryedu.com/creation-myths-from-around-the-world/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianism
https://zaklynsky.wordpress.com/2012/11/28/zoroastrian-creation-myth/
https://mythologyplanet.com/greek-mythology-creation-story/#google_vignette
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titans
https://www.loresandlegends.com/folklore/how-folklore-explains-natural-disasters/
https://shystoryteller.com/myths-and-legends/sun-and-moon-stories-from-different-mythologies-around-the-world/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather_lore
https://www.almanac.com/weather-lore-and-proverb-calendar
https://www.opticweather.com/blog/weather-history-folklore
https://medium.com/@danielss39/exploring-the-universality-of-myth-common-themes-in-global-mythologies-f83c31a46cf7
https://www.loc.gov/nls/new-materials/book-lists/folklore-and-stories-from-native-american-culture/
https://goddessnikee.weebly.com/creation-myths.html
https://realityreporters.com/comparing-and-contrasting-different-creation-stories/
https://www.patheos.com/library/answers-to-frequently-asked-religion-questions/what-is-the-creation-story-in-hinduism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dreaming
https://www.ancient-origins.net/human-origins-folklore-myths-legends-australia/australian-aboriginals-creation-myth-00229
https://mythologysource.com/pangu-chinese-giant/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_creation_myths
https://weafrique.com/african-creation-myths/
Hesiod, a Greek poet prevalent between 750 to 650 BC, is credited as an authority on the Greek Creation story. In his book – Theogony – Hesiod explains the beginnings of key figures and outlines how the universe came into being from the perspective of Greek mythology.
In the beginning, the first of all the gods, the goddess Nyx, the deity of darkness, ruled the universe which was a great emptiness and a vacuum. In one version of the myth, the goddess Nyx is believed to have laid a golden egg. After sitting on the egg for eons of years, the egg hatched, producing the deity of love Eros, and the broken shells of the egg became the sky and the earth.
In other versions, the void gave rise to Gaia (Earth or goddess of Earth), Eros (love), the Abyss (Tartarus), and Erebus (darkness), and Gaia gave birth to two sons without a mate. These sons were Uranus (the God of the sky) and Pontus (the God of the ocean). Then, Gaia formed a relationship with her son, Uranus, and birthed the monsters Cyclops and Hecantonchires and the 12 Titans, six male and six female.
Uranus resented his children and ultimately banished the Cyclops and the Hecatonchires to the underworld ruled by Tartarus. When the youngest, Cronus or Kronos, became aware of the fate of his siblings at the hands their father, he and his mother plotted against Uranus.
Cronus castrated Uranus with a sickle, and the resulting blood produced the Giants, the Erinyes, and the Nymphs. Aphrodite, the Goddess of Beauty, also arose from the sea foam that was created when Uranus’ genitals hit the ocean.
Cronos then ruled the Titians, the generation of gods preceding the Olympians, who were overthrown and replaced as the ruling pantheon of gods by Zeus and the Olympians in a ten-year war known as the Titanomachy (battle of the Titans).
TAKE AWAYS
All human beings have basic characteristics that are the same no matter where (and when) we come from, but we all live in our own cultures which have similar as well as unique experiences, beliefs, values, traditions, so on. We have learned, often the hard way, that human beings have many similarities but also many differences.
According to goddessnikee.weebly.com history tells us that “Humans are very different, and those differences can tear nations apart which proves, humans can be so arrogant about beliefs and would rather cause a war, than to accept that there are other opinions in this world and their opinion isn’t just fact.” https:// /creation-myths.html
Another approach is expressed by edtimes.inc, "Each culture deserves its unique glory for its contribution to humanity."
However, at a time when we are ripping ourselves apart in racial, religious, and political sectarianism, perhaps we should take a moment to study the roots that we all share.
massive-similarities-between-different-world-mythologies/
JUST SAYIN'
Sources:
www.Yahoo.search.com – AI
https://www.merriam-webster.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparative_mythology
https://www.ancient-origins.net/human-origins-folklore/world-mythologies-0020210
https://people.howstuffworks.com/folklore3.htm
https://leakproject.com/blog/beyond-reality-5-common-themes-in-world-mythologies/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/myth
https://ijstm.com/images/short_pdf/1464452045_228ijstm.pdf
https://worldhistoryedu.com/creation-myths-from-around-the-world/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianism
https://zaklynsky.wordpress.com/2012/11/28/zoroastrian-creation-myth/
https://mythologyplanet.com/greek-mythology-creation-story/#google_vignette
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titans
https://www.loresandlegends.com/folklore/how-folklore-explains-natural-disasters/
https://shystoryteller.com/myths-and-legends/sun-and-moon-stories-from-different-mythologies-around-the-world/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather_lore
https://www.almanac.com/weather-lore-and-proverb-calendar
https://www.opticweather.com/blog/weather-history-folklore
https://medium.com/@danielss39/exploring-the-universality-of-myth-common-themes-in-global-mythologies-f83c31a46cf7
https://www.loc.gov/nls/new-materials/book-lists/folklore-and-stories-from-native-american-culture/
https://goddessnikee.weebly.com/creation-myths.html
https://realityreporters.com/comparing-and-contrasting-different-creation-stories/
https://www.patheos.com/library/answers-to-frequently-asked-religion-questions/what-is-the-creation-story-in-hinduism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dreaming
https://www.ancient-origins.net/human-origins-folklore-myths-legends-australia/australian-aboriginals-creation-myth-00229
https://mythologysource.com/pangu-chinese-giant/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_creation_myths
https://weafrique.com/african-creation-myths/
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