CREATION MYTHS

• Creation of the World

• Creation of Animals

• Creation of Mankind

– Creation of Pandora

CREATION OF THE WORLD In the beginning there was Chaos Eurynome, Goddess of All Things, rose naked from

Chaos, divided sea from sky and danced on the waves; rubbed the North Wind to create the serpent Ophion.

Ophion grew lustful and got Eurynome with child, who in the form of a dove laid the Universal Egg.

Out of the Egg came all things that exist: sun, moon, planets, stars, the earth with its mountains, rivers, trees, herbs and living creatures.

Now dwelling on Mount Olympus, Eurynome created the seven planetary powers and set a Titaness and a Titan over each.

CREATION OF ANIMALS Task given to Epimetheus, one of the Titans Name meaning “afterthought.” He was a scatter

brained person who followed his first impulse and then changed his mind.

Gave all the best gifts to the animals, strength and swiftness and courage and shrew cunning, furs and feathers and wings and shells and the like, until no good was left for men

CREATION OF MANKIND Task given to Prometheus, the Titan who had

sided with Zeus in the war against Titans. Created men from clay in the likeness of gods,

and Athena breathed into them the divine spirit Since all qualities were given to animals by

Epimetheus, Prometheus gave men the god-like quality of walking upright, and he also stole fire from the sun to give it to men for protection

Prometheus was punished by Zeus for favouring mankind

CREATION OF PANDORA Prometheus cheated Zeus and arranged that men get the

best part of any animal sacrificed, and the gods get the worst part.

Zeus swore to take revenge on mankind and on Prometheus.

As punishment to men he created the first woman, Pandora, meaning “the gift of all.” She was very beautiful but evil. Gods gave her a box in which was all Misfortune and also Hope, and told her not to open it.

Out of female curiosity she opened the box and out flew plagues, sorrow and mischief. Only Hope remained in the box when she closed the box.