The Commonalities of CreationJake TeSelle

March 27, 2014Research Essay

Lit 285 Mythologies

Words: 1578Original: 1337

Abstract:In this essay, I will attempt to analyze several creation myths from around the world. One myth predating the writing down of Genesis, and several afterwards. The purpose being to establish a general understanding of whether or not myths from around the world could, in some small way, be linked back to a common ground in Genesis.

Critical Question:Can a case be made that other myths from around the world derive elements of their creation account from the Genesis account.

For this essay, I am going to analyze the Creation event as described in Genesis

from the Bible in contrast and comparison to creation myths from various cultures. To

do this, I will look for etiological elements in later creation stories, indicating that they

are potentially derivative of the Genesis story while also highlighting key differences in

their underlying message and content. Also, I will attempt to, in some part, determine

the influence of the Genesis creation event upon the society of the time and how it

remains influential and relevant in our society today. For so many cultures myths,

stories, and legends to continually reference Biblical events and content is something I

find incredibly fascinating and will expound upon. The cultural connotations that tie us

to the Genesis story even today paint a fascinating picture of the way we are.

Many later cultures take influence from the Genesis creation story. Early

civilizations of the Norse, Babylonian, Native American, and more retain common

elements pointing towards the influence of Genesis. Furthermore, something I find

difficult to explain, is the recurrence of the flood story across cultures spanning the

entire world and thousands of years separated by thousands of miles. Could this be

part of Jung’s “collective unconscious” showing itself? Could the idea of a single just

man surviving this catastrophe be an Archetype? Or possibly something more?

Interestingly enough, there are even cultures that though they have myths about a

catastrophic flood, in their version of the story, the flood is avoided.

“In the Beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth”. Thus begins the

story of Genesis. Though this points to the creation of all things, this was certainly not

the first thing written down. Scholars commonly put the eventual writing down of

Genesis (although it was passed down from generation to generation orally for years

previous) by Moses at around ~1500 BC. Moses is considered the Traditional Author,

however, theories range from Adam the first man contributing to writing it down, to God

himself penning the book.("No Myths in the Bible.") Before this, parts of it had been

passed down in a combination of written and oral traditions. One such older creation

myth, which still contains ties to the Genesis story, is the Sumerian Creation myth. This

myth was discovered written on tablets dating to around 1700 BC. In the myth, two

gods, Aspu and Tiamat come together to give birth to primitive things and other gods.

These offspring slay Aspu. Tiamat, now enraged by this death prepares for revenge

against the offspring Marduk. Marduk battles Tiamat, eventually winning out, and tears

apart the body of Tiamat to create the heaven and the earth. Another god, Kingu, is

killed by Marduk, and from this god’s blood mankind is created to sacrifice to the gods.

Marduk eventually becomes the head of the entire Babylonian pantheon and develops

over 50 names describing his power. ("Genesis and Other Creation Accounts.")

This first myth contains several key common elements with the Genesis story.

First of all, it begins creation with both Heavens and Earth. Such is the most basic

nature of the universe the most logical place to begin. Another key concept is triumph

over chaos. The chaos/order/chaos patterns exhibited throughout many creation stories

are obvious in Genesis and the story of Marduk. In Genesis,the “chaos” of darkness is

defeated with a simple sentence, “Let there be light.” In the Sumerian account, a great

struggle between multiple deities is described, almost as though the “light” and “dark” of

the Genesis account have been personified. Yet another key point is in the creation of

man. In the Genesis account, the first man is formed from the dirt of the earth, and life

is breathed into him from a living God. Also, women are created from a rib of man.

(Genesis 2:22) The Marduk myth, however, claims that humans, both male and

female, were simultaneously created from the blood of a dead god. This contrast is

stark and fascinating. The striking difference in the account of human creation here is

worth pondering. Symbolically, when God breathed life into man, this is where it can be

speculated that the essence of God came to dwell in men. To put it another way, this is

an account of the creation of the soul. Being created from the blood of a dead god

paints humans in a rather violent and nihilistic way.

Another interesting creation account is the one believed by the ancient Mayans.

(No life, light, anything. It begins quite similarly to that of Genesis. Before the

beginning of time, there was only stillness over the water. There was no life, no light, or

anything besides 6 deities that lived in the water, as well as a great serpent and the sky.

These deities helped to create the earth and their spirit gave it energy. Now, they used

a great tree to separate the sky from the earth. Next, plants and animals were created.

The deities now all worked together to try and make humans. Their first attempt, they

made men out of mud. These were not up to their standards, and were destroyed in a

great flood. Also, interestingly enough, in this myth, man is created before the sun and

the moon. Although, Genesis says that there is only one God who created the earth

and humans with words, in the Maya creation myth story, it says that there are four

Gods who created the humans by working together. This means that the God of

Genesis is very powerful and independent as He did it alone. However, the four Gods

mentioned in the Maya creation myth had to try four times for the creation of the human.

Additionally, in Genesis God created the man and the woman separately, but the Mayan

creation myth does not mention how women were created. This myth interestingly

highlights the idea of a world destroying flood resulting in man’s shortcomings, just as

described in Genesis. Some similarities which are very important to note are that

Genesis says that God created the man from the dust while in the Maya creation myth

the four Gods created the man out of the mud. This similarity contrasts yet again with

the Sumerian account of human creation through blood.

Another interesting creation story containing some common themes within it is

that of the North American Inuit. In this Myth, it is said that Raven created the world.

When the waters began forcing ground up, he used his beak to fix it in place. Already it

is apparent that the separation of water and earth is in this myth. Raven was a boy and

went home to his father and mother and began to play with a container. Upon breaking

it, light began to shine forth. Raven’s father did not want light all the time, and so thus a

day/night cycle is established. Also, the Inuit have a flood myth pertaining to their

creation story. “In the first days, the water from the sea came up and flooded all the

earth except for a very high mountain in the middle. A few animals escaped to this

mountain, and a few people survived in a boat, subsisting on fish. The people landed on

the mountain as the water subsided and followed the retreating water to the coast. The

animals also descended.” (Gaster, 120). This myth implies something not mentioned

before, and that is the pre existence of light. Light had to have existed before and been

contained within the bladder before Raven released it. Also, the flood myth of the Inuit

people is very reminiscent of the tale of Noah. It describes a family surviving on a boat

for an extended period of time until landing on a mountain.(Burton, 23)

The creation myths of so many different societies contain so many similarities.

How is it that this is possible? Perhaps, as Jung would describe it, these myths are

merely the expression of the subconscious archetypes we all have. The cyclical nature

of order to chaos in creation stories is very reminiscent of Joseph Campbell's’

Monomyth. Though he never personally created any such tool for analysis, his Hero

Monomyth can be applied to existing creation and flood stories. Many flood stories

contain a hero, one man, who is chosen by God or gods for some superior quality.

Noah was chosen because he was the last righteous man on Earth. ( "Myth, Bible and

Religious Education." ) This man must go through an incredible trial, a catostrophic,

world ending, flood that destroys everything he knew as familiar. This departure from

the norm and journey through a supernatural event are clearly expressed in the Noah

Flood story. (Genesis 7) Through supernatural aid, the chosen man is able to ride out

the calamity and is given the gift of returning to the world to rebuild. This return from

chaos back to order is an interesting parallel to Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth. (Hero

With a Thousand Faces, 34)

In conclusion, all of these different stories are very interesting and contain many

commonalities. Analyzing their differences, commonalities, and those elements of them

that are clearly constructs of their individual society is incredibly interesting. In reading

these stories, I found myself wanting to read more and more to continue to expand my

view and understanding of early cultures creation and flood accounts. Seeing the likely

influence of an early Genesis account in both these types of stories across so many

cultures raises far more questions than it answers, and certainly cannot be addressed in

a mere 1200 words. However, this research hopefully demonstrates the theory and can

serve for further exploration.

Works Cited:

Mack, Burton. Scriptures, Myths, and Power: The Bible at Work Chapter Four:

The Bible as Myth in America. Postscripts: The Journal of Sacred Texts and

Contemporary Worlds 5.1 23 Aug 2011: 69. 27 Mar 2014.

Aucnincloss, William S. "No Myths in the Bible." 19th Century Index. N.p., n.d.

Web. 24 Mar. 2014.

Doran, Frederick Glyn. "Myth, Bible and Religious Education." Order No.

CB88899 University of Exeter (United Kingdom), 1978. Ann Arbor: ProQuest. Web.

27 Mar. 2014.

Gaster. "Flood Stories from Around the World." Flood Stories from Around the

World. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2014.

Isaak, Mark. "Flood Stories from Around the World." Flood Stories from Around

the World. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2014.

Stevenson, John T. "Genesis and Other Creation Accounts."

Http://www.angelfire.com/nt/theology/02creat.html. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Apr. 2014.

Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Princeton, NJ: Princeton

UP, 1968.Print.