The Forces of Creation
Myths arise to provide an explanation about nature, the birth of the universe and other phenomena that are not easy to understand. The first chapters of Genesis have a mythological structure and content, because they are paradigmatic accounts that explain about the creation of the nature of the world and of humans; on the other hand, the Chinese beliefs of creations are based on a cosmic egg that mix the two forces: the Yin and Yang. These creation stories help humans to understand where they came from and how the world began, but how much these creation myths affect the belief system of those cultures?
Firstly, one of the most important issues that come to life when talking about Hebrew culture is the religion. Religion
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They believe in two forces that are called yin and yang. Yin is what is dark, moist, feminine, earthy, passive, and is associated with the Earth, while yang is what is light, warm, masculine, active, and is associated with the Sun. (27). In the Chinese culture yin and yang are thought to depend on one another, such as day and night, heaven and Earth, male and female, and so on. They are balanced, they are equal, but still separate. In the creation story, these two forces were born from the chaos, and they were mixed together in a cosmic egg. In the midst of these two forces grew Pan Gu. (28). After Pan Gu died; his body became all its features. His eyes became the sun and the moon, his breath became the wind and clouds, and his sweat turn into the dew. (28) The theory about the Yin and Yang is also known in many parts of the world as opposing forces, which complement one another. On this way, it is clear that this creation story sets up many beliefs on the Chinese culture. Currently exist many myths and stories in this culture, but many of them are based on this creation myth which can be developed from different forms, but basically they have the same meaning. They try to explain to the humanity, why everything exists and how everything
Yin and Yang is an ancient Chinese philosophy that shows the perfect balance between two things. The yin and yang sign is considered an energy which keeps the concept flowing. It is two
Every person in America has a myth or conviction of truth as to how creation was formed and human beings came into existence. The following are inclusive in creation myths, the first is the Zulu myth found in the continent of Africa, and the other is the myth of Norse originating from Europe. Both myths give a reason as to how creation was formed on earth. Though there are endless amounts of ideas and vast amounts of myths to explore, the focus of these two particular myths brings fascination to a social phenomenon.
The Chinese origin story goes as follows: In the beginning there was a huge egg containing all opposites mixed together including male and female, earth and sky, hot and cold, dark and light, etc. Pan Gu was a giant within the chaos. He separated all the opposites including the Earth and the sky. As the sky got higher and the earth got
The Ancient Hebrew culture was a culture defined by many things but mostly for their construction of their religion. Hebrews or the religion Judaism
Inherent in the sacred religious myths of China, the story that unfolds is that of the Dao . This harmonious and mythical story of the Dao is something shared by all yet, concealed in natural forces. It is only in the relationship between the Dao and the individual that one’s authentic self is comprehensible. The totality of creation works via the congruent combinations of the harmonizing opposite’s, yin and yang (Esposito 19). Yin is defined as the passive female
Myths – as they are known to most of the world – give insight into the pasts of various countries and religions as the people saw them. They have been used to explain phenomenons in nature or describe the tales of courageous and important men and women throughout history. Creation myths in particular define how the Earth itself was created, along with the universe, heavens, hell, people, and creatures that exist today. Genesis of Christian mythology, for instance, tells the story of how the single deity God spoke and formed everything from day and night to man and woman. Various African creation myths, such as with the Yoruba, explain the creation of the Earth through at least a couple gods working together and all life
For thousands of years, scientists have tried to interpret the concept of creation. However, before people had access to modern scientific equipment, they told creations stories. A creation story is a myth that explains how and why the earth was made. A few cultures with differing opinions on creation are Europeans, Cherokee Indians, West Africans, and Hawaiians. Europeans tell the story of Genesis and God creating the earth in seven days and Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Cherokee Indians believe that the earth was created by a water beetle. In West African culture, they teach the Golden Chain story, and Hawaiians have the Kumulipo story to explain their beliefs on creation. Although each story follows a basic guideline, they all have distinct disparities.
There are many motifs in mythology. A motif is a repeating idea. Learning these myths are challenging, but they explain so much about how the Earth, time, and humans were created. Explaining the myths, or even the motifs, could be hard considering there are many different ideas on why and how the motifs are included. Three motifs caught my attention, which were the destruction from gods, humans created from organic materials, and family trees, and I am here to explain them.
Almost every culture on earth has a creation myth. Most if not all of these myths borrow from the core theme of a God-centered creation as contained in the book of Genesis chapter one. According to Van Over (11), a good number of these creation stories show a similarity in the point of their origin. Rumor has it that some of these myths have emanated from actual historical occurrences or events. All creation myths emerge from one ancient source and only diverge when it comes to their timing and the surrounding cultural circumstances. The variations in the myths come as a result of the differences in time and cultural circumstances. Aside from the two causes of variation, in general all creation myths show a basic outline and they also share some basic elements.
Compare and contrast the Biblical creation myths with other creation myths from Greece and the Ancient Near East.
Yin and Yang is a Chinese philosophy. Yin and Yang connects to Taoism, because it symbolizes balance between opposing sides. It is made of two principles. Yin, the predominately black side,
According to information gathered from the online source, Taoism or the Tao Religion (Our Ultimate Reality), the Yin and Yang represents two breaths or the chi life force. This Yin life force is the feminine principle of darkness, coolness, and dampness, while the white, the Yang, is the masculine principle of brightness, warmth, and dryness. They are not opposites, not all good, or bad, but both needed to maintain universe stability. Defined through opposition, Taoists believe in the virtues of balance and understanding.
Ancient Chinese people were greatly interested in the relationships and patterns that occurred in nature. Instead of studying isolated things, they viewed the world as a harmonious and holistic entity. In their eyes, no single being or form could exist unless it was seen in relation to its surrounding environment. By simplifying these relationships, they tried to explain complicated phenomena in the universe.
Man was created to keep the earth but we have failed at that, we have not listened to the Genesis myth about being the caretakers, we have destroyed and pillaged the land. The creation myth was supposed to keep the earth pure but we justified it as a way to do what we want with it(Earth) and therefor have had a negative effect on the earth due to the genesis creation myth.
Yin and Yang is the most universally recognizable symbol for Taoism. The symbol is a circle with one half black and the other half white. Both halves have a spot with the opposite color which represents being part of the other. Yin and Yang are two complementary, interdependent principles or phases alternating in space and time; they are emblems envoking the harmonious interplay of all pairs of opposites in the universe. (Taoism, 2007) Taoist believe yin and yang exist in all aspects of life. Some believe the white represents good and the black represents evil. If there is good there is bad, if there is wealth there is poverty and if there is woman there is man. In other words there is an opposite to everything. The universe flows in harmony without ever stopping. In chapter 42 of the Tao-Te-Ching there is a reference about yin and yang. The Tao is one, from the one come yin and yang, from these two creative energy (chi), from energy, ten thousand things, the forms of all creations, all life embodies yin and embraces yang, through their union achieving harmony. (Tao-Te-Ching, Ch. 51)