Southeast Asian Mythology Research Paper

One of the most important myths of the Huichols Indians is about the creation of the world. These types of myths are categorized as origin myths which “are typically the most sacred of a culture’s myths and provide the foundation upon which other myths are built” (Lindell “Professor’s Notes 4” 2). The article “Journey of Grandmother Rain” by Jack Eidt tells the story about the first humans, the creation of the land, and the creation of the sun. From a structuralist perspective, the binary opposition that shapes the worldview of the Huichol Indians is apparent in this origin myth. According to Eidt, in the Huichol origin myth the first human, named Watacame, and his black female dog, Tziku Mayuri, had to “withstand five days of monsoons, wind, waves, flooding and storming” (Eidt). After Watacame had successfully survived the storm, the Goddess Takutzi Nakawe (Grandmother Rain)

Nearly every culture has a creation myth to explain the unknown wonders of the world, such as how the world came to be and how humans came to exist on earth. Creation myths paint a picture for the confused and answer question for the curious minds of its people. These stories have influence on its believers and tied into their religion and how they go about their life. There are many creation myths that give credit to different divine beings for creating everything. All of the creation myths are different in their own way but many of them share signification ideas and themes. The Mesopotamian myth, Enuma Elish, is similar to the Egyptian creation myths, Creation by Atum and Theology of Memphis, because of their use of chaotic water and system resemble a family tree, however, they differ in the creation of men.

The Mayan creation story starts off with the Earth being nothing but water. Then there are six deities or that lay in the water and helped Hurakan create the Earth. The power they had gave the Earth energy and spirit. They planted a ceiba tree to separate the sky and Earth. Plants and animals were created but animals could not speak or worship the deities. They decided to create humans from mud but were destroyed in a flood because they had no souls. Next wooded humans were created but destroyed as well. The surviving ones are supposed to have become monkeys. There was no Sun or Moon yet, but a bird named Seven Macaw said he was both and the two hero twins killed him. The two twins played the game of ball and challenged the Lord of the Underworld. By beating them, they brought their Father back to life who became the Maize God. The twins became the Sun and Moon and since the Earth now had light, the deities created the final humans. These humans were made of the white and yellow corn (Smithsonian, The Creation Story). This is where the story of Mayan creation ends.

It should be noted that all creation myths tend to possess similar themes, despite differing story lines. As noted before, there exists the basic ideas of chaos before creation, and gods to form life. But then various myths show that, once life has been created, the gods tend to retreat from the humanity they create, instead watching them from afar and using specifically chosen and often religious contacts to spread their words and commands. This deus

As I mentioned above, everything began with Christopher Columbus discovering America in 1492. History is non-fiction, and perhaps the most concrete example of this non-fiction is the story of the beginning of the Indians. Native American mythology contains may different types of character including heroes, tricksters, and more. These characters can have both good and bad qualities, and fall into many categories. For example, creator gods usually restore order, but in some stories can be destructive. Tricksters can even be considered the hero in some stories. (Myths Encyclopedia, 2007). Indian stories are born from experiences and beliefs. Ross also states that “Native American societies are based on the concept of interdependence. Interdependence

Creation myths across cultures have several obvious similarities and differences. There is substantial importance in the larger ideas, such as gender, the role of the human beings, and the outcome of the creation. I find it fascinating that many of the mythical stories from around the world have told a story where a God floods the earth. I think the flood stories in each myth may be a link between them. Creation myths concern our ancestors and gods of nature; the earth, the sky, the sun, the moon, and the stars. They are supernatural explanations of human origin and they help explain what humans could not explain to answers question about the creation of the earth and man that could be passed on for generations. Our culture and history would not be the same without the mythical place that surround the stories of our creation.

The very first thing I am able to think of with this is the Bible. It encompasses everything that has

In every culture people have different creation stories from the ancient Aztecs to modern-day. Creation stories myths are symbolic since they are narratives of how the world began and how men were created. These stories or “myths” helped people in the past to explain the world around them (Long, 2015). However, people often use the term myth to describe these stories since they regarded as fiction while to some there true. Regardless, to who believes these “myths” but everyone has their own belief on the origin of the world.

Origin myths explain the mysteries of the world and answer the question of how the earth was created and humans purpose on earth. Each culture has a different myth; in these myths, generally, the gods or the god created mankind, earth, animal, and heaven. Many of these stories present the gods with a paternalistic attitude toward the human species. The gods care for humans and provide them with essential items needed for survival. Also, the gods castigate mankind when the human race was mischievous.

Ancient civilizations across the globe have created stories, myths, and legends in an attempt to explain the beautiful phenomenon that is the existence of Earth and humanity. While some populations owe their lives to the work of one supernatural being, others credit the work of multiple deities. The Maori and the Hopi peoples generally share similar concepts of how humans were created and how the Earth came to be the home to civilization as it is today. Although they share a polytheistic belief in the creation of mankind, their stories hold extreme differences as well. Religious origin stories across the globe seem to all share one belief: that at one point, there was some form of nothingness. The relative similarities that are found across

“[A human being] experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness, “said Albert Einstein. “Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty” (“Heart Quotes”). Einstein’s view on nature is similar to that of Indian Buddhists. Life-giving Indian weather inspired the Buddhist cyclic view of rebirth while the rugged terrain of Greece inspired their harsh outlook on nature. Buddhists believe man is one with nature while Greek mythology emphasizes the all-importance of man. Buddhists live in harmony with nature whereas the Greeks show violence towards it and all

Both of the creation myths, Chinese Yin and Yang and Greek Plato’s Story of Timaeus, describe a way of how the world came to be, therefore establishing the culture behind both of the myths. Together they help to explain how both religion and society developed. In the Chinese myth during creation, Yin and Yang strive to come together and create the first human. This was a huge step in the direction of the constructing the universe and coming together as a whole. In Plato’s story, he creates the cosmos, which is the foundation for explaining how religion and the world was established.

Many historians of religion identify the difference between a myth from a legend, by a myth dealings with gods and demons, while legends deal with humans. In India however, the same rule cannot be applied. Gods and demons are brought into the most common legends. (Williams 1) In Hindu mythology there has been a constant battle between good and evil almost since the dawn of time. The Devas (gods) representing the powers of good against the powers of evil the asuras demons), the conflict between good and the evil power of destruction, starvation, and death. (Doniger 58 )

Greek Mythology is one of kids favorite topic because of all the supernatural creatures, witchcrafts, and experiences found in the legends and tales. It is the body of myths and teachings that belong to the Ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and importance of their own culture and natural appearance. Identities like Muses, who were the sisters of goddesses of comprehension, who remembered all things that came to pass. Cyclopes, who were the one-eyed gigantic monsters that had the eye in the middle of their foreheads.Tiresias, who was a he/she that was a blind teller of Apollo in Thebes,transformed into a woman for approximately seven years. Muses,Cyclopes, and Tiresias are important features of greek culture because of the remarkable position they play in great works like literature, the Odyssey, etc.

Greek Mythology is the body of myths and teachings that belong to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. It was a part of the religion in ancient Greece. Modern scholars refer to and study the myths in an attempt to shed light on the religious and political institutions of Ancient Greece and its civilization, and to gain understanding of the nature of myth-making itself. In Greek mythology, there is no single original text that introduces all of the myths’ characters and stories. The Greek myths were part of an oral tradition that began in the Bronze Age.