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Basic types of creation myth are treated here. The ex nihilo (from nothing) myth, for instance, emphasizes creation from the mind of the Creator (e.g., Yahweh/God/Allah) or creation from the words of the Creator (e.g., the Polynesian Io). The creation from chaos myth tells of creation from undifferentiated material such as cosmic eggs (e.g., the Dogon world egg). The world parents myth—creation from the sacrifice of the world parent(s) (e.g., the Chinese Pangu, the Indian Purusha, the Norse Ymir) often involves the separation of the two world parents, representing Earth and Heaven (e.g., the Polynesian Papa and Rangu, the Mesopotamian Apsu and Tiamat, the Egyptian Geb and Nut). In the earth diver myth an animal dives into the primordial waters to find soil that becomes Earth. This type is particularly prevalent among Native American tribes of the east (e.g., the Iroquoians). In the emergence-type myth, the people emerge from the World Mother (Earth). The birth metaphor is evident here. This myth type is almost exclusively southwestern Native American (e.g., Dine, Hopi) and in it goddesses play significant roles. The chapter undertakes to ask why we have creation myths. Why are they important for our sense of ourselves as cultures and as a species? |
