Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
A creation myth (or creation story) is a cultural, religious or traditional myth which describes the earliest beginnings of the present world. Creation myths are the most common form of myth, usually developing first in oral traditions, and are found throughout human culture.
Creation myths are of central importance for the valuation of the world, for the orientation of humans in the universe, and for the basic patterns of life and culture." [15] "Creation myths tell us how things began. All cultures have creation myths; they are our primary myths, the first stage in what might be called the psychic life of the species.
By the folklorists' definition, all myths are religious (or "sacred") stories, but not all religious stories are myths: religious stories that involve the creation of the world (e.g., the stories in the Book of Genesis) are myths; however, some religious stories that don't explain how things came to be in their present form (e.g., hagiographies ...
Myths from this region feature female deities, such as the creator, Big Turtle; [6] [7] and First Mother, from whose body grew the first corn and tobacco. [8] The two great divine culture heroes are Glooskap [9] [10] and Manabus. [11] Other stories explore the complex relationships between animals and human beings.
The Pyramid Texts, tomb wall decorations, and writings, dating back to the Old Kingdom (c. 2700–2200 BCE) have provided the majority of information regarding ancient Egyptian creation myths. [1] These myths also form the earliest recorded religious compilations in the world. [2] The ancient Egyptians had many creator gods and associated legends.
The Yoruba culture holds that the god Obatala, likewise, created the human race from clay. [34] The Efé people have a creation story in which the first man was made of clay and skin. [28] According to Malagasy mythology, the sky deity Zanahary and the earth deity Ratovantany created the Malagasy people by breathing life into clay dolls. [28]
The creation myths in the Quran are more vague and allow for a wider range of interpretations similar to those in other Abrahamic religions. [11] Islam also has its own school of theistic evolutionism, which holds that mainstream scientific analysis of the origin of the universe is supported by the Quran.
An origin myth is a type of myth that explains the beginnings of a natural or social aspect of the world. Creation myths are a type of origin myth narrating the formation of the universe. However, numerous cultures have stories that take place after the initial origin.