We tend to live in our own microcosms of beliefs, histories and mythologies, so much so that we frequently give little thought or consideration to mythologies of other cultures. Yes, most of us are familiar with the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians, but I thought it might be interesting to take a look at a handful of cultures, those unfortunately not customarily referred to or studied by most of us, to see what their creation mythologies are. To be sure, for the cultures that I have selected, only a very brief summary of those creation mythologies is presented, barely touching upon the individual richness that each possess. However, they are so fascinating, with such deep meaning, that I must share them with you, even if in a sadly truncated form.
Africa
Zulu – Unkulunkulu, the highest God and creator of humanity, was created in Uhlanga, a huge swamp of reeds. From the reeds, he brought forth people and cattle. He created everything that is: mountains, streams, snakes, etc. He taught the Zulu how to hunt, how to make fire, and how to grow food.
Zimbabwe – Modimo was the creator. When he distributed good things, he appeared in the east and belonged to the element water. When he brought drought, hail, cyclones and earthquakes, he appeared in the west and was part of the element fire. Modimo was also sky and light, earth and root. He had no past or future. His name was taboo and could be spoken only by priests and seers.
Ethiopia – Wak was the benefactor creator God who lived in the clouds and covered the vault of the heavens with stars. When the earth was flat, Wak asked man to make his own coffin, and Wak shut man up in it and pushed the coffin into the ground. For seven years he rained down fire, and the mountains were formed. Then Wak unearthed the coffin and man sprang forth alive. Man tired of living alone, so Wak took some of his blood and, after four days, the blood became a woman whom the man married. They had thirty children but, because man was ashamed of having so many, he hid fifteen of them. Wak turned those hidden children into animals and demons.
Apache
In the beginning there was only darkness. Out of nowhere a thin disk appeared with a man, the creator, seated inside who seemed to awaken from a deep sleep. He looked up and light appeared; looking down he created a sea of light; to the east he created the streaks of dawn, and to the west the colorful streaks of dusk. He rubbed his hands together and thrust them in a downward motion, and a girl on a cloud appeared. He asked her where she was going, but she did not answer. She asked him where he was from and he said from the east. She asked where the earth was, and he asked where the sky was. He sang four times, which is a magic number. He flung his hands wide open and then appeared the sun God. The creator then dropped his hands, and a small boy appeared. All four Gods were now present and they all shook hands, mixing their sweat together. The creator then sang, again four times, about making the Earth. After rubbing his hands together, a brown ball appeared. He kicked it and it expanded; the girl kicked it and it did the same; the sun God and the boy both took turns; and the ball continued to expand. He then told the wind to go inside and blow it up. The creator created more Gods to look over things on Earth. He had created workers to help with the building of Earth. Once he saw that the work was done, he disappeared, leaving the workers to create the world’s population.
In the beginning, the land was barren with no light, life or death. The sun, moon, stars and eternal ancestors all slept beneath the Earth. Baiame brought the Dreamtime ancestors from under the ground and over the seas. When the ancestors arose, life came to the barren plain. They walked the earth in human form, animal form, plant form or a combination of the forms. There were two people that formed out of nothing and, upon their walks across the Earth’s surface, they came upon some half finished plants, animals and humans. They would then carve heads, bodies and limbs from bundles of plants. This is how people were formed amongst the Earth’s surface. Everything that is was made in the Dreamtime, how animals and humans should look and behave, was fixed for ever. After the work of human creation was finished, the ancestors went back to sleep. They either went back under the Earth or they stayed here in the form of plants and animals. They left sacred trails, which can be seen in the forms watering holes, rocks and trees. Dreamtime is not yet over. Through the power of the Dreamtime, the very environment is sacred and alive.
Babylonia
Marduk was created to defend the Gods from an attack plotted by the ocean Goddess, Tiamat. Marduk will save the Gods only if he is appointed their supreme leader. The Gods agree to his terms. Marduk challenges Tiamat to combat and destroys her. He rips her corpse into two halves with which he fashions the earth and the skies. Marduk organizes the planets, stars and regulates the moon, sun, and weather. The Gods pledge their allegiance to Marduk, and he creates Babylon as the terrestrial counterpart to the realm of the Gods. Marduk then destroys Tiamat's husband and uses his blood to create humankind so that they can do the work of the Gods.
Chinese
The universe was a big black egg that carried a God, Pan-Gu, inside itself. Pan-Gu awoke from an eighteen thousand year nap and took his broadax and smashed through to escape from the egg. The light became the heavens and the heavier parts became the Earth. Pan-Gu stood in between with his head touching the heavens and his feet firmly planted on the Earth. All would grow at a rate of ten feet per day for yet another eighteen thousand years. His breath became the wind and the clouds, his voice the thunder, and his eyes became the sun and moon. The mountains were formed from his body and limbs, and the rivers and oceans were made from his blood. The fertile soil came from his muscles, and the roads are his veins. The flowers and trees are from his skin and body hair, where the stars are come from his beard and hair. Pearls and jade are made from his marrow and his sweat is the rain and dew.
Korea
The myth of Tangun begins with an already existing earth. A Heavenly Prince, Hwangun looked down at earth and desired to possess it and rule over mankind. His father, the Ruler of Heaven, Hwanin, knew that his son would bring happiness to human beings and, looking at the earth, chose Mount Taebak as a suitable place for his son to go to earth. Hwangun arrived beneath a sandalwood tree where he created a holy city. He brought with him three heavenly seals, somewhat mysterious in nature, and three thousand loyal subjects from heaven. Hwangun also brought three ministers, the Earl of Wind, the Master of Rain, and the Master of Clouds. Hwangun either taught or took charge of 360 areas of responsibility such as agriculture and medicine. The story moves now to a bear and a tiger both of which desire to become human beings. Shunning sunlight and eating only the food given by Hwangun, the bear succeeds in earning Hwangun’s approval, while the tiger fails to fast, fleeing into the forest. The bear becomes a beautiful woman, Ungyo, and become Hwangun’s wife. Their son is Tangun, the King of Sandalwood. Tangun becomes the first king of Korea, calling his country Choson and ruling for 1500 years. After this 1500 years, he retreated to Taebak-san to become a mountain God.
Mayan
Two creation Gods, Tepeu and Gucumatz , learn to talk, think and speak. As they thought of things, those things would be created. As soon as they thought of lands, skies, mountains, the animals, those things would come into existence. They first created human beings of clay, but the clay people would fall apart when they would get wet and could not praise their creators. They then created people out of wood, but these wood people had no hearts and minds, so God wiped them out. After this, God let them start over and this is how today’s Earth was finally created.
New Zealand Maori
Io was the Supreme Being and creator of the universe. He created Rangi, Sky Father, and Papa, Earth Mother. Rangi and Papa produce numerous offspring while they are physically, “cleaved together in a procreative embrace.” Since their parents block all the rays from the sun, the children are forced to live in darkness. They become restless and question whether to separate their parents or to kill them for more room and light. Tuma voices his opinion for death, while Tane wishes to just separate the mother and father so that the earth will “remain close as our nursing mother.” Most finally agree with the plan for separation with a major dissenting vote from only one sibling, Tawhirimatea. As the guardian of winds and storms, he fears that his kingdom will be overthrown if the parents are torn apart. After many attempts to separate the parents, Tane finally succeeds as he places his shoulders against the earth and his feet against the sky. He pushes slowly with both his upper and lower body. “Soon, and yet not soon, for the time was vast, the Sky and Earth began to yield.” The Earth Mother and Sky Father bleed and this gives rise to ochre (red clay), the sacred color of the Maoris. When the separation is complete, there is a clearly defined sky and earth. One of the offspring states that there is one element still missing, and he urges his siblings to find the female element, ira tangata, to enable the creation of woman. The search spans both land and sea, and Tane finally consults his mother, Papa, for her advice and knowledge. She takes pity on Tane and tells him to search an area named Kura-waka. The children find the element in the Earth and dig it out to contribute in the creation of woman. Tane then breathes life into it, and creates Hine-ahu-one, the earth formed maiden.
Scandinavia
The first world to exist was Muspell, a fiery realm. Beyond Muspell was the icy realm of Niflhiem. With the combination of the ice and fire, the air grew mild and once the ice started to melt, the ogre Ymir was created. While Ymir slept, he sweated and brought to life two males and a female frost giant. As more ice melted and time passed, a cow was created, who would nourish herself by licking ice blocks. As the cow licked the ice, she revealed a man who had a son. The son married one of the frost giant’s daughters and they had three sons, who killed Ymir. Ymir’s blood drowned all the frost giants except for Berglimir and his wife, who created the Earth with Ymir’s flesh and bones. Odin, one of the sons of the frost giant, spotted two logs on Earth and gave them life, while one of the other brothers gave them brains and feelings, and the other gave them hearing and sight. Thus man and woman were created.
Until the next time, LLAP!
References (among many):
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