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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.
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.
Apr 30, 2021 · More recently, myths arose over the exploration and colonization of the New World by European adventurers and settlers. Here are some of the most epic stories from myths from civilizations and societies around the world.
- Heliopolis Creation Story – Ancient Egypt
- Proto-Indo-European Creation Myths
- Mayan Creation Story
- Babylonian Creation Myth
- Creation of Mankind According to The Ancient Greeks
- Ainu Creation Story
- Raven Creation Story
- Creation Story According to Zoroastrianism
- The Sumerian Creation Myth
- Hindu Creation Story
According to the ancient Egyptians, the universe started with a primordial ocean known as Nun. At the center of Nun was a giant pyramid called benben. Deep within benben, came forth Atum (in some cases Ra, the sun deity), the creator deity. As the physical embodiment of the sun, Atum created life in an asexual manner. He also created the first Egyp...
Among many Proto-Indo-European cultures, Ymir was the force that existed in the time before time. This being was also the embodiment of the vast sea of chaos (Ginnungagap) – a region devoid of any life form or structure or order. Thus Ymir was there long before famous Norse gods like Odin, Thoror Freya even came onto the scene. Due to the absence o...
The Mayan creation story is contained in the Popul Vuh (also known the “Book of the Community” or the “Book of the People”). The text was written in Mayan hieroglyphics. Kind courtesy to the translation that was done later we know what the Mayan creation story is. According to the text, the beginning of time was filled with nothingness devoid of an...
The ancient Babylonians believed that in the beginning two primordial gods – Aspu and Tiamet(or Tiamat) – existed. Prior to that, the universe was a vast void of nothingness, land and sky had yet formed. Tiamet and Aspu mated and gave birth to a new crop of gods. It is believed that Tiamet grew enormous amount of hatred toward the new gods. Tiamet ...
In ancient Greece, the predominant creation story was the one that involved the Greek Titan Prometheus, the Titan who created man. In the beginning, the world was endlessly empty and full of a being known as Nyx – the deity of darkness. The goddess Nyx is believed to have laid a golden egg. After sitting on the egg for eons of years, the egg hatche...
The Ainu creation myth emerged from Ainu peoples of Japan. In this myth, time can be broken down into three parts – “mosir noskekehe” (“the world’s center”); “Mosir sikah ohta” (“a time when the universe was born”); and “mosir kes” (“end of the world”). According to the Ainu people, the creator god dispatched his trusted water wagtail to create the...
In many Native American cultures, the raven is arguably the most powerful creature in the entire cosmos. It is therefore not surprising that many of ancient tribes in the Americas considered the bird the creator of the universe. In one myth, the raven is believed to have encountered an adult man who he approached to inquire about the man’s whereabo...
The Zoroastrianism faith states that there existed two opposing deities in the beginning of time. Those beings were Ahura Mazdaand Angra Mainya, the deity of light and the deity of darkness respectively. Those two beings existed side by side, with each domineering over an area of the universe. Being a benevolent force, Ahura Mazda created angels/be...
During an expedition conducted by the University of Pennsylvania in 1893, an ancient Sumerian tablet was unearthed in Nippur (“Enlil City”) – i.e. modern-day Afak, Iraq. The tablet had the Sumerian creation myth – the Eridu Genesis. The tablet describes how the main deities – An (the sky father), Enlil (the earth and wind god), Enki (god of water, ...
Hindus have quite a number of creation stories. What runs through most of those creation stories is the cyclical nature of birth, death and rebirth. According to one Hindu creation story, in the beginning there existed a mighty cobra that lived in the vast cosmic ocean. And in the hands of this cobra lay the sleeping Vishnu, the creator god. As tim...
May 10, 2024 · It centers around the myths and legends of the indigenous peoples of North and South America, who have a rich and diverse history stretching back thousands of years. These myths often revolve around themes of nature, the spiritual world, and the connection between humans and the natural world.
List of creation myths; List of legendary creatures by type; List of mythology books and sources; List of mythological objects; List of culture heroes; List of world folk-epics; Lists of deities; Lists of legendary creatures; National myth; Mythopoeia
May 30, 2018 · 5 myths from around the world. Myths serve a profound role in cultures and traditions around the world, anchoring us to a sense of history and meaning through allegorical storytelling. Save yourself an airplane trip and check out these five myths from different countries around the world: 1. China.
