SYNTHESIS OF THE CREATION MYTHS

    Creation myth is a kind of myth that explains and describes the beginnings of humanity, earth, life, and the universe, usually as a deliberate act of creation by one or more deities. It has expanded across many counties all over the world, containing different stories about creation and beginnings with one of the purposes is of that to entertain.

    From all the nine creation myths that I have read, I have also identified various elements and themes along with them. The first one is the creation myth of the Greeks. The elements of this creation myth includes; (1) Birth. It was mentioned in the beginning of the Greek myth that the bird, called Nyx, laid and egg. From this egg comes the god of love, Eros. Then the shell pieces became Gaia and Uranus, the Earth and sky. (2) Mother-Father, since it was mentioned in the beginning of the narrative about the Earth being the mother, and the Sky as the father. (3) Supreme Beings, since most part of the Greek mythology involves a lot of gods and goddesses which were identified as the supreme beings. (4) An Active and Passive Creator, (5) the Relationship of Animals and Humans. Greek gods and goddesses are associated with their birth and favorite animals as one of their symbols, and they were considered as sacred and hallowed for various reasons. (6) An instruction, a Sin and a Consequence, and (7) Gods Creating Suffering. Prometheus gave fire to the mankind and placed Zeus’ wrath upon them in an effort to make life better for everyone. But because of this, there came suffering.  In terms of the themes, it includes the Primordiality, as well as the Dualisms and Antagonisms. Just like in the narrative wherein the parents, especially the father, holds and decides what to do with his children, it is also the same with what the Greeks believed. Greek parents generally have a lot of influence over their children throughout their lives and are deeply devoted to them. Only that in the Greek mythology, Uranus hated his children for they feared him that is why he hid them in  Gaea’s body, making Gaea outranged by his husband’s action. Until, one his sons, Cronus, overthrew him with the help of his mother and castrated him removing his power. Later on, history repeats itself when Cronus swallowed his children at birth to ensure his safety as it was told by a prophecy that he would be overthrown by his children as well. And it did happened when Zeus, one of his sons, appeared. Just as similar in the narrative, the Greek society has been traditionally male dominated. There has been quite a masculine ideal of men cast as the strong provider for the family. Many Greek men today continue to feel that it is their responsibility to be the provider and breadwinner for their family, as society is still quite patriarchal. 

    The second one is the creation myth from Egypt. The elements identified in this narrative are; (1) Mother-Father, (2) Genealogy, because it was Atum’s children, Shu and Tefnut who filled the world with life as their task. (3) Supreme Beings, (4) An Instruction, a Sin and a Consequence. This part of the narrative is when Shu and Tefnut were tasked by Atum to separate chaos into principles of law, order and stability, and they did so. They also produced other gods. The sin was later committed by the humankind. They were no longer respectful and obedient, so as a consequence, a great flood was created as their punishment. And (5) Gods Creating Suffering. As for the themes, we have Primordiality, as well as Creation and Sacrifice. Egypt as it is, is a country that believes that kinship plays an important role in all social relations. They have this mindset that family is the most significant unit of the society. It is the same as what was stated in the Egyptian creation myth wherein there is a time when Shu and Tefnut got lost in the watery chaos of Nu. Their disappearance made Atum, their father who is also the Sun god, to become terribly worried. This only shows how much he values his family, especially his children just like what the culture of the Egyptian people are. And after many years had passed and when he finally found his children, he was so overcome with joy that he wept tears of happiness.  

   The third one is the Sumerian Creation myth, the Enuma Elish. The elements found are the following; Supreme Beings, An Instruction, a Sin and a Consequence, and Gods Creating Suffering. As for the themes, there is Primordiality, Dualism and Antagonism, as well as the creation and sacrifice. Sumer or what is known today as Iraq, is consist of a culture quite similar to the narrative Enuma Elish. The Enuma Elish, a Babylonian creation myth, has had a significant influence on the broader Mesopotamian region’s culture and religion, which includes parts of modern-day Syria. It reflects the belief that order comes from chaos, often through violence, which was a central belief in Babylonian culture. This myth also elevated Marduk to the head of the pantheon, reflecting Babylon’s political and cultural dominance during that period. Such myths would have shaped the collective understanding of creation and divinity in the region.

The fourth one is the Japanese creation myth. The elements present are; Birth, Genealogy, Supreme beings, An Active and a Passive Creator, and Gods Creating Suffering. For the themes, I have identified is Primordiality. The Japanese creation myth is one of the most important legends in Japanese folklore, and it helps Japanese people connect with their past and harmonize it with the present. The creation story relates the activities pf Izanagi and Izanami, a god and goddesses who created the Japanese islands out of chaos. The value of Japanese mythology is how it relays the creation of Japan and its people, how it establishes a genealogical history, how it gives people a system of beliefs, and how it teaches the Japanese culture by protecting and emphasizing its values.  

Fifth, the Yoruba creation myth of the Africans. The elements that were identified are; Supreme Beings, An Instruction, a Sin and a Consequence, and Gods Creating Suffering. As for the themes, these are the Primordiality and the Dualism and Antagonism. To relate the narrative to the culture of the Yoruba people, the Yoruba believed in the Creator who rules over the entire universe along with many other gods that serve underneath him. The creator of the universe is called Olorun. He lives in the sky and is considered to be the father of all the other gods. He is the only god that never lived on earth.

Sixth, the creation myth from Iroquois, North America, which is The Woman Who Fell from the Sky. The elements found in this narrative are the following; Birth, Supreme Beings, Creation from above or below, Genealogy, the Relationship of Animals and Humans, and An Active and a Passive Creator. When it comes to the themes, they are the Dualism and Antagonism, and the Creation and Sacrifice. Iroquois mythology clearly demonstrates that nature and animals are sacred to the Iroquois. In the creation myth, animals were given a key part of the story where they were responsible for saving the Sky Woman from falling to her death and helping build the foundation for the world. And just like in the myth, the Iroquois’ culture holds a great respect for animals, as well as those people inside the North America. This respect mirrored in the creation myth, that without the help of the animals, the Sky Woman may have sunk to the bottom of the sea and earth may not have been created.

Seventh, the creation myth of Luzon, the Igorots. The elements present in this narrative are; Supreme Beings, and Creation from Above or Below. The creation myth mentioned about Lumawig setting work to supply the people. One of the cultures of the Luzon people is that they are hardworking and determined. Just like what was mentioned in the creation myth, the Luzon people are one of the main suppliers of salt in the Philippines, particularly in the province of Bulacan, Pangasinan, Occidental Mindoro, and Cavite. Also, clay soils can be found in the western part of Batangas and south-central Quezon provinces in Southern Luzon, around Mount Isarog in Camarines Sur of Bicol Peninsula.

Eighth, the Visayan Creation Myth, which is, How The World Was Made. The identified elements in this narrative includes; Supreme Beings, Creation from Above or Below, An instruction, a Sin and a Consequence. The themes includes; Dualism and Antagonism as well as the Creation and Sacrifice. When it comes to the Visayan culture in relation to the creation myth, they are passionate, fun-loving, and brave. The creation myth How The World was made explores the Visayan culture during the pre-colonial period in terms of literary components, norms, and values. The myth recounts to how the Visayans became who they are today and how things came to be. Prior to colonization, the Visayans has many aspects of culture including characteristics and traits, some of which have been preserved and passed down through generations, as the origin myth depicts.

    Finally, the creation myth from Bukidnon which is the Bukidnon Trinity: The Creation of the Universe. The elements found in this narrative are; Genealogy, Supreme Beings, and an Active and a Passive creator. When it comes to the themes, these are identified as the Primordiality, and the Dualism and Antagonism. The Bukidnon is consist of seven tribes namely; Talaandig, Higa-onon, Bukidnon, Umayamnon, Matigsalug, Manobo, and Tigwahanon. They have different practices and beliefs and are living harmoniously in the province of Bukidnon. Just like in the narrative, they all believed in Magbabaya (the supreme being and the creator of all). They also believed that there are creatures made in order to protect the people and the nature just like what happened to the creation of the ten-headed being. The Ibabasuk which is the one in charge of the growing plants, the Bulalakaw who became the guardian of the water and all its living creatures, the Mamemelig that watched over the forest, the Lalawig to look out for the bees and their honey, the Talabugta for the soil cultivation, and the Mamahandi was to guard over whatever wealth man acquired, therefore his cows and carabaos, his crops and his farm house.

In conclusion, creation myths have immensely influenced every part of the world. The explanations of what we believed as the beginning of the universe and of the place of which we lived in, is closely similar to what was written in the narratives. It just basically demonstrates that there is a possibility that we have originated according to what we have read and by what was describe in the myths. All of us are humans that contains the basic elements there is of being one, but the ways in which we were created are different. It differs from what place each one of us came from. We have our own beliefs, as well as practices that came from our first ancestors from the respective places that we’ve inhabited. That is why, we need to value and respect each other’s differences and beliefs because there is a story and a reason why we believed in such things. Creation myths became an important part of us. Because of these various creation stories, we have unravel new discoveries and most of our questions about the origins was answered.