Creation Myths Across Cultures
Shaelyn Leckington
HUM/105
September 21, 2015
Chris Jordan
Creation Myths Across Cultures
Have you ever wondered where the Earth and Humans came from? Or what other religions and cultures believed was the beginning of the Earth and Humans? Different parts of the world and different religions have different beliefs. However, despite the differences in the beliefs, there are also some similarities between certain myths. The Iroquois myth “Out of the Blue” and the Norse myth “The Creation, Death, and Rebirth of the Universe” have many differences but, very few similarities (Rosenberg, 2006).
The Representation of Worlds
“Out of the Blue” only has representation of two worlds that are recognized by humans; the heavens and the Earth. An underworld is not defined. The earth was not fully formed at the end of this myth, but just beginning. It was, however, told that the grandson of the Sky Woman would be the creator of the earth. There is no label for the heavens, in the myth it is just a never-ending space. This space was full of intelligent, aware beings that just seemed to move around the never-ending space drifting. However, what is the heavens to earth could be considered the underworld for the original world the Sky Woman came from (Leonard & McClure, 2004).
“The Creation, Death, and Rebirth of the Universe” has a representation for the heavens, Earth and, underworld. The heavens were named Asguard. This is where most of the Gods resided. The Earth was named Midguard. Midguard is where humans, dwarfs and all the living creatures we know, resided. The underworld, for most, seems to be in the home of the Goddess, Hel, in the land of Niflheim. Warriors did not venture to the house of Hel when they died, they went to Valhalla in Asguard, the heavens, to await the end of the world (Rosenberg, 2006).
Cosmic Occurrences and Natural Phenomena
In “Out of the Blue” there was only really one cosmic occurrence that stood...