How Are Yoruban Mythology In Greek Mythology

The creation myths of Greek, Norse and Yoruban mythology convey Carl Jung’s idea of a collective unconscious through having similar themes of the importance of family and power. In all three creation myths, certain themes are found, and they show what the values of each culture are and which values are shared among multiple cultures.

Through the theme of the importance of family present in the Greek, Norse, and Yoruban creation myths, one can see how mythology supports Carl Jung’s ideas on the collective unconscious. In Greek mythology, the reader can see how family is a core value in Greek culture, as Zeus wants to save his siblings from Cronus, and how Gaea and Rhea desperately want to save their children. In the Greek creation myth, Rhea,

This connects to the theme of family being important because Obatala feels that Olokun deserves more in her kingdom, and it is for this reason why he creates life on earth. If Obatala did not care for his sister, let alone her kingdom, he would not have gone through the trouble of creating land and humans. Additionally, in Norse mythology, there are goddesses of fertility and family. Frigg and Freya are examples of fertility goddesses, which the people of Norse culture “worshipped for their powers to bring fertility to the land and to people”. This similarity of valuing family is important to recognize because supports Jung’s idea of the collective unconscious, as Jung states that it “[...]contains a set of shared memories and ideas, which we can all identify with, regardless of the culture that we were born into or the time period in which we live”. Though from cultures of different locations, the creation myths of Greek, Norse, and Yoruba culture have the common theme of family, showing how all cultures all felt that family members should be of great importance to an individual. Not only does this

In the Greek creation myth, Uranus and Cronus become incredibly power hungry, and though they end up consolidating their power temporarily, they do so at the expense of their children. An example of this is when “Uranus feared the terrible strength of these six children, and he hated them because they terrified him”, causing him to throw his children deep into the earth, into Tartarus so he could rule “[...]without fear of any challenge to his authority”. Although Cronus eventually defeats Uranus, Cronus ends up being just as power hungry as his father. Whenever his wife, Rhea, had a child, “[h]is great fear of losing power brought a mad distraught glint into his eyes”, and he would proceed swallow the infant. Through Uranus’ and Cronus’ selfish actions, it is evident to the reader how important power is to the Greeks. This concept of being powerful is also seen in Norse mythology, as Odin makes many sacrifices for his wisdom. Odin’s character supports Jung’s idea of archetypes, as he possesses the traits of the “wise old man”, which Jung describes as someone who “[t]hrough his age and frailty, [...] represents the power of peaceful contemplation in the absence of physical prowess”. Although Odin is not as