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Comparing and contrasting iroquois and navajo creation myths
The iroquois creation story
The iroquois creation story
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The myth of the Earth Divers is a part of Native North American tribe depicting the creation of earth by animals. It is believed that before the existence of earth there were sky people who lived beyond the sky. One day, chief’s daughter became and ill and to cure her illness the sky people digs up the tree and lay her besides the hole. The tree fell down in the hole and drags the chief’s daughter with it. As the girl falls, she saw only water beneath her. The swan captures the falling girl and landed her on the back of the great turtle. Following, different animals dives into the body of water as ordered by the great turtle to bring back the earth from the fallen tree, but they died. Eventually, a toad brings earth and spit it on the back of the turtle. The swan sets the woman upon the …show more content…
The creation myth justifies the creation of world out of nothingness. We as human reveals information about our values, customs, and culture through our roots. Likewise, the creation myth establishes our reason for being and gives us a better understanding of our existence and significance in the world. Although the stories of creation vary through cultures, it is fascinating to discover our origin from the beginning. For instance, the Big Bang theory explaining the origin of universe from the interaction of infinitely small particle know as quarks.
Archetype is a set of pattern that is similar and inherited by all human beings throughout the history. Archetype exhibits same pattern regardless of time period in the history. While, a hero is born during dark times to maintain the world order and overcome the evil power for the welfare of being. A hero can have different characteristics as a hero is born to resolve specific world problems. Therefore, a hero does not exhibit similar pattern as an archetype does.
I believe that a trickster can be an archetype. Example, Coyote in Native American
Most cultures have a creation myth, a story of how humans came to exist in the world. Often, they involve Gods of some capacity who exist without much question or explanation. Many myths have a common idea for the origin of the world, like Earth being born from water, a golden egg, or a great monster. The Mayan creation myth and the Babylonian creation myth are similar in that they both begin with water, and account the creation and purpose of man. They also differ, as the Mayan Popol Vuh chronicles a peaceful tale of trials to forge the Earth and sentient beings to worship the gods, while the Babylonian Enuma Elish tells of wars between gods that lead to the creation of Earth and of man as a servant to the gods.
Virtually all literature contain instinctive trends in the human consciousness to represent certain themes or motifs, these are defined as archetypes. Archetypes can be thought as blueprints or as bundles of psychic energy that influence the manner in which we understand and react to life. There are two different categories of archetypes, the plot archetype and the character archetype. The orphan, martyr, wanderer, warrior, magician, villain, wise child, temptress, rebel, underdog, fool, saint, virgin, wise, old man or woman are all considered to be character archetypes. Call to adventure, isolation, quest and monster that turns against its creator are all considered to be plot archetypes. The novel, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, contains archetypes.
Everyone can relate to an archetype character in a movie, book, or television show. An archetype in literature is a typical character with an action or a situation that seems to represent such universal patterns of human nature. Common archetypes of characters are: a hero, caregiver, rebel, damsel in distressed, lover, villain, or tragic hero. In the play, The Crucible, there are several kinds of characters with archetypes. Tragic hero normally are in tragic plays which also can be called tragedy. “Tragedy is a drama in which a character that is usually a good and noble person of high rank which is brought to a disastrous end in his or her confrontation with a superior force but also comes to understand the meaning of his or her deeds and to
Native American literature consists of myths and folktales closely tied with nature and morals. Many of Native American literature closely tied with nature come in the form of creation myths. “The Earth on Turtle’s Back” (a short story) explains how the world came to being. The story describes of the wife of the Skyland chief accidentally falling down from the sky and animals building a land for her to live on. In the story, the animals can talk, showing that the Native Americans had respect for them and that they are an important part of nature because they helped create the Earth. Not only does Native American literature tell the creation stories of the world but it also teaches morals and themes of nature. They believed the Earth and the sky as
A common thread that connects most of these myths is the transformation of a seemingly perfect creation to imperfection. This devolution of life from a utopian existence to a dystopian existence varies from myth to myth, but each myth has it. I believe that creation myths contain these explanations because of a psychological desire all people possess. I believe that people desire to know why there is pain and suffering in the world just as much they desire to know the origin of life. Both of these things are essentially unexplainable.
Every culture has a different story of their origin. Each story varies in setting, main characters, and religious aspects. Although the stories are different, the sole purpose is the same for each – to explain how each civilization came to be. In order for a civilization to fully understand their past, they must critically break down the components of their origin story. Creation stories establish appropriate relationships within society by the revelation of the punishment laid out by the gods on unsatisfactory vassals, the importance of a hero figure, and the exposure of human survival based on nature.
Comparing The Earth on Turtle's Back, When Grizzlies Walked Upright, And the Navajo Origin Legend
Every ancient society and civilization has creation myths that were passed down and keep alive throughout the passing of time by word of mouth. These myths are the world’s oldest stories and are vital to these cultures because they explain their beginnings and give purpose to their existence. By analyzing and interpreting different creation myths it becomes easier to understand different cultures and their connections and relationships with heir beliefs and god(s).
An archetype in literature is defined as a typical example of a certain type of person. A character in a poem or play can be placed into many different archetype categories. Archetypes help a reader to gain a better understanding of who a character in the work is on the inside. This deeper insight into the character allows the reader to follow the flow of the story easier and more effectively. There are many different archetypes that can help to advance the story. One of the most useful in advancing this story is the typical powerful character. Whether it be supernatural or cunningness this character always comes out on top in the situation and holds the most control over others and their actions. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”,
All people face challenges in their lifetime, whether it is something small or something big and impactful. The journey faced in order to get through a low point can be compared to a hero’s journey. The novel The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini follows the story of a boy named Amir and his lifelong journey in achieving redemption and forgiveness. In doing so he must go through a number of different challenging tasks and events. An archetype is a reoccurring symbol or motif in literature, art or mythology that can also be a person, whether they are good or bad does not matter.
Myths – as they are known to most of the world – give insight into the pasts of various countries and religions as the people saw them. They have been used to explain phenomenons in nature or describe the tales of courageous and important men and women throughout history. Creation myths in particular define how the Earth itself was created, along with the universe, heavens, hell, people, and creatures that exist today. Genesis of Christian mythology, for instance, tells the story of how the single deity God spoke and formed everything from day and night to man and woman. Various African creation myths, such as with the Yoruba, explain the creation of the Earth through at least a couple gods working together and all life sprouting from a seed. But all share a common themes, such as a form of chaos or nothingness before life is created. Joseph Campbell notes that “... the idea of an absolute ontological distinction between God and man – or between gods and men, divinity and nature - first became an important social and psychological force in the near East, specifically Akkad, in the period of the first Semetic Kings, c. 2500 B.C.,” showing another similar trait – a god or set of gods exists to create in each story (626). Joseph Campbell makes a comparison of how both Genesis and the Book of the Dead of Egypt share the same idea of their bodies belonging to their god in some way, or being reabsorbed into them at death (630-631). Others, like the Japanese and Iroquois creation myths, claim the Earth was once covered entirely of water before land was formed. Adam and Eve of Genesis and Izanagi and sister Izanami of Shintoism provide examples of myths that share both a passive and active pair of people who eventually create the Earth's population. In any case, certain popular creation myths, some closely tied to prominent religions, share more common characteristics than others. An entire sub-study, called comparative mythology, gives insight into this subject.
An archetype is a reoccurring image, symbol, character or situation used to express a universal concept. The journey archetype is one of the most frequently used. It sends a character, whether they know or are unknowingly sent, to search for the truth of a piece of information in their life. That journey includes a series of trials and tribulations for the character to face in order to gain a grasp as to why they are on this ...
In the story of The Earth On The Turtles Back, the story went that a god like women from Skyland leaned over a Great tree and slipped into earths ocean with. As the animals needed a place for her to stand, a Muskrat dove to the bottom of the ocean and got a handful of earth and they placed it on the Great Turtle's back. Thus life began on Earth. When The Grizzlies Walk Upright, legend went that the Sky Spirit made a snow mound called Mount Shasta. The Sky Spirit looses his daughter, and the daughter ends up falling in love with a grizzly bear. They had kids in which they were known to be the first Indians. The Navajo Origin Legend story goes that yellow and white corn made the first man and women. Each of these stories show the creation of the world, or traditions in
These human attributes bring to being mother earth and father sky in the form of Father Rangi and Mother Papa who were joined together in eternal darkness by their love for each other. This aspect is similar to other myths in that the male and female Gods of origin join together to make earth and sky and their offspring become aspects of the weather, seasons of the year and various plant and animal life that ultimately sustain life for humans that were created by the children of the original beings. Another similarity that this myth has with others is a flood story where the tears of Rangi flood the earth and create the rivers and seas because he was forcefully separated from Papa in order to bring light to the earth.
The Popol Vuh is a collection of mythic narratives that recount the origins and history of the Quiche’ Mayan people. The narrative opens with a description of what it was like before the first creation. “There was neither man nor animals… there was only the calm sea and the great expanse of the sky” (Sproul, Barbra. Primal Myths, Harper Collins Publishers 1979, Pg. 288). Only Tepeu and Gucumatz, the creator couple, existed as sun-fire powers in the void of the dark waters. After agreement, the creator couple said "let it be done", and it was done. From this; the earth emerged from the sea, mountains and valleys formed, the currents of the waters divided, and the wild animals (the guardians of the woods and spirits of the mountains) came to be. The animals were ordered to give praise to their creators and invoke the gods; but they could not speak like men, so they were banished to the forests.