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Creation Myths: what they say about their culture of origin

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What do the differences between the various creation myths tell us about the culture of origin of each narrative?

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The solution is a 920-word discussion that provides insight and information on the topic of creation myths, their differences and what these differences imply about the cultures that created these myths/stories/narratives. References are listed for further exploration of the topic. A word version of the solution is also attached.

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On Creation Myths

What are creation myths? Creation myths are those stories and folklore narratives that attempt at explaining the origin of the world and of life. In the Bible for example we have the creation myth in the Genesis book wherein God spoke to create the world, - the oceans and waters, land, trees, forests, beasts and man. We call this kind of creation myth 'ex nihilo', meaning out of nothing. The thing about 'ex nihilo' creation myths is that they are mostly Mesopotamian-Asian in origin and tells us that the cultures and peoples of those regions attribute life and the world to a greater god, a creator God. In an essence from here we can understand that the power attributed to the creator God allows said creator god to be the source of life via thought and will making life subject to him alone. Here in this region we find Judaism - the source of Islam and Christianity. They are all ex nihilo creation myths where only the word and will of God was necessary for creation to happen. In Islam, we find the ex nihilo myth at play in the Koran's Sura II. Even however in religions and mythologies that have a ...

Solution provided by:
Xenia Rochelle Jones, MA, PhD (IP)
Education
  • MPhil/PhD (IP), Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
  • MA, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
  • Certificate, Geva Ulpan (via Universita Tel Aviv)
  • BA, University of the Philippines
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