Select at least two creation myths from two different cultures. For ideas, refer to this week’s readings and the myths section of the Big Myths website for animated presentations of many creation myths. Write a 600- to 875-word paper about the selected creation myths that answers two of the following questions: Which world or worlds, such as sky, earth, and underworld, are represented in the myths you chose? What are the elements of these worlds?Describe the creators. Are the creators male or female, and of what significance is gender? Describe what they created, including the steps or cycles of creation. Also, include descriptions of any destroyers or destruction, if applicable.Why is there such a focus on cosmic occurrences or natural phenomena like stars, moons, floods, rain, etc.?Compare the creators, creations, the steps or cycle of creation, and the cosmic elements of the two myths. What are the similarities and differences?Why do you think cosmic or creation myths are important to a culture? How do they shape a culture’s view of the world? Format your citations and references according to the appropriate course level APA guidelines.
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THE CREATION, DEATH, AND REBIRTH OF THE UNIVERSE
The world is created, destroyed, and re-created in an eternally repetitive cycle. It continuously
moves from one Maha Yuga (great age) to the next, with each lasting for 4,320,000 years. Each
Maha Yuga consists of a series of four shorter yugas, or ages, each of which is morally worse
and of shorter duration than the age that preceded it.
The beginning of each Maha Yuga is the Krita Yuga, the age of virtue and moral perfection—a
bright, golden age on earth. The great god Vishnu, in his form of Brahma, the grandfather and
creator of the world, is the presiding god, and dharma (ideal, righteous behavior or moral duty)
walks steadily and securely upon all four feet. The Krita Yuga lasts for 1,728,000 years. During
this period, human beings need no shelters, whether they live in the mountains or by the sea.
Gift-giving trees provide them with an abundant supply of food, clothing, and decorative objects.
Everyone is born good and lives a happy, contented, unselfish, and beautiful life. People are
devoted to meditation, the highest virtue, and spend their lives being loyal to dharma. They work
for the pleasure of it, rather than from necessity. Sorrow does not exist.
The second age in each Maha Yuga is the Treta Yuga. Treta means three and refers to the fact
that dharma now walks less steadily, on three of its four feet. Virtue and moral perfection still
exist, but they have declined by one-fourth. The duration of the age has similarly declined by
one-fourth. Vishnu, lord of heavenly light and the preserver of life on earth, is the ruling god.
People are now devoted to the pursuit of knowledge, which they consider the highest virtue.
In the Treta Yuga the gift-giving trees supply food and clothing to everyone in abundance until
greedy people try to make them their private property. Then the special trees disappear, and life
on earth becomes difficult for the first time. Heavy rainfall creates rivers, and the mixture of
earth and water makes the soil fertile for the growth of many new kinds of trees. Although the
new trees bear fruit and are useful to human beings, they are ordinary trees rather than giftgiving trees. Therefore, people must work hard to acquire food and clothing. Because of the rain
and severe changes in the weather, they also need to construct houses for shelter.
In the Treta Yuga people are more passionate and greedy. They are no longer happy with what
they have. Dissatisfaction, resentment, and anger replace satisfaction, peace, and contentment in
their hearts. They covet their neighbors’ possessions. The strong take land from the weak in
order to possess more food and greater wealth. Many men take the wives of others.
The third age in each Maha Yuga is called the Dvapara Yuga. Dva means two, and eternal
dharma now totters unsteadily on two of its four feet, creating a precarious and shifting balance
between good and evil. Virtue and moral perfection still exist, but they have declined to one-half
what they were in the Krita Yuga. Correspondingly, the duration of this age is half that of the
Krita Yuga. Vishnu, the preserver of life on earth, is still the ruling god, and people devote
themselves to sacrifice, which they consider the highest virtue.
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In the Dvapara Yuga, disease, misfortune, suffering, and death are part of everyone’s existence;
people have become more passionate and greedy, and war is commonplace. Religious doctrines
are developed in an attempt to guide human behavior toward dharma, but the gradual process of
moral deterioration continues.
The fourth age in each Maha Yuga is the Kali Yuga. This is the dark age, as kali means quarrel
and war. Dharma drags along on only one of its four feet, and virtue barely exists. This age is
one-fourth the length of the golden Krita Yuga. The great god Vishnu is the ruling god, in his
form of Shiva-Rudra, the destroyer of life on earth.
In the Kali Yuga people achieve noble rank in society based on the amount of money and
property they own rather than their moral virtue. The quality of virtue is measured only in terms
of material wealth. Sexual passion alone binds husband and wife together in marriage. People
become successful in life through a succession of lies, and their only source of enjoyment is sex.
They live with continuous fear of hunger, disease, and death.
In the Kali Yuga only the poor are honest, and the only remaining virtue is charity. To escape the
oppression of greedy kings, a few people retreat to isolated mountain valleys. They clothe
themselves with rough-hewn garments made from the leaves and bark of trees, and they live by
gathering wild fruits and edible roots. Harsh weather and primitive living conditions make them
prey to devastating illnesses. One who lives to the age of twenty-three is considered very old.
THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE AND IFE
In the beginning the universe consisted only of the sky above and the water and wild marshland
below. Olorun, the god who possessed the most power and the greatest knowledge, ruled the sky,
while the goddess Olokun ruled the endless waters and wild marshes. Olokun was content with
her kingdom, even though it contained neither vegetation nor animals nor human beings.
However, the young god Obatala was not satisfied. As he looked down from the sky, he said to
himself, “The world below needs something of interest! Everything is water-soaked, and not one
living thing enlivens the area! I must talk with Olorun and see what can be done to improve the
situation.”
Obatala said to Olorun, “Poor Olokun rules nothing but marshland, mist, and water! What she
needs in her kingdom are mountains and valleys, forests and fields. All kinds of creatures and
plants could live on that solid land.”
Olorun replied, “Of course, solid land would be far better than this endless expanse of water. But
who can create it? And how?”
“With your permission,” Obatala replied, “I will create solid land.” “It is always my pleasure to
give you whatever you wish, Obatala,” Olorun replied. “You know that I love you as my son!”
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So Obatala went to the house of Orunmila, the oldest son of Olorun, who had the gift of
prophecy. Orunmila understood the secrets of existence, including fate and the future.
Obatala said to Orunmila, “Your father has given me permission to create solid land where now
nothing exists except endless water and wild marshland. With your superior knowledge, you can
teach me how to begin my project. I want to populate the earth with living beings who will be
able to raise crops and build villages.”
Orunmila replied, “First, Obatala, you must acquire a chain of gold long enough to reach from
the sky above to the waters below. Then you must fill a snail’s shell with sand. Finally, you must
place that shell, a white hen, a black cat, and a palm nut in a bag and carry them with you as you
climb down the chain to the wild marshland. That is how I advise you to begin your project.”
“Thank you, Orunmila,” Obatala replied. “I will find the goldsmith and begin at once.”
The goldsmith said, “I will make you a chain of the length you need if you will bring me the gold
I need to fashion it. I do not think you will find enough gold in the sky. But ask each of the gods
for whatever gold he or she possesses, and you may succeed. I wish you well!”
Obatala approached the gods one by one. To each god he said, “I plan to create solid land where
now there is nothing but water and wild marshland. Then I will create all sorts of plants and
creatures to live on that land. Before I can begin, I need the goldsmith to make me a chain that
will stretch from the sky above to the waters below. Will you contribute whatever gold you
possess?”
The gods were sympathetic to Obatala’s cause. They gave him their gold: necklaces, bracelets,
rings, and even gold dust.
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The goldsmith examined the gold Obatala had collected and said, “Can you not find more gold?
This will not be enough!”
“It is the best I can do,” Obatala replied. “I have asked every god in the sky, and each has given
me whatever he or she owned. Make as long a chain as you can, with a hook at one end.”
When the chain was ready, Orunmila accompanied Obatala while he hooked one end of the chain
to the edge of the sky and lowered the rest of it toward the waters far below. Orunmila gave
Obatala the sand-filled snail’s shell, the white hen, the black cat, and the palm nut. One by one,
Obatala put them into a bag, which he slung over his shoulder. Then he said farewell to
Orunmila and began to climb down the golden chain.
Obatala climbed lower and lower and lower. When he was only halfway down, he saw that he
was leaving the world of light and entering the world of twilight.
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Again he climbed lower and lower and lower. As he reached the end of the chain, he could feel
the mist rising cool and wet upon him and hear the splashing of the waves as they crashed upon
the sea. But he could see that he was still far above the ocean.
`I cannot jump from here,” he thought. “The distance is so great that I will drown!”
Then, from the sky far above, Orunmila called out, “Obatala! Use the sand in your snail shell!”
Obatala reached into the bag at his side, withdrew the snail’s shell, and poured the sand on the
waters below him.
No sooner had he finished when Orunmila called out, “Obatala! Free the white hen!” Obatala
reached into the bag at his side, withdrew the white hen, and dropped it on the waters where he
had poured the sand.
The hen fluttered down, landed upon the sandy waters, and immediately began to scatter the sand
by scratching at it. Wherever the sand fell, it formed dry land. The larger piles of sand became
hills, while the smaller piles became valleys.
Obatala let go of the golden chain and jumped to the earth. He named the place where he landed
Ife. He walked with pleasure upon the solid land that he had created. The earth now extended
farther in all directions than his eyes could see. It was still completely devoid of life, but it was a
beginning.
Obatala dug a hole in the dry land and buried his palm nut in the soil. Immediately, a palm tree
emerged and grew to its full height. The mature tree dropped its nuts upon the land, and they also
quickly grew to maturity. Obatala built himself a house of bark and thatched the roof with palm
leaves. He then settled down in Ife with his black cat for company.
Olorun wished to know how Obatala was progressing with his plan, so he sent his servant, the
chameleon, down the golden chain to find out.
When the lizard arrived, Obatala said to him, “Tell Olorun, ruler of the sky, that I am pleased
with the land I have created and the vegetation I have planted. But it is always twilight here. I
miss the brightness of the sky!”
When the chameleon gave Obatala’s message to Olorun, the ruler of the sky smiled and said,
“For you, Obatala, I will create the sun!” Once Olorun tossed the sun into the sky, it shed light
and warmth upon Ife as it moved across the sky on its daily journey.
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Days passed. Months passed. Obatala continued to live on the earth that he had created with only
his black cat for company. Then one day he said to himself, “I love my cat, but its
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companionship does not satisfy me. I would be happier if creatures more like myself could live
in Ife with me. Let me see what I can do.”
Obatala began to dig in the soil. He found that the particles held together in his hand, for the
substance he dug up was clay. He laughed as he shaped little figures just like himself. One by
one he finished them and set them aside to dry. Obatala worked on and on so enthusiastically that
he was not aware of how tired and thirsty he was.
Finally his fatigue overcame him. “What I need is some wine to drink!” he thought. Obatala
placed his last clay figure upon the ground and went off to make palm wine from the juice of the
palm tree. Obatala drank bowl after bowl of the fermented palm juice, for he was very thirsty. He
did not realize it, but the wine made him drunk.
Obatala returned to his task of making clay figures, but his fingers were clumsy now. The figures
he created were no longer perfect. Some had arms that were too short, some had legs of uneven
length, and some had backs that were curved. Obatala was too drunk to notice the difference. He
continued to fashion one figure after another. In time, he was satisifed with the number of clay
figures that he had created.
Obatala then called out to the ruler of the sky, “Hear me, Olorun, you who are like a father to me.
I have created figures out of clay, but only you can breathe life into them and make them into
living people. I ask you to do this for me so that I can have human companions in Ife.”
So it came to pass that Olorun breathed life into the figures Obatala had created, and they
became active, thinking human beings. When they noticed Obatala’s house, they fashioned
houses for themselves and placed them nearby. Thus they created the first Yoruba village in Ife
where there had been only a solitary house.
When the effects of the palm wine wore off, Obatala realized that the creatures he had fashioned
while he was drunk were imperfect. With a sad heart he announced, “I promise that I will never
drink palm wine again! Moreover, I will devote myself to protecting all the people who have
suffered from my drunkenness.” And Obatala became the protector of all those who are born
deformed.
The people prospered, and the Yoruba village of Ife grew into a city. Iron did not yet exist, so
Obatala gave his people a copper knife and a wooden hoe to use as tools. The Yoruba cleared the
land and began to raise grain and yams.
Obatala eventually tired of ruling his city of Ife, so he climbed up the golden chain and returned
to his home in the sky. Thereafter, he divided his time between his home in the sky and his home
in the Yoruba city.
The gods never tired of hearing Obatala describe the city that he had created on earth. Many of
them were so fascinated with what they heard about Ife that they decided to leave their sky
homes and live among the human beings on earth. As they prepared to leave, the ruler of the sky
counseled them. “Remember,” Olorun said, “that you will have obligations to the humans among
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whom you live in Ife. You must listen to their prayers and protect them. I will give each of you a
specific task to fulfill while you are living there.”
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Not every god, however, was pleased with Obatala’s success on Ife. Obatala had not consulted
the goddess Olokun, ruler of the sea, when he had created solid earth and a Yoruba city in her
kingdom. As the ruler of the sea watched one of the great sky gods usurp her power and rule a
large part of her kingdom, she became angrier and angrier. Finally she conceived a plan that
would avenge Obatala’s insult to her honor.
Olokun waited until Obatala had returned to his home in the sky. Then she summoned the great
waves of her vast ocean and sent them surging across the land that Obatala had created. One after
another, the waves flooded the earth until water once again flowed as far as the eye could see,
and only marshland existed amidst the waves of the ocean. Whole groves of palm trees became
uprooted and floated away. Yams rotted and washed like dead fish upon the surface of the sea.
People drowned in their fields, in their groves, and in their homes.
Those who still remained alive fled into the hills and cried out to Obatala for help, but he could
not hear them over the roaring of the waves so far below him. So they sought the god Eshu, who
was living among them. They knew that he could carry messages to Obatala and to Olorun.
“Please return to the kingdom of the sky,” they pleaded, “and tell the great gods of the disastrous
flood that is destroying us!”
Eshu replied, “You must send a sacrifice along with your message if you want one of the great
sky gods to listen to you.”
The people sacrificed a goat to Obatala and said, “We send this goat as food for Obatala.”
“That is not enough,” Eshu replied. “I too deserve a gift for the service I am performing for you.”
When the people had sacrificed accordingly, Eshu climbed the golden chain and told Obatala
about how Olokun had flooded Ife and the rest of the earth.
Obatala did not know how to deal with Olokun, so he asked Orunmila for advice. Orunmila
replied, “You rest here in the sky while I go down to Ife. I can make the waters withdraw and the
land come forth once again.”
So it came to pass that Orunmila climbed down the golden chain to the waters that covered Ife
and the earth. Using his special knowledge, he caused the power of the waves to wane and the
waters to retreat. Once the waves had subsided, he dried up the marshland and put an end to
Olokun’s attempt to recover the area that she had lost to Obatala.
The people who had survived greeted Orunmila as their hero and pleaded with him to stay and
protect them. Orunmila had no desire to remain in Ife, but he agreed to stay long enough to teach
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the gods and humans who lived there how to tell the future so that they could begin to control the
forces they could not see. When he had done so, Orunmila returned to his home in the sky, but,
like Obatala, he often climbed down the golden chain to see how life was progressing in Ife.
The ruler of the sea made one final attempt to remain the equal of the ruler of the sky. Olokun
was an excellent weaver of cloth, and she possessed equal skill in dyeing the fabrics she had
woven. So the ruler of the sea sent a message to Olorun, ruler of the sky, challenging him to a
weaving contest.
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Olorun said to himself, “Olokun is a far better weaver than I am. However, I cannot give her the
satisfaction of knowing that she is superior to me in anything. If I do, she will exert her powers
in other ways as well, and that will disrupt the order that now exists throughout the universe.
Somehow I must appear to accept her challenge and yet avoid participating in her contest. Now,
how can I do this?”
Olorun thought and thought. Suddenly his eyes sparkled. With a smile, he summoned his
messenger, the chameleon, to his side. “Go before Olokun, ruler of the sea,” he ordered, “with
this message: `The ruler of the sky greets the ruler of the sea. He asks you to display to his
messenger samples of the cloth that you have woven. Let the chameleon judge your skill. If your
cloth is as beautiful as you say it is, then the ruler of the sky will compete with you in the contest
you have suggested.”’
The chameleon climbed down the golden chain and gave the goddess Olorun’s message.
Olokun was happy to obey Olorun’s request. She put on a bright green skirt, and to her
amazement the chameleon turned a beautiful shade of bright green. She next put on a bright
orange skirt, and to her amazement the chameleon turned a beautiful shade of bright orange. She
then put on a bright red skirt, and to her amazement the chameleon turned a beautiful shade of
bright red. One by one, the goddess Olokun put on skirts of various bright colors, and each time
the chameleon turned into the particular color that she was wearing. Finally Olokun gave up.
The goddess said to herself, “If someone as ordinary as Olorun’s messenger can duplicate the
bright colors of my finest fabrics, how can I hope to compete against the greatest of the gods?”
She said to the chameleon, “Tell your master that the ruler of the sea sends her greetings to the
ruler of the sky. Tell him that I acknowledge his superiority in weaving and in all other pursuits
as well. Olorun is indeed the greatest of the gods!”
So it came to pass that peace returned between the ruler of the sky and the ruler of the sea, and
that peace restored order …
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