Creation myth

A creation myth or cosmogonic myth is a special kind of story about how the world began and how people first came to live in it. These stories are important to many cultures, and people often believe they share deep truths, even if they are told in a symbolic or metaphorical way. Creation myths usually describe how order came from chaos or a formless beginning, helping people understand their place in the universe.

The Creation (c. 1896–1902), painting by James Tissot

These myths often include sacred events and feature characters such as gods, human-like figures, or animals that can talk and change forms. They are usually set in a distant, unclear past, a time that feels very different from today. Creation myths are found in nearly every known religious tradition and help shape the beliefs and values of the people who share them.

Because they start as spoken stories, creation myths often have many different versions. They are the most common type of myth around the world and help cultures explain big questions about life and the world.

Definitions

Structure of the world, according to Finnish mythology

Creation myths are stories that explain how the world and people came to be. They are important to many cultures because they help people understand their place in the universe and guide how they live their lives. These myths often use symbols and metaphors to describe big ideas about life and the world around us.

Different cultures have their own versions of creation myths, and these stories help shape a community's beliefs and values. They talk about the beginnings of everything, sometimes involving powerful beings or forces that brought the world into existence.

Meaning and function

In Daoist creation myth, "The Way gave birth to unity; unity gave birth to duality; duality gave birth to trinity; trinity gave birth to the myriad creatures." (Daodejing, 4th century BCE)

Creation myths have existed since ancient times and have played important roles in societies. Over 100 different creation myths have been found. These myths try to explain how the world began and how people first appeared. They help explain things we don’t fully understand and often teach important lessons.

People who study these myths note that today, they are seen as symbolic stories that reflect the culture from which they come. Unlike science or religion, creation myths help people understand their place in the world and how to relate to nature and to each other. They offer a way to think about life and meaning, using symbols rather than facts. These stories help people make sense of big questions, even though they may not have simple answers.

Classification

Mythologists have created different ways to group creation myths from around the world. One way looks at common ideas that appear in many stories. There are five main types:

Creation ex nihilo, where a god makes the world from nothing.
Earth-diver creation, where an animal brings up mud from deep water to make land.
Emergence myths, where people come from another world into this one.
Creation by breaking apart a powerful being.
Creation by splitting something whole, like a cosmic egg.

In Maya religion, the dwarf was an embodiment of the Maize God's helpers at creation.

Another way to look at creation myths focuses on six key parts of the story:

A deep, empty space called the primeval abyss.
A god that starts life, either sleeping or forever there.
The god floating above the abyss.
A cosmic egg or embryo.
The god starting life with sound or words.
Life coming from the body of a god.

Ex nihilo

Main article: Creatio ex nihilo

Brahmā, the Hindu deva of creation, emerges from a lotus risen from the navel of Viṣņu, who lies with Lakshmi on the serpent Ananta Shesha.

Some religions, like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, teach that God made the world from nothing. This idea became important in Christian teaching by the third century.

Creation from chaos

Main article: Chaos (cosmogony)

In other stories, the world starts as a messy, empty space. Bringing order to this chaos is the act of creation.

Creation on the exterior shutters of Hieronymus Bosch's triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights (c. 1490–1510)

World parent

There are two kinds of stories where the world comes from a powerful parent or parents. In one, two parents are pulled apart to make the world. In the other, parts of a powerful being are split to create the world.

Emergence

In emergence myths, people come from another world into this one. Often, this journey is like being born, with a female god helping. These stories are common in Native American cultures.

In one Maori creation myth, the primal couple are Rangi and Papa, depicted holding each other in a tight embrace.

Earth-diver

The earth-diver is a character in many creation stories. A god sends an animal into deep water to bring up mud and make land. Scholars study these stories in different ways.

Motif distribution

Earth-diver stories are found in many places, including Native American cultures and traditions in Europe and Asia. They seem to have started in eastern Asia and spread as people moved.

Native American narrative

In many Native American stories, the earth-diver helps make land. For example, in Iroquois mythology, animals like beavers and ducks help bring up mud to build an island. Other similar stories come from the Seneca and Wyandot peoples.