Monday, August 20, 2012
World Literature Prompt #1
Cosmogony is the study of the origins of the universe. Myths are stories. All cultures and all peoples tell creation myths to explain where we're from and why we're here. One interesting element of these stories is how many similarities they share, regardless of the culture. We will soon engage in a study of creation myths, but before we do, I would like you to write a paragraph or so speculating on what elements are commonly shared among a wide variety of creation myths. Write a paragraph or so, and please reference and respond to what others have written before you. Sign your entry with your first name and the period of your English class.
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Some things that are commonly shared in creation myths are they have a similar format. The format typically begin with the theme of birth and creation. I think this is because it represents new beginnings, the beginning of life on earth can be related to the birth of a child thats probably why there is an Idea of a mother and father creating the world. Sometimes in a myth the mother and father aren't the actual creators and the creation actually takes place several years later. There is almost always some type of god or supreme person in a creation myth. They are usually what start the ball rolling of the creation of the world. It makes sense for these to be the two main commonalities between most creation myths because birth represents beginning as I said before and it is easy to make up a supreme being to help get the circumstances correct to begin the world.
--Katie Hamula
Period:5
Creation myths commonly have one main thing in common: a god. Just as Katie said, these supreme beings get the ball rolling, but it seems that after that its up to the people or other beings in the myth. Another thing that I noticed is common in most creation myths is that they often begin with an element such as water. Since most of the myths take place on earth I feel it is only natural to use our most valuable resource as a symbol of creation and life.
-John Schwarz, Period 5
Creation myths have several common themes. One of them being birth. In all myths before the land and people are created we start with chaos. Absolutely no organization or structure is there until we create it. From chaos comes the birth of a new world. Another theme is that theres always a god. One supreme being that kicks things off. From that theme comes another. The theme of mother and father. This supreme being either fathers or gives birth to more beings, creating a society. And lastly all creation myths explain natural phenomenons in an easier more relatable way, for instance rainbows or the changing of the seasons.
-- Francesca Botto
Period 8
John and Katie both talked about how a god is a big part of myths, about there being references to elements or to the creation of the world, and both are true, but there is one component that neither mentioned. Every myth has a life lesson. Whether it is to respect your parents, to remain loyal to others, or to love the people around you, each myth has a lesson. Although myths are not exactly the same as parables from Jesus, I compare them to each other. In the Bible, Jesus expresses in his parables that we must love one another, do unto others as we do unto ourselves, and the consequences of doing what we know is wrong. Even though myths may express the same lesson on a different level of reverence than the Bible, they still teach us to make the right decisions in our lives.
-Duncan Hickman, Period 8
Creation myths share common themes. One common theme is birth, as Francesca said. In the beginning of myths the God places a being on earth and gives it a purpose, as in the famous myth Hercules. He was to prove himself a true hero. Another similarity is that there is a powerful being who instructs or watches over or sometimes destroys our hero. They also all share a bit of their own culture in these stories; while they aren't the same cultural traits it is something that the authors add to give the myth a uniqueness to it. Myths also unearth some mysteries in our world, or give us other explanations as to why things happen. They gives us new exciting outlooks on life such as a lowly person being reborn into a wealthy family. They show us signs of hope and renewal.
Rachel S. Period 5
In most creation myths or stories it starts out with a god or some divine being.As John said most myth start with water,but also can involve fire or water.As Duncan said most myths also have a valuable moral
Sam Wilson Period 5
I think a common theme of creation myths is light. Genesis 1:3 says, "And God said, let there be light: and there was light." I think that the light represents that this world started out as a pure world. The fact the world started pure shows us that we should strive to keep it that way. I think many creation myths show us how we should behave and how we came to be.
I agree with Katie many creation myths follow the same format. I find that encouraging, becuase if many religions and belief systems can agree with one fact, it seems more likely to be true.
Elyse Jones Period 8
The purpose of a creation story is to explain to a culture how things came to be, and eventually the people come to a dead end of sorts. This “dead end” is that something must have triggered the creation, something that simply exists because of itself, which leads us to an “uncausable” entity. For the Greeks this being was Chaos, the disturbed perpetual darkness that was the beginning of everything. For the Norse there were three such entities, Niflheim, Muspelheim and Ginungagap. According to the Norse Niflheim was a frozen wasteland, Muspelheim was a land of raging flames, and both of these whirled around the pit of Ginungagap. A third example is in the Old Testament; we read about God who, once again, existed before time and was the trigger for creation. Similar beings can be found in creation stories around the world.
Like Katie said these entities are what start the ball rolling, but quite often they do more than that. In several mythologies these entities become the foundation for the world they created, and several take a more active role protecting and providing for their creation, either directly or indirectly.
Joseph Per 8
I agree with duncan about most cultures have life lessons and morals in them. While some believe it all started by science and some believe every start has came from a end and every end has came from a start, creation myths exist in every culture and they vary in many different ways but they all share a common ground such as god or some type of god or gods being the starters of all of creation.
--MINTA SIRIPONG 5th period
In some creation myths the main theme is that the entire earth was covered in water at one point in time, and earth was brought to the surface for us to live on. Water, being essential to life, represents that first there had to be water before life could be sustainable. Also birth represents the beginning of something new which in this case the creation of the world. Most commonly myths have a supreme being, such as God, who like Katie said "got the ball rolling" which is an easier way to understand things such as how the earth was created.
Patrick Humlicek - Period 8
As john said a creation myth need a creator someone who makes the magic happen. he decides what to put and where to put, a common creator used is GOD the famous god quote "let there be light is a good example" he put resources on the planet water light soil/dirt, plants.
carlos avila
period 8
Weirdly creation myths are super similar. Even though they were written so far apart they all have the same concept. They start with a birth or "beginning". Most of them usually have a father and a mother figure instead of just one being creating everything.
I like how John brought up water. Back then people did realize that water was the must need for life. They probably had the thought that somehow water would have to help start life. Creation myths somehow are similar probably because they are all wrong or they could all be accurate.
Creation myths are similar in a way that the birth of the world is like the birth of a human. Though usually it takes many years for the beginning of the world after a god of some sort is created. I agree with Duncan Hickman that in many myths there is a moral lesson to it. I like Elyse's point on how light is common in myths. Light is like a symbol of the birth or the beginning.
-Michael Kearns
Period 8
Myths a lot like stories are told a little different by every person. Like Duncan said, they all have a lesson that is being told throughout the myth. Although people sometimes alter the storyline, the lesson is always the same. This also happens with themes,for example birth, like Francesca said. The story will keep that theme, but it may be told how it happened by every person differently.
Paul T Period 5
Creation myths all have a lot of things in common, regardless of where they originated from. The main thing I noticed, as Katie said, is the format of the story. There is almost always a God, like John said, who creates this world for us people to live in. Something that stuck out to me as a reoccurring theme in these myths is the idea of human fault. At some point or another during the story, the people disobey or make a mistake that affects the way we live on earth for eternity. This leads to Duncan's point that there is always a lesson hidden in the stories, another thread between all creation myths.
Allison Witte, period 5
something i find common in creation stories is that there is always one being or object , animals etc. that started the entire human race. and like what katie said there was a figure that started the entire thing up. now every culture has different takes on it , and depending on where the culture is in the world really affects the "supreme " ruler for example , the African creation myth from Yoruba ,a lot of the myth has to do with palm nuts and deals with gods taking different realms. in contrast to what the bible says as to one God three in one creating everything pure but to the humans mistake made everything impure.
Besides what the bible says all of the African , Greek etc. myths deal with one common aspect the gods or god wasn't pure themselves there was a god that misbehaved , had a hand in war , they all had our sinful human traits inside them. And in most cases created the human race by accident.
Jessica Weyman period 5
Things that are commonly shared in creation myths is how they come together to tell a story about what is right or wrong. Its almost like a teaching of some sort. They also almost always begin with a problem, and normally in the end of the myth its solved. Most myths have Gods, Goddesses, or some super natural person in them. Thous Gods, Goddesses or super natural people are normally the starters of the problem or the solvers of the problem in the myth. Creation myths typically begin with a new beginning, birth, or creation. Then, they move forward to a major problem. Then, they conclude with the problem solved. The moral of the myth is typically teaching.
-Montana Campbell
Period: 8
Every universe, nation-state, country, and continent, whatever it may be shares a similar quality, that can either differentiate a country, or eventually bring it together; and that is war. Any common person knows the story of Adam and Eve, you may have not noticed it between all of the serenity and peacefulness of the new beginning, but there is a clear war between survival and themselves. Within the text of this story you find the creation myth of "Devil vs. The good people". From day one they were conflicted to fight against evil or to give in against the will of their creator. It is very hard to disagree with Duncan's comment where he had mentioned, there is a life lesson within each creation myth. Adam and Eve learned quickly right from wrong. Another common trait we use to identify ourselves is our large comeback capacity. From war, revenge or whatever it may be, we are able to find forgiveness, more fight, and the simple fact that minor setbacks don't always mean defeat.
-Rachel Gondrezick
Period 5
One of the most commonly found similarities in creation myths is the idea of chaos at the beginning. As Francesca mentioned, there was no structure or order. The traditional Chinese creation myth alluded to this through P’an Ku, who they believe evolved from a formless chaotic egg creating the first humans. Some other myths refer to this concept through a chaotic ocean caused by God. Creation myths truly bring new meaning to the belief that from chaos we find clarity.
-Raquel Markham
Period 8
I think that John Schwarz and Katie Hamula were right when they said that a God is always the first character in the beginning there is nothing. A theme that I have heard repeated many times is that sentient animals are usually the main characters. There is usually a foolish animal the story. Another part of the beginning of the story, though, is that who doesn't really learn anything, and many stories have morals.
In Catholic beliefs, Adam and Eve get caught eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. This results in the rest of humanity being subject to original sin. I think most creation myths, like this one, have a moral behind them; a message intended to serve humanity in a positive fashion. On this point I agree with Duncan creation myths are somewhat similar to parables. I also agree with Francesca that they allude to birth. And, as a whole, I think that creation myths have one more thing in common: they are widely considered to simply be myths that hold no truth, but rather are seen today as somewhat of an anecdote. Lastly, the characters in most creation myths answer to a god, or a supreme being, as John said. We should not look at these myths as fact, but we should value them as ways of living.
Paul O. Period 5
In most myths there are many different elements shared to help get across the moral that is trying to be told. Just as Duncan mentioned, "every myth has a life lesson." One of the elements that appears the most between all myths is the constant appearance of water, as John mentioned. He has a good point when he says that water occurs a lot in myths because it is a valuable resource and is a symbol for our world with creation of life. I agree with this and add that not only does water occur in our myths as a resource, but it can also be a hazard like in Noah and the Flood. Hazardous events like this story occur in many different cultures. The water occurring in myths can be shown to tell the story of depression with floods, or the will to survival.
-Abby Isaacson
Period:5
There are very many elements I see commonly shared among creation myths. However, the one I tend to see the most is how in every myth, it explains how something came to be. For example, in the Greek myth Prometheus, it explain how fire came to be. In the Greek myth of Poseidon, it explains how horses and sea horses came to be. I see this as a reoccurring theme throughout creation myths. As John and Katie said, another commonly shared element in creation myths is a type of god. There always seems to be one main god that began everything and was most powerful. For example, in Greek mythology, this god would be Uranus. He is the god who began Greek mythology. I agree with Katie's statement "they are usually what start the ball rolling of the creation world." This definitely happens in creation mythology because from the very beginning story, it is easy to create stories coming from the original that also tie in with it.
-Gabi Dodson
Period 8
As John Schwarz said, there usually one figure that is creater of all things or kind of powers over the others. He/She is the one who is most oftenly worshipped and is many times asked for help. Christians would call this praying. In addition, many times, creation myths use mythical creatures to explain a certain point. This is very similar to Jesus' parables. No matter what the religion, they all have one common goal; to explain the reason we are here, and how we got here. It gives people hope for life after death, as well as everything turning out okay no matter what.
--Delaney Barnett
period 8
Things that creation myths have in common.
God or Gods, or a hero of sorts. There is always someone watching over. They are all alike in ways of how the story starts off, where the whole story stems from. Then moves onto the true start of the story. As Katie said, you get the ball rolling to get to the creation. From there you get the details. Everything is intertwined with these myths. They are all connected to the beginning in some way. Then the bring the beginning to the end. So the story revolves around the base.
Erin Pitt
Period 5
Elyse stated above that many myths share the common idea of light. She used a quote from the bible to show that God created light to represent the world as pure. I think that other symbols can be placed in myths to equally show how the world or people act. A myth incorporates different objects that we use in our daily life and gives a reason for them to be there or for the name that we call them by. Greek myths are a great example because in each myth an object is clearly defined. In the story of Arachne, the Greek god Athena challenges a young girl to a weaving contest. No one is able to beat Athena in any contest whatsoever and Arachne hangs herself from a tree nearby when she loses. Instead of letting her die, Athena changes her into a spider who will forever weave a small stringy web. This myth explains where spiders come from and, as this myth does, myths help give an explanation for everything in the world.
Emily Thompson
period 8
While I was reading through many creation myths I found that every thing started small. As John said most creation myths had a God or supreme being to help them mature and develope. For example we have all heard how God created Adam and Eve if God had not created them,then they would still be soil. Almost all creation myths focus on a certain theme. Where did something of great importance come from? Like Gabi said the Prometheus myths was about how fire came to be.
- Alex Kosak
Period 5
In myhts I have seen there is always some sort of creation that happens in the beginning. Either way someone or thing creates the world we live on. Like in Catholisism, you have God created the world in six days, and on the seventh he rested. In Greek Mythology you have chaos and out of that you get Mother Earth and Father sky ( The Earth). THen you get Monsters and Gods and then Man is created. I agree with what Katie said about "Something usually gets the ball rolling for the world." I also belive that both of the Myths have some sort of hero. In Catholisism you have Jesus, and in Greek Mythology you have Achilles, Herculules and many more. I believe that all Myths sort of pick at eachother and take things from other myths to make them all similar.
Robbie Brennan, 5th period
Nathan Klebba is right in that the main thing the creation myths have in common is there being some kind of beginning, or as he put it, birth. I also agree with Michael Kearns in that the beginning can be related to the birth of humans. The other thing I think the creation myths all have in common is that we are all here right now. There are slight differences in the myths of how we got here, but in the end, we are all here on earth. This is what I think is the most important part of the creation myths. It matters that we are here, not so much how we got here.
Dash Anderson
Period 5
Myths are thought to begin with some divine source of power to create it. Nothing cannot be created out of nothing. Take the Earth for example. Who created it or what created it? There must have been some source to create it. Creation Myths work the same. There is some power source that might send something or someone down with a specific purpous, task, or mission. But to build upon his mission there must be some way to populate the world so that the primary source has something to build upon. After so much time, the purpous of the primary source is now scattered through a society of things. But the catch is there isnt any precision in the timing of a myth. Just educated guesses.
~D.J. Collard
Period 8
I agree with Katie Hamula. Some things that are commonly shared in creation myths are they have similar format. Birth and creation are some important things in life. God has created us all the same no matter what our weight, race, size, or color is. We are all born for a reason. We are born to make creative movements as we develop to grow up in life. Myths are created to show what they have done in the past or a belief that some people could look up to. Numerous of myths have accomplished things such as conquering some bad people or something. Referring to what Katie said, " Sometimes in a myth the mother and father aren't the actual creators and creation actually takes place several years later." this is true because not always the myths that are parents create the creation, maybe the son or daughter ends up making a glory and creates something new, therefore, creation is made later on.
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