Creation is one of the few stories every culture tells. While some aspects of life can vary with culture, the questions of “where did we come from?” and “where do we go?” are universal. Because of this, stories on the creation of life and the events of death span every religion, mythology, and literature.
What stands out to me is the similarity of these stories to each other and outside creation stories, like that of the Abrahamic and Vedic religions. The Cherokee story teaches that a bird brought up mud to create the earth. Christianity teaches that Jesus told many of his values using metaphors to birds (like in the Gospels of Matthew). In the Lakota story Wakan Tanka places beings for their supreme purpose. In Islam it is believed Allah does the same (2:117). The Hopi creation story tells that humans are the caretakers of the world. In Hinduism, people have a moral responsibility to actualize Atman and Moksha.
In addition, the accuracy of some aspects of the stories stand out to me. The Cherokee and Lakota creation stories tell that the Earth was once covered in water– something proven true with scientific understanding of how Earth came to be. The Hopi creation story tells that people emerged from below the Earth. While this is not exactly what science believes, we did emerge from below the ocean and evolve from ocean creatures into hominids.
It is important to listen to these stories because that’s how they were told. Oral history has a far more personal tone and can be more accessible when told. To understand a cultural story one must immerse themselves in the way in which that culture told the story.
Though perhaps an oversimplification, the general emphasis on the unique power of the individual in Abrahamic faith influenced the ‘Western’ traditions of capitalism, liberalism, and conquering. Again, though oversimplified, the emphasis in ‘Eastern’ religions to value familial relationships influenced the ‘Eastern’ traditions of honor, peace, and collective responsibility. Likewise is the indigenous general beliefs. Generally, and again oversimplified, indigenous cultures teach of a respect for nature and tribal unity. This affected these cultures to this day. The ‘West’ tends to put an emphasis on individualism, for the better and worse. The ‘East’ tends to put an emphasis on collective responsibility, for the better and worse. Indigenous tribes today tend to have a greater focus for nature and animals, for the better and worse. One of the best aspects of Indigenous stories is sustainability of the planet, something that the ‘West’ and ‘East’ don’t always think about.
Hi Adin!
It is interesting to think about and compare different creation stories across religions, which often share similarities. I was especially drawn to the idea of different worlds as layers onto Earth. As you pointed out, there is certainly a cultural component for understanding these stories, as well as their structures and messages.