CREATION

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CREATION

• Weve all got to start somewhere.

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Necessities

• Myths use metaphor to explain higher concepts.
• Many of the stories of mystical monsters were
  merely representations of the fear conquered.
• Metaphors need to fit their culture.
• Metaphors should be universally acknowledged
  images. Or at least, universal to your people.

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Necessities Part 2

• The existence of the world must be explained.
• According to Joseph Campbell, The question being
  answered is not who made the world or how, but
  rather the need for presence of a creator being
  visible in all things.

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Necessities part 3

• The metaphors and explanations are relevant to
  the geography where the culture lives.
• The Japanese myths have a lot to do with the
  ocean. The Midwest Indian tribes do not.
• The Creation myth should define the roles of men,
  women, animals, and possibly interrelations with
  other cultures.

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Necessities Part 4

• The creation myth should also include explanation
  of basic human behavior and possibly the
  separation between the god(s) and Man.
• Pandora
• Prometheus
• The One Forbidden Thing

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Part 5

• A question to consider Is your societal view of
  your god one of perfection or imperfection?
• For example is your god(dess) all-powerful,
  all-knowing, all-good, or any combination of
  these three.
• If not, what are your god(s) limitations and why
  do they exist. What characteristics of your
  culture are captured in that imperfection.

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The Creation Archetypes
Creation from Primordial soup Creation from
Nothing Creation by Deus Faber Creation from
Clay Creation from Dismemberment of Primordial
Being Creation by Sacrifice Creation by
Secretion Creation by Thought Creation by
Word Creation by Trial and Error Earth
Diver Creation from Cosmic Egg Creation from
Division of Primordial Unity Creation from
Chaos Creation by Emergence Creation from
Ancestors Creation in Science
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Primordial Soup

• PRIMORDIAL
• Something exists, and then out of this something
  new is made.
• Often begins with water, chaos, darkness, etc.
• Modern evolutionary theory and Big Bang
  theories use this base to explain their beliefs.

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Creation from Nothing

• Ex nihilo or de novo.
• Ex Nihilo from nothing. De novo
• Particularly popular in monotheistic religions.
• In ex nihilo myths the god figure creates the
  universe from nothing, by thought, word, or
  breath. Sometimes secretion is used as well.
• Greek, Hebrew, Indian, Mayan, Maori.

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Creation by Deus Faber

• Creation by Deus Faber is the fabrication of the
  world by the Creator in his/her form as an
  Artist/Craftsmen.
• Uses the analogy or metaphor of a craft.
• In the Book of Job (344-5) Yahweh refers to
  creation as laid the foundation of the earth
  and took its measurements.
• This lends to the Hebrew architect image of God.
• Hebrew, Huron, Spider Woman, Yuki

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Creation from Clay

• Man created from clay, the ultimate symbol of the
  Earth.
• Being created from earth (clay) exists across
  many different cultures.
• Some theorize this is due to the maternal image
  of the earth. Others look at the malleability
  and see an easy creation concept.
• Blackfoot, Hebrew, Dyak, Egyptian,Polynesian.

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Creation by Dismemberment

• These myths involve the cosmos being created by
  cutting up a pre-creation monster.
• Babylonian, Indian, Big Veda, Norse.

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Creation by Sacrifice

• Creation through the sacrifice of a god.
• Often dealt with as renewal through sacrifice as
  well.
• Jesus, Osiris, Attis, and Dionysus all have
  stories of this type of myth.
• Related heavily to Creation by Dismemberment.

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Creation by Secretion (eww)

• Just what it sounds likecreation via bodily
  fluids.
• Very focused on the divinity of life fluids.
• Creators bodily fluids feces, urine sweat,
  semen, spit, vomit, and blood are all used in the
  creation of the world.
• Typically a solitary male god figure.
• Bantu, Boshongo, Chuckchee, Egyptian

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Creation by Thought

• Ex nihilo
• Creation is a projection of the creators
  thoughts.
• This theory is hinted at in aboriginal dreaming
  creation.
• Powerful supreme being preexists existence, world
  contained in the Mind of God.
• Buddhist, Laguna, Navajo, Winnebago

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Creation by Word

• Ex nihilo
• The Supreme Being speaks the Word and connects
  Logos or Cosmic Order.
• And God said
• Hebrew, Christian, Mayan, Navajo

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Trial and Error

• Also thought of as Creation via aborted attempts.
• Initial attempts to create humanity are
  unsuccessful.
• First Man through poor or immoral behavior, may
  cause a fall. Heavy on instructional morality.
• Flaw may be either intentional, or creational.
• Often includes a destruction cycle as well.

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Earth Diver

• Supreme Being sends an animal (duck, turtle into
  the primal waters.
• The water can often be seen as the unformed
  female principle, and the diver is the creators
  emissary to the principle.
• The Diver finds earth (sand, mud, rock, etc.)
  and it is brought to the surface.
• Water and descent have key importance in this
  mythic pattern.
• Common Native American creation.

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Cosmic Egg

• Pre-creation void is a giant egg.
• Eggs are symbolic of the beginning of life.
• Logical connection between visible birth
  (hatching eggs) and universe creation.
• Cosmic egg is typically silver or gold, like the
  sun or moon.
• Chinese, Finnish, Indian, Japanese

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Creation by Division of Primordial Unity

• Breaking of the Cosmic Egg or the separation of
  cosmic parts from one another to make the
  universe.
• In many of these myths there is a newer god who
  must separate the parents to create the new
  world.
• Egyptian, etc.

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Creation from Chaos

• Out of Chaos
• Chaos is the Greek word for primal void.
• Chaos is often seen as a swirling mass of
  nothingness, out of which the Creator(s) craft
  the universe.
• Greek, Babylonian, Japanese, etc.

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Creation by Emergence

• Mostly Native American.
• Involves the emergence of the people from an
  underworld.
• Underworld is typically seen as a world womb
  where all things are gestated until birth.

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Creation from Ancestors

• This belief is that a prior people created the
  universe.
• Australian aborigines believed that their
  ancestors dreamed the world into existence.

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Creation in Science

• Many creation theories in modern science have the
  myth of the beginning-less beginning.
• Scientists theorize that something existed before
  existence as a basis for the cosmos.
• Loosely called myths.
• Big-Bang Theory

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Archetypal things for which to look

• Character archetypes.
• Look for common character/deity roles.
• Numbers as symbols.
• Often Creation myths use numerology relevant to
  the culture.
• Anima/animus roles
• Male/Female gender roles/expectations defined.
• Cultural and moral values
• The folk portions of the myths. Local
  instruction and behavior.

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Your Culture

• You will need to create the culture around which
  you will build your mythology.
• Be cautious and thoughtful in your process, this
  culture must be viable for all forms of myths.
• Important elements to document
• Environment Geographic, weather, wildlife
• Intra-Cultural relations gender, politics,
  power
• Inter-Cultural relations other cultures that
  relate directly to your own.
• Cultural behavior violent/pacifist,
  hunting/agricultural, diplomacy/conflict.

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Your Cultures Creation Myth

• Establish the state of existence pre-creation.
• Establish your Creator(s). Define them well.
• What type of Creation myth are you going to
  create.
• Establish your cast of characters.
• Tell your story.

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Tips to remember

• Keep it appropriate to the culture you have
  created.
• It needs to fit the geography, scientific
  timeframe and the world you have created.
• Be creative, but at the same time, keep it reined
  in. This is a primitive culture with no exposure
  to modern cynical, sadistic culture.