Cosmic Creation Myths Across Cultures Essay Example
Cosmic Creation Myths across Cultures Paper
Selena Siegmund
University of Phoenix
Hum/105
Cosmic Creation Myths across Cultures
Creation is the “act of producing or the cause to exist” (Dictionary, 2012, pg.1). How the world is created is the big mystery that surrounds the minds of science. Cultures around the world each have interpretations on how the world was created. Creation myths show what represents the sky, earth, and underworld. These myths tell whether the creators where male or female and the significance of the gender. The myths describe what was created and the steps of creation. Creation myths tell of any destroyers or destruction. Different creation myths tell of cosmic occurrences or natural phenomena that occurred. Each creation myth has similarities and difference in their creators, creations, the steps of creation, and the cosmic elements.
The Hindu creation myth is an early myth that comes from India from around 1500 B.C. (Rosenberg, 2006). This creation myth has the world created, destroyed, and re-created every 4,320,000 years (Rosenberg, 2006). These cycles are the Maha Yuga, which consists of four ages; Kirta Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga, and Kali Yuga. As the ages go on, the world and individuals in that world start to designate. The god Vishnu is in three forms; creator Brahma, preserver, and protector Vishnu and destroyer of life Shiva-Rudra. Brahma as creator brings forth water, fire, air, wind, sky, and earth with mountains and trees upon the earth. Then he will create the forms of time, as a way of organizing the universe (Rosenberg, 2006). Brahma creates the darkness (night) by casting demons from his body (Rosenberg, 2006). Bringing gods from his face and casting off his body this creates light (day) (Rosenberg, 2006). From this body, Brahma creates humans, snakes, goats, birds, cows, plants, and other animals. As each Mhah Yuga ends Vishnu comes back as Shiva-Rudra and destroys life on earth. At the end of each
Selena Siegmund
University of Phoenix
Hum/105
Cosmic Creation Myths across Cultures
Creation is the “act of producing or the cause to exist” (Dictionary, 2012, pg.1). How the world is created is the big mystery that surrounds the minds of science. Cultures around the world each have interpretations on how the world was created. Creation myths show what represents the sky, earth, and underworld. These myths tell whether the creators where male or female and the significance of the gender. The myths describe what was created and the steps of creation. Creation myths tell of any destroyers or destruction. Different creation myths tell of cosmic occurrences or natural phenomena that occurred. Each creation myth has similarities and difference in their creators, creations, the steps of creation, and the cosmic elements.
The Hindu creation myth is an early myth that comes from India from around 1500 B.C. (Rosenberg, 2006). This creation myth has the world created, destroyed, and re-created every 4,320,000 years (Rosenberg, 2006). These cycles are the Maha Yuga, which consists of four ages; Kirta Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga, and Kali Yuga. As the ages go on, the world and individuals in that world start to designate. The god Vishnu is in three forms; creator Brahma, preserver, and protector Vishnu and destroyer of life Shiva-Rudra. Brahma as creator brings forth water, fire, air, wind, sky, and earth with mountains and trees upon the earth. Then he will create the forms of time, as a way of organizing the universe (Rosenberg, 2006). Brahma creates the darkness (night) by casting demons from his body (Rosenberg, 2006). Bringing gods from his face and casting off his body this creates light (day) (Rosenberg, 2006). From this body, Brahma creates humans, snakes, goats, birds, cows, plants, and other animals. As each Mhah Yuga ends Vishnu comes back as Shiva-Rudra and destroys life on earth. At the end of each