What is the history of creation mythologies

Creation myths are common in many cultures in the New and Old Worlds. Creation myths often form parts of religions but they are also stories or traditions passed on among different cultures. Creation myths also shape the worldview of different cultures and we see that they often are important in how societies understand their place in the wider world.

Some Common Creation Myths

Creation myths can be found in many regions and, in fact, are probably the most common form of myth. Creation myths were likely evident in very early cultures around the world as they would have been likely told as oral stories that would be passed from one generation to another. Because creation myths are oral stories, these stories probably have changed numerous times and many different versions often exist for any one culture. Among early literate societies in the Middle East, creation myths appear early in ancient texts. One of the best known is Enûma Eliš, which is a myth that describes humans as made to serve the gods as gods wanted to be relieved from their work. The creation story does not put humans at the center but rather the main story is the triumph of the god Marduk is his struggle with Tiamat. After this struggle, the world order fell in place, with Marduk as supreme god and the hierarchy of power in the cosmos was established, with Marduk as head. This myth is similar to others that also tell of the cosmos as being born our of chaos. In ancient Chinese cultures, Pangu was seen as a creation being that created the world out of a chaotic form. Initially, everything was in an egg-shaped universe that became separated by Pangu and he created the earth, separating the balance of the cosmos and life, Ying and Yang. Creation from chaos is perhaps the most common form of creation. Another example is from Siberia, where Buga set fire to an ocean that created land and see and he also create light and darkness by separating the two. The god fought Buninka, an evil god, to create mankind. Similar to other traditions, man was made from earth, while other elements, such as fire, iron, and water made up the rest of the world.