Essay about Similarities in the Mythologies of Creation

Throughout history many civilizations and cultures have had their own ways of explaining the world and its creation. Each of these civilizations has created unique descriptions and accounts of such events. However, when comparing them to each other, are they really different? Look at the ancient Greco - Roman creation myths as told by Hesiod in his Theogony and Works and Days and Ovid’s Metamorphoses, when compared to the creation myths as seen in the Old Testament’s book of Genesis they may not be as different as one would think. Taking a more in-depth look at both Genesis and Hesiod’s and Ovid’s work more closely, the reader can see that on multiple occasions the myths have almost identical similarities which reflect their views in†¦show more content†¦Ovid’s Metamorphoses, tells of â€Å"The creator of the universe, originator of a better world, fashioned him from divine seed, or earth, . . . mixed with rain water by Prometheus, son of Iapetus, and fashioned by him into the likeness of the gods† (Ovid Metamorphoses I. 76-88). Prometheus is the creator in this account, and his method of creation resembles that of the Book of Genesis. God creates man in his Garden of Eden in the same fashion. God forms man out of the earth, just as Prometheus does. The two myths become even more alike when the reader finds that Athena breathes life into Prometheus’ man, just as God breathes life into Adam. When comparing these myths, it is quite apparent that the civilizations have similar views; both show strong ties to the idea that man thought it was created from the earth and made in the image of the gods. After the creation of man, life went on, but all was not well. Both Hesiod and Genesis reveal that an evil was introduced into the world. This evil was woman. Hesiod saw women as the root of evil. This is clearly seen in his Theogony when he reveals â€Å"He had fashioned the beautiful evil in recompense for the blessing of fire . . . For from her came the race of the female sex, the ruinous tribe of women†(Hesiod Theogony 585-595). This excerpt shows that even before woman was created; they were intended toShow MoreRelatedThe Myth Of The Universe1565 Words   |  7 Pagestold of how the world began, these stories are known as creation stories or creation myths. Creation myths can give those reading them a better understanding of the values within the culture that they were created. 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