A creation myth (or creation story) is a cultural, traditional or religious myth which describes the earliest beginnings of the present world. Creation myths are the most common form of myth, usually developing first in oral traditions, and are found throughout human culture. A creation myth is usually regarded by those who subscribe to it as conveying profound truths, although not necessarily in a historical or literal sense. They are commonly, although not always, considered cosmogonical myths--that is they describe the ordering of the cosmos from a state of chaos or amorphousness.
The following are common categories used to catalog or compare the various creation myths found throughout the world:
Basic type[]
Creation from chaos[]
- Enûma Eliš
- Greek cosmogonical myth
- Jamshid creation account
- Kumulipo
- Mandé creation myth
- Pangu
- Raven in Creation
- Sumerian creation myth
- Tungusic creation myth
- Unkulunkulu
- Väinämöinen
- Viracocha
Earth diver[]
Emergence[]
Ex nihilo[]
- Debate between sheep and grain
- Barton cylinder
- Ancient Egyptian creation myths
- Christianity and Judaism
- Islam
- Kabezya-Mpungu
- Māori myths
- Mbombo
- Ngai
- Popol Vuh
- Rangi and Papa
World Parent[]
- Coatlicue
- Enûma Eliš
- Greek cosmogonical myth
- Heliopolis creation myth
- Hiranyagarbha creation
- Kumulipo
- Rangi and Papa
- Völuspá
Regional[]
African[]
- Fon creation myth
- Kaang creation story (Bushmen)
- Kintu myth (Bugandan)
- Mandé creation myth
- Mbombo (Kuba, Bakuba or Bushongo/Boshongo)
- Ngai (Kamba, Kikuyu and Maasai )
- Unkulunkulu (Zulu)
- Yoruba creation
American[]
Arctic American[]
Mesoamerican[]
- Coatlicue (Aztec)
- Maya creation of the world myth
- Popol Vuh (Quiché Mayan)
Mid North American[]
- Anishinaabeg creation stories
- Cherokee creation myth
- Choctaw creation
- Creek creation
- Hopi creation
- Kuterastan (Plains Apache)
- Navajo creation story
- Raven in Creation (Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian)
- Zuni creation myth
South American[]
- Legend of Trentren Vilu and Caicai Vilu (Chilean)
- Viracocha (Incan)
Asian[]
Central Asian[]
East Asian[]
- Ainu creation myth (Japan)
- Chinese creation myth
- Dangun creation myth (Korean)
- Izanagi (Japanese)
- Nüwa (Chinese)
- Pangu (Chinese)
- Samseonghyeol legend (Korean)
South Asian[]
- Hiranyagarbha creation (India)
Southeast Asian[]
European[]
- Greek cosmogonical myth
- Pelasgian creation myth (Greek)
- Väinämöinen (Finnish)
- Völuspá (Norse)
Middle Eastern[]
- Debate between sheep and grain
- Ancient Egyptian creation myths
- Enûma Eliš (Babylonian)
- Genesis creation narrative (Hebrew)
- Islamic creation belief (Arabic)
- Mashya and Mashyana (Persian)
- Sumerian creation myth
Pacific Islander/Oceanic[]
- Kumulipo (Hawaiian)
- Māori myths
- Rangi and Papa (Māori)
- Sureq Galigo (Buginese)
References[]
- Leeming, David Adams; Leeming, Margaret Adams (1994). Encyclopedia of Creation Myths (2nd ed.). ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0874367393.
- Leeming, David Adams; Leeming, Margaret Adams (2009). A Dictionary of Creation Myths (Oxford Reference Online ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195102754.
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