We’ve all got to start somewhere.
Necessities
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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.
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
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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.
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The Creation myth should define the
roles of men, women, animals, and
possibly interrelations with other
cultures.
Necessities Part 4
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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
Part 5
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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.
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
Primordial Soup
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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.
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
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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 (34:4-5) 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
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 like…creation via
bodily fluids.
 Very focused on the ‘divinity’ of life
fluids.
 Creator’s 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 creator’s
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…”
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Hebrew, Christian, Mayan, Navajo
Trial and Error
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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.
Earth Diver
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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 creator’s 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.
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 beginningless 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:
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Character archetypes.
 Look for common character/deity roles.
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Numbers as symbols.
 Often Creation myths use numerology relevant
to the culture.
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Anima/animus roles
 Male/Female gender roles/expectations defined.
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Cultural and moral values
 The ‘folk’ portions of the myths. Local
instruction and behavior.
Your Culture
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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.
Your Culture’s Creation Myth
Establish the state of existence precreation.
 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.
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