Deconstructing the Elements of Greek Creation Mythology

Greek Mythology

In my essay I will analyze my chosen creation myth. Then I will compare and contrast other creation myths. I am trying to find a myth that has many similarities to mine, as well as utilize other myths that have differences to mine. I will summarize Greek mythology, then I will tell why the myths that I am comparing and contrasting my myth towards are alike or different from my original myth.

In Greek mythology, the creation starts out like many cultures creation myths do. Although it may start out the same, this myth is actually quite different and a lot more exciting than most myths.

In the beginning there was only chaos. Then Erebus appeared, a space where Death and Night dwell. Love was then born, which brought a start to order. Love then produced Light and Day. Next came Gaea, the Earth. Erebus and Night mated and gave birth to Ether, which was the heavenly light. Night was the one who produced, Doom, Fate, Death, Sleep, Dreams, Nemesis, and all other darkness.

Gaea alone gave birth to Uranus, the heavens. Uranus then became her mate. Together they produced the three Cyclopes, the three Hecatoncheires, and twelve Titans.

But not only was Uranus a bad husband but also a bad father. He hated Hecatoncheires. He hid them in Gaeas womb, and she became angry. The youngest Titan, Cronus and her plotted against Uranus and ambushed him. Cronus castrated his father and threw his severed genitals into the ocean, he either died, withdrew from Earth, or exiled himself to Italy. So Cronus became the next ruler, and married his sister Rhea.

Gaea however prophesied that he would be overthrown by one of his sons. To avoid his overthrowment he swallowed each of his children as they were born. Rhea didn't like this, and finally by the time her sixth child was to be born, she hid herself, and left the child to be raised by nymphs. She wrapped a stone in cloth and gave it to Cronus, he swallowed it thinking it was his child.

This supposed swallowed child was Zeus. He grew into a handsome youth on Crete. He thought of a plan to defeat his father Cronus. He prepared a drink for him that would make him vomit up his children.

Zeus returned to Mount Olympus as Cronuss cup bearer, and slipped Cronus the drink. It worked, and Cronus vomited up his other five children. They were thankful to Zeus and made him their leader.

His father was not yet defeated though. He fought to retain power with the Titans and was wining but Zeus went to Tartarus and freed the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires. The Hecatoncheires ambushed Cronus and the Titans with large boulders. They ran and Zeus was victorious.

Then after his victory came one more battle. Gaea gave birth to one more child Typhoeus, he was fearsome. Zeus flung his lightning bolts and was able to kill it.

Cherokee mythology is very contrasting towards Greek mythology. In Cherokee mythology the earth was already here without an explanation. The earth was covered in water though. There were no Gods either. There were only animals. One day a water beetle went down to see what was under the water. He brought back up a piece of mud. The piece of mud then started to grow and became big land structures. When the land structures dry, a buzzard swoops down and creates valleys and mountains. In general the Chinese creation myth is an egg was the first thing since chaos. Inside the egg was chaos and the first god, Pangu. When the egg broke the universe was split into Yang, heaven, and Yin, Earth. After the breaking Pangu had to hold the heavens from crushing the earth. When he died his body became the animals of the Earth. Then, Nunga who is a human god except for her dragon tail instead of legs, came along and admired the beauty of nature, but wanted more than simple animals. She makes the people. Then another god, Gong-Gong breaks the world only to be fixed again by Nunga.