Creation Myths of the World

Different countries from all over the world have varied sets of beliefs about the creation of the world. Every culture has a different story to tell about the world's creation. Creation myths of the world are largely based on some common ideas. One of them is that the world evolved by means of fractional process of things around.

Another creation myth of the world says that land emerged from an ocean leading to the creation of the world. Some believe that world's creation was the result of the separation of father and mother Gods while others say that the world emerged out of nothing.

Different religions have their ways of saying how the world emerged. Today 95% of us believe in the concept of a creator who was a key player in the world's creation. Science has its theories about the creation of the world but we tend to go with our heart and feel that science cannot explain everything!

Bakuba's creation narrative says that before the world was created, the Earth was just water and darkness. Mbombo ruled the Earth. Once he vomited due to pain in his stomach. He vomited the sun, the moon and the stars. Water evaporated to form clouds. When he vomited again, animals, people and many other things were created.

In the Voodoo religion, it is said that Damballah created the waters. He was a serpent. He moved his coils thus creating the hills and the valleys. It was due to him that stars and planets emerged in the heavens. He created metals on Earth and brought about the creation of rocks. He had created the waters and the Sun. The Sun, on shining on the waters, created the rainbow. Damballah fell in love with the rainbow's beauty and made it his wife! His wife is believed to function as a protector of space.

According to the Maasai of Kenya, a Creator created the world. The creator deity gave the first father of Maasai, a stick. He used it to herd animals. The first father of Kikuyu received a hoe, which he used to farm the ground. The deity gave a bow and arrow to the first father of Kamba, who used it to hunt.

Finns of Europe believe that the world was created from an egg. Their creation myth says that a bird was flying over the sea, searching for a place to lay her eggs. Her search ended in something that might have been a boat, an island or a floating being. The place proved to be unsuitable for the nest when a wave broke the eggs. The eggs shattered but weren't wasted. The upper part of the eggshells formed the sky, the lower ones formed the land and the yolk transformed into the Sun.

Iroquois creation myth says that an island that housed human life, floated in the sky. People were always happy. Once, a woman conceived. She told this to her husband He got furious and tore apart a tree that stood at the center of their island. His act created a big hole. The woman bent and saw water through the hole.

Her husband pushed her and down she fell! Two birds saved her by swiftly lifting her on their wings. In order to help her, many animals dived into the waters. All failed except for a toad that brought out mud. The animals placed the mud on the back of a turtle.

The mud grew to become a huge mass of land. The woman stepped on the land, created the moon and the stars. She gave birth to twins, who later populated the Earth by their creations. Believers of this myth respect animals because they helped the woman who created the world.

The Jains do not believe that the universe was created. They do not think that it will ever end. They think their religion will cease to exist during a downward cycle of the world and be reinvented during an upward swing of time.

According to the Muslims' idea of the creation of the world, God created earth, water and other living beings. He made a man out of clay, sand, earth and water. He poured life into the man, called him Adam and took him to paradise. He made all the beings bow before Adam but just one of them refused. It was this evil one, who tempted Adam and Eve to disobey God. The pair was hence sent on Earth.

The Hindu philosophy owes the existence of the world to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Brahma is the creator; Shiva is the destroyer while Vishnu looks after the world. Hindus believe that the universe originated from the sound 'Om'. Hinduism believes that God takes care of the world externally and resides in each of his creations.

Christians and Jews relate a creation myth according to which God created Earth and Heaven. He created light, water and other living beings. On the sixth day of the process, he created human beings. Satisfied with his creation, God rested on the seventh day.

Different religions follow different creation myths. Each of the religions believes in its own theory of how the world was created. Some have citations in their ancient literature of how the universe came into being. You might believe in one of these myths or might have your own story about the creation of the world.

Whatever be the creation myth of the world, I prefer to just be thankful to that process, which led to the world's creation and brought life on Earth. I am grateful to the creator of the world we live in. Now that it has already been created, what's left for us to do is to make it a beautiful place to live in!