Creation Myth Compare and Contrast

Usually, creation myths have a lot of similarities and seem to convey the same message. A creation myth is a symbolic narrative of how the world began and how people first came to inhabit it. There are many different creation myths that have been passed down from generation to generation and in “Enuma Elish” “Osiris, Isis and Horus” and “Genesis” you are able to see just how similar they are, but also slight different. One of the first things you will notice in these myths is that they are all based on gods.

Each myth has an evil entity that helps set the myth to tell a story on what happened and to get the message across. Each evil entity plays a big part in the myth and eventually loses the battle to show that good always prevails.

1. Osiris, Isis and Horus - Set was the son of Geb and Nut who chose to be born on the third day. Set was aggressive from the very beginning choosing the time and manner of his birth. Osiris became king of Upper and Lower Egypt. Set wanted to take over the country and established a plan to trick Osiris by showing a beautiful wooden box during the feast.

Set said that anyone who can fit in the box perfectly was able to keep the box – little did everyone know that Set secretly measured the box to fit Osiris. Once Osiris had his turn to fit in the box, it was nailed shut with him inside. They then poured melted lead to make sure that he suffocated. Isis eventually was able to bring Osiris back to life and in the mean time their son, Horus, was born. Horus was born to avenge his father’s death and kill Set. Isis would not allow Horus to kill Set, so they battled each other, and Horus won each time.

2. Enuma Elish – Tiamat was encouraged by her son Kingu to seek revenge her children to avenge the death of Apsu and for creating a fourfold wind that kept them awake and disturbed their bodies. Tiamat created monsters to help her win this battle against the other gods, but they had something else in mind. They made Marduk fight the battle against Tiamat because the others were not strong enough and Marduk was the wisest and strongest of all of the gods. Marduk won the battle against Tiamat and killed her to make the heavens and the earth from her body.

3. Genesis – The evil entity in Genesis is the serpent that convinces Eve to eat the apple off of the tree of wisdom. God specifically told Adam and Eve not to eat this fruit as it was forbidden. Eve gave in and ate the fruit and then had Adam do the same. Because of the serpent, Adam and Eve ate the fruit and they were all punished and put out of the Garden of Eden. As you can see, each myth’s evil entity lost their battle during the story. None of them achieved what they wanted to, which shows that good always overcomes evil, even though there are conflicts raised from it.

Sometimes you have to fight for what you know is right, but eventually, the good always shines. Enuma Elish and Genesis are most similar in a few different ways. With these myths, you are really able to tell that most creation myths are a foundation on the way different cultures are made up. Some of the similarities between Enuma Elish and Genesis are;

1. Both myths imply that there was nothing in the beginning. In Genesis it states, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. ” The myth of Enuma Elish starts by stating “In the beginning, only water and the mist that hovered above it existed. ” As you can see, both myths beginning started with nothing until the Gods created something.

2. The Enuma Elish is recorded on seven tablets where as Genesis states that everything was created in seven days.

3. In both myths, water is divided into upper and lower waters.

Both of these creation myths have a similar beginning as well as a similar plot – they both created human life to worship God and the gods, to serve them. Both had an evil entity in them that tried to cause chaos to the gods. Although I do think that all three myths are very similar, I believe that Enuma Elish is most different from Osiris, Isis and Horus. The difference between the two is shown when it comes to the creation of the world around them. The difference between the two myths is;

1. In Osiris, Isis and Horus doesn’t mention anything about the creation of the heavens, earth, etc. in the beginning.

The myth starts out with the parent’s of Osiris and Isis and the story of how Nut was not allowed to give birth in any month of any year.

2. The beginning of the the Enuma Elish starts out with what all existed and how the waters were split between gods.

Each myth has a lot of similarities as well as differences but they each tell a story on how things were created. All of the myths had gods that tried to do good for the other gods and had an evil entity try to change that. Each of the explained how good will always outweigh evil even though evil is always in the world.

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Creation Myth Compare and Contrast. (2016, Aug 27). Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/creation-myth-compare-and-contrast/

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