Creation Myths

1. Creation Myths Mr. Shulist Language Arts 8

2. A Creation Myth… Is a story that ancient people wrote to explain how and why the world and its people and animals came to be. Why do you think ancient peoples wanted to have an explanation for the world around them?

3. What is the scientific explanation for the creation of the universe? What information do we now have that our ancestors did not?

4. Oral Tradition Before a system of writing was developed, people relied on an oral tradition to pass information down through generations. This was a way of making sure that the beliefs of a culture stayed alive over time. It is because of this that we have access to many ancient myths today.

5. Shared Features Many creation myths, regardless of where they come from, share certain elements. A “primeval” abyss, usually open water or empty space, out of which the first things emerged An “originator deity”, the one who is responsible for the creation of the world, is either awakened or emerges from the abyss Man being formed from a part of the deity's body. A “fall from grace”, meaning that man messes up and God has to punish him in a way that explains why we are the way we are now.

6. Didactic purpose Many myths and folktales contain a didactic purpose, meaning that they are meant to teach some valuable lesson or convey a message about how to live. Why would stories be an effective way of teaching “the rules” to children?

7. Read and Compare Cherokee Creation Myth and Summary of Genesis

8. HOMEWORK: • Write your own creation myth that explains the origins of our world. • Be sure that you include at least TWO of the FOUR shared features that we discussed earlier. • Your story should be approximately ½  1 page typed / double-spaced. • This is your first writing assignment for my class, so I will be using it as a “baseline” evaluation. I expect you to do your best and to put full effort into each of the 6 traits of writing: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)