Creation myths: 02/23/2021

 Science is known as the study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world. Before there were researchers, there were believers who had ideas of how space and time were created. I will be going over the 5 myth groups and compare them to modern day science, along with the big bang.

The Big Bang: Scientists say the big bang created the universe. It is said that the universe was created out of nothing and began by expansion, not explosion. The universe appeared and began to expand rapidly starting as a single hot and dense point in space. As it expanded it lost density and started to cool down, eventually forming protons, neutrons and electrons. Once the temperature cooled enough electrons began to combine with nuclei creating neutral atoms and isotopes of hydrogen. After millions of years hydrogen gas started to clump together and were put under pressure by gravity. Stars and galaxies began to form and their radiation dissolved the hydrogen gas into a plasma, allowing light to pass through and be seen. This light can still be detected today in the form of radiation. Scientists believe that our solar system was formed by the rotation of gas and dust called the solar nebula. Gravity caused the solar nebula to collapse, and was flattened into a disk shape. At this point some of the matter was pulled to the center eventually creating the sun. 

Ex Nihilo: The phrase Ex Nihilo translates to out of nothing, this was believed by many cultures. The idea was that a particular God created the universe out of nothing. The Kuba people of Central Africa believed this God to be Mbombo. They believed that before the universe was created land and water were already present. Legend says that one day Mbombo was overcome with illness and began to vomit. He eventually threw up the sun, stars, and the moon. The sun began to evaporate the water and created the sky, clouds, and land. Shortly after Mbombo became ill again and released all of the animals on the planet. 

Earth Diver: This myth was created by the Iroquois Native Americans. The legend says that before the world was created there was an island in the sky. At the center of the island was a tree that provided light, since there was no sun. On this island lived sky people, here there was no death or illnesses. One day one of the sky women found out she was pregnant with twins. When she told her husband he was angry and ripped out the tree. Out of curiosity the woman looked down to see nothing but water, out of anger her husband pushed her down. At this time animals were already living, and before the woman could reach the water the animals caught her. To help her the animals dove down to retrieve dirt from the bottom of the sea. Once the sky woman received this dirt she put it on the back of a large turtle. As she laid down the dirt land began to grow. She then sprinkled dust into the air creating the moon and the stars, eventually creating the world.  

Emergence: This myth was valued by many cultures, but originates from Native Americans. The legend says that a being lived underneath the earth, and as they moved to the surface they evolved. Once they reached the surface of the earth they would stay in their current form and live on the land. This myth was based on the Native Americans and their struggles to find land to settle on, once they found it they were the person they were meant to be.

Dismemberment of a primordial being: This myth was created in Babylonian culture. The legend says there was a battle between the God’s Tiamat and Marduk. Marduk wins the battle by shooting Tiamat with his arrow, splitting her in two. Marduk used her corpse to create the heavens and the earth. Following this he decides to create human beings, and selects several Gods to rule the parts of the earth.

The cosmic egg: This myth comes from Chinese culture. The legend says that a primordial egg contained a primal being named Pangu. When the egg broke he separated chaos into yin and yang representing creation itself. 

What does science say? :    Some of these ideas line up with scientists current beliefs. For example Ex Nihilo, It is hypothesized that our universe was created out of nothing, and appeared as a small dense point. Although the Kubans say that Mbombo threw up the universe, science says it was the collision of particles that set us on our way. This myth also says that land and water were already here, but it is debated that those things were not created until long after the big bang. Other myths do not align with current scientific research. The creation of the universe was dependent on a specific chain of events, and had no influence from Gods or eggs.