Tuesday, October 15, 2019
The Iroquois myth Essay Example for Free
The Iroquois myth Essay Throughout time there have been many myths about creation and the balance of good and evil in the world. Examining an Iroquios, Penobscot, and Christian myth there are striking similarities. By taking a look at the beliefs behind these myths we are also taking a look at how people have viewed creation, the balance of good and evil, and human sacrifice over time. The Iroquois myth, â€Å"Skywoman†, shares beliefs about the creation of the world. It first speaks of the heavens above and the miraculous conception of Skywoman.  Skywomen’s father is the first to die in this world and she in only able to be consoled by visiting his body or grave. Father’s spirit tells her to take a dangerous journey to the village of her soon to be husband. Once there she, like her mother, becomes pregnant without having intercourse. Her husband becomes extremely jealous and kicks her through a hole to the next world. She is saved by flying ducks and a turtle and gives birth to a daughter. This daughter grows and becomes pregnant with twin boys to the spirit of the turtle. The boys symbolize the beginning of good and evil. The evil twin kills his mother in birth. The grandmother believes the good twin killed her daughter and he is exiled from their home. The good twin creates a new world consisting of mortal humans, straight rivers, edible plants, and animals who sacrifice themselves for human consumption. The bad twin does everything he can to make life hard for the humans including making maize hard so it has to be ground before it can be eaten, making some animals predators to humans, and making rolling hills and winding rivers to make travel harder.            The Penobscot myth is also about creation. In this myth the people are born from the elements of the earth; the man is born from the ocean, â€Å"the foam of the wave†and his wife is born â€Å"because a drop of dew fell on a leaf and is warmed by the sun.† The husband and wife have children, who have children, and the people survive by hunting. One day the animals are gone and the family is starving. The wife tells her husband that she must be sacrificed if the family is to survive. She gives him specific instructions and she is sacrificed. Her body is used to nourish the land and after seven moons there are edible plants and tobacco at her resting place.            There are many myths throughout the world and throughout history about the creation of the world as we know it. It is interesting that so often these myths from many different cultures and religions have similar ideas. I find one of the most common stories of creation to be that of Christian nature with the story of Adam and Eve. In this story Adam and Eve are living in the Garden of Eden, a pure world. In this world there is no shame and plenty of food and water.  The world as we know it comes to an end when the evil snake steps in and creates temptation. Thus the world as we know it is now is created with good and evil both playing a role.            I find it fascinating that across time, oceans, and cultural boundaries people have had such similar ideas about creation, the presence of good and evil in the world, and sacrifice. In many myths about creation the world is created from heaven and hell, or in the case of the Iroquois myth from the sky world and the underworld, or from the earth as seen in the Penobscot myth. In the Iroquois and Christian myth there is always a struggle to find the balance between good and evil, the Iroquois twins or the snake tempting Adam. There is also the reoccurring theme of sacrifice. In the Iroquois myth the twins’ mother was sacrificed at birth.  The animals in this myth originally offered to be sacrificed for human consumption. The first mother sacrificed herself in the Pencobost myth to the earth and to create food for her children. I believe that it has been known for quite a while that once these necessities are fulfilled then we can move on to fulfill our psychological needs such as acceptance and love. Human nature crosses generations upon generations of people. In essence I feel that people have always known what they need and want out of life. The balance of good and evil comes into play because of the ways of which people choose to go about obtaining their wants and needs.
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