What are the titles and cultures associated with each excerpt?
“The Song of Creation”, taken from Rig Veda, is associated with Hinduism and their Vedic culture. The Popol Vuh which means “The Epic Creation of Maya” describes the creation of the Earth and all that is in it through Mayan perspective. An African Creation tale retells the creation as seen by the Amazulu tribe, and A Native American Creation Tale is retold by the Mohawk tribe.
Where do both the Rig Veda and the Popl Vuh begin? (How is the beginning described?)
Rig Veda and Popol Vuh both begin their tale of creation before there is nothing. Even this nothingness had no meaning associated with it. They believe that not even the Creator existed, and everything was calm and motionless. No air to stir this nothingness nor water to engulf it. Then how did the existence of everything occur? No one knows, even to this day. Wise men or sages search for the answers.
What element/substance appears in each of the four stories?
According to Rig Veda, the One that breathed windlessly came first, and then everything else was created by the One. Popol Vuh believes that only the sky and a calm sea exist. Amazulu states that Earth already existed, and then a being called Unkulunkulu sprang forth from the bed of reeds. With him, everything else came into existence as well. The Mohawks believe that the Good Spirit named Sat-kon-se-ri-io always existed, and he had created all the living and non-living things before he made man.
Does the Mohawk Tale provide an explanation of what natural phenomena are?
Humans evolved according to the environment they lived in. Those who live in hotter climates have darker skin, and if the climate is colder, then the people exposed to such climates will have lighter skin. This evolution is explained in the Mohawk tale as a clay man left in fire for different durations of time, resulting in a black man, a white man and a Native American man.
What are some similarities between these creation tales and the popular Judeo-Christian creation tale in Genesis?
The similarities between the creation tales and Judeo-Christian creation tales are that the sky and sea were created first. Then the day and night were created, after that came the earth, and then everything else was created. The man came into existence at the very end.
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