KAM African Creation Narratives

African Creation Narratives


Depiction of

The following is a summary of the Encarta Encyclopedia's definition of Creation Narratives. Creation Stories are generally myths that explain the origin of the universe, or cosmos. Creation forms one of the principal themes of mythology throughout the world. Most creation stories assume the eternity of matter or even of the world itself. Creation mythologies explain the actual formation of the world by a variety of processes. These processes include the sacrifice of a primal being; a struggle between supernatural powers; the union or fusion of elements, particularly water and earth; the incubation of a cosmic egg; and the utterance of a divine word. Mythologies also frequently include the creation of a pantheon of related gods. Many creation myths focus on the idea that primal elements were made distinct from one another during the act of creation-for instance, the separation of light from darkness. In others, the raw material for making the world derives from a specific source, such as mud or a primordial being. Cosmogonic myths generally culminate in the creation of humankind, after which the mythic cosmos comes to resemble the world of human experience. In mythic history, the earliest era of the world is usually the closest to perfection-a Golden Age or Garden of Eden-with later phases showing the progressive degeneration of the world as it grows distant from the original creative impulse. The earliest human beings are often thought to have been of extraordinary stature and longevity and to have been much closer to the gods than are present-day human beings. While one cannot take Creation myths literally, as they tend to have various accounts, one can look to Creation myths to offer the particular ideology of a people. Listed below are links to various African Creation theories and some of their relationships.

Iyadola's Babies

Comparison of Four African Creation Myths

Themes In African Creation Stories

African Creation Stories- Willow Klitz

African Creation Stories- Ileana Fernandez

African Mythological Commonalities

Mande and Yoruban Creation Stories

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