Creation Myth

Maysa Nameth

English 5/6-3rd hour

Creation Myth

In the beginning…

There was only water and bare, empty land. In the center of this nothingness was a great mountain. This mountain stood tall and proud and it reached all the way into the heavens. At the very top of this mountain lived a pair of every kind of animal. In the center of this heaven grew a tree. This tree was not just any tree, it was the sacred tree of life, and it was not to be harmed in any way.

Among the diverse group of animals was a pair of giraffes. The female giraffe had grown tired of eating the same old leaves and fruits. Being strong-willed and stubborn she decided that she just had to try a fruit from the sacred tree. She convinced her husband to accompany her and to be one of the first ones to taste this great, unknown fruit. Reluctantly her vacillating husband agrees. He tells himself that the consequences couldn’t be that bad, after all its only a tree.

The pair reach the tree and begin to devour the delicious fruits. As they ate, they were oblivious to the great winds that had begun to blow. The winds continued to pick up speed and then with one strong gust every pair of animals is blown right off the mountain to the bare lands below.

All the Animals are bewildered as they try to figure out what caused this. Finally the giraffes step forward admit to their part in the dilemma and take they blame. The animals are furious, but being sensible put aside their anger and decide to deal with the situation on hand. All the animals agree that they need a leader. The most skillful builders gather together and from the dirt and clay they build a figure with double of everything…4 eyes, 2 noses, 2 mouths, 4 legs. Hoping that the Great One will grant them this one request they go to sleep that night.

When they Awake in the morning they find that they clay figure has come to life. That day this human proves to be very helpful and creates a wonderful paradise out of the barren land. That night there is another great storm. The man is stuck my lightening. He isn’t killed but he is split in half. This other half is slightly different from him and is therefore called a woman.

The land and life is flourishing. All the animals and both the man and woman are quite content. In the spring that woman births a baby boy. Nine months later she has another child, a girl. The brother and sister got along very well. They were the best of friends and did everything together. One day the girl convinces her brother to go with her to the great mountain and climb up to the heavens. The boy is against the idea, since the heavens were forbidden to visit ever since the banishment, but she finally persuades him to come. The reach the heavens and there stands the Great One. He tells them of his plans. That he had planned to give the animal and human life another chance, and to let them re-enter the heavens. This chance was never to be given though; the two children had lost it.

The children go back to the lands. The brother is mad at the sister and blames her for the loss of chances. Over the months he grows viler towards her until one day he comes to the conclusion that he has to kill her. Not much later after he came to this decision he attempts to end her life in a field. The Great One, who had not completely abandoned what he has created, sees all this and strikes the boy with a bolt of lightening so strong it sends him clear under the earth and sets fire to his surroundings.

The Great One brings the girl up to stay with him in the heavens. All who are full of good acquire wings upon their death and float up to the heavens. All who are evil and nefarious are banished from the earth and heavens and sink down below the earth and join the brother in eternal misery.