Introduction
Etiological myths are stories that try to provide an insight or a mythological explanation on events or customs that have an origin but has long been forgotten. There are myths that try to define the very origin of thunder. These kinds of creation myths are a symbolic narrative way of trying to define genesis. Such myths as the American Gods, Native American Folklore, and Hesiod’s Theology go beyond the simple etiological myths.
Creation of the world and its organization is understood differently in every society. Creation myths are etiological as they try to explain the origin of the world. Birth stories of humans are identified through explications such as the creations stories. They distinguish reality in terms of primary and relative. They also act to distinguish from the being and the non-being. They do serve a philosophy of life but they at times go beyond simple etiological myths. This is to mean that they express and convey through symbolism in terms of rites, life and phenomena other than using systematic reasoning. Humanity can be framed through time and purpose.
Looking at the three kinds of etiological myths, American Gods, Native American Folklore, and Hesiod’s Theology, they go beyond to explain the origin of thunder. All these myths they bring the world into being through narrative and dramatic means. Further more they deal with matters that are only metaphorical in that they talk about one thing in terms of being another. In this was they bring out the being of something that did not exist before. It therefore goes that only through the invocation of potential presences and negating those potential presences does the absences being to be or is established. For these myths to be we have to tell the story in order to establish the fact. The creation myths according to Dictionary of Myths (1994) identifies that there are five main qualifications through which these myths come to be.
Chaos
This is the existence of things through primal chaos of which is a state of disorder. Primal chaos often happened to be gigantic expanse of water though which creation began. Some other Native American groups like the Hopi and the Zuni believed that the creation of the universe began from emergence from the earth (Pope 206).
This is creation from nothingness or what can be better termed as ex nihilo. From the point of Hesiod’s Theogony, it deals more with the creation of the gods or how they came into being. The cosmic order comes from “Chaos,” which is Greek for “abyss” or “gap.” After this abyss, three more first powers “come into being” which are mainly Gai or earth, Tartaros which the dark areas under the earth described in lines 720-750 and Eros which means desire. At first earth does not require the sky for her to reproduce as she desires no love and joy for the sky. Division later becomes part of the world when the two mate. Through this kind of separation or division, there are different kinds of humans who are created. They differ in the cases of variety and complexity. Unions, marriages, births and even separations have resulted to theogony, which in other term is the beginning of t he world. Further through the reading of the book there are various kinds of unions that are encountered. Others include births and separation.
Creation from cosmic egg or the primal maternal mould
This is the creation of the world or universe from things that exist or are just there in a state that is unexplainable. This case is well depicted in the thunderbird myths as the gods of thunder, lightning and storms. In the Native American the use of thunderbird is very legendary. They consider it a supernatural bird that has power and strength as it is believed that it can direct the wind and thunder. The Thunderbird among many other related gods rules the thunder, lightning and storms. Thunder and wind is believed to have been caused by its eyes and wings. Through its methods of feeding it searches for insects by cutting open trees and it can also feed on large animals as the whales among others. The inhabitants of Algonquian believe Thunderbirds are ancestors of the human race and they took part in establishment of the world. The tribe of Shawnee believes that these kinds of god birds could make an appearance in the form of young boys with the ability to communicate in a backward manner. Other Native American cultures have myths that show the existence of thunderbirds that offer protection to an egg. This egg is believed to have hatched into other variety and kinds of birds (Steer 19).
Lakota Sioux believe that the thunderbird created the humans and populated it with the presence of humans. Another thunderbird, Unktehi, wanted to drown the people thinking that they were a kind of insect species. As a result the people retreated to the high mountains to ask the Thunderbird Wakan Tanka to save them. In the course of the fighting between the two gods Wakan Tanka sent lightning to the world that caused a crack that drained the water thus saving humanity.
Crypto- zoologists believe that these birds could be the avian. Avian reside in America and are large enough to fit the description of these thunderbirds. They feed on flesh and it could be the reason why many of the cultures in Native America believe that they carried off children to feed on them. On this note it goes to prove how creation myths go beyond simple etiological myths.
Creation from a process of earth-diving
The American Gods myth shows instances where there are visits to the underground. It is believed in the myths that people with given powers that were also termed as gods could travel to the underworld for missions. In other Native American myths they believe the origin of man was from as a result of the mating of a pair of parents. As believed by the Maori of New Zealand who believed that the mating of the mother earth and father sky who were cosmic was the resulting of the creation. Creation or genesis of the world and even people could originate from thoughts and desires of supreme creatures or gods. This is well shown in the book of Genesis and other accounts of creation can be found in many religions these days (Jahnke 27).
Creation from several stages of emergence from other worlds
At other times myths depict the theme of sacrifice which is seen in myths from the native America. Creation by the gods could involve mixing of different substances. It could also include the gods giving their blood for the creation of human beings. In the concept of the supreme beings having the intentions of human creation, the religion myths depict that God created man out of dirt and breathed into him life. It also goes to say that the earth and the heavens were created for the desire of God to have a residing place for man and the animals he created. The heaven and the earth according to the tribe of Enuma Elish believe that there was a waging war between two gods. God Marduk had worn the battle by cutting up goddess Tiamat. From the two pieces in which the goddess was cut into represents the earth and heavens. In this case the myth can be said to be classified under creation from several stages of its emergence.
Conclusion
Myths have been in existences since time immemorial and they try to give explanations as to why things are the way they are. They try to give a genesis to issues in relation to the creation of gods, man, and the universe. They also try to humanize forces within the universe such as lightning, thunders and storms. All in all these myths though giving a philosophical view of point they use metaphorical sayings through depicting one thing as another, they at times go beyond simple etiological myths as clearly shown in instances where birds are believed to have fed on children. In other cases the birds are believed to have fed on as large animals as the whales. In presence practicality, there is no bird large enough to carry off a whale. The myths give the existence of things but not others. In such a case they do not explain the origin of the gods such as the thunderbirds or even the genesis of the egg that the four birds were guarding. They communicate through symbolism other than using systematic reasoning.
There are themes depicted in most myths which include imperfection, tension between opposing forces and separation. Titans are gods within the Greek myths. In the myths there are a lot of forces that oppose each other. There are also instances where parents are in war with their children.
References
Jahnke, Robert. Creation Stories. Ellerslie: Shortland Publications, 1984.
Pope, Rob. Creativity: theory, history, practice. New York: Routledge, 2005.
Steer, Dugald. Mythology. London: Templar, 2007.