Greek Orthodox Christianity believes in the teachings of the Logos- the Bible- the written Word of Jehovah that describes where everything came from. In this, the creation of the universe is viewed as a mystery with the origin from the sovereign God in the presence of the Holy Trinity.
All through the Logo, there are rituals which the Greek Orthodox Christianity follows. There are however some creation myths which do explain the origin of the whole universe illustrating on how to appreciate the whole universe. This discussion therefore, is inclusive of the relationship between Greek Orthodox Christianity rituals and the creation myths.
To begin with, the Greek Orthodox ritual which took place in Egypt where the children of Israel had been enslaved for four hundred years has some relationship in the creation myths. On the mythical point of view, it is regarded as the new era after a dodgy interruption between the Israelites and the nature on their harmony where the Israelites represent a society.
The situation played a part of the creation quality. It marked the end of the suffering of the Israelites while the Egyptians were left agonizing for the deaths of their firstborns. A myth is created from this episode on morns and celebrates of the New Year of the Apophis serpent. On the morns, the serpent is defeated but on celebrates, there is opening of the yearly cycle. The New Year creation myth can be integrated on the coronation by the king ([1]).
There is also a poetic creation in form of a myth which relate to the Greek Orthodox Christianity rituals. The Logos used in Christianity is divided into two- the old and the new testament- where the Edda poem has also two manuscripts. The poem is all about the Seeress’s Prophecy which is referred as sacred text.
The poem starts by illustrating how the earth was created; an act carried by Odin just the way God presented in the Orthodox Christianity performed the first ritual of creating the earth as it is represented in the Logo. After the creation of the earth in the Christian teachings, the light was them created thus distinguishing the day and the night which relates to the time created in the poetic myth in verse 6 immediately after the earth creation by Odin.
When man (both man and woman) was created according to Christian teaching, he therefore sinned against God of which the woman sinned first which relates to the war between the magician woman and Vanir in the poem. The Christian ritual of the last judgment also relates to the creation myth in the poem on the mysterious figure which occurs towards the end of the poem in verse 65 where it is signaled ([2]).
The Greek Orthodox Christianity believed practice which took place in the Garden of Aden has also some relationship with creation myth. One myth of the Snorri represents the farmers’ land which is the Garden of Aden in relation to Logos and the sailor’s horizon which relates to heaven on Christian teaching.
The Asgaror where the World tree is, relates to the middle tree in the Garden of Aden. In this myth Snorri attempts to bring about a relationship between the Bible- Logo- and the antiquity. The Christian prayer practice as a common ritual enriched the Snorri creation myth where he illustrates the blessing of food and drinks by the chieftain. In his myth there is also a sacrificial feast which relate to Jesus Christ crucifixion, the Greek Orthodox Christianity ritual that has a lot to be remembered and rejoiced ([3]).
The believed Christian rituals in relation to the Orthodox teachings on the Bible present in the Covenant Book, relates to creation of the cult myth. There were rituals which the Israelites were to perform when they moved from the land of Egypt to the Promised Land Canaan. One of these rituals was the Passover which took place during the night of their deliverance from slavery, the Pentecost festival and Tabernacle festival a ritual carried out by the priest.
These rituals brought about the cult myths which were not supposed to bring about the historical perspective of the events of the Israelites but on the Babylonian perspective on myths. The entire function of the cult myth was to authenticate the covenant which was made between the Israel and God in their relationship. There is use of magical potency in the myth to present the ritual activities. The salvation of the Israel relates to the description in the cult myth as a means to enhance continuity on the moral force ([4]).
The origin of the Bible which the Greek Orthodox Christianity back on as the moral book brings about myths creation by the Semitic people. One of the Semitic myths can be explained using the Christian rituals which involve sacrifice and priesthood. In their explanations, they illustrate the kind of the assumption which was made by them that wrote the New Testament to support their arguments.
The myths explain that the origins of the sacrifices in the rationality aspects were never fully explained. In this, sacrifices are therefore viewed as the universal rituals rather than the Christian doctrinal ritual but the fact is based on the performance of these Christian rituals that led to these myths explanations. The Semitic origin is therefore one of the important aspect used in the explanation of the origin of the Bible in the myths ([5]).
Frazer’s myths are as a result of what is believed in the Bible. The Greek Orthodox Christianity believes in Jehovah who is the King at the same time the Priest thus bringing a relationship on the priest-king of the Italian myth. The act of Jehovah visiting Adam in the garden of Heaven where He notices that he had already eaten the tree of life found in the middle of the Garden of Aden relates this myth.
The Garden of Aden relate to the sacred grove where a desolate body prowled in the evening checking on the tree that was found there. Jehovah has power to give life and at the same time He has power to take it away, acts which relate to the priest who was also a murderer in the myth ([6]). There is also presentation of the death of the vegetation in Frazer’s myth as well as the resurrection of the same which relates to the Christian ritual on the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus.
Christians always teach on the ritual that led to the hatred between two sons who belonged to the same parents- Esau and Jacob. Rebecca their mother was the one full responsible of the hatred through her canning plan; Jacob who was young received the blessing from their father Isaac which was supposed to go to his brother Esau.
In anger of Esau being denied his rightful position to inherit the properties, hatred came in between. This is well illustrated in the myth by Frazer, where he illustrates a man with two sons given birth to him by the wife became rivals as they fought for position and possessions. In the myth the wife is blamed for the dangerous propagation of the man’s personality ([7]).
In conclusion, it is well evidenced from the above discussion that Greek Orthodox Christianity rituals led to the creation myths thus portraying a high level of relationship. Greeks used myths as one way of making the sense in what they viewed as the disorder events, thus attempting ways in which they could put order.
These myths carried out the explanations on the reasons why things took place in the universe. The myths have however led to the birth of the philosophy. Christian rituals at the same time contain significant messages that explain more on life more so in the entire society. Myths are also believed to carry the same function.
The Bible has however many similarities with the mythology therefore a question of weight portrayed in it. In as much as Christians may not have ways to prove the actual relevance, they strongly believe in it and all the rituals contained there, a challenge posed by the Semitic myth on the origin of the Bible.
Some of the Greeks mythologies have however changed so as to fit in the Greek Orthodox Christianity. Nevertheless, myths should never be viewed as the way of escaping from reality but in one way or another they bring deeper appreciative of human intelligence.
Bibliography
Gluckman, Max. Order and Rebellion in Tribal Africa. London: Cohen and West, 1963.
Hooke, S. H. Middle Eastern Mythology. London: Cohen and West, 1963.
Kluckhohn Clyde. ‘Myths and Rituals: a General Theory’, in The Myth and Ritual Theory; an Anthology, ed. Robert A. Segal, 180-189. New York: Blackwell Publishers, 1998.
Larrington, Carolyne. The Poetic Edda. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
Sawyer, Peter. The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Smith, William Robertson. Religion of the Semites. London: Adam and Charles Black, 1894.
Footnotes
- . Clyde Kluckhohn “Myths and Rituals: a General Theory”, in The Myth and Ritual Theory; an Anthology, ed. Robert A. Segal (New York: Blackwell Publishers, 1998), 180.
- . Carolyne Larrington, The Poetic Edda ( New York: Oxford University Press, 1999), 4-13.
- . Peter Sawyer, The Oxford Illustrated History of the Viking (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), 202-224.
- . S. H. Hooke, Middle Eastern Mythology ( London: Cohen and West, 1963),13.
- . William Robertson Smith, Religion of the Semite (London: Adam and Charles Black, 1894), 4.
- . Max Gluckman, Order and Rebellion in Tribal Africa ( London: Cohen and West, 1963), 10
- . Max Gluckman, Order and Rebellion in Tribal Africa (London: Cohen and West, 1963),116.