Book Of Shadows: Book Of Myths

By Grant Boyden

Have you ever wondered how we came to be?

Well, each culture has their own version of how we arrived on this planet. The Book of Shadows series continues with a look at some of the better know creation myths from around the world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Grant Boyden
• Release date: Aug 5, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476401133

Grant Boyden

Grant Boyden has worked in the broadcasting industry for over 25 years and lives in Sydney Australia. For most of that time, he has worked as a Motorsport Commentator and a Television and Radio host for a variety of Networks including shows produced for Channel 7, 9, 10, SBS and Foxtel. Grant has won multiple awards in radio for “Special Broadcasts” in the sporting field including the VRC Derby Award. He also hosted and published the web site, Inside The Author, where he interviewed top selling authors from around the world about their motivation and reasoning behind their work. Grant is studying his Diploma in Earth Science and is a qualified Freelance Journalist. Grant is a full time host at Sky Racing in Australia and still commentates on motorsport around the world.

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Creation Myths from Around the World

Man has always questioned how the Earth, the Universe, and all the creatures came to be. Every culture and religion has his or her own view. Some argue about the big bang theory. Some say we have evolved from different species, and some use spiritual explanations. Here are a few I have found on the Internet and books.

It’s always difficult to determine what is the core belief of each of these myths and traditions but here is the best that I could come up with in my studies.

I find it truly fascinating how so many of these theories can be simular in some parts and others so far removed from what others suggest.

Enjoy a short but hopefully informative trip through some of the worlds most popular creation theories.

Greek Creation Myth

The Coming Of the Gods

At first there was Chaos -- a vast seething confusion. there were no limits

or bounds in the world, there was no plan or outline. It was all a tremendous disorder, but in it were hidden all things that now exist.

Gradually after a long lapse of ages, Chaos ceased to be mere darkness and confusion. It resolved itself into two great beings, two majestic deities -

Gaea or Mother Earth and Uranus, or the Over hanging Heavens. But a constant memory of Chaos remained and still remains in Night, the mysterious darkness in which chaos lived. From the marriage of Gaea and Uranus many children were born. Some of the children were very beautiful; others were terrifying monsters. The former were called Titans. They were twelve in number and of great size and strength; like men only much grander.

Among the most famous of them were Oceanus and Tethys, who ruled the sea; Hyperion and Thea, deities of the sun and moon; Rhea, later known as the Great Mother; Themis, guardian of law and justice; Mnemosyne, goddess of memory, and Cronus the youngest and most powerful of all. The monsters born to Gaea and Uranus were of two kinds. three of them had each a hundred hands. Three others had each only one eye. The former were called Hecatoncheires, the latter Cyclopes.

Now Uranus hated all his children, but above all he hated the six monsters

and he therefore confined them to the lower regions of the Earth called Tartarus. Mother Earth, to whom none of her brood was hateful, was angry at

the imprisonment of her six children, and she called upon the Titans to help

her against their father. None would help her except Cronus (whom the Romans held to be the same as their Saturn). He took a sharp sickle and slew his father. From the blood of Uranus sprang the giants, more like men than gods, who wore the skins of wild beasts, and who were fierce fighters. From his blood sprang too, the Furies, or Eumenides, whose hair was writhing serpents. Having overthrown his father, Cronus seized the rule of the world. He took Rhea to be his wife, and divided his empire among his fellow Titans. But his own reign came in time to an end. He feared that a fate similar to that of his father would overtake him, so he swallowed each of his children as it was

born -- three daughters, Vesta, Ceres and Juno; and three sons Pluto, Neptune and Jupiter. At least he thought he had swallowed Jupiter, but when it came to their youngest Rhea cunningly substituted a stone in place of the infant.

Jupiter was secretly conveyed to the isle of Crete, and there the nymphs Ida and Adrastes fed him on the milk of the goat Amalthaea. When Jupiter attained full growth and strength, he resolved to conquer Cronus. With the aid of Gaea he managed to make Cronus disgorge the five deities he had swallowed; and then with the help of these he made war on the ancient god.

On the side of Cronus were ranged almost all the Titans; on the side of

Jupiter were not only his brothers and sisters, but also the hundred handed and the one eyed monsters who Cronus like Uranus, had confined in Tartarus.

When the Cyclpoes, in gratitude for their release by Jupiter, forged for him the thunderbolt and the lightening. The Hecatoncheires, on the other hand, provided him with the shock of earthquakes as a weapon.

One mountain stood the old gods, on another the young gods. For ages war lasted, and every time a battle took place the whole earth shook with the tread of the divine warriors and the air resounded with their tremendous battle cries. Jupiter hurled thunderbolt upon thunderbolt. The forests burst into flames, the rivers boiled and the skies were very scorched. At last the Titans could withstand the might of Jupiter no longer. They were hurled in fire from their mountain stronghold. The young gods pursued and overcame them. Most of the Titans were confined to tartarus. The son of one of them, Atlas, was assigned the task of bearing the world on his shoulders forever. Another Titans two sons, Prometheus and Epimetheus, who has refused to take arms against Jupiter, likewise escaped imprisonment; and for a time Prometheus was the chief adviser of Jupiter. Now the gods divided the world among themselves. To Jupiter (Greek: Zeus, also called Jove by Romans) was given the overlordship of gods and men, and he was to rule as king on their mountain stronghold, Mount Olympus. As his queen Jupiter chose Juno

(greek:Hera). Neptune (Greek: Poseidon) was assigned government of the ocean. To Pluto (sometimes called Hades) went sway of the underworld. Vests (Greek: Hestia) became goddess of hearth and home, Ceres (Greek: Demeter) goddess of Agriculture.

Aboriginal Creation Myths

I.YHI [SUN GODDESS] BRINGS LIFE TO THE WORLD

In the beginning the world lay quiet, in utter darkness. There was no vegetation, no living or moving thing on the bare bones of the mountains. No wind blew across the peaks. There was no sound to break the silence.

The world was not dead. It was asleep, waiting for the soft touch of life and light. Undead things lay asleep in icy caverns in the mountains. Somewhere in the immensity of space Yhi [Sun goddess] stirred in her sleep, waiting for the whisper of Baiame [literally, Great One], the Great Spirit, to come to her.

Then the whisper came, the whisper that woke the world. Sleep fell away from the goddess like a garment falling to her feet. Her eyes opened and the darkness was dispelled by their shining. There were coruscations of light in her body. The endless night fled. The Nullarbor Plain was bathed in a radiance that revealed its sterile wastes.

Yhi [Sun goddess] floated down to earth and began a pilgrimage that took her far to the west, to the east, to north, and south. Where her feet rested on the ground, there the earth leaped in ecstasy. Grass, shrubs, trees, and flowers sprang from it, lifting themselves towards the radiant source of light. Yhi [Sun goddess]'s tracks crossed and recrossed until the whole earth was clothed with vegetation.

Her first joyous task completed, Yhi [Sun goddess], the sun goddess, rested on the Nullarbor Plain, looked around her, and knew that the Great Spirit was pleased with the result of her labour.

The work of creation is well begun, Baiame [literally, Great One] said, but it has only begun. The world is full of beauty, but it needs dancing life to fulfil its destiny. Take your light into the caverns of earth and see what will happen."

Yhi [Sun goddess] rose and made