Similaitities in different stories

To understand the myths of creation it is important to understand the purpose of myths. A myth was generally a way to explain something happening in nature that could not be explained, such as thunder being caused by God bowling (not a real myth, just something someone made up).

According to PBS, “In Search of Myths And Heroes”, “Myths are stories that are based on tradition. Some may have factual origins, while others are completely fictional” While some myths include moral lessons, some do not and I believe these ones do not.

In the beginning of both “The Epic of Creation “ and “Metamorphosis”  earth, the sky, the ocean etc. existed by had not yet been named. “The Epic of Creation” begins, “When skies above were not yet named” and “Metamorphosis” states, “Before the ocean was or earth or heaven”. This is the introduction of making order out of chaos.

“The Epic of Creation” at first creates order with the birth of more gods, the notes state that “After setting up the primordial order of deities, the poem describes the conflict between old and new generations.” This assigning order would be the creation of order from chaos. In Metamorphosis the order is created when “God, or kindlier Nature, / settled all argument and separated/ Heaven from earth, water from land”.

We can see that it doesn’t take long for conflict to occur. In “Metamorphosis” it occurs because, “These brothers brawl and quarrel; though each one/Has his own quarter”. In “The Epic of Creation “The gods of the new generation would meet together/ And disturb Tiamut.” It is interesting also that in both myths the downfall of orderly existence in the younger generation of gods.  Could this be because in human history it is often the younger generation which is not happy to maintain the status quo?