Creation Myths

Creation: the beginning of things, whether by the will and act of a transcendent being, by emanation from some ultimate source, or in any other way.

Myths: imaginative expressions in narrative form of what is experienced or apprehended as basic reality. Source: Britannica

Malakas and Maganda - The Philippines

Maganda and Malakas, The Philippines. In the beginning, there was nothing but sea, sky, and a kite bird. The kite bird tired, so she stirred up the sea and sky into a furious battle. The sky threw down boulders, creating islands. The land breeze and the sea breeze had a child, bamboo. Bamboo struck the kite bird accidentally, so the kite attacked the bamboo, pecking until it split open, revealing the first woman and the first man. Maganda, meaning beautiful, and Malakas, meaning strong. Sources on blog.

Original painting available through Saatchi Art. Prints and merch available in shop or through RedBubble or Fine Art America

Eurynome Dances the World Into Existence - The Pelasgians

"Eurynome, the Goddess of All Things, rose naked from Chaos, but found nothing substantial for her feet to rest upon, and therefore divided the sea from the sky, dancing lonely upon its waves. She danced towards the south, and the wind set in motion behind her seemed something new and apart with which to begin a work of creation. Wheeling about, she caught hold of this north wind, rubbed it between her hands, and behold! the great serpent Ophion." --Robert Graves, the Greek Myths.

Read more about Eurynome and the people she created, the Pelasgians, on my blog.

Original painting available through Saatchi Art. Prints, stickers, and other merch available in shop or through RedBubble or Fine Art America.

Sophia and Yaldabaoth - Gnostic Christian, from the Apocryphon of John, among other sources

Sophia and Barbelo in the Pleroma

In the beginning, all was light, in the pleroma. All was balanced. All was full. Barbelo had created a mate for herself. They had created Sophia and Christos. But there was a problem with Sophia. More detail on blog.

Sophia Manifests Yaldabaoth

Sophia (her name means wisdom) could not stay in the pleroma. She needed to know what was outside. So she jumped. It was scary in the darkness. In the pleroma, all was light, fullness, and pure thought. Her fear in the darkness was something entirely new. Outside of the pleroma, her fear took physical form, manifesting as the monster Yaldabaoth. More detail on blog. Original painting available through Saatchi Art. Prints and merch available in shop or through Redbubble and Fine Art America.

Sophia Gives Life and Wisdom to Adam

Sophia tried to hide Yaldabaoth in a cloud, but he escaped and was making mischief. Since he had a small shard of Sophia's power, he was able to make other, lower monsters, the archons. From his cloud, Yaldabaoth could not see the pleroma. In his ignorance, he thought he was God, rather than just a monster, manifested from fear. The Gods became angry with his arrogance, and one revealed a reflection of themself to Yaldabaoth. Immediately jealous, Yaldabaoth tried to recreate the form he had seen. This would become Adam. Yaldabaoth tried and tried to breathe life into Adam, but he could not. Sophia, in an attempt to atone for her creation of the monster, gave life and wisdom to Adam, that he might one day rise up and overthrow Yaldabaoth. More detail on blog. Creation of Adam stickers, prints, and other merch available at Redbubble and Fine Art America.

Adam In the Garden of Eden

Can you find him?

From the Apocryphon of John (written by John the Baptist), "And the archons took him and placed him in paradise. And they said to him, "Eat, that is at leisure," for their luxury is bitter and their beauty is depraved. And their luxury is deception and their trees are godlessness and their fruit is deadly poison and their promise is death."

"But what they call the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which is Epinoia of the light, they stayed in front of it that he (Adam) might not look up to his fullness."

"It is not the way Moses wrote." More detail on blog. Adam in the Garden is available as stickers, prints, and other merch from Redbubble and Fine Art America.

Native American Creation Myths

Tsohaya, Children of the Sun

The Yuchi or Euchee are a Native American tribal nation, who once lived in the eastern Tennessee River Valley. Their language is a linguistic isolate, unique. The remaining members are few, following epidemic disease and forced removal to Oklahoma. Yuchi is the name they are called by outsiders. Their name for themselves, according to Wikipedia, is Tsoyaha or Coyaha, meaning Children of the Sun. According to their mythology, the Tsoyaha "were born from menstrual blood dropped by the Sun as she traveled across the sky." I like this better than Adam and Eve. Sources on blog.

Tsohaya, Children of the Sun original painting available through Saatchi Art. Stickers, prints, and other merch available in shop or through RedBubble or Fine Art America.

Atahensic, Huron Creation Myth

"In the beginning there was only one water and the water animals that lived in it. Then a woman fell from a torn place in the sky. She was a divine woman, full of power. Two loons...saw her falling. They flew under her, close together, making a pillow for her to sit on." From firstpeople.us

Available on Redbubble and Fine Art America. More info in blog.

The loons held Atahensic up and called for help. Snapping Turtle was the first to arrive. She called others. Atahensic needed earth to live on, so Turtle commanded the others to dive down and bring up earth. Beaver and muskrat tried, but when they got back to the surface, there was no earth in their mouths. Others tried, stayed down too long, and died. Finally, toad went down and came back with a mouthful of earth. It was placed on and around Turtle's shell. The dry land grew until it formed a country and then all of the earth. To this day, Turtle holds up the Earth. Available on Redbubble and Fine Art America. More info in blog.

On Turtle Island, Atahensic gave birth to twin boys. One was born the normal way, the other broke out of his mother's side, killing her. From her divine corpse grew all of the plants needed for life. From her mouth grew the pumpkin. Maize grew from her chest. Pole beans grew from her legs. Available on Redbubble and Fine Art America. More info in blog.

Inuit Creation Myth

Read the story on my blog.

Chinook Creation Myth

Read the story on my blog.

The Great Mother Goddess in Multiple Manifestations

Creation of Adam

Was the Biblical creation of Adam repurposed from Mesopotamian stories of the Goddess? Seems likely. Read more on my blog.

Coatlicue's Sacrifice

How do you make a new Sun at the end of the a cycle, and keep the world alive? Read more on my blog.

Asherah, Mother of All

Did God create Eve out of Adam's rib? Or was there an ulterior motive to that story? Does this Asherah look like Sheela Na Gig? Did they both birth the universe and humanity? Are they the same person. Some of these questions are approached on my blog.

Bucranium = Uterus

Is the early Hebrew name for god feminine? What does that have to do with a bull's head and horns. Find out in my blog.

Hebe and Zeus

What is Hebe pouring into Zeus's cup? How do the gods stay immortal? Find out in my blog.

Sheela Na Gig

Found on churches throughout the British Isles as well as on the continent. Remnants of the the Great Mother Goddess who birthed the universe and humanity? Seems likely. More on blog.

Cosmic Goddess Eggs

Many cultures have creation myths that involve eggs. Early Goddess figurines often had exaggerated body parts, meant to signify power. The buttocks were molded on egg shaped forms. Read more on my blog.