Changes

Conflict was a common theme in creation myths in the Near East, including great battles between gods. In Zoroastrian traditions, Gayomard was a mythical being that was killed by Jeh, a devil-like being, but from the killing of Gayomard all living life was able to spring forth, including a tree which enabled life to emerge.

In ancient Chinese cultures, similar to the Near East, conflict is common. Pangu was seen as a creation being that created the world out of a chaotic form (Figure 2). Initially, everything was in an egg-shaped universe that became separated by Pangu and he created the Earth, separating the balance of the cosmos and life, commonly known as Ying and Yang. Creation from chaos is perhaps the most common form of creation in other cultures.

Prior to creation, the universe or the world is considered unclear and order is often not well established. Creation myths are, therefore, seen as important for social truths, including metaphorical and symbolic meaning. While many creation myths are often not believed in even by the cultures in which they come from, they are still seen as important for social identity given their explanatory utility in justifying world order and the place of given cultures. For smaller communities, including Native American societies, creation myths are important for identity and placing society in a wider world view. A key part in many myths is the eventual rise of a specific people, usually the people who create the creation epic.<ref>For more on how creation myths influenced modern society, see: Franz, M.-L. von, Franz, M.-L. von, 1995. <i>Creation myths</i>. Shambhala, Boston. </ref>

There is no shortage of creation myths and certainly, there are many more that we know little about. Many have common themes of birth, chaos, war, and the establishment of social hierarchy. What this shows is that the foundations of life today are explained by these creation myths, even if they are often unclear as to their timeline and seem to have occurred in a time that one would find unfamiliar. Creation myths, despite their mystery and unfamiliar types of themes to most people, are foundational to many societies, even today, which often teach these stories and recount their importance to a cosmological world view. Common themes tell us that many stories were likely shared among cultures as they migrated and interacted, where traditions and stories often evolved to reflect changes and influences by different societies.

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