Bobbi Jo Brummel
HUM/105
May 4, 2015
Christina Whitlock
Genesis Creation myth VS Navajo Creation Myth
There are many similarities and differences between these two myths. The Genesis Creation myth is a Deus Faber myth meaning a myth about one and only one God the Maker God. While the Navajo Creation Myth is an Emergence Myth involving the first people traveled from previous worlds into this world emerging from a cramped space. Both myths in the end teach their cultures how to act correctly and how to give thanks for what they have.
Genesis Creation myth begins with one God that created everything on Earth in seven days. On the first day, he created light. On day two he created Heaven. Day three God created Earth and Seas. Day four he created Greater light for day and a less bright for the night. He also created the stars and aligned them the way he saw fit. On day five God created living creatures of the sea and air telling them to multiply in great numbers. On day six God made all the beasts of the earth. On the seventh day he rested. Then God created man from the dust off the ground of the earth he breathed life into him through his nose naming him Adam. Not wanting the man to be alone God put him into a deep sleep took one of his ribs and created woman calling her Eve. The Lord made a garden for them to eat from as long as they did not eat from the tree in the center of the garden. A serpent came and tempted Eve, and she ate from the tree and convinced Adam also to eat from the tree causing them to feel great shame. When God found out what they did, he created clothes for them to cover them because now they know good from evil.
The Navajo Creation story is not like the Genesis where there was a maker God. The Navajo believe that there were six beings that created everything. The First Man, First Woman, Salt Woman, Fire God, Coyote, and Begochiddy (Distant Train, 2011). Begochiddy created four mountains north, south, east, and west, but there was no light in this world, so they climbed into a giant reed and it grew into the second world. This world was beautiful but already had Cat people living in it and they were not willing to give it up. All six of the beings then again climbed into the giant reed until it grew up into the third world. When they crawled out, they loved the third world, so they camped and had children. Until, one day the coyote stole the baby of the water monster. The water monster was angry, so he flooded the beautiful third world even though coyote gave the child back. All of the beings crawled back into the reed until it rose to the fourth world. Locust helped them get out of the reed in the fourth world. This world was not as nice, but they started building
