Mf Prelims Q3: Creation Myths
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Questions and Answers
- 1.
What is the common element present in the following myths?
- In the Greek myth, when Pandora was brought to Epimetheus she was given a box which Zeus orders her not to open. Not only did Zeus give her the box, but also curiosity, which became her temptation to sin. Overcome by the curiosity of her nature, Pandora took a peak inside the box and all of the troubles of the earth flew out of the box. For her sin the whole human race had to suffer. This was the consequence humans were forced to face for accepting Prometheus' gift of fire.
- The African Bushmen were instructed not to build a fire. They disobeyed this command and for that sin their peaceful relationship with animals was destroyed.
- The Australian Aborigines believed that the Sun Mother told the animals she had created to live together peacefully. Instead envy crept into their hearts and they began to quarrel. She returned to earth and in order to make them happy gave them the power to change their shape into what they wanted it to be for eternity. The result was an odd assortment of creatures. The Sun Mother decided to create two humans who would be superior to the animals. Because the animals disobeyed the Sun Mother's instruction their superiority was taken away.
- Genesis 2:4-3:24 of the Bible tells the story of how suffering entered the world. God gave Adam and Eve the Garden of Eden to live in, with the order never to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. They disobeyed him and the price of this sin was banishment from the garden into the outside world with all its troubles.
- A.
Creation by ex nihilo
- B.
Creation by birth (seed, cosmic egg)
- C.
Creation by chaos
- D.
Creation by world parent (father-mother)
- E.
Creation by earth diver
- F.
Creation by sin
Correct Answer
F. Creation by sinExplanation
The common element present in all the myths mentioned is the concept of creation by sin. In each myth, disobedience or temptation leads to a negative consequence or punishment. In the Greek myth, Pandora's curiosity and disobedience leads to the release of troubles into the world. In the African Bushmen myth, the disobedience of building a fire destroys their peaceful relationship with animals. In the Australian Aborigines myth, the animals' envy and disobedience results in the loss of their superiority. In the Bible story, Adam and Eve's disobedience leads to their banishment from the Garden of Eden and the introduction of suffering into the world.Rate this question:
- 2.
What is the common element present in the following myths?
- The Greek creation myth told of the goddess, Gaia, and the god, Uranus, who fell in love. Uranus was the sky and Gaia was the Earth. Together they had many children and grandchildren, who created the plants, animals, stars and springs. The unity of Gaia and Uranus created a sense that the universe was one.
- Two gods, in the Japanese creation myth, created Japan together. After exploring the island they were married and Izanami gave birth to three children, Amaterasu who became the sun, Tsuki-yumi whom they made into the moon and Sosano-wo, their unruly son. Once again the theme of a mother and father appeared, though this time they were not the sun earth and sky.
- The Australian Aborigines believed that the Sun Mother created all the animals, plants and bodies of water on earth upon the urging of the Father of All Spirits. These two divine beings did not actually have children. Only their names reflected the mother-father theme. However the Sun Mother was portrayed as one that gives life to the sleeping spirits. A human mother also gives life to a spirit.
- A.
Creation by ex nihilo
- B.
Creation by birth (seed, cosmic egg)
- C.
Creation by chaos
- D.
Creation by world parent (father-mother)
- E.
Creation by earth diver
- F.
Creation by sin
Correct Answer
D. Creation by world parent (father-mother)Explanation
The common element present in the given myths is the concept of creation by world parent (father-mother). In all three myths, there is a male and female deity who come together and give birth to or create various elements of the world. In the Greek myth, Gaia and Uranus have children who create plants, animals, stars, and springs. In the Japanese myth, Izanami and her husband create Japan and give birth to the sun, moon, and their unruly son. In the Australian Aboriginal myth, the Sun Mother and Father of All Spirits create all the animals, plants, and bodies of water on earth.Rate this question:
- 3.
What is the common element present in the following myths?
- In some versions of the Japanese creation myth the jumbled mass of elements at the beginning of time was in the shape of an egg. Later in the story birth also comes into play because Izanami gave birth to her children who became the sun and moon.
- At the beginning of the Greek myth the bird, Nyx, laid an egg. From this egg comes the god of love, Eros. Then the shell pieces became Gaia and Uranus, the Earth and sky. Again the egg is very important.
- The Iroquois Sky Woman fell from the floating island in the sky after being pushed by her husband. This all occurred because she was pregnant. If she had not known she was to give birth North America may not have been created. It was an essential part of the story.
- A.
Creation by ex nihilo
- B.
Creation by birth (seed, cosmic egg)
- C.
Creation by chaos
- D.
Creation by world parent (father-mother)
- E.
Creation by earth diver
- F.
Creation by sin
Correct Answer
B. Creation by birth (seed, cosmic egg)Explanation
The common element present in the given myths is the concept of creation by birth (seed, cosmic egg). In all three myths, the creation of the world or important elements of it is associated with the birth or emergence from an egg-like structure. In the Japanese myth, the jumbled mass of elements takes the shape of an egg, and birth plays a role when Izanami gives birth to her children who become the sun and moon. In the Greek myth, Nyx lays an egg from which Eros and the Earth and sky emerge. In the Iroquois myth, Sky Woman falls from the sky because she is pregnant, and her giving birth is crucial for the creation of North America.Rate this question:
- 4.
What is the common element present in the following myths?
- According to the Iroquois Native Americans water animals inhabited the Earth before there was land. When a Sky Woman fell from her home above they caught her and dove into the seas to bring up mud. This mud they spread onto the back of Big Turtle. There it began to grow until it became North America.
- The Japanese creation myth painted a picture of a muddy ocean which covered the world at the beginning of time. A god and goddess, Izanagi and Izanami, became curious about what was beneath the ocean. Izanagi took his staff and threw it into the ocean. As he lifted it back up some lumps of earth fell off into the water. These became the islands of Japan. No being dove beneath the waters to find mud, but the element of earth being covered by water and a being bringing the earth up is there.
- The creation myth of Christians and Jews does not tell of God diving into the water to bring up mud, but Genesis 1:2 says Òthe Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.Ó Therefore according to the Torah and Bible the Earth was once covered entirely by water.
- A.
Creation by ex nihilo
- B.
Creation by birth (seed, cosmic egg)
- C.
Creation by chaos
- D.
Creation by world parent (father-mother)
- E.
Creation by earth diver
- F.
Creation by sin
Correct Answer
E. Creation by earth diverExplanation
The common element present in the given myths is the concept of creation by earth diver. In each myth, there is a being or beings who dive into the waters or ocean to bring up mud or earth, which then becomes the foundation for the creation of land or continents. This concept is seen in the Iroquois Native American myth, the Japanese creation myth, and even in the creation myth of Christians and Jews, where the Spirit of God hovers over the waters. This common theme of a being diving into water to bring up earth or land suggests a belief in the origins of the world through this process.Rate this question:
- 5.
What is the common element present in the following myths? Check 2 from the list below.
- The Bushmen of Africa believed that at one time animals and people lived together in a land beneath the surface of the earth where happiness reigned. As they lived together The Great Master and Lord of All Life, Kaang (KŠng), planned a wondrous land above theirs. The first thing he created was a huge tree with branches stretching over the land. At the base of it he dug a hole and brought the people and animals into another world through it. Some of the animals in their rush to reach the wonders of the world found a way to climb up and out of tree. A tree played a similar role in the Native American Hopi myth.
- At the base of the Hopi culture was a myth recalling past worlds, beneath ours, where people used to live. When life in these worlds became unbearable the Native Americans discovered upper worlds and to get to them they climbed a pine tree. This pattern continued until they reached the present surface which may or may not be just another step on the ladder. Despite being separated by miles of water the tree leading to the new world appears in both myths.
- In both the Japanese and Iroquois myths the creator's home was in the land above the clouds. Two gods, Izanagi and Izanami, created the islands of Japan and the plants, rivers, brooks, animals and snow. Then they married and their descendants became the people of Japan. The Iroquois people belive that they and their surroundings were created by twin brothers, who were the children of a Sky Woman who fell from a hole in her home in the clouds.
- A.
Creation by ex nihilo
- B.
Creation by birth (seed, cosmic egg)
- C.
Creation by chaos
- D.
Creation by world parent (father-mother)
- E.
Creation by earth diver
- F.
Creation by sin
Correct Answer(s)
A. Creation by ex nihilo
C. Creation by chaosExplanation
The common element present in the given myths is that they all involve the concept of creation. In the myths of the Bushmen of Africa and the Native American Hopi, a tree plays a significant role in the creation of a new world or reaching a higher realm. In the myths of the Japanese and Iroquois, the creators reside in a land above the clouds and create the world and its inhabitants. The common theme of creation is seen through different methods such as creation by ex nihilo (out of nothing) and creation by chaos.Rate this question:
- 6.
This type of myth played a very important role in creation myths. Sometimes it appeared in the shape of an egg and other times in that of a mother giving birth to children, but the element appears often.
- A.
Creation by ex nihilo
- B.
Creation by birth (seed, cosmic egg)
- C.
Creation by chaos
- D.
Creation by world parent (father-mother)
- E.
Creation by earth diver
- F.
Creation by sin
Correct Answer
B. Creation by birth (seed, cosmic egg)Explanation
The given correct answer, creation by birth (seed, cosmic egg), suggests that in creation myths, the element of creation often appears in the form of an egg or a mother giving birth to children. This implies that the myth emphasizes the idea of creation through the process of birth or the emergence of life from a seed or cosmic egg. This concept is a common theme in many creation myths, highlighting the significance of birth and the cycle of life in the creation of the world.Rate this question:
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- 7.
Scientific evidence has shown that at one point parts of the earth that are now dry were covered by water. Many myths allude to this fact by imagining a world once covered by water. This myth element consisted of a being diving into the water that covers the earth to retrieve some earth. The earth brought to the surface became the land we know today. Other stories had the mud brought to the surface in a different way, but many had the common element of some earth being brought to the surface of the water and growing until it became the Earth.
- A.
Creation by ex nihilo
- B.
Creation by birth (seed, cosmic egg)
- C.
Creation by chaos
- D.
Creation by world parent (father-mother)
- E.
Creation by earth diver
- F.
Creation by sin
Correct Answer
E. Creation by earth diverExplanation
The correct answer is "creation by earth diver." This answer is supported by the information given in the passage, which mentions myths of a being diving into the water that covers the earth to retrieve some earth, which then becomes the land we know today. This myth element describes the concept of creation by earth diver, where the earth is brought to the surface from the water and forms the basis of the world.Rate this question:
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- 8.
Many creation myths consisted of at least one of three elements; an order or instruction from the creator to the creations, a sin and a consequence which must be faced. The consequence is often what causes pain, hunger, disease and all the other evils that plaque the earth.
- A.
Creation by ex nihilo
- B.
Creation by birth (seed, cosmic egg)
- C.
Creation by chaos
- D.
Creation by world parent (father-mother)
- E.
Creation by earth diver
- F.
Creation by sin
Correct Answer
F. Creation by sin -
- 9.
A creation myth is a symbolic narrative of how the world ended and how people first came to inhabit it.They develop in written traditions and therefore typically have multiple versions; and they are the most common form of myth, found throughout human culture.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
B. FalseExplanation
A creation myth is not a narrative of how the world ended, but rather a narrative of how the world began and how people first came to inhabit it. They may have multiple versions and are found in various cultures, but they do not explain the end of the world. Therefore, the statement is false.Rate this question:
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- 10.
Creation myths often share a number of features. Select the features that apply.
- A.
They often are considered sacred accounts and can be found in nearly all known religious traditions.
- B.
They are all stories with a plot and characters who are either deities, human-like figures, or animals, who often speak and transform easily.
- C.
They are often set in a dim and nonspecific past; in illo tempore ("at that time").
- D.
All creation myths speak to deeply meaningful questions held by the society that shares them, revealing of their central worldview and the framework for the self-identity of the culture and individual in a universal context.
- E.
None of the Above
Correct Answer(s)
A. They often are considered sacred accounts and can be found in nearly all known religious traditions.
B. They are all stories with a plot and characters who are either deities, human-like figures, or animals, who often speak and transform easily.
C. They are often set in a dim and nonspecific past; in illo tempore ("at that time").
D. All creation myths speak to deeply meaningful questions held by the society that shares them, revealing of their central worldview and the framework for the self-identity of the culture and individual in a universal context.Explanation
Creation myths often share a number of features. They are considered sacred accounts found in nearly all known religious traditions. They are stories with a plot and characters who are either deities, human-like figures, or animals, who often speak and transform easily. They are often set in a dim and nonspecific past, known as illo tempore ("at that time"). Additionally, all creation myths speak to deeply meaningful questions held by the society that shares them, revealing their central worldview and the framework for the self-identity of the culture and individual in a universal context.Rate this question:
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