Comparisons Of Greek And Oceanic Mythology

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Comparisons Of Greek And Oceanic Mythology

Jeff Cressy Cressy1
The purpose of myths is to answer questions, to educate, and to entertain. How was man created? Why does the earth do the things it does? Cultures all throughout the ancient world tried to answer these questions in the form of myth. In Greece, Australia, and New Zealand, ancient storytellers created unique stories that entertained taught values and helped explain their worlds. Even though the people of these countries were separated by thousands of miles, there are an astonishing amount of similarities between their myths. While the inhabitants of these regions may have looked totally different from each other, their myths showed that the aspects of life for man are similar.
Cultures that have myths normally have explanations for the creations of many different things. In Greece, the creation of the giants and the furies occurred after the god Cronus thrust a sharp sickle in the body of his father, Uranus. The oozing blood of Uranus created the above-mentioned creatures. Meanwhile, the people of Australia had their own creation myths. In the story of The Rainbow Snake, Chinimin also slewed his father with a spear. His father, a snake-god slithered with pain over the formless, desert earth. As he moved, he created rivers, valleys, and mountains. The snake’s dripping blood created insects, animals, and finally Man. Each region had a creation story in which a young, brazen son stabs his ruthless father. Both peoples associate blood with life.
Cressy 2
Although the stories share many similar qualities, differences do exist. The gods of the regions differ greatly. The Greek creators all possessed man-like qualities. The gods of the Aborigines were animals with extraordinary powers. This shows that the two cultures have a different outlook of earth. By making their gods man-like, the Greeks believed that humans were the supreme creatures on earth. The Aborigines on the other hand made their gods animals. The creation of animal gods suggests that the native peoples of Australia had a deep respect for all of the creatures that inhabited the earth.
Another connection between The Rainbow Snake and Greek mythology is the explanation of rainbows. The aboriginal people of Australia believed that rainbows were created when the wounded snake-god slithered back to his home in the heavens. The Greeks believed that the Goddess Iris caused rainbows. Messages from her fellow deities would pass through Iris on the...

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