Mythology Myth Parallels

Global Myth Parallels Flood Hero/quest Hubris Stories First Man/Woman stories The Creative Sacrifice Global Myth Parallels Order Vs. Chaos underworld Stories Miraculous births Creation stories Life-Death-Rebirth Fate and Destiny

Creation stories All mythologies have a story of how the universe, world, humans, and elements were created. Creation Myths always begin with nothingness.

The Creative Sacrifice Divine figures whose death creates an essential part of reality Mesopotamian Tiamat Killed by Marduk Norse Ymir Killed by the gods

Hubris Hubris: excessive pride or self-confidence. Whenever a character exhibits hubris in myths, it leads to the character’s quick punishment, usually from the gods Many humans/gods/demigods follow a pattern of self-destructive behavior

Hubris Greek Mythology Icarus – he flew too close to the sun, which melted his wings and he fell to his death Prometheus – gave humans fire, which he wasn’t supposed to do. He was punished for stealing the fire.

Floods Stories Stories of floods are widespread. Floods were likely experienced frequently, as people needed to live near a water source. Floods also occurred from melting glaciers. Said to be a punishment from gods

Flood Stories Hebrew Tradition: Mesopotamian (Babylonian) Tradition: Noah and the Great Flood God commands Noah to build an Ark in advance of a flood sent by God as punishment. Mesopotamian (Babylonian) Tradition: The Epic of Gilgamesh One of the great gods, Ea, commands Utanapishtim (a hero) to build a boat to save living creatures from a flood caused by the gods. Greek Tradition Deucalion and Pyrrha Zeus, unhappy with civilization, puts a great flood on the earth, wiping out all but two people.

Flood Stories Deucalion and Pyrrha Noah’s Ark The Epic of Gilgamesh

Fate and Destiny Many mythologies involve a character’s destiny which drives his/her actions No human or god can escape fate. Roman: Aeneas’ destiny to found the Roman Empire Gilgamesh: Gilgamesh’s fate is to die Greek: Hector’s fate is to die by Achilles

First Man/ Woman The first humans are either fashioned by gods or emerge from natural elements Norse Mythology Ash and Elm (Ask and Embla) Greek Mythology Prometheus and Epimetheus/ Pandora Babylonian Mythology Marduk’s creation of man from Kingu’s blood

Order Vs. Chaos Often in creation myths, a group of younger, more civilized gods who represent order conquers and/or struggles against a group of older gods or monsters who represent the forces of chaos. Greek Mythology: Titans vs. Gods Mesopotamian: Younger vs. Older Gods

Miraculous Births Miraculous conceptions occur through intervention by a deity/ supernatural Miraculous births make divine status obvious usually when the mother is human and father is a deity. Babylonian/ Sumerian Marduk Created in the heart of Apsu Greek Mythology Heracles Fathered by a god (Zeus), virgin mother Egyptian: Set Born through his mother’s side

Quests Greek Mythology Sumerian English Mythology A hero goes on a journey and oftentimes must overcome their own weaknesses and faults in order to succeed. Greek Mythology Hercules Odysseus Sumerian Gilgamesh on the quest for immortality English Mythology Percival (one of King Arthur’s knights) and his quest for the Holy Grail

Underworld The land of the dead the destination of human souls in the afterlife Often the hero travels to the underworld as an ultimate challenge. If he/she returns from the underworld, the hero has passed the true test of bravery and skill.

Underworld Myths Roman Mythology Greek Mythology Norse Mythology Pluto/ Inferno Cupid and Psyche Greek Mythology Hades/Tartarus/ Elysium Persephone Norse Mythology Hel/ Niflheim The Death of Balder Egyptian Mythology Duat Osiris, Isis, and Horus