1. Creation Stories
ENG 273: World Literature

2. Key Questions How are the gods/goddesses characterized?
Personalities
Behaviors
Relationships
What is the relationship between gods and goddesses?
Why do the gods/goddesses create humans?
What is the relationship between gods/goddesses and humans?
Key Questions

3. Great Hymn to the Aten In what ways is this a political poem?
In what ways is this a religious poem?
How is Aten described?
In what ways is he a Creator?
How powerful is he?
What are his limitations?
What is the relationship between Aten and humans?
What does he provide?
What happens when he is absent?
What do humans owe back to him?
Great Hymn to the Aten

4. Enuma Elish Where do the gods/goddesses come from?
Who are the gods/goddesses?
Apsu, Tiamat, Ea, Marduk, Qingu
How are the gods/goddesses described?
Physical form
Behaviors and emotions
Needs, desires, motivations
What is the relationship between the gods/goddesses? How do they treat each other?
How is the act of creation described?
How and why do the gods/goddesses create humans?
Enuma Elish

5. Hesiod’s Theogony Where do the gods/goddesses come from?
What is the relationship among them?
How do they treat each other?
How do the Olympian gods/goddesses come to power?
How is the battle described?
What happens to the Titans?
What does the battle and its aftermath reveal about the nature of the gods/goddesses?
Hesiod’s Theogony

6. Key Themes Gods and goddesses are sinful and unpredictable
Jealousy, ambition, pride, hate
Gods and goddesses can die
Go to war against each other
Commit murder
Create humans to fulfill their own wishes/needs
Relationship is not based in love
Humans are treated like toys or beasts of burden
Gods/goddesses are spiteful and selfish
Negative interactions between gods/goddesses and humans
Create burdens
Increase suffering
Events seem out of the gods/goddesses control
The goal of worship is to appease the gods/goddesses to earn protection from the harm they bring
Does not always work
The innocent are often treated badly and face unfair punishments
Key Themes

7. In what ways does the story of God’s creation of earth and humans in Genesis reveal a different pattern?
God has a plan and is in control
Relationship with humans is based in love
“Make a human in our image” (62)
“It is not good for the human to be alone” (63)
“…and whatever the human called a living creature, that was its name” (63)
Punishments and suffering are the result of human’s own actions/sins
Not arbitrary or unpredictable
Merciful
Genesis