Cosmic Creation Myths Across Cultures: Maori and Japanese

Cosmic Creation Myths Across Cultures: Maori and Japanese

Sciatta Stevquoah

HUM/105

November 16, 2015

Christina Whitlock 

Cosmic Creation Myths Across Cultures: Maori and Japanese

Creation myths are myths from certain cultures and people that explain their idea of how the universe came to be. These are important to all cultures because they explain who we are and answer many of life’s questions. The myths that will be highlighted in this paper are the Japanese creation myth and the Maori creation myth. Both cultures are vastly different, but their myths share a number of similarities as well as a number of differences.

Japanese and Maori Creation Myths

The Japanese creation myth begins with explaining that at first, there was only darkness and in the mist of the darkness, there was an egg that contained all things (The Big Myth, 2015). Over the years, this egg began to separate - the lighter purer part, which was feminine and was IN, or yin, ascended to the heavens and the denser darker part, which was masculine and was YO, or yang, descended to become the Earth (The Big Myth, 2015). From this separation came two beings, Izanagi “Male who Invites” and Izanami “Female who Invites”, and they created an island where they lived, while also deciding to become husband and wife (The Big Myth, 2015). The beings gave birth to the country of Japan and many gods and goddesses and elements. Izanami’s last child was the god of fire and she was burned to death during his birth. Izanagi, in despair of the loss of his wife, left his children and isolated himself on an island where he grew old and lonely.

The Maori creation myth explains that in the beginning, there was the nothing and the space. They joined together and became two thoughts.  They were Rangi, the sky father and Papa, the Earth mother (The Big Myth, 2015). They were so much in love that they decided to hold each other tightly and never let go, causing them to join solidly together and forbidding any light or time to pass through because of their tight embrace (The Big Myth, 2015). They gave birth to 100 children and some of them were Tangaroa, god of the sea, Tāne, god of the forests, Tūmātauenga, god of war, Whiro, god of darkness and Tawhirimātea, god of the winds (The Big Myth, 2015). Trapped between their parents and unable to move, they discussed what they should do. They decided that Tāne should separate them and, after placing poles by his parents legs and heads, he began to push and push for years.

Rangi and Papa were separated and became the sky and the Earth, Rangi’s blood becoming the red of the sunset and Papa’s blood becoming the red clay Earth. Light came to the world at last and the children moved to the four corners, but Tawhirimātea grew angry at what happened. In anger, he tore out his eyes and threw them to the heavens, his eyes becoming stars (The Big Myth, 2015). He turned his rage onto his brothers and blew hurricanes, tornadoes, cyclones, he made tsunamis and huge storms (The Big Myth, 2015). Papa and Rangi were so unhappy that they cried constantly, Rangi’s tears becoming oceans, rivers, and the due on grass, while the mists that came from the ground rose from Papa’s sighs of loneliness (The Big Myth, 2015).