Creation Myths
Hesiod’s version of the world’s origin was particularly prevalent in Greek and Roman mythology. According to Hesiod, there was no sea, no earth, and no sky above it all. Nature’s face was one throughout the entire expanse of the cosmos, and his name was Chaos (Boyd). Thus, it was thought that everything began in chaos: the universe, the Earth, the skies, and the rivers were all mixed up, and this mess had no purpose or order.
In Scandinavian mythology, Midgard, the planet on which people dwelt, was produced violently from a single male deity’s body of a slaughtered creature in a creative act. The Gods ascribe to themselves the duty of procreation, fertility, and the ability to nurture, which is generally associated with women. The Gods do not make creation material from their bodies but rather take what they may find. The Gods confirm aggressiveness as the norm and humanity by knitting it into the structure of existence and the cosmos.
These aspects tell us about the Gods and Goddesses, who actively participated in human life and were responsible for the current world order. People worshipped Gods, who were responsible for some aspect of human life in this world and the afterlife. The culture and beliefs were based on polytheism, based on specific customs and traditions of worshipping the Gods and Goddesses to gain certain advantages in mortal life.
Resurrection and the Afterlife in the Myths
The ancient Egyptians split the universe into the terrestrial world (the world of the living) and the afterlife (the realm of the dead), with the Sun shining equally. In Osiris’ domain, the deceased’s soul had to be justified before him to earn an endless and joyful existence. In mortal life, however, the Egyptians adored Pharaoh, the living manifestation of the sun god (Belmonte and Lull). It was believed that keeping the deceased’s body intact was especially crucial for the journey to the afterlife: the soul must be in an unbroken, entire shell during this voyage.
The scarab, or dung beetle, was connected with the deity Khepri due to the insect’s habit of rolling a lump of mud or excrement on the ground. The Egyptians attributed the insect’s “work” to the Sun’s daily passage across the sky after seeing its behavior (Belmonte and Lull). He was the first sunrise’s deity. This implies that Khepri is linked to Ra, the sun god.
His principal mythical role, however, was the arrival of the luminary on the horizon. Khepri occurs in the Book of the Dead as a heavenly entity with the secret ability of perpetual rebirth, connected to resurrection symbols. Khepri is said to be one of Egypt’s ancient deities. His images may be seen in most Egyptian temples, and he was revered as one of the Sun God Ra’s attributes.
In contrast, in the ancient world and mythology, these concepts were considered from the point of view of inclusion in the mystery and identification with Orpheus, Dionysus, or Osiris. It was necessary to experience a “catharsis,” a calming resolution, to eliminate the fear of death and feel the possibility of immortality. The Bacchae sing in the tragedy of Euripides: “Blessed is he who has the good fortune to know the mysteries of the gods, who sanctifies his life and initiates his soul.” In general, myths show us the ideas of resurrection and the afterlife from the point of view of death and the resurrection of God, the concept of judgment on souls, and a heavenly afterlife for believers.
Marduk and Tiamat
In Sumerian-Akkadian mythology, Marduk is depicted as the Babylonians’ supreme deity. He is a man in royal robes decorated with stars. Usually, he is shown with a wand, bow, triangular shovel, or hoe, which is interpreted as a symbol of fertility and vegetation. There are several depictions of him walking or in his military chariot.
Marduk’s sacred animals were the dragon Mushushush, horses, dogs, and more. Various animals and plants were used to represent the deity’s body parts, including his lions as his main internal organs, dogs as his smaller internal organs, cedar as his backbone, reeds as his fingers, silver as his skull, and gold as the dispersal of his seed.
Notably, Marduk is mentioned in Christian mythology as a “false god.” For instance, the Bible says: “Babylon will be captured; Bel will be put to shame, Marduk filled with terror. Her images will be put to shame and her idols filled with terror.” (Holy Bible, Jeremiah 50:2). In this case, Marduk is portrayed as a useless, insignificant, and helpless deity, and his power, influence, and authority are incomparable with the power of the real God.
Marduk is Tiamat’s opposite, a monstrous goddess who embodies eternal chaos and the sea. The monstrous Tiamat is known for her cruel, furious, and unforgiving nature, hoping to destroy all the gods and mix the sky, moisture, air, and fire again. The Babylonian cosmogony shows Marduk’s strength, power, durability, and fearlessness in the terrible battle over Tiamat (Anagnostou-Laoutides). Marduk fulfilled his promise by killing Tiamat with an arrow that split her. Thus, Marduk created the Heavens and the Earth from Tiamat’s body, head, legs, and internal organs. Consequently, Tiamat’s son, the monster Kingu, also died, and from his blood, Marduk created the first humans.
Works Cited
Anagnostou-Laoutides, Eva. Seleukid Ideology: Creation, Reception and Response. Franz Steiner Verlag Wiesbaden GmbH, 2023.
Bayard, Jean-Pierre. Esoteric Mysteries of the Underworld: The Power and Meaning of Subterranean Sacred Spaces. Simon and Schuster, 2020.
Belmonte, Juan Antonio and José Lull. Astronomy of Ancient Egypt: A Cultural Perspective. Cham, 2023.
Boyd, Barbara W. “Still, She Persisted: Materiality and Memory in Ovid’s Metamorphoses.” Dictynna. Revue de Poétique Latine, vol. 17, 2020, Web.
Holy Bible. American Standard Version, Bible Domain Publishing, 2013.
Pajares, Alberto Bernabé and Raquel Martín Hernández. Narrating the Beginnings. Springer VS Wiesbaden, 2021.