Introduction
One of the essential and eternal questions that have been worrying people since ancient times is the history of the creation of this world, nature, and humanity as a whole. Some persons are content with the existence of several different assumptions and simply prefer to concentrate on their daily activities. Others are focused on finding the truth and are ready to argue and prove their point of view. Additionally, many linguists and philologists are interested in the literary analysis of those creation myths that have survived to this day and are now perceived only as an artifact. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the Iroquois and Cherokee creation stories.
Iroquois Creation Myth Analysis
The Iroquois was the first native culture that the English settlers came into contact with after arriving in North America. The Iroquois creation myth has been passed down orally from generation to generation for thousands of years and then was finally written down by foreign researchers. These are the reasons why there are several versions of this myth, and they differ in some details.
According to the story, before the earth was created, there was a floating island in the sky where the Sky People lived. Below them, there was darkness, an enormous ocean, and water creatures and birds. When a pregnant Sky Woman fell from the island, she was saved by birds, and the other animals created the earth on the back of a huge turtle (“Iroquois Creation Myth”). This part of the myth emphasizes the significant role that all animals play in the world. Further, the woman gave birth to two brothers who represented good and evil. The first brother created everything good, like domesticated animals (which also signifies that their role is to help humans). The second brother focused on bringing everything bad into this world. This may be interpreted as the fact that people can choose their side and be either destroyers or creators, and though there is duality on earth, the good side always wins.
Cherokee Creation Myth Analysis
Further, many ideas of the Cherokee nation are similar to the main parts of the Iroquois creation myth. First, the animals and people lived in the sky, and there was water underneath. When it became too crowded up there, a little Water-beetle went down, “dived to the bottom and came up with some soft mud, which began to grow and spread on every side until it became the island which we call the earth” (“How the World was Made” 1). However, it did not lie on the turtle’s back but simply floated on the water, tied with four ropes to the sky.
When the animals came down, they created the sun. Interestingly, in the Iroquois creation myth, the sun, the moon, and the stars were created by the woman, which may mean that the Cherokee nation considered people less powerful and decisive than animals. In this myth, people appeared on the earth later than animals and trees. It is noteworthy that, in this story, the number seven plays a great role. This is the period in which animals and trees were not supposed to sleep, and this is also the period in which women carried children before giving birth.
Conclusion
To draw a conclusion, one may say that both these myths are valuable for the current literature. They allow modern people to get an understanding of how their ancestors viewed this world. It becomes evident that they respected animals, birds, and trees and sometimes considered them even more clever, brave, and skillful than humans. It is possible to say that these stories are of vital importance as they connect people with the past. Finally, though some details are different, there are common ideas in both myths, which may mean that the Iroquois and the Cherokee tribes knew something that modern people will never learn.
Works Cited
“How the World Was Made,” Cherokee Origin Story.” Mustang Public Schools, Web.
“Iroquois Creation Myth.” Williams, Web.