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Emergence Myth

Epic and Heroic Narrative

An emergence myth is a type of creation narrative in which humanity emerges from a previous world, often likened to the womb of the earth mother, into the one it currently inhabits, through a staged ascent from a series of subterranean worlds. The genre is most commonly found in Native American cultures, including the Hopi, Pueblo, Iroquois, Seneca and Wyandot peoples, where emergence myths frequently link the final emergence of people from an opening to the underworld with stories of their subsequent migrations and eventual settlement in their current homelands.

Facts
Place of Origin
Native American cultures 1
Defining Trait
Humanity emerges from a previous world, likened to the womb of the earth mother 1
Sources
1. Emergence myth - Wikipedia
  • Lead section
    most commonly found in Native American cultures where the myths frequently link the final emergence of people from a hole opening to the underworld to stories about their subsequent migrations
  • Lead section, second paragraph
    In emergence myths, humanity emerges from another world into the one they currently inhabit.
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