A creation myth, or cosmogonic myth, is a kind of cosmogony: a symbolic narrative explaining how the world began and how people first came to live in it. Creation myths appear in virtually every culture, and in each one they take up that culture's most fundamental questions about how the world works and how its people understand their own place in it.
Facts
Place of OriginFound independently across nearly all known cultures and religious traditions worldwide, developed within oral traditions rather than originating from any single place. 1 Notable ExampleThe Genesis creation narrative in the first chapter of the Book of Genesis, cited as an example of a creation-from-chaos myth in which the world is formed by bringing order to a formless, chaotic expanse. 1 Defining TraitA symbolic sacred narrative explaining how the world began and how people first came to inhabit it, usually understood by the culture that tells it as conveying profound truth rather than literal history. 1 Sources
1. Creation Myth (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead section, first sentence
A creation myth or cosmogonic myth is a type of cosmogony, a symbolic narrative of how the world began and how people first came to inhabit it.
Lead section, third sentence
In the society in which it is told, a creation myth is usually regarded as conveying profound truths, metaphorically, symbolically, historically, or literally.
Creation from chaos section
One example is the Genesis creation narrative from the first chapter of the Book of Genesis.
Lead section, oral tradition sentence
Creation myths develop in oral traditions and therefore typically have multiple versions; found throughout human culture, they are the most common form of myth.
View the Source Frequently Asked Questions
Were creation myths first written down as single fixed texts?
They arise in oral traditions and usually exist in multiple versions.
No. Creation myths develop in oral traditions, so they typically have multiple versions. They are found throughout human culture and are the most common form of myth. A written account such as the Genesis creation narrative is one example among many, not the origin of the genre.
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