Creation Myths

Tips for making your story concrete

- MORIAH RICHARD

Where did we come from? It's a common question no matter where in the world you're located. How did we get here? And where do we go when we leave?

Creation myths are cultural, religious, or traditional stories that describe the earliest beginnings of the world (and the beings that live on it). Especially if religion and spirituality (or the lack of them) are big components of your plot, a creation myth is something you should seriously consider for your world-building. Think about it this way: One of the most commonly recognized creation myths in fiction is probably from C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia, which wouldn't be the same kind of story if the creation myth wasn't fully realized on the page.

TYPES OF CREATION MYTHS

While there are thousands of creation myths to look at from our world, here are a few basic types (and very stripped-down descriptions) that you can draw inspiration on when you start your research:

• CREATION FROM CHAOS: When there existed only a shapeless, dark void before spontaneous creation. In this tradition, chaos is usually considered to be "evil," and order (or creation) is thought of as "good." An example of this can be found in Greek mythology.

• EARTH-DIVER: When a deity tasks an animal to dive into primal waters to discover a piece of soil that can become inhabitable land. Though there are several First Nations communities who have earth-diver myths, an example can be found in the Haudenosaunee tradition.

• EMERGENCE: When people emerge into the world that they currently know; usually associated with a birth of some kind, like from the womb of the earth. An example can be found in the Hopituh Shi-nu-mu tradition.