The debate between the advocates of creationism and evolutionary theory does not cease to this day. However, in contrast to the theory of evolution, creationism includes not one, but hundreds of different theories (if not more). In this article we will discuss the ten most unusual myths of antiquity.
10. The myth of Pan-gu
The Chinese have their own ideas about how the world came. The most popular myth can be called the myth of Pan-Gu, giant man. The plot is as follows: at the dawn of time heaven and earth were close to each other so that merged into a single black mass.
According to legend, this mass was an egg, and inside it lived Pan-gu, where he lived for a long time - many millions of years. But one day he was tired of this life, and, waving weighty ax, Pan-gu emerged from its egg, it splits into two parts. These pieces later became heaven and earth. Growth was unimaginable - commercials with fifty kilometers in length, which, by the standards of the ancient Chinese, was the distance between heaven and earth.
Unfortunately for the Pan-gu, and fortunately for us, the colossus was mortal and, like all mortals died. And then Pan-gu decomposed. But not the way we do - Pan-gu decomposed really cool: his voice turned into a thunder of his skin and bones became the solid earth, and its head became the Cosmos. Thus, his death gave life to our world.
9. Chernobog and Belobog
This is one of the most important myths of the Slavs. He tells the story of the confrontation between Good and Evil - White and Black Gods. It all started like this: when there was only one big sea Belobog decided to create the land, sending his shadow - Chernobog - do all the dirty work. Chernobog ever made, as it is necessary, however, having a kind of selfish and proud, refused to share power with Belobog above the firmament, having decided last drown.
Belobog got out of this situation, he is not allowed to kill himself, and even blessed the land, erected Czernebog. However, with the advent of the land, there was one small problem: the area it has grown exponentially, threatening to devour everything.
Then Belobog sent a delegation to the Earth with the purpose to find out from Chernobog how to stop this thing. Well, Chernobog sat on a goat and went to negotiate. Delegates also seeing them riding on a goat Chernobog, imbued comicality this sight and burst into wild laughter. Chernobog humor did not understand much offended and refused to talk to them.
Meanwhile, Belobog still wanting to save the Earth from dehydration, I decided to make surveillance Czernebog, fashioned for this purpose bee. Insect coped with the problem and find out the secret of success is this: to stop the proliferation of land, it is necessary to draw a cross on it and say the magic word - "pretty." What did Belobog.
To say that Chernobog was not happy - to say nothing. Wanting revenge, he cursed Bjelobog, and cursed his very original - for his meanness Belobog now considered a lifetime eating bee feces. However Belobog was not taken aback, and made bee feces sweet as sugar - so there was honey. About how there were people, Slavs somehow did not think ... The main thing is, honey.
8. Armenian duality
Armenian myths reminiscent of Slavic and also tell us about the existence of two opposing principles - this time, male and female. Unfortunately, the myth does not answer the question of how our world was created only explains how everything works. But the less interesting it becomes.
So, here are brief: Heaven and Earth - a husband and wife who shared the ocean; Sky - a city, and the Earth - a piece of rock that keeps on their huge antlers not less than a huge bull - he shakes his antlers, land bursting at the seams from earthquakes. That's all - so Armenians imagined the Earth.
There is an alternative myth, where the Earth is in the midst of the sea, and Leviathan swims around her, trying to grab its tail, and it also explains bultyhaniyami permanent earthquake. When Leviathan finally tsapnet own tail, life on earth will stop and there will come the apocalypse. Have a nice day.
7. Nordic myth of the ice giants
It would seem that between the Chinese and Scandinavians have nothing in common - but no, the Vikings also had a giant - the first principle of all, only his name was Ymir, and it was icy and cudgel. Prior to his appearance the world was divided into Muspelheim and Niflheim - the kingdom of fire and ice, respectively. Between them stretched Ginnungagap symbolizing absolute chaos, and there, by the merger of two opposite elements, was born Ymir.
And now closer to us, the people. When Ymir sweating, then together with the sweat from his right armpit climbed man and a woman. Strange, yes, we understand it - well, here they are, the tough Vikings, nothing can be done. But back to the point. A man named Storm, he was the son of Boer, while Bёra had three sons - Odin, Vili and Ve. Three brothers were gods and ruled Asgard. That was not enough for them, and they decided to kill the great-grandfather Ymir, making it a world.
Ymir was not happy, but no one asked. In the process, it shed a lot of blood - enough to fill its seas and oceans; skull hapless brothers created the firmament, his bones were broken, making of these mountains and stones, and of the poor mangled brains Ymir made clouds.
This new world of one company and immediately decided to settle Thus they found on the beach two beautiful wood - ash, alder, ash making man, and alder - a woman, thus giving birth to the human race.
6. The Greek myth of balls
Like many other people, the ancient Greeks believed that before there was our world around was just sheer chaos. There was no sun, no moon - it was all dumped into one big pile, where things were inseparable.
But then came a god, looked around at the prevailing confusion, thought and decided that it is not good to all, and got down to business: the cold separated from heat, misty morning on a clear day, and all that sort of thing.
Then he took up the earth, roll it into a ball and divide the ball into five parts: at the equator was very hot at the poles - very cold, but between the poles and the equator - at the time, more comfortable than you can imagine. Further, from the seed of an unknown god, probably of Zeus, the Romans known as Jupiter, was created the first man - a two-faced, and also in the form of a ball.
And then it broke in two, making it a man and a woman - the future we have with you.
5. Egyptian god who loved his shadow
In the beginning was the great ocean, whose name was "Nude" was this ocean of chaos, and besides him there was nothing. It was not until Atum, willpower and thoughts are not created out of Chaos itself. Yes, there were a peasant eggs. But more - more and more interesting. So, he created himself, and now it was necessary to create in the Earth's oceans. Which he did. After wandering around the earth and realize your total loneliness, Atum became unbearably boring, and decided he planed even the gods. How? But so ardent, passionate feelings for his own shadow.
Thus fertilized, Atum begat Shu and Tefnut, spitting out of their mouth. But apparently overdone and newborn gods lost in the ocean of chaos. Atum grieved, but soon, to my relief, still found and re-found their children. He was so happy reunion, that for a long time wept, and his tears, touching the ground, fertilize it - and from the ground up people, a lot of people! Then, while people are fertilized each other, Shu and Tefnut, too, there was a coitus, and they gave birth to other gods - gods more than God of gods! - Hebe and Nute, which became the personification of the Earth and the sky.
There is another myth that replaces the Atum Ra, but the basic fact that does not change - there are also all mass fertilize each other.
4. Myth Yoruba - Sands of Life and chicken
There is an African people - Yoruba. So, they too have a myth about the origin of all things.
In general, it was like this: there was one God, called him Olorun, and one day he came up with the idea - that it would be necessary to equip the Earth once (when Earth was like one continuous heathland).
I olorun himself to do not really like, so he sent his son to earth - Obotalu. However, at the time, Obotaly had better things to do (in fact, the heavens then was scheduled chic party and Obotala just could not miss it).
While Obotala fun, the responsibility was shouldered Odudavu. Not having at hand is nothing but chicken and sand Odudava still went to work. The principle he was: he took a cup of sand, sprinkled it on the Earth, and then gave the chicken on the sand and run it properly trample down.
After a few such simple manipulations, I created the earth Lfe Odudava or Lle-lfe. The story Odudavy ends and reappears on the scene Obotala, this time in a drunken board - the party was a success.
And so, being in a state of divine intoxication, son Olorun started for the creation of us humans. It turned out that he very badly, and he had done the disabled, dwarfs and freaks. Sober same Obotala horrified and quickly fix it, creating normal people.
According to another version, Obotala never oklemalsya, and people also made Odudava, we have just come down from heaven, and at the same time assigning its status as the master of mankind.
3. Azteca "War of the Gods»
According to the myth of the Aztecs, no initial chaos existed. But was the primary order - absolute vacuum, impenetrable black and endless, in which some strange way he lived, the Supreme God - Ometeotl. It had a dual nature, having both female and male principle was good, and at the same time angry, and was warm and the cold, right and wrong, black and white.
It spawned other gods: Huitzilopochtli, Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca and Xipe-Totec, who, in turn, created a giant, water, fish and other gods.
Tezcatlipoca ascended to heaven, sacrificing himself and became the sun. However, there he encountered Quetzalcoatl, joined with him in battle and lost it. Tezcatlipoca Quetzalcoatl dropped from the heavens, and he became the sun. Then, Quetzalcoatl has created people and gave them to eat nuts.
Tezcatlipoca is still concealing resentment at Quetzalcoatl decided to recoup his creations, turning people into monkeys. Seeing what happened to his first people, Quetzalcoatl fell into a rage and summoned the most powerful force hurricane scattered nasty monkeys all over the world.
While as Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca at odds with each other, and Tialok Chalchiuhtlicue also turned to the sun, in order to continue the cycle of day and night. However, the fierce battle of Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca affected and - then they too were thrown out of heaven.
In the end, Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca ceased hostilities, forgetting past wrongs and creating from the dead bones and blood of Quetzalcoatl new people - the Aztecs.
2. Japanese "World boiler»
Japan. Again, Chaos, again in the form of the ocean, this time a dirty, like a swamp. This Ocean marsh reeds grew magic (or cane), and from this cane (or reeds) as we cabbage - children were born gods, their great variety. All together they were called Kotoamatsukami - and that is all that is known about them, because, just born, they immediately rushed to hide in the reeds. Or, in the reeds.
While they were hiding, new gods, including Idzinami and Idzinagi. They began to stir the ocean, until it is thickened, and the earth was formed out of it - Japan. In Idzinami Idzinagi and had a son - Ebisu, who became the god of fishermen, daughter - Amaterasu, which became the sun, and another daughter - Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, which turned the moon. They had a son and another last - Susanoo, for his violent temper got the status of a god of wind and storms.
1. Lotus flower and "ohm-m»
Like many other religions, Hinduism also appears the concept of origin of the world out of nothing. Well, from the void - was the endless ocean, in which floated a giant cobra, was Vishnu, who was sleeping on the tail of a cobra. And nothing more.
As time went on, the days succeeded each other one by one, and it seemed that it always will be. But one day everything around announced a sound never before heard - the sound of "ohm-m" previously empty world overwhelmed with energy. Vishnu awoke from its slumber, and from the lotus flower on his navel Brahma appeared. Vishnu commanded Brahma to create the world, and the meantime disappeared, taking with him a snake.
Brahma, sitting in the lotus position on a lotus flower, set to work: he divided the flower into three parts, using one to create Heaven and Hell, the other to create the earth, and a third to create the sky. Then Brahma created animals, birds, people and trees, creating thus all living things.