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→Influence of Myths
For the creation myths that relate to chaos, or the world emerging from chaos, the oceans are often seen as the initially created entity that a god or spirit then allows the Earth or even the heavens to emerge from this primordial sea. Chaos, war, and conflict are also common in the Old World. Both in Mesopotamian and Egyptian mythology, nothing exists and creation brings order to a world of nothingness.In the New World, birth is a common theme, where the spirits or gods beget other gods. Sometimes the gods are impregnated in a divine miracle. Themes of war also appear, such as in the Hopi creation epic, which recounts the wickedness and promiscuity of humans that leads to conflict and downfall. Emergence out of a pre-human world, including the emergence of key elements that allow life to happen, are also common in the New and Old Worlds. In the Navajo tradition, spiritual aspects were created first before the world and other beings were created. The spiritual characteristics of life enable the physical world, including humans, to exist. Both in east Asia and the New World, the Earth emerges as dry land created by a divine being or being sent by the gods. For instance, the Ainu creation myth has a water wagtail bird create the Earth by flapping its wings and exposing dry land.
==Influence of Creation Myths== In most cultures, it is evident that creation myths are also developed to justify the world order. The hierarchy of humans, the reasons why they might die, the importance of given gods but not others, and the characteristic of the spirits and gods are justified by creation myths. This is also true for major religions, where creation stories are used to explain what the world was intended to be and how it is. Creation myths are, therefore, central in many belief systems that explain the cosmos and are the most typical stories of cosmology in ancient cultures. Prior to creation, the universe or the world is considered unclear and order is often not well established. Creation myths are, therefore, seen as important for social truths, including metaphorical and symbolic meaning. While many creation myths are often not believed in even by modern cultures, they are still seen as important for social identity given their explanatory utility in justifying world order and the place of given cultures. For disappearing or more rare cultures, including Native American societies, creation myths are important for identity and placing society in a wider world view.
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