In “The Epic of Creation” we find that the skies and earth are existent at the time but just without name. “When skies above were not yet named,” leads the reader to believe that the skies were present, they at the time, did not have a name though. This goes along with the earth as well, present, just nameless.
In the opening lines of “The Epic of Creation” we learn about the “maker” named Tiamat. We also learn that “gods were born within them.” Tiamat being the maker, then other gods following after her.
In “Metamorphoses” the opening line says “Before the ocean was or earth or heaven, nature was all alike a shapelessness chaos.” The situation of creation was finally changed by “God or kindlier nature… separated heaven from earth, water from land…”
A key similarity that we find within the two works is that the gods did not create the matter that was present at the beginning. After having read the passages one can come to a conclusion that the gods in both stories were not necessarily creators of matter.
The text leaves the reader to ponder the age old question of where everything came from. So in this way the texts are similar in that they do not answer the question of where or how the matter began.
In comparing the similarities between these two different creation stories we find that a higher power is involved. In the “Epic of Creation” we find a maker involved, and in” Metamorphoses” we find a “God or kindlier Nature,” separated the earth and heavens.
Another similarity that is found within the two texts is the structure of the poems. They are both laid out in verse, though since they have been translated one can wonder if they used to have end rhyme.
Not only are they laid out structurally similar, they both have an ancient feeling to them, though translated, the way key points are worded in both stories, hints to the reader of an ancient text.
I wondered just how much was lost in translation to. Did they really know what atoms were to put them in the myth? It's interesting that there were so many similarities in the stories from two different peoples.
ReplyDelete@Tammy: Great question. What do you think are most interesting/important, the similarities or differences?
ReplyDeleteClint, good post. I have a couple questions, though.
ReplyDeleteYou say, "In 'The Epic of Creation' we find that the skies and earth are existent at the time but just without name." But . . . can a thing really exist without a name? Is that possible? Or are names almost the same thing as existence?
Also, in Metamorphose, the text ascribes creation to "“God or kindlier nature." It's interesting that it doesn't settle the question of with one, or even if they are the same in some way.