Compare the creations myths of India with those of the Near East or Europe (choose only one group).  In what ways are they similar?  How are they different?  What about the culture and context of India might explain these differences?           

            A comparison of the creation myths of the Near East with those of Africa has to consider a number of elements. Among these are geographical location and environment, the level of industry or lack thereof in the culture, the class system that was present, and the amount of interaction with other societies. Some may have not been an influence in a particular case, but most were. The day and nighttime sky, particularly the sun and moon, turn up in creation myths across the globe, including Africa and the Near East. All cultures have these symbols in common. But whereas an African myth might feature an elephant, as in “Nandi: When God Came to Earth”(Sproul 48-49) they are absent in Near East myths because there were none there. One makes myths from what they know. In ancient Africa, most societies were composed of nomadic hunters or primitive farmers. Their myths reflect this, sometimes focusing on the animals they hunted.

            In “Barotse: God Retreats to the Sky”(35-36) the human Kamonu falls into disfavor with his god Nyambi for killing antelope, buffalo, and elands. The African gods generally coexisted with man in their world, until man repulsed or scared them away. Life was more immediate and fragile, and dependent upon what could be accomplished day to day. It follows that the gods were closer at hand, and more human in their characteristics.

            The Near East, in contrast, was somewhat more advanced. Taking Egypt (one of the most intriguing societies there) as example- agriculture was established, due to the regular cycles of the Nile River. There was more division of labor and a decidedly more complex class structure; Pharaohs and their supporting upper caste, artisans and tradesmen, and finally the menial laborers or imported slaves. The gods of Egypt and similar societies in the Near East became much more omnipotent and detached from humanity. The upper levels of these societies claimed a closer connection to the gods and made them less accessible to their minions. It became a way to control the lower classes.

            Although Islam made it's way into some eastern sections of its coast, most of Africa's sub-Saharan tribes or villages remained more isolated than societies in the Near East. This caused more diversity in their stories and more localized deities which would not persist to the degree that some Near Eastern gods have. African creation stories also place man in a more prominent role, sometimes even driving gods away from earth; this is not the case with the Near East. The god of Judaism is an all powerful one that created and influenced mankind remotely, while the Barotse's Nyambi was a god that lived on earth and interacted with man and animals, until becoming afraid of man.

            Similarities in creation stories between Africa and the Near East are harder to find than the differences. However, it can be said that in both these areas, the sources of food and water were often key components, whether the Nile and its fertile banks for the Egyptians or the animals that African nomads relied on for food when they hunted. Both regions had many instances of polytheism, with gods for the various flora/fauna, animals, weather phenomena, and landmarks in their respective areas. And like the sources of creation stories everywhere, they were all attempting to impose some order on their chaotic worlds.

Sproul, Barbara C. Primal Myth, Creation Myths Around The World. New York:

            Harper One, Harper Collins Publishers. 1991. p. 11-12. Print.