Comparisons

Questions to Ponder: Comparisons

We have examined the universal elements. Now consider the differences.

Native Americans versus East Asians

The best way to find differences is to look at the opposite ends, right? So let us look at two virtually opposite cultures. Native Americans (mostly North America) and the Eastern Asians (China, Japan, and South Korea) are almost culturally polar opposites. They are as far apart in their beliefs as they are physically on a map. Both have gender-typical roles and both believe in the sanctity of all the Earth, but East Asian cultures are patriarchal rather than the gender-equivalency found in most of the remaining Native American cultures.

It is rather common knowledge that cultural norms are built from common belief systems. These can be seen in society today in a number of ways, like the political climates- that affects your day-to-day life, right? I am sure politics was around as early as there was organization. It is just human nature. But I digress; belief systems can be religious, too. Many early cultures were very heavy into their religion. Not being involved might anger the god(s) and therefore bring their wrath upon you or your village. These beliefs built the basis of divergent cultures.

Eastern Asians, particularly the Japanese, have always been a very traditionalistic society. Many still hold to some of the oldest religions where honoring your ancestors is as vital as eating and drinking. But their overall society is based on men having more power than women: the definition of a patriarchy. This goes all the way back to one of their creation myths where, before the world could be populated, the male entity decided they needed to walk around the world. When they met and the female entity speaks first, the male is angry and demands they walk around the world again so that he can speak first! In their earlier cultures, East Asian women were subservient to men. Chance or cause-and-effect?

In comparison, you have the Native Americans. Each tribe has an individual mythos, but very few specify gender. Instead, their creators are often gender-neutral great spirits that created humans to protect the Earth. Culturally, men and women are close to equal. Men would still hunt, yes, because they are physically built different than women, and women would also bear children and farm. They remained a hunter-gatherer civilization far longer than most others. Each gender had its strengths, but also weaknesses that the other made up for. Power could reside in the most capable, not just those born into power. 

There are a large number of conclusions that can be drawn from the argument of gender-equality, modern and mythological. One note that pops into my mind for further consideration is that the Native American society is, tragically, almost wiped out, but the Japanese society is strong and almost unchanged through many centuries. I wonder if that has happened in other gender-equivalent cultures; I would like to see if there is a pattern...

Creation Myths

Questions to Ponder: Creation

What in your mind is the most important theme in mythology? Why do we have a creation myth? What purpose do they serve in both the individual and society?

Themes

I find it remarkable how similar myths from around the world can be in their most generalized context. For example, both the Grecian and Japanese creation myths involve an original male and female "mating" to create other beings who then created the aspects of our world. This basic plot line is the basis of a large number of creation stories from dozens of cultures. Even more interesting is how the cultures have evolved based on their mythos; how their origin stories have affected the development of cultural rituals and habits and how their vary society is structured even in modern day.

From that stems my interest in a particular theme: the fall of man, but especially the second fall. While this pertains more to the flood than creation, it is a dominant theme in many myths. The common 'fall of man' plot seems to go something like this:

1. God(s) create the light and the dark, plants and animals
2. God(s) get ambitious and/or lazy so they design a keeper or servant: humans
3. Humans run wild and muck up the beautiful world
4. God(s) get angry and wipe out most of the humans
5. "Pure" humans are allowed to repopulate

This narrative is most familiar to a number of us via the Christian Bible: God made Adam and Eve to tend the Garden of Eden, but then Eve disobeys God's one command by eating the apple, feeds it to Adam, and they both get kicked out of the Garden. That is the first fall of man. But the second fall, when humans prove that not all of us are the scum-of-the-earth and that we are all redeemable, comes when God sends Noah on the quest to build the ark so that He might wipe out all but two of each creature.

Again, steps 1-5 are formulaically followed in the Egyptian myth of Hathor, Blood and Beer. Humans are created and all is well until the humans start conspiring against the gods. Ra is displeased with humans and sets Hathor to kill them off, but her bloodthirsty attitude drives Ra to pity men and helps them trick her, thus saving a few of mankind to repopulate the earth.

Over and over, humans are given a second chance. 

Perhaps it is because of my personal history that this theme is so forefront in my mind; this is my second chance to get things right. And I realize a third chance doesn't come often. Perhaps we are in the midst of our third chance and that has led to our current tense climate: the proverbial beginning of the end. But that is a post for later!

Creation Myths and Their Purpose

The eternal question: why am I here? Before more modern sciences, we made sense of our world and explain the observable phenomena in the only way we could: a higher power. The creation of life is still seen as a somewhat magical process, even though we understand the biology behind human conception and life. But where did it all begin? Why are we unique, only one species where there are dozens of species of dogs? Why are we the apex predator? How did we create tools and master fire? Even now, the best we can do is speculate at the progression we took from primordial soup to modern bipeds. 

On a societal scale, it was a common thread to connect people, a central belief system that defined the basic rules to follow. Creation myths made sense of why we are so different from every other creature and why we seem to be above all other creatures.

But the effects on the individual would make for a fascinating psychological study. Creation myths gave us the answer to where we came from in such a way that it created the basic rules of life, it gave early cultures a purpose and a goal: to honor/please/serve the god(s). But it also allowed us to progress further by allowing individuals to focus more on other areas like: 'what is my purpose?' or 'how can we do this?' I believe it answered the questions we couldn't even begin to truly comprehend the answers to so that we might divert our attentions to what would affect us more day-to-day: from diseases came medicine, from trading came currency, from charcoal pictures came writing.

Why the Tiger?

"The serpent, the king, the tiger, the stinging wasp, the small child, the dog owned by other people, and the fool: these seven ought not to be awakened from sleep."

~Chanakya~

For centuries, the tiger has been a symbol of power, royalty, intelligence, strength and beauty. It has been mythologized in many cultures and was revered throughout the ages.

I wish my history was that extravagant! Instead, I was dubbed as 'Tiger' by my parents whom both happen to be Auburn alumni. When I started becoming a particularly brazen child, I earned my nickname that I still use to this day.

While I have earned and lived up to my given title a million times over, I want to live up to all the symbol implies, starting with completing my Associate in Arts. That's where this blog comes in- a class assignment to make a pseudo portfolio.

Here is to a fresh semester!

Tiger