Genesis Creation Story and Juhwertamahkai - Essay Example

Creation Stories Genesis creation story This is a creation myth accepted in both Christianity and Judaism. Itcomprises of two parts, which are equivalent to the first two chapters of in the book of Genesis. The first part consists of Genesis 1:1 to Genesis 2:3. In this part, Elohim, the Hebrew name for the supreme God establishes the earth within six days (Giberson, 2012). On the seventh day, he rests, sanctifies, and blesses the day. The creation story begins in day 1 where God creates the both the heaven and earth. Since the earth was dark, God commanded light to be present on earth and it became. He, therefore, separated light from the darkness naming the former day and the latter night. On the second day, God established the firmament through command and it became. He made it separate the waters from the waters and called the firmament Heaven (Giberson, 2012). On the same day, he collected the waters under the heaven into one place thereby creating the dry land and calling it earth, and the gathered waters as the sea. Moreover, God brought into existence the grass, trees, and other plant forms. In the third day, God created the sun, the moon, and stars to bring light on earth in the day and at night respectively. On the fourth day, God created water creatures such as whales, fish, and air creatures such as fowls. On the fifth day, God established every living creature on earth except human beings. These included cattle, creeping creatures, and beasts of the earth among others. Being pleased with his work, he blessed the creatures and made them multiply to fill the earth (Giberson, 2012). God completed his creation work on the sixth day by creating man in his own image. Therefore, God created man both male and female and thereafter blessed them and told them to multiply and feel the earth. Moreover, man was given power to rule and manage all creatures and use some of them as food (Giberson, 2012). On the seventh day, God rested on completing his creation work. Therefore, he blessed and sanctified the day since it was his day of rest from all the activities of creation. In the second part of creation, Genesis 2:4- 24, God who is referred by personal name as Yahweh, creates the first man in his image by using dust, breathes life into him thereafter becoming a living being (Giberson, 2012). God names his Adam and places him in the Garden of Eden to manage it. Thus, it is the man that God performs the life-giving act and not his earlier creations. Moreover, the man gives name to animals and even to Eve, whom he calls a woman since she comes from one of his ribs. Thus, by assigning names, man portrays his authority over the creations. However, in the garden, Satan becomes smart and tricks Adam and Eve into consuming the forbidden fruit (Giberson, 2012). This makes them become sinners for disobeying God. With increasing population, human beings continued to sin and become immoral. Therefore, God decides to destroy the earth. He commands Noah to construct an ark and put into it every creature both male and female. Thereafter, God destroys the earth by causing flood but saves the living things that entered the earth. Afterward, God releases the creatures from the ark into the earth and they begin to multiply thus filling the earth. Pimas creation story The Akimel O’odham otherwise known as Pimas, reside along the Salt and Gila rivers within the desert of central Arizona. They are close relatives of the Tohono O’odham who were initially known as Papago residing in the desert south of the Pimas (Leeming & Leeming, 2010). They cultivate beans, corns, and are hunters and gatherers. Later in the sixteenth century, Akimel O’odham met the Spanish who baptized them as Pimas. The Pimas has their own story of creation. According to them, in the beginning the earth was inexistent thus there was no water and anything on earth. However, there existed only one Person known as Juh-wert –a-Mah- kai otherwise known as the Doctor of the Earth (Leeming & Leeming, 2010). The person just floated in the void and darkness since there was no sun or light and no place to stand on. He moved around in the darkness until he thought he had covered much. Thus, he rubbed on his breast and this generated moah- haht-tack, which constitute his perspiration regarded as the greasy earth. Therefore, he created the world from the greasy earth that came from his chest. His first creation was the greasewood bush, and thereafter created ants to reside on it and consume the gum oozing from its stem. However, the little ants never performed to his expectation prompting him to create white ants. The white ants worked hard and enlarged the earth until it became big enough for him the rest on (Against the American Grain, 2014). His next creation was a Person whom he made out of the silhouette of his eyes. The main purpose of creating him was to assist him in the creation of human beings, trees, as well as everything on earth. The person was referred as Noo-ee (the Buzzard). He was offered all the power but never performed his role of assisting Juhwertamahkai and in most cases left him travel alone. After creating Noo-ee, Juhwertamahkai created the sun. He created the mountains and other plants with seed that are palatable before creating man (Against the American Grain, 2014). Juhwertamahkai created human beings by rubbing his chest. Two little dolls emerged and who later became man and woman (Leeming & Leeming, 2010). This occurred after the creation of plants. If he had created man before the plants, man could have starved since he could lack food to eat. At this time, everything was perfect as there was no sickness or death of people. However, as the population increased over time until the earth became filled. Since there was no food, they killed and fed on one another (Leeming & Leeming, 2010). This action saddened Juhwertamahkai thereby deciding to kill them by letting the sky drop on them. However, he and Nooee emerged and escaped leaving behind people to perish. Afterwards, Juhwertamahkai created a man and woman who on becoming old turned grew. Surprisingly, their children also turned grew when still younger. Even the grandchildren of the first people to be created grew grey and this continued even to the young babies still in the cradles (Leeming & Leeming, 2010). Since he never liked seeing his new creations becoming grey when still in their cradles, he destroyed them as he did with the first human creatures. After destroying the second lot of human beings, Juhwertamahkai created a new heaven and earth and new people. Nevertheless, this people had a vice of smoking. It was so unique that young children smoked and even infants in their cradles wanted to smoke (Leeming & Leeming, 2010). Because of the smoking habit, Juhwertamahkai decided to destroy the world. Juhwertamahkai again created a new world with people as it is today. Moreover, the sun and the moon met every month and the moon gave birth to a baby who was nourished by the earth. The child visited them and Juhwertamahkai named him Toehahvs since his mother, the moon on had laid him on those bushes. Consequently, another powerful personage came from the North had two names Ee-ee-toy and See-ur-huh. He was called Seeurhuh meaning older brother (Leeming & Leeming, 2010). Juhwertamahkai warns his people about the flood that later comes and destroy the entire world and everything in it. After the flood, the Persons begin creating people and other things in the world by using the clay left from the dampness occasioned by the flood (Leeming & Leeming, 2010). During this process, Juhwertamahkai becomes angry and sinks into the ground. The Pimas believes that excretion and wastes he left behind causes the death and sickness on earth. Similarities of the two creation stories The Genesis creation story and the Pimas’ creation story have various similarities. The stories claim that in the beginning, the earth was inexistent and that the spirits of both the deities moved around in the darkness. Moreover, the deities in both the stories create everything on earth including both man and woman. Surprisingly, man is created the last in both stories and they later multiplies and fills the earth thereby explaining the existence of humankind. Consequently, both the deities in the two stories have rivals. For instance, Juhwertamahkai faced revolt from Seeurhuh who envies and wants to gain more fame than Juhwertamahkai. This revolt causes completion in the Pimas’ creation story and later leads to the death of the Juhwertamahkai. Just like in the Pima story, the God in the Genesis story faces revolt from Satan who disguises as a snake and convinces Adam and Eve to consume the forbidden fruit. This makes them disobey God thus sinning. In both stories, the earth is destroyed because of the sinfulness of the people. For instance, Juhwertamahkai destroys the first earth since human beings of that time killed and fed on one another. Consequently, in the Genesis story, God destroys the earth since human beings had become immoral and never obeyed his commands. Further, in both the creation stories, the deities destroy the world and everything in it by using flood. In Genesis creation story, God commands Noah to build an ark and put into it every kind of animal of both sexes. Noah does this and later, God causes flood that destroys everything on earth. Consequently, in the Pimas’ story, Juhwertamahkai warns his people to be prepared of the flood. Later, the flood occurs and this sweeps the entire humanity and everything on earth except the deities. Differences These two stories have differences that emerge from various aspects. First, in the Genesis creation story, the work was done within six days. However, in the Pimas’ creation story, there is no timeframe for creation. Moreover, in the former, the deity referred as Yahweh creates the heaven and earth as his first creations while in the later, Juhwertamahkai creates the greasewood bush and the small ants. Secondly, in the Genesis creation story, God commands into existence various things such as the sun, moon, cattle, whales and other things except human beings, whom he moulds from dust and later breathes into his nostrils to become a living soul. However, in the Pimas’ story, Juhwertamahkai makes the world from perspiration of his body referred as the greasy earth. Unlike in the Genesis story where the creations are perfect, Juhwertamahkai’s creations are imperfect. This is because he depends on the white ants to complete the creation process. Moreover, in the Genesis story, man is given power over all other creations of God. He is supposed to manage and take care of everything created by a deity. However, in the Pima story, man is never given any role or considered of higher status compared to other creations of the Juhwertamahkai. Third, in the Pimas’ creation story, there exists more than one deity. For instance, the emergence of Seeurhuh increases the number of deities. However, this is different from the Genesis story whereby there is only one deity referred as Yahweh and who controls everything. He is so powerful and no power can match his strength and might or even create things the same way does. Seeurhuh also makes a man who goes around marrying women and this proves his might and skills that match that of Juhwertamahkai. Finally, in the Genesis story, God created Eve as the last person to assist Adam. She was to be his wife and thus multiply and fill the earth. However, in the Pimas’ story, Seeurhuh, joins Juhwertamahkai and Nooee as their elder brother. Moreover, after the flood, the Persons create human beings and other things from mud. Consequently, in the Genesis story, the world was destroyed only once by flood, while in the Pimas, the world was destroyed several times. References Against the American Grain. (2014). “Pima Stories of the Beginning of the World: The Story of Creation”. Retrieved April 12, 2014 from http://againstamericangrain.wordpress.com/2012/02/02/pima-stories-of-the-beginning-of- the-world-the-story-of-creation/ Giberson, K. (2012). Seven glorious days: A scientist retells the Genesis creation story. Brewster, Mass: Paraclete Press. Leeming, D. A., & Leeming, D. A. (2010). Creation myths of the world: An encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO. Read More