The flood myth is a remarkably widespread story, found in numerous cultures across the globe, outside of the Bible and Mesopotamian texts. Below are some prominent examples from various nations and cultures:
1. Ancient Greece (Deucalion and Pyrrha)
- In Greek mythology, the flood story involves Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha, who were warned by Zeus about an impending deluge sent to punish humanity. Following instructions from Prometheus, they built a chest and survived the flood. Afterward, they repopulated the earth by throwing stones over their shoulders, which transformed into humans.
2. India (The Story of Manu)
- In Hindu mythology, the earliest flood story is about Manu, the first human. He is warned by a fish (an avatar of the god Vishnu) about a forthcoming flood. Manu builds a boat, survives, and later repopulates the earth. This story is found in several Hindu texts, including the Satapatha Brahmana and the Puranas.
3. China (Yu the Great and the Great Flood)
- Chinese mythology has the story of Yu the Great, who controlled a massive flood that lasted for years. Instead of surviving the flood in an ark, as in other legends, Yu is renowned for his engineering feats, such as digging channels to drain the floodwaters. This flood story is deeply connected with the founding of the Xia dynasty.
4. Norse Mythology (Bergelmir)
- In Norse mythology, the flood comes during the war between the gods and the frost giants. When the giant Ymir is slain, his blood causes a great flood that drowns almost all the giants, except for Bergelmir and his wife, who escape by climbing onto a boat made from a hollowed-out tree trunk.
5. Mesoamerica (Maya and Aztec Myths)
- In Maya and Aztec myths, there are stories of floods connected to cycles of creation and destruction. For example, in the Aztec legend, the gods destroyed the world with a flood after the Fourth Sun (one of several cosmic eras) ended. The gods then created a new world in its place.
- Similarly, the Popol Vuh, a sacred text of the Kʼicheʼ Maya, tells of a flood sent by the gods to wipe out a previous, imperfect version of humanity made from wood.
6. Native American (Various Tribes)
- Numerous Native American cultures have flood myths:
- The Hopi people tell of Palulukon, a serpent that causes a deluge after humans become corrupt. The faithful escape by ascending a tall reed.
- The Menominee tell of a trickster figure, Manabozho, who survived a great flood by building a raft and recreating the world afterward.
- In the Inuit tradition, there is also a flood story where Aakulujjuusi and Uumarnituq, who survived on an ark, repopulate the land after the waters subside.
7. Polynesia (The Story of Nuu)
- In Hawaiian mythology, Nuu builds a large canoe and takes his family and animals aboard to survive a flood sent by the gods. When the floodwaters subside, Nuu mistakenly offers a sacrifice to the moon instead of to the creator god Kāne, who then descends on a rainbow to correct the offering. This myth has some parallels with the Biblical Noah story.
8. Africa (Yoruba Myth - Babalú-Ayé)
- In the Yoruba tradition of West Africa, there is a flood story in which Babalú-Ayé, a god associated with disease and healing, releases a deluge to punish humanity. Later, the floodwaters are controlled by divine intervention, and humanity is allowed to survive, leading to the renewal of the earth.
9. Aboriginal Australians
- Many Aboriginal Australian tribes have flood stories tied to the Dreamtime, the ancient time of creation. For example, the Gurindji people tell of a great flood that covered the land after the rainbow serpent, a creator figure, was angered by human actions.
10. Celtic Mythology (The Story of Dwyfan and Dwyfach)
- In Welsh mythology, there is a tale of a great flood called Llyn Llion, in which only two survivors, Dwyfan and Dwyfach, escaped in a ship, eventually repopulating the land. This story bears resemblance to other flood myths of rebirth and destruction.
These flood myths, although varied in detail and context, often share common themes of divine punishment, rebirth, and survival, underscoring the universality of such stories across human cultures.
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