In ancient times, mankind has developed civilizations.It was a separate nation, which were formed under the influence of certain factors and had their culture, technique and different specific personality.Due to the fact that they were not technologically advanced as modern mankind, the ancient people largely depended on the whims of nature.Then lightning, rain, earthquakes and other natural phenomena seemed a manifestation of divine powers.These forces, as it seemed, could determine the fate of the human and personal qualities.So was born the very first mythology.
What is a myth?
According to contemporary cultural definition, a narrative that plays the beliefs of ancient people about the world, about the higher power of the person, biographies of great heroes and gods verbally.In a way, they reflect the level of knowledge, and then the person.These tales were written and handed down from generation to generation, so that today we can see how our thoughts ancestors.That is, when mythology was a form of social consciousness, and one way to understand the natural and social reality, which reflects the views of a person at a certain stage of development.
myths about the origin of man and the world
Among the many questions that troubled humanity in those days was a particularly urgent problem of the appearance of the world and man in it.Because of their curiosity, people have tried to explain and understand how they get there, who created them.It was then and there is a separate myth about the origin of humans.
Because the mankind, as has been said, developing more marginalized groups, the legend of each nationality were somewhat unique, as is reflected not only the outlook of the people at that time, but had the imprint of cultural and social development, as well ascarrying information about the land where the people lived.In this sense, myths have some historical value, since they allow to build some logical judgments about this or that nation.In addition, they are the bridge between past and future, the connection between generations, transmitting knowledge that has been accumulated in the accounts from the old to the new genus, thus teaching him.
anthropogonic myths
Regardless of civilization, all the ancient people had their own ideas about how the man appeared in this world.They have some common characteristics, but also have important differences, which are due to the peculiarities of life and the development of a civilization.All the myths about the origin of man called anthropogonic.This word comes from the Greek "anthropos", which means - a man.No such thing as a myth about the origin of the people, there is absolutely all ancient peoples.The only difference in their perception of the world.
comparison can be considered separately taken the myths about the origin of man and the world of two great nations, which greatly influenced the development of mankind in its time.This civilization of ancient Greece and China.
Chinese view of the creation of the world
Chinese were our universe as a huge egg, which was filled with a certain matter - Chaos.From the chaos born ancestor of all mankind - Pangu.He is using his ax broke the egg, which came into the world.When he broke the egg, chaos broke out and began to change.Formed sky (Yin) - is associated with a light beginning and the Earth (Yan) - dark principle.So in the beliefs of the Chinese people formed the world.After that Pangu put his hands to the sky and his feet to the ground and began to grow.It steadily grew, until the sky separated from the earth, and did not as we see it today.Pangu, when he grew up, broken up into many pieces, which became the basis of our world.His body became the mountains and the plains, the flesh - earth, wind - air and wind, blood - water, and the skin - vegetation.
Chinese mythology
says Chinese myth about the origin of man, formed a world that was populated by animals, fish and birds, but people still did not exist.The Chinese believed that the creator of mankind was the great female spirit - Nuwa.The ancient Chinese revered it as she who arranges the world, it was portrayed as a woman with the human body, legs and tail of a snake bird, which is holding a moon disc (the symbol of Yin) and angle measurement.
Nuwa began to sculpt in clay human figures that come to life and turn into people.She worked a lot of time and realized that her strength is not enough to create people who will be able to settle all the land.Then Nuwa took the rope and pass it through a liquid clay and then shook.There, where lumps of wet clay fell, there were people.But they were not as good as those that were stuff is made by hand.So in the myths of China justified the existence of the nobility that Nuwa blinded with his own hands, and the people of the lower classes, created with the help of ropes.Goddess gave their creations the ability to reproduce on their own, as well as get acquainted with the concept of marriage, which in ancient China adhered to very strictly.So it can also be considered Nuwa patroness of marriage.
This is a Chinese myth about the origin of man.As you can see, it reflected not only the traditional Chinese beliefs, but also some of the features and rules that guided the ancient Chinese people in their lives.
Greek mythology about the appearance of a man
Greek myth about the origin of man tells how Prometheus created humans from clay.But the first people were very vulnerable and do not know how.For this act of the Greek gods were angry with Prometheus and conceived to destroy the human race.However, Prometheus has saved their children by stealing fire from Olympus and brought it to the man in an empty cane stalk.For this, Zeus imprisoned in the chains of Prometheus in the Caucasus, where an eagle was pecking at his liver.
Generally, in Greek mythology, the myth of origin of any people does not give specific information about the appearance of mankind, more concentrating on subsequent events.Perhaps this is due to the fact that the Greeks considered insignificant person in the background all-powerful gods, thus emphasizing their importance for the whole nation.Indeed, almost all the Greek legends are directly or indirectly connected with the gods who sent the heroes of the human race, such as Odysseus and Jason, and help them.
Features mythology
Which has the same features of mythological thinking?
As you can see above, the origin of human myths and legends interpret and describe completely different ways.You have to understand that there was a need for them at an early stage of human development.They arose from the need to explain the origin of the human person and the nature, structure of the world.Of course, the way of explanation, which is used by mythology, rather primitive, it is significantly different from the interpretation of the world order, which is supported by science.The myths all quite specifically and separately, they do not abstract concepts.The man, society and nature come together.The main type of mythological thinking - shaped.Everyone has a hero or god necessarily followed by a concept or phenomenon.This kind of thinking denies any logical arguments, based on faith, not knowledge.It can not generate questions that are not creative.
In addition, the mythology also has specific literary devices, which allow to emphasize the importance of certain events.This is hyperbole, that exaggerate, for example, strength or other important characteristics of heroes (Pangu, who was able to lift the sky), metaphors that ascribe certain characteristics of things or beings that they do not really possess.
Similarities and influence on world culture
In general, it is possible to trace a certain regularity in how it explains the origin of human myths of different nations.In almost all cases there is some divine entity, which breathes life into the lifeless matter, creating and thus forming a human.This influence of ancient pagan beliefs can be traced to the later religions, such as Christianity, where God created man in his own image and likeness.However, if it is not clear how did Adam, behold, God creates Eve from the rib, which only confirms this influence of ancient legends.This influence of mythology can be traced in almost every culture, which existed later.
ancient Turkic mythology is about how a man appeared
Old Turkic myth about the origin of human progenitor of the human race, as well as the creator of the earth, called the goddess Umai.She is a white swan flying over water, which has always existed, and searched the land, but did not find her.She laid an egg directly into the water, but the egg is immediately drowned.Then the goddess decided to make a nest in the water, but the feathers, of which she had made, was fragile, and the waves broke the nest.The goddess held her breath and dived to the bottom.She made there in its beak a piece of land.Then the god Tengri saw her pain and sent Umai three fish of iron.She put the earth on the back of one of the fish, and it began to grow until the whole earth was formed the dry land.Then the goddess laid an egg from which emerged the entire human race, the birds, beasts, trees and everything else.
What can be determined by reading this Turkic myth about the origin of man?We see a general resemblance to the already known to us the legends of ancient Greece and China.A kind of divine power makes people, namely out of the egg, which is very similar to the Chinese legend of Pangu.Thus, it is clear that people are beginning to associate the creation of themselves by analogy with living creatures, which they could observe.Also observed an incredible reverence motherly women as a continuer of life.
myths about the origin of human children
What can learn for himself the child in these legends?What is new, he learns by reading the myths of the peoples of the origin of man?
First of all it will allow him to get acquainted with the culture and life of the people, which existed in prehistoric times.As for the myth of thinking characteristic shape, the child is fairly easy to perceive it and will be able to assimilate the information.For children, these are the same stories, and like fairy tales, they are filled with the same morals and information.When reading their child will learn to develop their thinking processes, learn to extract for themselves the benefit of the reader and draw conclusions.
myth about the origins of the people will give the child an answer to urgent questions - where did I come from?Of course, the answer will be wrong, but the kids take everything for granted, and so it will satisfy the interest of the child.Reading above the Greek myth of the origin of man, the child will also be able to understand why humanity is so important for the fire and how it was discovered.This is useful in further studies of the child in primary school.
Diversity and benefits for the child
Indeed, if we take the examples of the myths about the origin of man (and not only them) from Greek mythology, you will notice that the colorful characters and their number is very large and interesting not only for young readers, but evenand adults.However, you need to help your child deal with all this, otherwise it just gets confused in the events and their causes.It is necessary to explain to the child why God likes or dislikes this or that character, why help him.Thus the child learns to build a logical chain and match the facts, making them some conclusions.
So you should teach your child to read the myths from an early age.They serve as a wonderful fairy tales and to help develop reading skills, logical and creative thinking, the formation of thoughts.
