Creation Myths

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

Creation Myths

Heroic Debate Lesson 2

Assignment (PTA 10%)

• Have a debate while pretending to be a mythological hero.
• Work in pairs. 
• Both of you pick a hero or a well-known person from the same mythological tradition. 
• You can pick heroes from any mythological tradition. 
• Run your chosen heroes by your teacher before proceeding with the assignment.  

The Cosmic Egg, a Chinese myth 

"In the beginning there was a huge egg that held all the opposites — hot and cold, light and dark, wet and dry. Also inside was Phan Ku, a giant who was covered in hair. He had horns on his head and tusks sprang from his mouth. Phan Ku broke out of the egg and separated the opposites through all the world. Every day he carved out the mountains and oceans with his chisel and mallet. And every day, for 18,000 years he grew three metres taller. When Phan Ku died his skull became the sky, his breath, the wind, his flesh, soil, and his blood, rivers. The fleas in his hair became human beings." 

Once upon a time ... or today

1. Reading: fairy tales in other tongues
2. Watching: creation myths in other cultures
3. Writing: come up with your own creation myth
4. Speaking: share your myth in groups

Creation myths

• Setting/Origin
  
• Characters
  
• Natural Event
  
• Problem
  
• Solution

Come up with a creation myth

1. Imagine you are part of a tribe that have a myth to explain where the world came from.

• What part of the world do you live in? 
• What is the environment like?
• What is the name of your tribe or group?
  
• What kind of gods or God do you have?
  
• What is your culture like?
  

2. Make up a creation myth for your tribe.

It should explain how your people or the world came to be. Remember to include the special features of a myth.

3. Group presentations

Present your myths to each other in groups of four. Chose one of your creation myths to present your group. The group will present this myth to the class. You can use storytelling, art, drama and dance to tell your myth.

Creation inspiration

Use these or come up with something yourself!

• Look for patterns in creation myths. For example, creation myths often begin with the world in chaos, covered in water, or inside an egg. Divide the myths into categories.