In class we discussed the basic elements of most creation myths. For your first major assignment in this class you will design your own creation myth. Imagine you are the member of some non-technological culture on an earth-like planet far away. See points below for clarification on what "earth-like" means. Exercise your creativity and invent a detailed creation myth for this culture. Your myth should include the first five items discussed in class as parts of a creation myth but only the sub-categories listed below:

1) Explains how the universe comes into being

2) Establishes a model for the creative process

• Creation comes from acts such as ________ (you fill in the blank!)

3) Describes creation of specific pieces of the cosmos

Ø Creation of sun, moon, stars (be explicit!)

Ø Creation of humans

Ø Creation of animals and plants (if different from above)

4) Builds up a "worldview" from which ethics and politics follow

Ø Relationship between genders

Ø Relationship between humans and nature

5) Explains the source(s) of evil

Ø Was there a "fall" or was evil existent from the beginning?

Ø Is evil due to false gods or humans?

Ø How does death come into the world?

Although your myth should include all these items, it should not read like a list but flow naturally like a good myth should. Read your story aloud and see if it would make a good bedtime story – let that be your litmus test. The length may vary widely from student to student, but it will probably be difficult to complete the assignment in less than three pages.

Your paper is due at the beginning of class on Wednesday, September 24. Provide two(2) copies, one of which does NOT have your name on it. At the end of class you will be given the anonymous copy of a classmate’s myth which you will analyze in light of the seven categories discussed in class. You will clearly identify each element in your classmate’s myth. You may use a checklist as part of your analysis but it should contain a critical, well-written analysis portion as well. Your analysis is due at the beginning of class on Monday, October 6. Your grade for this assignment will be 2/3 from your own paper and 1/3 from your analysis of your classmate’s paper.

Note that there are many websites with sample creation myths from various cultures. Your myth, however, must be completely original.

The following is information concerning your planet. Items 2 and 3 must be explained as part of your myth:

1) Its size, structure, features, and life forms are very similar to earth. You are free to make any unique changes in these items if you wish to do so.

2) It has two moons. They can both eclipse the "sun" (which is orange, not yellow like our sun) but only one moon eclipses the other. The reason, as any scientist would know, is that one moon is farther away from the planet than the other; your culture might understand this (in which case it would have a reason why one moon orbits closer than the other) or it might not know this and instead have some creative reason as to why only one moon can "block out" the light of the other. [Some ancient cultures understood the mechanics of eclipses while others did not.]

3) It is at the edge of a star cluster. Your culture would not understand this, and instead have some creative explanation as to why a few dozen stars, haphazardly arranged across the sky, appear MUCH brighter than the rest of the stars. Note that if you wish to include the color of these stars (not necessary) they should be a range of colors (blue, white, yellow, orange, red). It might look something like this:

or this:

 

Here is the rubric I will use to grade your paper and your analysis. Feel free to use it when analyzing your classmate's paper (but be sure to write some narrative evaluation as well:

 

Creation Myth checklist:   Name _____________________________________

 

__________ 1) Explains how the universe came into being

 

__________  2) Establishes a model for the creative process

 

3) Describes creation of specific portion of the cosmos

 

____________ sun

 

____________ moons

 

_____________ stars

 

____________ humans

 

____________ plants and animals (if different from above)

 

 

4) Worldview

 

_______________ gender roles

 

______________  relationship with nature

 

5) Origin of:

 

____________ evil

 

____________death

 

 

Other items to be mentioned:

 

__________  one moon eclipses the other

 

__________ solar eclipses

 

__________ star cluster

 

Overall style/flow: ______excellent _____very good _____good ______ fair _____ poor

 

Creativity: _________ outstanding _________ good ____________ average

 

Overall grade: ___________