>> But a question occurred to me. Maybe others can answer it, and when Glenn gets
>> back he will too.
>> Glenn puts the flood at 5.5 million years ago, right?
>> Modern man, even being generous, is 250,000 years old.
>> So....why do virtually all ancient civilizations have a flood story with
>> striking similarities? The event was loooonnnnng gone, before man could think,
>> talk, make pancakes, anything.
>> So why do we have Manu in Hindu, Fah-he in Chinese, Nu-u in Hawaiin, Tezpi in
>> Mexico, Noah in Hebrew...all men who survived, with their families, through
>> the flood?
I don't know much about comparitive mythology, but here is a posting
saved from talk.origins, by someone who does.
--Jim Foley Symbios Logic, Fort CollinsJim.Foley@symbios.com (303) 223-5100 x9765Newsgroups: talk.originsFrom: isaak@aurora.com (Mark Isaak)Subject: Re: New Origins-Related GroupMessage-ID: <D4Iq5F.KBJ@aurora.com>Reply-To: isaak@aurora.com (Mark Isaak)Organization: The Aurora GroupReferences: <hC54UTN.ecochrane@delphi.com>Date: Fri, 24 Feb 1995 19:00:46 GMTLines: 98
In article <hC54UTN.ecochrane@delphi.com> Everett Cochrane <ecochrane@delphi.com> writes:>[Mark] And those flood traditions from virtually every>ancient culture have nothing in common except water."> >Once again, if I didn't know better, I'd have to think>you were kidding, Mark. But I've come to expect>this kind of "expertise" from you. In short, you are>quite wrong. It is well-known that ancient Deluge>myths from different cultures share various motives>in common. Would you care to debate this point?
Certainly. I am quite aware that certain deluge myths share much incommon--if you are selective about choosing your deluge myths. However, ifyou look at all of them, they have, as I said, nothing in common exceptwater. Please name any motive you wish, and I will list at least a dozenexceptions. Consider, for example, the diversity shown in the followingcommon themes:
Reason for the flood: Good entitiy attacking evildoers - Roman (Deucalion), Roman (Philemon), Scandinavian, Assyrian, Hebrew, Zoroastrian, Mandingo, Bakongo, Hindu (Satyavarata), Palau Islands, Samoa, Micmac, Yuma, Navajo, Caddo, Makiritare Gods limiting overpopulation - Babylonian Gods destroying imperfection - Mayan Angered neutral entity - Yoruba, Basonge, Kabadi, Arnhem Land, Fiji, Tahiti, Toba, Yamana Evil entitiy attacking people - China, Batak, New Hebrides, Sioux, Ojibway, Ipurina(?) Accident - Kwaya, Kootenay, Arekuna To obtain water - Lake Tyres "The world wanted to come to an end" - Quechua No apparent cause - Chaldean, Pygmy, Cameroon, Hindu (Manu)(?), Kammu, Ifugaos, Totonac, Huichol, Haida, No. Calif. Coast, Tsetsaut, Pima, Papago, Chorote
Mechanism of flood: Rain - Mandingo, Bakongo, Mayan(?), Yuma, Toba Upwelling - Roman (Philemon), Assyrian, Ifugaos, Kabadi, New Hebrides Rain and upwelling - Roman (Deucalion), Hebrew, Babylonian(?), Arnhem Land Other rising water - China, Fiji(?), Tahiti, Samoa, Haida, Tsetsaut, Caddo, Chorote, Quechua(?) Melting snow - Zoroastrian, Yamana Water from ice giant's wounds - Scandinavian Water from a cut tree - Pygmy, Arekuna Demigod's urine - Basonge Earth thrown into ocean - Batak Water swallowed by creature and later released - Lake Tyres, Kootenay Tsunami or flash flood - Micmac, Navajo, Pima, Sioux, Ojibway Overflow from boiling kettle - Ipurina Magic - Kwaya, Makiritare Not specified - several
Survivors: None - Kwaya(?), Palau Islands, Samoa, Toltec, Mayan, No. Calif. Coast, Sioux, Toba One man or woman - Hindu (Manu)(?), Batak, Totonac, Sioux, Quechua Same-sex group - Fiji, Netsilik, Chorote Man and dog - Huichol, Papago Brother and sister - Cameroon, Kammu, Ifugaos One couple or family - Roman, Scandinavian, Babylonian(?), Tsetsaut Family and many plants and/or animals - Assyrian, Hebrew, Chaldean, Zoroastrian, Hindu (Satyavarata), Caddo Several - Yoruba, China, Kabadi, Lake Tyres, Tahiti(?), Micmac, Haida, Yuma, Navajo, Pima, Ojibway, Arekuna, Ipurina, Yamana Many outside area of flood - several Humans emerged with the flood - Pygmy
Manner of survival: Boat - Scandinavian, Assyrian, Hebrew, Babylonian, Chaldean, Hindu (Satyavarata), Fiji, Palau Islands, Netsilik, Haida, Papago, Ojibway, Arekuna, Makiritare Other floating object - Kammu, Huichol High land - Roman (Deucalion), Roman (Philemon), Zoroastrian, Cameroon(?), China, Ifugaos, Batak, Kabadi, Tahiti, Pima, Quechua, Yamana Hollow trees - Totonac, Tsetsaut Tall reed or tree - Navajo, Caddo, Arekuna, Makiritare Fish - Hindu (Manu) Bird - Sioux, Chorote Flood was not universal - several Not specified - several Not applicable - Pygmy, Kwaya, Samoa, Toltec, Mayan, No. Calif. Coast, Toba
Repopulation: Normal reproduction - many Incest - Cameroon, Kammu, Ifugaos Human/animal mating - Huichol, Sioux Re-creation by gods - Palau Islands, Samoa, Toltec, Mayan, No. Calif. Coast, Sioux From rocks - Roman (Deucalion) Homosexual mating - Netsilik Emergence from gourd - Kammu Not specified - several
-- Mark Isaak "No one is so terribly deceived as he whoisaak@aurora.com does not himself suspect it." - Kierkegaard