Origin myth facts for kids

An origin myth is a special kind of story. It explains how something in the world began. This could be a natural thing, like mountains. Or it could be a social thing, like a tradition. A very famous type is a creation myth. This story tells how the whole universe started.

But many cultures have other origin stories. These explain things that happened after the world was already there. They might tell how a river started. Or how a certain custom began. In ancient Greece and Rome, these stories were called etiological myths. This word comes from a Greek word meaning "cause."

What Are Origin Myths?

Origin myths are stories that explain how something important came to be. They often help people understand why things are the way they are. These stories can make the way things are seem special. This is because they say important forces or gods created them.

It can be tricky to tell the difference between stories about the world's beginning and other origin myths. A story about how a mountain formed usually assumes the world already exists. This often connects to a bigger story about how the world itself began. So, origin myths often add to a culture's main creation story. In many old cultures, people would tell the world's creation story first. Then they would tell other origin myths.

Some experts use the word "myth" only for stories about beginnings. For example, people who study folklore often say "myth" means a story about creation. Other stories are called "legends" or "folk tales." A historian named Mircea Eliade said that in many old cultures, almost every sacred story is an origin myth. This is because these societies often try to live like their ancestors did in mythical times. So, many sacred stories show how new ways of living began. This makes them like creation stories for human behavior.

Why Are Origin Myths Important?

Origin myths often help explain why things are the way they are right now. In many cultures, the beings and powers in these myths are seen as sacred. So, when a myth says these beings created the world, it makes the world seem sacred too. Myths show that the world, people, and life have a special, sacred past. This past is important and sets an example for how to live.

Many cultures expect people to follow the examples of mythical gods and heroes. People try to act like them and keep the customs they started. For example, an expert once asked people in Australia why they did certain ceremonies. They always answered: "Because the ancestors commanded it." People in New Guinea said they wouldn't change their ways because "It was thus that the Mythical Ancestors did, and we do likewise."

Founding myths bring people together. They often include amazing events to make the "founders" seem more heroic. Rulers or noble families might claim they are related to mythical founders or gods. This helps them show that they have the right to rule. For example, Julius Caesar and his family said they were related to Aeneas. Aeneas was a hero, and through him, they claimed to be related to the goddess Venus.

Founding Myths of Places and Groups

A "founding myth" is a special type of origin myth. It explains how something important began. This could be:

• How a special ceremony or a city was started.
• How a group of people, like a nation, came to be. This often involves a founding father or hero.
• How a belief, idea, or way of thinking began.

Many ancient civilizations and kingdoms had heroic founding myths. This includes the Hittites and the Zhou dynasty in ancient China. Later, the Romans and the Scythians also had them. Even in the Middle Ages, groups like the Turks and Mongols had their own founding stories.

Zhou Dynasty Founding Myth

In China, the Zhou dynasty had a founding myth. A woman named Lady Yuan wanted to have a child. She made a special offering. Then, she became pregnant after stepping into a giant footprint left by the King of Heaven. She gave birth to a son named Hou Ji. She left him alone in dangerous places. But sheep, cattle, birds, and woodcutters protected him. Lady Yuan then believed he was a special being. She took him back and raised him.

When Hou Ji grew up, he became the Master of Horses for Emperor Yao. He was very good at growing grains and other crops. The legend says he later became the founder of the Zhou dynasty. He did this by overthrowing a bad ruler.

Scythian Founding Myth

The Scythians were an ancient group of people. They also claimed to be descended from a god's son. One day, the daughter of the Dnieper River god stole a young man's horses. She made him stay with her before she would return them. They had three sons together. When the sons grew up, she gave them their father's large bow. She said the son who could draw the bow would become king.

All three sons tried, but only the youngest, Scythes, could do it. As he tried, three golden objects fell from the sky: a plow, a sword, and a cup. The older brothers tried to pick them up, but fire stopped them. So, it was decided that Scythes would be king. His people became known as the Scythians.

The Torah and Israel

The Torah is the first five books of the Bible. These are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. It is like the founding myth for the people of Israel. It tells the story of how they began. It also explains the rules and traditions of their culture. A main idea in Judaism is that God and his chosen people made an agreement on Mount Sinai. This agreement was set out in the Torah. Some stories in the Torah are similar to older stories from other religions.

Greek Founding Myths

Founding myths are very important in Greek mythology. Ancient Greek ceremonies were often tied to specific places. These were the special altars and holy sites that had been there for a long time. Greek and Hebrew founding myths showed a special connection between a god and the local people. These people believed they came from a hero. The founding myths helped prove their family rights.

Greek founding myths often explained why an older way of doing things was changed. They would reshape a historical event to make current community practices seem right. They created symbolic stories with deeper meanings. These stories helped explain old timelines. They also created reasons that seemed believable to people in that culture.

The ancient Greeks believed their mythical past was deeply connected to real history. They treated their legends as facts. They saw their heroes as links between the "age of origins" and the everyday world that came after. After Alexander the Great spread Greek culture, Greek poems were full of founding myths. For example, the poet Callimachus wrote a whole work called Aitia, which means "Causes."

A famous example is the myth of how Rome was founded. This is the story of Romulus and Remus. The poet Virgil expanded this story in his poem, the Aeneid. He added the journey of Aeneas. Aeneas founded the city of Lavinium. His son, Iulus, later moved and ruled Alba Longa, the birthplace of Romulus and Remus. This connected the twins to Iulus's royal family.

In the same way, the Old Testament story of the Exodus is the founding myth for the community of Israel. It tells how God freed the Israelites from slavery. It explains how they then belonged to him through the agreement made on Mount Sinai.

During the Middle Ages, cities in northern Italy also created founding myths. These showed the growing pride of the city people. They wanted to find a Roman origin for their cities, even if it was just a legend. For example, in the 13th century, the city of Padua had a legend. It said the Trojan hero Antenor founded the city.

Even today, heroes continue to support the origin myths of many newer nations. In modern times, explorers, conquerors, and developers often become heroes in popular history. They are seen as shaping the ideals of a group. Examples include the Spanish conquistadors, the French fur traders in Canada, and the American pioneers.

Stories About City and Nation Building

Foundational stories are accounts of how cities and nations developed. A foundational story shows that building a city is a human achievement. It highlights how humans control and remove wild nature. There are two main types of foundational stories: "civilization stories" and "degradation stories."

Civilization Stories

Civilization stories see nature as dangerous and wild. The growth of a city is seen as a successful way for humans to distance themselves from nature. Nature is kept out, and humans are proud of this success. In 1984, a geographer named Yi-Fu Tuan suggested ranking cities. He said they could be ranked by how far they were from natural rhythms and cycles.

Degradation Stories

Degradation stories (also called pollution stories) have a different view. They see the city as harming the natural landscape. They believe the city spoils the natural balance that was there before it was built. There is a feeling of guilt for damaging nature's perfect system. In degradation stories, true nature only exists outside the city.

See also

Images for kids

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  The Dispute of Minerva and Neptune (around 1689 or 1706) by René-Antoine Houasse. This painting shows the founding myth of Athens.