Here Is the Story of the Beginning, When There Was Not One Bird

Maya Creation Story

Here is the story of the beginning, when there was not one bird,

not one fish, not one mountain.

Here is the sky, all alone. Here is the sea, all alone. There is nothing more. Only the sky and the sea. Only Heart-of-Sky, alone. And these are his names: Kukulkan, Maker,and Hurricane. But there is no one to speak his names. There is no one to praise his glory.

And so Heart-of-Sky thinks, "Who is there to speak my name? Who is there to praise me?” Heart-of-Sky only says the word, "Earth," and the earth rises, like a mist from the sea. He only thinks of it, and there it is.

He thinks of mountains, and great mountains come. He thinks of trees, and trees grow on the land.

And so Heart-of-Sky says, "Our work is going well."

Now Heart-of-Sky plans the creatures of the forest -birds, deer, jaguars and snakes. And each is given his home. "You the deer, sleep here along the rivers. You the birds, your nests are in the trees. Multiply and scatter," he tells them.

Then Heart-of-Sky says to the animals, "Speak, pray to us." But the creatures can only squawk. The creatures only howl. They do not speak like humans. They do not praise Heart-of-Sky and so the animals are humbled. They will serve those who will worship Heart-of-Sky.

And Heart-of-Sky tries again. Tries to make a giver of respect. Tries to make a giver of praise.

And so Heart-of-Sky began to experiment and formed Mankind out of mud and earth. It doesn't look very good. It keeps crumbing and softening. It looks lopsided and twisted. It only speaks nonsense. It cannot multiply. So Heart-of-Sky lets it dissolved away.

Then Heart-of-Sky tries a new experiment and carves people from wood. But they have no blood, no sweat. They have nothing in their minds. They have no respect for Heart-of-Sky. They are just walking about. But they accomplish nothing. "This is not what I had in mind," says Heart-of-Sky. He decides to destroy these wooden people.

The wooden people scatter into the forest. Their faces are crushed,and they are turned into monkeys. And this is why monkeys look like humans, because they are what is left of what came before,an experiment in human design.

And so Heart of Sky began his next attempt.

[Eventually people were created from corn, the Maya’s most important crop.

Lakota Creation Story

There was another world before this one.
But the people of that world did not behave themselves. Displeased,the Creating Powerset out to make a new world where the people would praise and respect the Creator. He sang several songs to bring rain, which poured stronger with each song.
As he sang the fourth song, the earth split apart and water gushed up through the many cracks, causing a flood. By the time the rain stopped, all of the people and nearly all of the animals had drowned. OnlyKangithe crow survived.
Kangithe crow pleaded with theCreating Powerto make him a new place to rest.
So the Creating Power decided the time had come to make his third world. From his huge bag, which contained all types of animals and birds, theCreating Powerselected four animals known for their ability to remain under water for a long time.

He sent each in turn to retrieve a lump of mud from beneath the floodwaters.

First the loon dove deep into the dark waters, but it was unable to reach the bottom. The otter, even with its strong webbed feet, also failed. Next, the beaver used its large flat tail to propel itself deep under the water, but it too brought nothing back. Finally, theCreating Powertook the turtle from his bag and urged it to bring back some mud.
Turtle stayed under the water for so long that everyone was sure it had drowned. Then, with a splash, the turtle broke the water's surface! Mud filled its feet and claws and the cracks between its shell.

Singing, theCreating Powerspread the mud on the waterand then shook two long eagle wings over the mud until earth spread wide, overcoming the waters.

Feeling sadness for the dry land, theCreating Powercried tears that became oceans, streams, and lakes. He named the new land Turtle Continent in honor of the turtle who provided the mud from which it was formed.

From red, white, black, and yellow earth, he made men and women. TheCreating Powertold the people his sacred words and told them to live by them. He warned them about the fate of the people who came before them. He promised all would be well if all living things learned to live in harmony.

But the world would be destroyed again if they made it bad and ugly.

Book of Genesis

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

The earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.

God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so.

God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, “Let the land produce plants and trees with seeds and fruit. And it was so.

And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.”

And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so.

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

So God created mankind in his own image,in the image of God he created them;male and female he created them.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and conquer it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Creation Story Essay

After reading the three creation stories, answer the following question using the R.A.C.E.S. method of citing text evidence.

How are the three creation stories similar? Use specific examples and evidence from the text. --Why do you think they have similarities?

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