Yoruba Creation Myth Analysis
The four creation myths found on the internet, An African Cosmogony, An African Story of the Creation of Man, Egyptian Cosmogony and Theogony, and the Yoruba creation myth found under the Minneapolis Institute of Arts," have similar elements and incorporate values and norms common across many African Ethnic groups. One of the dominant values common to many ethnic groups is the value of the family and group. All four myths directly illustrate the belief that a person is described in terms of his or her family and lineage. "An African Cosmogony" and the Yoruba creation myth specifically emphasize this attention to lineage. The former, after creation is complete, refers to the creator as the "First Ancestor" from which "came forth all the wonders that we see and hold and use" (Leach). The latter symbolically describes the lineage through a palm nut, sent down to earth by the creator, which grows into a tree with sixteen branches. The deity then created sixteen sons and grandsons
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In two of the stories, the Yoruba myth and the myth in An African Story of the Creation of Man, there is absolutely no mention of women in the original creation. Possibly the stories go on to eventually explain their creation, but as far as these versions go, women were never created. In the Yoruba myth, Odudwa had sixteen sons and grandsons and sent them off to establish kingdoms, but how were they to fill those kingdoms with people if Odudwa never had daughters and granddaughters? In the myth in An African Story of Creation, Juok, the creator, sends his perfect man out into the world and the story ends there. The fact that women are not mentioned in these stories of creation shows indifference towards women; it shows the position of women and the social mores of the cultures from which these stories
In two of the stories, the Yoruba myth and the myth in An African Story of the Creation of Man, there is absolutely no mention of women in the original creation. Possibly the stories go on to eventually explain their creation, but as far as these versions go, women were never created. In the Yoruba myth, Odudwa had sixteen sons and grandsons and sent them off to establish kingdoms, but how were they to fill those kingdoms with people if Odudwa never had daughters and granddaughters? In the myth in An African Story of Creation, Juok, the creator, sends his perfect man out into the world and the story ends there. The fact that women are not mentioned in these stories of creation shows indifference towards women; it shows the position of women and the social mores of the cultures from which these stories