The Story of Creation : A Compilation

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In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World

Review Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Review 10 Memorable Rock Concert Riots. Best Classic Bands Staff. Stories We Want You to Read. Before They Were Stars: In addition to being understandable by old and young alike, the stories were very well spaced temporally and geographically, and mixed together an excellently artful and balanced pastiche of creative human narrative.

At the end of each story, updated with modern language but loaded still with rich and incomprehensible imagery, there was a nice little paragraph about the story and its cultural setting and significance that helped explain elements of the tales that would have passed us by. My daughter and I read this together at bedtime every night, and we made it more fun by taking an atlas and a globe and looking up the country of origin for each story.

It was very educational, and we learned more about mythology, religion, history, anthropology, geography, globes and atlases cartography than we ever imagined we would. It even inspired an idea in me to help other families guide their kids along a similar tour of origin stories from around the world, and I have already taken it to the interfaith group in our city which has granted me a hearing.

I want them to develop a profound appreciation for the survival and bravery of other peoples, and the indestructible spirit and hope that have caused other cultures to endure. I want them to believe in the power of the creative instinct that lies deep within us, to learn to harness the power of imagination to solve problems and simulate alternatives, and to understand the significance of narrative identity in human minds which weaves together the happenings of our lives into a cohesive whole which gives us a sense of direction.

We miss so much when we close ourselves off from the rest of universe and the complex beings who inhabit it. I recommend this book, and books like it, to everyone who has grown accustomed to the same stories, with the same morals, preaching the same fear of the unknown. For more reviews, visit my blog, www.

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Feb 01, Michelle Pegram rated it liked it Shelves: Hamilton has collected creation myths from 25 different cultures and put them in one volume. In addition to this, the creation stories from Judaism and Christianity are included as are stories from two native american cultures, the Huron and the Blackfoot. This variety in and of itself makes this book worth a read.

Hamilton also classifies creation myths based on type and give som Hamilton has collected creation myths from 25 different cultures and put them in one volume. Hamilton also classifies creation myths based on type and give some information about the culture from which the creation story comes.

There are Two main reasons that I gave this book three stars even with the weight of the positives mentioned above. First of all, Hamilton puts all of the information about the culture of the creation stories at the end of the story rather than the beginning. As I was reading the stories, I found myself flipping to the end of each story so that I could read the story with the knowledge of its origin. The second major drawback is that the illustrations included, though interesting and captioned in order to show how they connected to the story, did not add to the understanding or communication of the story.

They did not have the life of the stories and, even with the captions, were not always clearly connected to what I was reading. Despite these drawbacks, this book is worth reading and using in the classroom. With some pre-teaching for each creation story and some creativity in presentation - maybe tracking country of origin on a map or finding culturally relevant images to add to the story - there is wonderful material in this book with which to work. The book is recommended for grade 7 and up, but if they are read aloud, the stories may be appropriate for upper elementary grades as well.

Apr 20, Cindy Kelly Benabderrahman rated it really liked it Recommends it for: SUMMARY This is an anthology of 25 culturally rich creation stories, from all over the world, accompanied by 42 color paintings by Barry Moser, a wonderful introduction placing the stories in an authentic context, and a brief exposition at the end of each story offering insights into the culture of the people from which it came.

They are told in a simple voice, complimenting the simplicity of the Oral Tradition. The language is quiet and powerful. And it goes on to tell how the first man grew on a vine, and of the Raven's gift to man - how he made a woman from clay with watercress for hair, who came to life with a flap of the Raven's wings. This sacred story ends on a satisfying note, with "The world prospered. Oct 18, Melissa Barbier rated it liked it Shelves: This is a great collection of specifically just creation myths from many cultures.

The index is just lacking the culture of origin for each story. The reader has to read the myth and see the note at the end to see where the myth is from.

Creation myth - Wikipedia

It would be easier to have the origin of the myth noted by each story in the index in case the reader is trying to find myths from a certain culture. If a reader is simply trying to learn more creation myths, this a great book for that. Each story contains one o This is a great collection of specifically just creation myths from many cultures.

Each story contains one or two illustrations, but they do not necessarily add to the comprehension of the story. For example, there are a few illustrations with subtitles that just say "woman" and "deer" and "thunder and lightning" which are not at all essential for readers to comprehend what they are reading. The notes at the end of each story do tell a little bit more about the culture like where they came from or if their other myths are about the same topics.

This book would have to be used with older readers maybe 4th grade through middle school. The illustrations are not very inviting and I could see many students getting bored with the book if they are not as interested in mythology. I've always found myths to be fascinating, and even though this book is aimed at younger readers, the bones of the stories are still there. Also, a collection of stories around a particular theme like this is even more interesting to me, because you start to see some common themes emerging, even though the originating cultures were separated by significant amounts of time and space.

A few of the creation stories here were familiar to me obviously the Biblical accounts, and also parts of the Nor I've always found myths to be fascinating, and even though this book is aimed at younger readers, the bones of the stories are still there. A few of the creation stories here were familiar to me obviously the Biblical accounts, and also parts of the Norse and Greek myths , but most were not, and I appreciated the way this book included both well-known creation stories and much more obscure ones.

Feb 25, Joshua Lawson rated it liked it Shelves: The stories in this book are simply told and easy to read. I would have liked more information regarding the cultural context and origins of each myth, and how some might have influenced others, but perhaps that is best left for another book. This compilation is good for a basic introduction as it seems to have been intended. Mar 01, Alison rated it liked it.

Creation Stories from Around the World Author: The first man still lay inside the pea pod. A collection of myths that has no boundaries and are from all regions of the world for all to enjoy. His people and creatures gaze out at readers, as if to challenge their imaginations to comprehend the chaos before creation. CCBC Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices, Hamilton's extraordinary skill in retelling each of 24 creation myths "on a level of understanding for many readers" while still retaining each account's cultural specificity results in an entertaining and enlightening anthology.

Working with a theme which can be highly sensitive on several levels, Hamilton's succinct interpretative comments follow each account of how humans around the globe envision their world's creation. Moser's 42 paintings complement the tales' wonder and mystery and are reproduced in full color. The overall book design, typography and page layouts as well as the author's opening and closing notes and sources list contribute to the success of a stunning volume.

Response to Two Professional Reviews: I agree with the reviews. These myths are heavy topics that require children to use their imagination. They must respond to these stories about creation and topics we do not have the answers to. I also thought the illustrations were powerful and went along with the stories. Evaluation of Literary Elements: The stories are easy to follow as the characters are described well. The stories are accessible for children even though they are difficult topics. They require children to employ literary knowledge and they will be able to get a lot out of these myths.

Consideration of Instructional Application: I think comparing and contrasting different versions of the myths will be useful. Or, just comparing myths that are significantly different or somewhat similar across cultures. Either way, I think these myths will be beneficial to children of all cultures to learn and read about. This review pertains to the hardcover edition. Virginia Hamilton presents 25 multicultural creation stories.

School Library Journal suggests a 6th grade or higher level. A watercolor painting introduces each story, and additional paintings illuminate ideas within some of the longer retellings. Some commentary, such as an explanation for an This review pertains to the hardcover edition. Some commentary, such as an explanation for an unusual term, is included. A brief description of the origins of the myth follows each story. An extensive list of additional resources is included at the end of the text.

Numerous opportunities exist for classroom use. Younger students K-3 may retell a favorite myth from a collection. Small groups may enact the play for the class. Since this text skews toward older students, grades 4 and higher may create graphic organizers, such as Venn diagrams.

Oral or written reports might focus upon why certain themes appear cross-culturally, or address similarities in how characters appear, act, or change in respect to a moral lesson within the tale. This reviewer did not detect inappropriate, controversial, or didactic material. Other texts to explore might include Mammals Who Morph: This may involve controversy as it references evolution.

Junior high or high school students may find J. In the opinion of this reviewer, the extensive list of additional resources concerning creation myths suggests that the contents of this text are credible. Creation Stories from Around the World provides multiple explanations for the origin of life, the universe, and everything as explained by the pre-scientific beliefs of many cultures and traditions.

Through memorable stories that address phenomena which confused and intrigued early people, these myths attempt to explain how the world works, demystify the universe, and give meaning to human life. They often portray gods as having human shape, feeling human emotions, and performing human acts, even if they are immortal and more powerful than people are. In short, they explain the world by relating what people didn't understand to what people DID understand.

Although critics may complain that these notes would better serve their purpose by preceding the narrative, their strategic placement encourages the reader to make meaning for herself which can then be evaluated against a stated significance.

Jan 30, Marsha rated it liked it Shelves: As long as man has existed, he has wondered about the world around him, how it came into being and his place within it. This anthology lists some of the stories of origin from around the world. Some of the stories are a little dry, as they are barren of emotion, while others are surprisingly humorous. The one about a god retreating from Earth because mankind kept poking As long as man has existed, he has wondered about the world around him, how it came into being and his place within it.

The one about a god retreating from Earth because mankind kept poking him whenever he went about his daily life is rather superior. The one that falls really flat is the first two books of Genesis, the one familiar to most English-speaking Westerners and Europeans. This adjective, so faint and lackluster, gets done to death, tacked on as it is at the end of every act of creation; a riveting storyline this is not.

By and large, this anthology merits attention. It is also enhanced by the vivid illustrations of Barry Moser. Moser favors a realistic style, giving us gods, animals, humans, etc. This book contains many though not all creation stories from many different religions.

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Each religion has their own unique creation story that they believe and hold true, which this book then collects and allows you to read from. Of course, this book describes these stories as "myths," but there is an extreme importance tied to the word "myth" in here. So if you believe in God and believe in one of these creation stories but hate that this book uses the term "myths," the book has an important n This book contains many though not all creation stories from many different religions.

So if you believe in God and believe in one of these creation stories but hate that this book uses the term "myths," the book has an important note attached. In this note, the author or, shall I say, "collector of these stories" --Virginia Hamilton--explains that myths are different from fairy tales.

As the author describes, and I will quote it here word for word: Fairy tales take place within the time of human experience. They tell us stories that happened "once upon a time" in a recognizable past. They tell us about how things were then. Myth stories about creation are different, however. In a prophetic voice, they relate events that seem outside of time and even beyond time itself.

Creation myths take place before the "once upon a time" of fairy tales. They go back beyond anything that ever was and begin before anything has happened. No attempt is made in a myth to prove the truth of its story to us. Its voice of authority relates an account of utter fact. Even the word myth comes from the Greek word myths which means word in the sense of final authority. This book displays a wide range of myths from different parts of the world and tells them as they are told inasmuch as you can tell them in a collection of creation stories.

Within these, I find that Carl Jung's theory of the collective unconscious holds very much true link here: Throughout societies, we see that people hold up very similar ideas and share them with others, often passing them down generation after generation.

• In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World by Virginia Hamilton.
• Creation myth?
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In these creation myths, though I may be in the minority among some in this, I believe that each story holds some level of truth. You see, I am a religious person, and I do believe that many of these stories hold truths about the beginning of our world, especially since these stories hold many similarities that were passed down and some were--eventually--collected into this book of work. They hold similarities, such as how many contain the one man and one woman creation who are to be the parents of the rest of humanity which is proven true and authentic by National Geographic, link here: However, each one also has its own uniqueness.

In some creation myths, a god is created, but in others a god is always there and is ever present. In some creation myths, this God is a male, and in others God is a female. Sometimes God is a few persons but still God; yet others display God as incapable of being more than one person, even when others try to become powerful like God. In some myths, no specific timeline of creation is specified, yet others say that God created the world in a number of days. In one of these myths, God doesn't even live--God dies, and from there people are born. From these, we can see that there is such a wide variety of storylines saying how creation came about.

This book reminds me of the age-old question people ask: This question is, most likely, coming from someone who is or has been heavily exposed to Christianity. In Christianity, God is considered a "God of Love," and so this question often stems from exposure to this belief system. While it makes sense to ask a Christian about this in order to exact an answer, there are many answers a wide variety of religions could give. For example, in the creation myth of the Kono people, God isn't quite a considerate one.

Instead, God elopes with and marries Death's Sa's daughter without Sa's consent. As a result, each of God's children--humanity--must die p. In this creation myth, it is said that, "by losing the living god Phan Ku, humanity loses its creator and therefore suffers forever" p. In these cases, how would our questions change to consider these other perspectives, where God isn't necessarily portrayed as a kindly one, or is already dead and--therefore--not responsible for suffering nor pain? How would we view God differently and what questions would we ask based on these different perspectives?

There's also a level of intrigue in some of these myths. In one of these myths, God needs four creations in order to succeed in creating humankind, and even in the fourth one God falters a bit by making humankind perfect. And then there's the Tahitian myth, where the God and Goddess curse the earth because of the first man's wicked deeds. It is the first woman who, in a sense, spares humankind. Here is a list of the stories, their origins, and if applicable the type of myth they follow. Woman is the cause of death here. Ulgen the Creator" Russian Altaic Not specified type; different versions say that the devil, Erlik, is the first man; others say that God Ulgen is the first man Full review to come!

Virginia Hamilton retells twenty-five creation myth stories from a variety of cultures. The entire compilation allows the reader to consider the ways each group or culture believe the way the earth and humans were created. Hamilton is clear in her introduction that each of the stories are called myths and that "Myths present themselves as truth and as accounts of actual facts no matter how different these facts or truths may be from our ordinary, 'real' experience.

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