Flood myth - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood_myth

Flood myth
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A flood myth or deluge myth is a symbolic narrative in which a great flood is sent by a deity, or deities, to destroy civilization in an act of divine retribution. Parallels are often drawn between the flood waters of these myths and the primeval waters found in certain creation myths, as the flood waters are described as a measure for the cleansing of humanity, in preparation for rebirth. Most flood myths also contain a culture hero, who strives to ensure this rebirth.[1] The flood myth motif is widespread among many cultures as seen in the Mesopotamian flood stories, the Puranas, Deucalion in Greek mythology, the Genesis flood narrative, and in the lore of the K'iche' and Maya peoples of Central America, and the Muisca people in South America.

Contents
1 Mythologies 2 Historicity 3 Hypotheses 4 See also 5 References 5.1 Citations 5.2 Bibliography 5.3 Further reading 6 External links
"The Deluge", frontispiece to Gustave Dor's illustrated edition of the Bible. Based on the story of Noah's Ark, this shows humans and a tiger doomed by the flood futilely attempting to save their children and cubs.

Mythologies
The Mesopotamian flood stories concern the epics of Ziusudra, Gilgamesh, and Atrahasis. In the Sumerian King List, it relies on the flood motif to divide its history into preflood and postflood periods. The preflood kings had enormous lifespans, whereas postflood lifespans were much reduced. The Sumerian flood myth found in the Deluge tablet was the epic of Ziusudra, who heard the Divine Counsel to destroy humanity, in which he constructed a vessel that delivered him from great waters.[2] In the Atrahasis version, the flood is a river flood.[3] Assyriologist George Smith translated the Babylonian account of the Great Flood in the 19th Century. Further discoveries produced several versions of the Mesopotamian flood myth, with "The Deluge", by John Martin, 1834. the account that is closest to that in "Genesis 69" found in a 700 BC Babylonian copy of the Oil on canvas. Yale University Epic of Gilgamesh. In this work, the hero, Gilgamesh, meets the immortal man, Utnapishtim, and the latter describes how the god, Ea, instructed him to build a huge vessel in anticipation of a deity-created flood that would destroy the world; the vessel was not only intended for Utnapishtim, but was built to also protect his family, his friends and animals.[4] In Hindu mythology, texts such as the Satapatha Brahmana mention the puranic story of a great flood,[5] wherein the Matsya Avatar of Vishnu warns the first man, Manu, of the impending flood, and also advises him to build a giant boat.[6][7][8] In the Genesis flood narrative, Yahweh becomes aware of human evil and decides to destroy humanity. Righteous Noah is given instructions to build an ark. When the ark is completed, Noah, his family, and representatives of all the animals of the earth are called upon to enter the ark. When the destructive flood begins, all life outside of the ark perishes. After the waters recede, all those aboard the ark disembark and have God's guarantee that life shall continue.[9]

Historicity
Ancient Shuruppak, Ur, Kish, Uruk, Lagash, and Ninevah all present evidence of flooding. However, the evidence comes from different times.[10] In Israel, there is no such evidence of a widespread flood.[11]

Hypotheses
See also: Outburst flood Adrienne Mayor's The First Fossil Hunters and Fossil Legends of the First Americans promoted the hypothesis that flood stories were

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inspired by ancient observations of seashells and fish fossils in inland and mountain areas. The ancient Greeks, Egyptians, Romans, and Chinese all documented the discovery of such remains in these locations; the Greeks hypothesized that Earth had been covered by water on several occasions, citing the seashells and fish fossils found on mountain tops as evidence of this history. Speculation regarding the Deucalion myth has also been introduced, whereby a large tsunami in the Mediterranean Sea, caused by the Thera eruption (with an approximate geological date of 16301600 BC), is the myth's historical basis. Although the tsunami hit the South Aegean Sea and Crete it did not affect cities in the mainland of Greece, such as Mycenae, Athens, and Thebes, which continued to prosper, indicating that it had a local rather than a regionwide effect.[12] Another hypothesis is that a meteor or comet crashed into the Indian Ocean around 30002800 BC, created the 30 kilometres (19 mi) undersea Burckle Crater, and generated a giant tsunami that flooded coastal lands.[13]
Nanabozho in Ojibwe flood story from an illustration by R.C. Armour, in his book North American Indian Fairy Tales, Folklore and Legends, (1905).

It has been postulated that the deluge myth may be based on a sudden rise in sea levels caused by the rapid draining of prehistoric Lake Agassiz at the end of the last Ice Age, about 8,400 years ago.[14]

One of the latest, and quite controversial, hypotheses of long term flooding is the Black Sea deluge hypothesis, which argues for a catastrophic deluge about 5600 BC from the Mediterranean Sea into the Black Sea. This has been the subject of considerable discussion.[15][16]

See also
List of flood myths Ancient Greek flood myths Antediluvian Atlantis Atrahasis Aztln Black Sea deluge hypothesis Cantref Gwaelod Finnish flood myth Gilgamesh flood myth Great Flood (China) Immanuel Velikovsky Lemuria Matsya Mesoamerican flood myths Viracocha Ys Ziusudra

References
Citations
The Great Flood, by anonymous 1. ^ Leeming, David (2004). "Flood | The Oxford Companion to World Mythology" painter, The vom Rath bequest, (http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t208.e567) . Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Oxfordreference.com. http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main& entry=t208.e567. Retrieved 17 September 2010. 2. ^ Bandstra 2009, p. 61, 62. 3. ^ Atrahasis, lines 7-9 4. ^ Pritchard, James B. (ed.), Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1955, 1969). 1950 1st edition at Google Books (http://books.google.com/books?id=885iAAAAMAAJ) . p.44: "...a flood [will sweep] over the cult-centers; to destroy the seed of mankind; is the decision, the word of the assembly [of the gods]." 5. ^ The great flood Hindu style (Satapatha Brahmana) (http://www.vedanta-atlanta.org/stories/flood.html) . 6. ^ Matsya (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/369611/Matsya) Britannica.com 7. ^ Klaus K. Klostermaier (2007). A Survey of Hinduism (http://books.google.co.in/books?id=E_6-JbUiHB4C&pg=PA97&lpg=PA97& dq=the+great+flood+in+Hinduism#v=onepage&q=the%20great%20flood%20in%20Hinduism&f=false) . SUNY Press. p. 97. ISBN 0-7914-7082-2. http://books.google.co.in/books?id=E_6-JbUiHB4C&pg=PA97&lpg=PA97& dq=the+great+flood+in+Hinduism#v=onepage&q=the%20great%20flood%20in%20Hinduism&f=false. 8. ^ Sunil Sehgal (1999). Encyclopaedia of Hinduism: T-Z, Volume 5 (http://books.google.co.in/books?id=zWG64bgtf3sC&pg=PA401& dq=Noah%27s+Ark+in+Hinduism#v=onepage&q=Noah%27s%20Ark%20in%20Hinduism&f=false) . Sarup & Sons. p. 401. ISBN 81-7625-064-3. http://books.google.co.in/books?id=zWG64bgtf3sC&pg=PA401&dq=Noah%27s+Ark+in+Hinduism#v=onepage& q=Noah%27s%20Ark%20in%20Hinduism&f=false. 9. ^ Cotter, David W. (2003). Genesis (http://books.google.com.au/books?id=6lCVzr4cT9QC&printsec=frontcover& dq=Genesis+David+W.+Cotter#v=onepage&q=great%20flood&f=false) . Collegeville (Minn.): Liturgical press. p. 49. ISBN 0814650406. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=6lCVzr4cT9QC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Genesis+David+W.+Cotter#v=onepage&q=great%20flood& f=false. 10. ^ Bandstra 2009, p. 61: (Parrot, 1955) 11. ^ Bandstra 2009, p. 62.

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12. ^ Castleden, Rodney (2001) "Atlantis Destroyed" (Routledge). 13. ^ Scott Carney (November 7, 2007). "Did a comet cause the great flood?" (http://discovermagazine.com/2007/nov/did-a-comet-cause-the-greatflood) . Discover Magazine. http://discovermagazine.com/2007/nov/did-a-comet-cause-the-great-flood. Retrieved 17 September 2010. 14. ^ Early days among the Cheyanne & Arapahoe Indians by John H. Seger, page 135 ISBN 0-8061-1533-5 15. ^ "'Noah's Flood' Not Rooted in Reality, After All? (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/02/090206-smaller-noah-flood_2.html) " National Geographic News, February 6, 2009. 16. ^ Sarah Hoyle (November 18, 2007). "Noah's flood kick-started European farming" (http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-11 /uoe-fk111507.php) . University of Exeter. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-11/uoe-fk111507.php. Retrieved 17 September 2010.

Bibliography
Bandstra, Barry L. (2009). Reading the Old Testament : an introduction to the Hebrew Bible (http://books.google.com.au /books?id=vRY9mTUZKJcC&pg=PA489&lpg=PA489& dq=Bandstra,+Barry+L+%282004%29.+Reading+the+Old+Testament:+an+introduction+to+the+Hebrew+Bible#v=snippet& q=flood&f=false) (4th ed. ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/ Cengage Learning. p. 59-62. ISBN 0495391050. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=vRY9mTUZKJcC&pg=PA489&lpg=PA489& dq=Bandstra,+Barry+L+%282004%29.+Reading+the+Old+Testament:+an+introduction+to+the+Hebrew+Bible#v=snippet& q=flood&f=false.

Further reading
Bailey, Lloyd R. Noah, the Person and the Story, University of South Carolina Press, 1989. ISBN 0-87249-637-6 Best, Robert M. Noah's Ark and the Ziusudra Epic, Sumerian Origins of the Flood Myth, 1999, ISBN 0-9667840-1-4. Dundes, Alan (ed.) The Flood Myth, University of California Press, Berkeley, 1988. ISBN 0-520-05973-5 / 0520059735 Faulkes, Anthony (trans.) Edda (Snorri Sturluson). Everyman's Library, 1987. ISBN 0-460-87616-3. Greenway, John (ed.), The Primitive Reader, Folkways, 1965. Grey, G. Polynesian Mythology. Whitcombe and Tombs, Christchurch, 1956. Lambert, W. G. and Millard, A. R., Atrahasis: The Babylonian Story of the Flood, Eisenbrauns, 1999. ISBN 1-57506-039-6. Masse, W. B. "The Archaeology and Anthropology of Quaternary Period Cosmic Impact", in Bobrowsky, P., and Rickman, H. (eds.) Comet/Asteroid Impacts and Human Society: An Interdisciplinary Approach Berlin, Springer Press, 2007. p. 2570. Reed, A. W. Treasury of Maori Folklore A.H. & A.W. Reed, Wellington, 1963. Reedy, Anaru (trans.), Nga Korero a Pita Kapiti: The Teachings of Pita Kapiti. Canterbury University Press, Christchurch, 1997.

External links
The Great Flood (http://www.livius.org/fa-fn/flood/flood1.html) All texts (Eridu Genesis (http://www.livius.org/fa-fn/flood /flood2-t.html) , Atrahasis (http://www.livius.org/fa-fn/flood/flood3-t-atrahasis.html) , Gilgamesh (http://www.livius.org/fa-fn /flood/flood3-t-gilgamesh.html) , Bible (http://www.livius.org/fa-fn/flood/flood1-t-bible1.html) , Berossus (http://www.livius.org /fa-fn/flood/flood3-t-berossus.html) ), commentary, and a table with parallels (http://www.livius.org/fa-fn/flood/flood6parallels.html) Mark Isaak (19962002). "Flood stories from around the world" (http://home.earthlink.net/~misaak/floods.htm) . http://home.earthlink.net/~misaak/floods.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-27. "Mirror from September 2002" (http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/flood-myths.html) . http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/floodmyths.html. Retrieved 2007-06-27. Ballard & The Black Sea (http://www.nationalgeographic.com/blacksea/) National Geographic Flood Legends from Around the World (http://nwcreation.net/noahlegends.html) The Flood myth (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZl2J5qcb88) as preserved by the Uru-Muratos of Bolivia's Altiplano on YouTube Talkorigins.org (http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/flood-myths.html) The BIAMI Legends (http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/magazines/docs/v7n2_biami.asp/) The Genesis Flood and Human History (http://www.biblicalcreation.org.uk/biblical_studies/bcs044.html/) The Two Flood Stories; A Comparison of the J and P Accounts (http://energion.com/rpp/flood.shtml) Henry E. Neufeld Travels of Noah (http://www.write-on.co.uk/history/travels_of_noah_complete_text.htm/) book written in 1601 telling of the travel of Noah's and the re-population of Europe Why Does Nearly Every Culture Have a Tradition of a Global Flood (http://www.icr.org/pubs/btg-b/btg-153b.htm/) John D. Morris,Ph.D. A possible source of the Noah's Flood story (http://www.religioustolerance.org/ev_noah.htm/) Critical review by the Ontario Consultants for Religious Tolerance An Anthropologist Looks at the Judeo-Christian Scriptures (http://cc.usu.edu/~fath6/flood.htm/) Choctaw Flood Legends Index USA (http://www.tc.umn.edu/~mboucher/mikebouchweb/choctaw/floodlgn.htm/) Comparison of Babylonian and Noahic Flood Stories (http://www.religioustolerance.org/noah_com.htm/) Flood Stories (http://www.crystalinks.com/floodstories.html/) details of many accounts from around the world Flood Stories From Around the World (http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/flood-myths.html/) Mark Isaak

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Incan Legends of the Great Flood (http://www.labyrinthina.com/flood.htm/) Language Grouping for Flood Stories (http://home.earthlink.net/~misaak/floodlang.htm/) Mark Isaak Morgana's Observatory: Universal Myths Flood Myths Part One (http://www.dreamscape.com/morgana/titania.htm/) Flood Myths Part Two (http://www.dreamscape.com/morgana/puck.htm/) Myth Flood (http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_myth_flood.htm?once=true&terms=Flood+Myths/) N.S. Gill Native American Indian Lore: The Great Flood (http://www.ilhawaii.net/~stony/lore126.html/) The Epic of Gilgamesh Tablet XI The Story of the Flood (http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/mesopotamian/gilgamesh /tab11.htm/) The Eridu Genesis The Sumerian Noah (http://www.gatewaystobabylon.com/myths/texts/enki/eridugen.htm/) The Flood, Greek Mythology Link (http://homepage.mac.com/cparada/GML/Flood.html/) The Myth of Noah's Flood (http://members.aol.com/JAlw/flood_myth.html/) Joseph Francis Alward The Story of Atrahasis (http://faculty.gvsu.edu/websterm/Atrahasi.htm/) A Comparison of Narrative Elements in Ancient Mesopotamian Creation-Flood Stories (http://www.grisda.org/origins /11009.htm/) William H. Shea A Statistical Analysis of Flood Legends (http://www.creationresearch.org/crsq/abstracts/sum9_3.html/) James E. Strickling CRSQ Abstracts, Volume 9, Number 3 Aboriginal Flood Legend (http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs/3768.asp/) Australian Aboriginal Flood Stories (http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs/3764.asp/) Flood Legends (http://www.earthage.org/floodlegends/flood__legends.htm/) earthage.org (http://www.earthage.org/) Flood Legends (http://www.worldwideflood.com/flood/legends/flood_legends.htm/) Flood Stories Can They Be Ignored? (http://www.grisda.org/origins/17051.htm/) by Roth, A. A. Flood Traditions (http://www.noahsarkzoofarm.co.uk/index.php?s=flood+legends/) by Noahs Ark Zoo Farm Flood Traditions of the World (http://www.custance.org/Library/Volume9/Part_II/Introduction.html/) Arthur C. Custance Genesis and ancient Near Eastern stories of Creation and the Flood (http://www.christiananswers.net/q-abr/abr-c001.html/) Grand Canyon Legend (http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/magazines/docs/v7n3_chief.asp/) Noahs Flood and the Gilgamesh Epic (http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2004/0329gilgamesh.asp/) by John Sarfati Panning for Traces of the Flood (http://www.apologeticspress.org/bibbul/2001/bb-01-54.htm/) by Kyle Butt, M.A. Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flood_myth&oldid=529805051" Categories: Comparative mythology Flood myths Fertile Crescent Megafloods Mesopotamian mythology Monomyths Water and religion

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