flood 洪水神话.docx

flood 洪水神话.docx

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Runninghead:

WESTERNANDEASTERNFLOODMYTH

CompareandContrasttheFloodMythbetweenwestandeast

GuchuanChang（Jetty）Group8

MattHildebrandApril1,2015

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WESTERNANDEASTERNFLOODMYTH

Abstract

Almosteveryculturehavemythstoryaboutflood.However,partcontentofthosearesimilar,partiallyaredifferent.Theyaresameintheyallescapetohighplaceandhumanreproductionaftertheflood.Thedifferencesareaboutthecauseofthegreatfloodandanotheroneiswhatgodplayedintheflood.

Currently,moreandmorepeoplepaymuchmoreattentiontoanassumptionthattherewasauniversalfloodsweeptheglobeinancienttime.It’saverystrangeandmysteriousphenomenonthateveryculturehadatleastonefloodmyth.Lookingatallofthefloodmythsovertheworld,theycanbedividedintwolargedivisions:

thefloodmythsofwesterncultureandthefloodmythsofeasterncultures.Again,accordingtodifferentareas,westernfloodmythscanbedividedintomanydifferentspecificstories:

Babylonian,Biblical,Sumerian,Mesopotamianandonandon.Also,easternfloodmythcanbedividedinIndianfloodmythandthefloodmythinChina.Therearemanyinterestingdifferencesandsimilaritiesinthefloodmythbetweenwesternandtheothercountries.Therearedifferentinsofarasthecauseofthegreatfloodandwhatrolegodplayintheflood,theyarethesameintheyallescapetohighplaceandhuman’sreproductionaftertheflood.

Thereasonofthegreatfloodcomingisdifferentbetweenwesternculturesandeasterncultures.Inwesternculture,thefloodcomingallbecausehumandoalotofbadthings,thenfloodcomingbecauseofgod’sangry.ThebestknownstoriesinthewestisthestoryoftheNoah’sArkintheBible,butitislookslikeacopyofthefloodstoriesofMesopotamiarecordedintheEpicofGilgamesh.Inthesetwostories,humanevilleadsgodtowanttogiveapunishmenttohumankind,thengoddeterminestousethefloodtowipeouthumanity.

AccordingtoHabel（1971）,inhisbookLiterarycriticismoftheoldtestament,“Inverses5-8theproblemwhichgodfacesistheevilofman.Thisevilexistsbecauseofthe“evil”inthe“heart”ofman”（p.13）.Inotherwords,inthewesternfloodmyth,floodcomingisbecausetheevilofthehuman,andgodfeelveryangrythathumandonnothavemorality,theirmoralbottomlinelowermuchthanpeopleinnowadays.Thushumancrimeistheonlyreasontocausethegreatfloodingcominginwesternculture.

Incontrast,thefloodineasternmythisnotbecauseofthesinofthehumanity,itisbecauseofthenaturaldisaster.Becausetheworldisoutofbalance,thefloodisneededforcreatinganewworldfromtheold,sotheheaviestflashfloodrusheddownthemountainanddestroyeverything.AccordingtoKoppers（1940-1941）,inhisarticle“Bhagwan,thesupremedeityofbhils:

AcontributiontothehistoryofIndiaandIndo-europeanreligions”,“Manu[…]bringsabouttheriseofanewhumanity,ofnewgods,infactofanentirelynewworld”（p.289）.InChinathereareawellknownstoryaboutthegodNvGuatellusthatinDongseatherearefourenormouspillarssupporttheworld.Oneday,thesupportisbrokenbytwogodfighttogether;theworldwilldestroyedbecausethereareagapinthesky.FortunatelythegodNvGuasacrificeherlifeforcollectthefivecoloredstonestofixthegapintheskytoavoidthecomingflood.AccordingtoLewisinhisbookThefloodmythsofearlyChina,“Infusingthesestones,Nvguaisrestoringordertoskybybringingthephasesbackintotheharmonythatwouldunderlinetheregularmovementofthecelestiallight”（p.111）.Consequently,thereasonoffloodinwesternculturemorelikelytofocusonhumancrime,however;thefloodmythineasternculturetendtodepictdisasterasthereasonofthegreatflood.

Godplaysdifferentrolebetweenwesterncultureandeasternculture.Inwesternculturegodisthedecider,whodeterminethefloodtopunishhuman.Inotherwords,theydo“bad”thingstohumankind;theykilleveryoneexceptthemostloyalbelieveroftheirs.AccordingtoHabel（1971）:

1.SoYahwehsaidtoNoah,“goaboardtheark,youandallyourhousehold,forIhaveseenthatyouarerighteousbeforemeinthisgeneration.2.Takewithyousevenpairsofallcleananimals,themaleandhismate,andonepairoftheanimalsthatarenotclean,themaleandhismate[…].4.ForinsevendaystimeIwillcauseittorainupontheearth

40daysand40nights,andIwillblotouteverythinganimatedwhichImade,fromthefaceoftheground（p.19）.

ChristiangodYahwehtoldNoahwhoistruthfulandhonesttohimheplansafloodtoextinctviciouspeople.HealsosaidhewantNoahseparatehimselffromthepunishmentbecauseNoahisagoodperson.Sowecansaythefloodinwesternmyth