Jack777
February 4th 2005, 04:33 PM
Lakota Cosmogony
The following creation story is Lakota.
I do not have the reference handy, my apologies. I will have to find it again. I am posting this because it amply illustrates some things about cosmogony. First, this creation story recognizes there was another world before this one. What is meant by this it that which we think of as an age of ages. To the Lakota there is a better understanding of what is meant from a Biblical point of view than most people have. They do not mean world in the kosmos sense or the ertez sense. They do not mean it in terms of time either. The Hebrew thought in terms of events, not time. Time is now. Once something happened it was an event, not time. Once it exists, it exists. There is no past, present, or future tense in Hebrew. It is nice we have watches and we have the age of the earth figured out to our satisfaction. It has no meaning in Biblical terms. I do not mean to be unkind or flip, but YEC arguments and OEC arguments, and evolution arguments are beside the point in the surface text as to what needs to be understood. It is fine to think the earth is 6,000 years old if you have to. It is fine to think the earth is 4.5 billion years old if you need to. There really is a certain amount of time that passed since God spoke the worlds into existence. Fitting in all those rock records is great or not fitting them in is great. That is not the point of the Bible per se. The Jewish Sages were able to figure out from the Old Testament that the lunar cycle to a great degree of accuracy in the first century A.D. than was able to be obtained until we launched a satellite. They might still be more accurate.
I know you may not like it that this does not square with what you think is important. I do not think the Bible is truth-telling myth by presenting this. However, there are some important things to notice. The importance of the Turtle might not be striking to you either, but it is critical in study of cosmogony for several reason. In other words I am asking you to not judge this the way some do. Most, if not all, miss the important things that are here.
"There was another world before this one. But the people of that world did not behave themselves. Displeased, the Creating Power set out to make a new world. 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. Only Kangi the crow survived.
Kangi pleaded with the Creating Power to make him a new place to rest. So the Creating Power decided the time had come to make his new world. From his huge pipe bag, which contained all types of animals and birds, the Creating Power selected 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, the Creating Power took the turtle from his pipe 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 upper and lower shells. Singing, the Creating Power shaped the mud in his hands and spread it on the water, where it was just big enough for himself and the crow. He then shook two long eagle wing feathers over the mud until earth spread wide and varied, overcoming the waters. Feeling sadness for the dry land, the Creating Power cried 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.
The Creating Power then took many animals and birds from his great pipe bag and spread them across the earth. From red, white, black, and yellow earth, he made men and women. The Creating Power gave the people his sacred pipe and told them to live by it. 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."
The following creation story is Lakota.
I do not have the reference handy, my apologies. I will have to find it again. I am posting this because it amply illustrates some things about cosmogony. First, this creation story recognizes there was another world before this one. What is meant by this it that which we think of as an age of ages. To the Lakota there is a better understanding of what is meant from a Biblical point of view than most people have. They do not mean world in the kosmos sense or the ertez sense. They do not mean it in terms of time either. The Hebrew thought in terms of events, not time. Time is now. Once something happened it was an event, not time. Once it exists, it exists. There is no past, present, or future tense in Hebrew. It is nice we have watches and we have the age of the earth figured out to our satisfaction. It has no meaning in Biblical terms. I do not mean to be unkind or flip, but YEC arguments and OEC arguments, and evolution arguments are beside the point in the surface text as to what needs to be understood. It is fine to think the earth is 6,000 years old if you have to. It is fine to think the earth is 4.5 billion years old if you need to. There really is a certain amount of time that passed since God spoke the worlds into existence. Fitting in all those rock records is great or not fitting them in is great. That is not the point of the Bible per se. The Jewish Sages were able to figure out from the Old Testament that the lunar cycle to a great degree of accuracy in the first century A.D. than was able to be obtained until we launched a satellite. They might still be more accurate.
I know you may not like it that this does not square with what you think is important. I do not think the Bible is truth-telling myth by presenting this. However, there are some important things to notice. The importance of the Turtle might not be striking to you either, but it is critical in study of cosmogony for several reason. In other words I am asking you to not judge this the way some do. Most, if not all, miss the important things that are here.
"There was another world before this one. But the people of that world did not behave themselves. Displeased, the Creating Power set out to make a new world. 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. Only Kangi the crow survived.
Kangi pleaded with the Creating Power to make him a new place to rest. So the Creating Power decided the time had come to make his new world. From his huge pipe bag, which contained all types of animals and birds, the Creating Power selected 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, the Creating Power took the turtle from his pipe 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 upper and lower shells. Singing, the Creating Power shaped the mud in his hands and spread it on the water, where it was just big enough for himself and the crow. He then shook two long eagle wing feathers over the mud until earth spread wide and varied, overcoming the waters. Feeling sadness for the dry land, the Creating Power cried 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.
The Creating Power then took many animals and birds from his great pipe bag and spread them across the earth. From red, white, black, and yellow earth, he made men and women. The Creating Power gave the people his sacred pipe and told them to live by it. 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."