Creation Myth: Did you mean...?

Today on Crash Course Mythology we’re starting in on creation stories. This week, we’ll focus on the creation of the universe out of nothing, or Ex Nihlio creation. Basically, a god decides to make a universe out of nothing. We’ll look at...

In Greek mythology, the Titan Prometheus had a reputation as being something of a clever trickster and he famously gave the human race the gift of fire and the skill of metalwork, an action for which he was punished by Zeus, who ensured everyday...

This calcite cylinder seal depicts the myth of Etana, the shepherd and the legendary king of Uruk, who was carried up to heaven by an eagle to obtain an heir. Etana's ascent is watched by the shepherd and his dog, with two markhor-type goats...

Fragment of a Neo-Assyrian clay tablet from the Library of Ashurbanipal, part of the Adapa myth, with 21 lines of inscription.

A Roman floor mosaic emblemata depicting the myth of Iphigenia and her (almost) sacrifice by Agamemnon, her father, prior to the Trojan War. From a Roman villa, Empuries, 1st century BCE. (Archaeological Museum, Empuries, Spain)

Lare jar painted in red and black on beige. The paintings show animal scenes in two registers. In the lower register, two large snakes lie opposite each other. In the upper one, framed by horizontal lines and a zigzag motif on the jar's shoulder...

Examine the myth of the Lost Cause: a campaign created by pro-Confederates after the Civil War to promote the lie that they seceded for state's rights. In the 1860’s, 11 southern states withdrew from the United States and formed the Confederacy...

So, we’re still talking about sex this week, but we’re talking about Earth Mothers and their children. We'll start with Gaia, and her son Kronos, who had a classic childhood rebellion, and castrated his father. We'll also get into Kronos’s...

In which Mike Rugnetta sits you down for a little talk about myth as a way to construct or reinforce social orders. Specifically, we’re going to look today at stories from around the world that establish or amplify the idea that the errors...

In which Mike Rugnetta brings you the final installation of our unit on creation myths. This week, we're talking about human beings and their relationship to the natural world. It turns out foundational stories have a lot to teach us about...