Cultural Exchange

Creation Myth

There was a time when everything was still. All the spirits of the earth were asleep - or almost all. The great Father of All Spirits was the only one awake. Gently he awoke the Sun Mother. As she opened her eyes a warm ray of light spread out toward the sleeping Earth. The Father of All Spirits said to the Sun Mother,

“Mother, I have work for you. Go down to the Earth and awake the sleeping spirits. Give them forms.”

The Sun Mother glided down to Earth, which was bare at the time and began to walk in all directions, and everywhere she went plants grew. After returning to the field where she had begun her work the Mother rested, well pleased with herself. The Father of All Spirits came and saw her work, but instructed her to go into the caves and wake the spirits.

This time she ventured into the dark caves on the mountainsides. The bright light that radiated from her awoke the spirits, and after she left insects of all kinds flew out of the caves. The Sun Mother sat down and watched the glorious sight of her insects mingling with her flowers. However, once again the Father urged her on.

The Mother ventured into a very deep cave, spreading her light around her. Her heat melted the ice, and the rivers and streams of the world were created. Then she created fish and small snakes, lizards and frogs. Next, she awoke the spirits of the birds and animals, and they burst into the sunshine in a glorious array of colors. Seeing this, the Father of All Spirits was pleased with the Sun Mother’s work.

She called all her creatures to her and instructed them to enjoy the wealth of the earth and to live peacefully with one another. Then she rose into the sky and became the sun.

The living creatures watched the Sun in awe as she crept across the sky, toward the west. However, when she finally sunk beneath the horizon they were panic-stricken, thinking she had deserted them. All night they stood frozen in their places, thinking that the end of time had come. After what seemed to them like a lifetime, the Sun Mother peeked her head above the horizon in the East. The Earth’s children learned to expect her coming and going and were no longer afraid.

At first the children lived together peacefully, but eventually envy crept into their hearts. They began to argue. The Sun Mother was forced to come down from her home in the sky to mediate their bickering. She gave each creature the power to change their form to whatever they chose. However, she was not pleased with the end result. The rats she had made had changed into bats; there were giant lizards and fish with blue tongues and feet. However, the oddest of the new animals was an animal with a bill like a duck, teeth for chewing, a tail like a beaver’s and the ability to lay eggs. It was called the platypus.

The Sun Mother looked down upon the Earth and thought to herself that she must create new creatures, less the Father of All Spirits be angered by what she now saw. She gave birth to two children. The god was the Morning Star and the goddess was the Moon. Two children were born to them and these she sent to Earth. They became our ancestors. She made them superior to the animals because they had part of her mind and would never want to change their shape.”

Translation obtained from CS Williams .

“People did not always live on the surface of the earth. At one time, people and animals lived underneath the earth with Kaang (Käng), the Great Master and Lord of All Life. In this place, people and animals lived together peacefully. They understood each other. No one ever wanted for anything and it was always light even though there wasn’t any sun. During this time of bliss, Kaang began to plan the wonders he would put in the world above.

First, Kaang created a wondrous tree, with branches stretching over the entire country. At the base of the tree he dug a hole that reached all the way down into the world where the people and animals lived. After he had finished furnishing the world as he pleased, he led the first man up the hole. He sat down on the edge of the hole and soon the first woman came up out of it. Soon, all the people were gathered at the foot of the tree, awed by the world they had just entered. Next, Kaang began helping the animals climb out of the hole. In their eagerness, some of the animals found a way to climb up through the tree’s roots and come out of the branches. They continued racing out of the world beneath until all of the animals were out.

Kaang gathered all the people and animals about him. He instructed them to live together peacefully. Then he turned to the men and women and warned them not to build any fires or a great evil would befall them. They gave their word and Kaang left to where he could watch his world secretly.

As evening approached, the sun began to sink beneath the horizon. The people and animals stood watching this phenomenon, but when the sun disappeared fear entered the hearts of the people. They could no longer see each other as they lacked the eyes of the animals, which were capable of seeing in the dark. They lacked the warm fur of the animals also and soon grew cold. In desperation one man suggested that they build a fire to keep warm. Forgetting Kaang’s warning, they disobeyed him. They soon grew warm and were once again able to see each other.

However, the fire frightened the animals. They fled to the caves and mountains, and ever since the people broke Kaang’s command, people have not been able to communicate with animals. Now fear has replaced the seat friendship once held between the two groups.”

Translation obtained from African Bushmen Creation Myth .

“In the beginning there was an empty darkness. The only thing in this void was Nyx, a bird with black wings. With the wind she laid a golden egg and for ages she sat upon this egg. Finally, life began to stir in the egg and out of it rose Eros, the god of love. One half of the shell rose into the air and became the sky and the other became the Earth. Eros named the sky Uranus and the Earth he named Gaia. Then, Eros made them fall in love.

Uranus and Gaia had many children together and eventually they had grandchildren. Some of their children became afraid of the power of their children. Kronus, in an effort to protect himself, swallowed his children when they were still infants. However, his wife Rhea hid their youngest child. She gave him a rock wrapped in swaddling clothes, which he swallowed, thinking it was his son.

Once the child, Zeus, had reached manhood, his mother instructed him on how to trick his father to give up his brothers and sisters. Once this was accomplished, the children fought a mighty war against their father. After much fighting, the younger generation won. With Zeus as their leader, they began to furnish Gaia with life and Uranus with stars.

Soon the Earth lacked only two things: man and animals. Zeus summoned his sons Prometheus (fore-thought) and Epimetheus (after-thought). He told them to go to Earth and create men and animals and give them each a gift.

Prometheus set to work forming men in the image of the gods, and Epimetheus worked on the animals. As Epimetheus worked, he gave each animal he created on of the gifts. After Epimetheus had completed his work, Prometheus finally finished making men. However, when he went to see what gift to give man, Epimetheus shamefacedly informed him that he had foolishly used all the gifts.

Distressed, Prometheus decided he had to give man fire, even though gods were the only ones meant to have access to it. As the sun god rode out into the world the next morning, Prometheus took some of the fire and brought it back to man. He taught his creation how to take care of it and then left them.

When Zeus discovered Prometheus’ deed he became furious. He ordered his son to be chained to a mountain and for a vulture to peck out his liver every day until eternity. Then he began to devise a punishment for mankind. Another of his sons created a woman of great beauty, Pandora. Each of the gods gave her a gift. Zeus’ present was curiosity and a box which ordered her never to open. Then he presented her to Epimetheus as a wife.

Pandora’s life with Epimetheus was happy except for her intense longing to open the box. She was convinced that because the gods and goddesses had showered so many glorious gifts upon her that this one would also be wonderful. One day, when Epimetheus was gone, she opened the box.

Out of the box flew all of the horrors which plague the world today - pain, sickness, envy, greed. Upon hearing Pandora’s screams, Epimetheus rushed home and fastened the lid shut, but all of the evils had already escaped.

Later that night they heard a voice coming from the box saying, “Let me out. I am hope.”

Pandora and Epimetheus released her and she flew out into the world to give hope to mankind.”

Translation obtained from Greek Creation Myth .

The Beginning of the World

From Gengi Shibukawa: Tales from the Kojiki

“Before the heavens and the earth came into existence, all was a chaos, unimaginably limitless and without definite shape or form. Eon followed eon: then lo! Out of this boundless, shapeless mass something light and transparent rose up and formed the heaven. This was the Plain of High Heaven, in which materialized a deity called Ame-no-Minaka-Nushi-no-Mikoto (the Deity of the August Center of Heaven). Next, the heavens gave birth to a deity named Takami-Musubi-no-Mikoto (the High August Producing Wondrous Deity), followed by a third call Kammi-Musubi-no-Mikoto (the Divine Producing Wondrous Deity). These three divine beings are called the Three Creating Deities.

In the meantime, what was heavy and opaque in the void gradually precipitated and became the earth, but it had taken an immeasurably long time before it condensed sufficiently to form solid ground. In its earliest stages, for millions and millions of years, the earth may be said to have resembled oil floating, Medusa-like, upon the face of the waters. Suddenly, like the sprouting up of a reed, a pair of immortals were born from its bosom. These were the Deity Umashi-Ashi-Kahibi-Hikoji-no-Mikoto (the Pleasant Reed Shoot Prince Elder Deity) and the Deity Ame-no-Tokotachi-no-Mikoto (The Heavenly Eternally Standing Deity) …

Many gods were thus born in succession, and so they increased in number, but as long as the world remained in a chaotic state, there was nothing for them to do. Whereupon, all the heavenly deities summoned the two divine beings, Izanagi and Izanami, and bade them descend to the nebulous place, and by helping each other, to consolidate it into terra firma.

“We bestow on you,” they said, “this precious treasure, with which to rule the land, the creation of which we command you to perform.” So saying they handed them a spear called Ama-no-Nuboko, embellished with costly gems. The divine couple received respectfully and ceremoniously the sacred weapon and then withdrew from the presence of the deities, ready to perform their August commission. Proceeding forthwith to the Floating Bridge of Heaven, which lay between the heaven and the earth, they stood awhile to gaze on that which lay below. What they beheld was a world not yet condensed, but looking like a sea of filmy fog floating to and fro in the air, exhaling the while an inexpressibly fragrant odor. They were, at first, perplexed just how and where to start, but at length Izanagi suggested to his companion that they should try the effect of stirring up the brine with their spear.

So saying, he pushed down the jeweled shaft and found that it touched something. Then, drawing it up, he examined it and observed that the great drops which fell from it almost immediately coagulated into an island, which is, to this day, the Island of Onokoro. Delighted at the result, the two deities descended forthwith from the Floating Bridge to reach the miraculously created island. In this island, they thenceforth dwelt and made it the basis of their subsequent task of creating a country. Then wishing to become espoused, they erected in the center a pillar, the Heavenly August Pillar, and built around it a great palace called the Hall of Eight Fathoms. Thereupon, the male deity turning to the left and the female deity to the right, each went round the pillar in opposite directions. When they again met each other on the further side of the pillar, Izanami, the female deity, speaking first, exclaimed: “How delightful it is to meet so handsome a youth!” To which Izanagi, the male deity, replied: “How delightful I am to have fallen in with such a lovely maiden!”

After having spoken thus, the male deity said that it was not in order that woman should anticipate man in a greeting. Nevertheless, they fell into a connubial relationship, having been instructed by two wagtails, which flew to the spot. Presently, the Goddess bore her divine consort a son, but the baby was weak and boneless as a leech. Disgusted with it, they abandoned it on the waters, putting it in a boat made of reeds. Their second offspring was as disappointing as the first. The two deities, now sorely disappointed at their failure and full of misgivings, ascended to Heaven to inquire of the heavenly deities the causes of their misfortunes. The latter performed the ceremony of divining and said to them: “It is the woman’s fault. In turning round the pillar, it was not right and proper that the female deity should in speaking have taken precedence of the male. That is the reason.”

The two deities saw the truth of this divine suggestion and made up their minds to rectify the error. So, returning to the earth again, they went once more around the Heavenly Pillar. This time, Izanagi spoke first saying: “How delightful to meet so beautiful a maiden!”

“How happy I am,” responded Izanami, “that I should meet such a handsome youth!” This process was more appropriate and in accordance with the law of nature. After this, all the children born to them left nothing to be desired. First, the island of Awaji was born; next, Shikoku, then the island of Oki, followed by Kyushu; after that, the island Tsushima came into being; and lastly, Honshu, the main island of Japan. The name of Oyashi-ma-kuni (the Country of the Eight Great Islands) was given to these eight islands. After this, the two deities became the parents of numerous smaller islands destined to surround the larger ones.”

Translation obtained from Japanese Creation Myth .

Nü Wa Makes Men

From Tai Ping Yu Lan (Taiping Anthologies for the Emperor)

“It is said that there were no men when the sky and the earth were separated. It was Nü Wa who made men by moulding yellow clay. The work was so taxing that her strength was not equal to it. So she dipped a rope into the mud and then lifted it. The mud that dripped from the rope also became men. Those made by moulding yellow clay were rich and noble, while those made by lifting the rope were poor and low.”

Translation obtained from China Vista .

This is a beautiful story about the life of a geisha. Two young sisters get sold to a businessman. They are separated when they get to the city, Gion. The youngest, Chiyo, is sent to a geisha house as a slave. The story is devoted to Chiyo’s struggle as a hopeful slave, as she searches for her sister, as she eventually becomes a geisha.

This book tells Chiyo’s life as it describes the beautiful and realistic life of a geisha in 1930s Japan. A geisha’s life is more than it seems.

Book quote:

“… our world is no more permanent than a wave rising on the ocean. Whatever our struggles and triumphs, however we may suffer them, all too soon they bleed into a wash, just like watery ink on paper.”

Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden

I was talking to a guy at work and he tells me this story:

He was at the public library using the computer. A group of Chinese students were working at a table nearby. He got annoyed with them because they were talking in Chinese, not English. They weren’t speaking to him. They were only speaking to each other. But this guy got so irritated just listening to Chinese that he threw a pencil at them and shouted at them to speak in English.

So I look at him in complete exasperation and say, “Are you serious?”

His reply: “If you’re in America, speak English.”

I try to reason with him. I tell him I understand how it can be frustrating when someone is trying to speak to you and you can’t understand them. However, these people weren’t speaking to him. They weren’t speaking to anyone that couldn’t understand them. So, why should they speak English to each other?

This guy says, “There should be a law that you can only speak English in America.”

Again, my mouth drops. Pushing all racism aside, I ask him if he understands what that would mean.

If we could only speak English in America, no one could learn any foreign languages. We wouldn’t be able to communicate with anyone who doesn’t speak English.

And what if every other country adopted this racist law? No one would be able to communicate. Foreign trade and commerce would be out of the question. No more exports, no more imports. Prices would escalate.

And what about fuel? We don’t have any. How are cars and airplanes going to move without gasoline?

A law like this could single-handedly push out society back into the dark ages.

And what about medical advances? What if China found the cure to cancer. But guess what? We can’t get it because we only speak English and they only speak Chinese. Millions of people have to die because we couldn’t get over our racism.

So, racist guy, isn’t it obvious that racism leads to ruination? Try thinking before you speak. And remember, racism means ignorance.

Why do Americans drive on the right side of the road when the British drive on the left?

As with most things, the answer to that question dates back to history.

In the Middle Ages, travelers would stay on the left of the road for protection. They wanted to keep their swords to the center of the road to face danger immediately.

Because most people are right-handed, their swords were on their right hip, so they walked on the left side of the road.

Later on, the British continued this tradition with wagon driving. Drivers had to sit on the right side of the wagon in order to keep the driving whip free from entanglement.

As for the United States - and France - road usage was determined by farm equipment.

These countries used big farm wagons pulled by several pairs of horses. There was no seat in the wagon, so the driver sat on the left front horse to steer the wagon.

In order to see how close they were to oncoming traffic, they drove on the right side of the road.

Most other countries have developed their left or right side laws based on these three countries.

This information was compiled from the Web site, Which side of the road to drive on?

The United States remains the last industrialized country that hasn’t officially converted to the metric system.

Why hasn’t the U.S. converted to the metric system?

In short answer: laziness.

The U.S. has been attempting to implement the metric system since 1866, when congress first authorized its use.

In 1875, 17 countries, the U.S. included, created the Treaty of the Meter: a document, five years in the making, that provided a worldwide standard for measurement, based on the French metric system.

The U.S. adopted the metric standards in 1893 as the fundamentals of measurement, defining our customary measurements by the meter and kilogram.

Yet, 114 years later, this country as a whole still uses feet and inches predominantly.

While many believe conversion is in the best interest of the country, particularly in regard to foreign commerce, the government quit pushing conversion in 1982 because conversion efforts were deemed ineffective and to minimize costs.

Congress recognized the need to compete with other countries in the world market, and created the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988. The legislation declares the metric system as the preferred system of measure for trade and commerce.

This legislation also required the federal government’s conversion, but not the nation’s conversion.

The information contained in this post was compiled from the National Institute of Standards and Technology .

This is my Scottish-American  Cow-dog, Dougal MacKinzie.

While he doesn’t exactly pertain to cultural learning, which is the aim of my Web site, he is of great importance. He bridges the gaps. He’s a part of four cultures all at once: American, Scottish, cowboys, and dogs.  He’s one of a kind. Plus, he’s just so cute!