Parallel Myths

Subsection 1 Summary: “India”

The Indian creation myth begins with Brahma, who “created and re-created the world many, many times” (39). After each creation, his old body is discarded, becoming another element of his creation: night, which creates the demons, and day, which creates the devas (“shining gods”). After he creates humans from the energy of his mind, his cast-off body becomes the moon, which is why humans dance and make love under the moonlight. Out of his fifth incarnation are born the ogres, and Brahma is so disturbed by this creation, his hair falls out and becomes all the creatures that crawl on their bellies and hide in dark places. Returning to pleasant thoughts, he creates birds, mammals, and plants.

In another version of this myth, Brahma is everything yet alone, and out of his loneliness, he divides himself into two halves: male and female. Reuniting the two halves is the act of making love. As the woman, out of confusion, tries to elude the male by turning into a cow, he turns into a bull, and thus they spawn cattle. Man and woman continue this shape-shifting procreation dance until all species of animals are created.