Aztec

=The Creation Cycle=

//The Aztec Creation Myth//
The great gods created five different worlds, though the gods created each one when the previous one failed. A sun of earth illuminated the first world, but the people of the first world executed improper acts, so the gods allowed jaguars to feast on their flesh.

A sun of air lit the second world, but the people lacked wisdom, so hurricane winds fell upon the earth, and the gods transformed the people into apes.

A sun of the rain of fire shined upon the third world, but the people demonstrated no respect for the gods by refusing to sacrifice for them, so volcanoes, earthquakes, and other fiery maladies destroyed them.

A sun of water illuminated the fourth world, and Quetzalcoatl created a race of humans from ash. These humans committed acts of greed, so the gods punished them with a great flood and converted the humans into fish. The Supreme Being salvaged one human couple, and informed them to create a hole in a tree and remain in it until the flood subsided; if they staid their greed by consuming only one corncob each, their lives would be spared. Unquenchable, the greed of the couple compelled them to roast the fish left by the flood, and so the furious gods transmuted them into canines.

A wealthy god and Nanautzin, an aesthetically disgusting god, created the fifth world with a sun with a combination of all four elements. The other gods commanded the wealthy god and Nanautzin to leap into the sacrificial fire to create the fifth world, but the wealthy god trembled at the thought, so Nanautzin courageously jumped in first, while the wealthy god followed in shame.

Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca destroyed a goddess that was consuming everything they were attempting to create by tearing her down the center of her body, so the upper half became the earth while the lower half became the sky. To compensate for her mutilation they bestowed gifts upon her such as flora, fauna, geological formations, and aquatic additions, and thus everything a human needed came from her, so the humans provided sacrifices to keep her content.

In the fifth world, Quetzalcoatl harvested corn he had stolen from the ants to nourish the human beings he planned to create. He then traveled to the Lord of the Dead Land and requested the bones of his father to utilize in the creation of the humans. The Lord of the Dead Land attempted to keep the bones from Quetzalcoatl; however, Quetzalcoatl triumphed over the Lord of the Dead Land, and eventually molded a new race of humans, both male and female, from bone meal of his father and his own blood.

Similarities

 * The First World includes similarities to both Enuma Elish and the Pentateuch since the greater gods punish the humans with jaguars that devour their flesh. Also, the frustrated gods balk at the humans' improper attitude. Enuma Elish: Mother Tiamat hates all younger gods. Pentateuch: God despises all of the humans he created before he destroys them with the flood.


 * The second world contains similarities only to the Pentateuch because the greater gods destroy all humans with water. The gods transform the humans into apes and create hurricanes to destroy them. In Pentateuch, God summons a flood to exterminate all humans.


 * Pentateuch contains a similarity to the 3rd world because the gods punish the humans with earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and forms of flaming death. Once again, both the gods in Pentateuch and Creation Cycles successfully destroy all humans.


 * 4th World: The god of darkness, Queztzalcoatl created humans from ash. God created human from dust. The Supreme Being informed a human couple to hide in a tree to protect themselves during the flood of extermination. In Pentateuch, God creates a flood and tells Noah to create a boat so he could survive during the disaster. The 4th World is only similar to the Pentateuch.


 * 5th World: Quezalcoatl chooses humans from all four elements 'in the darkness'. Marduk creates savages to live in Babylon. Both the humans in the Creation Cycle and Pentateuch perform as minions to the Gods.


 * Both the Creation of Earth and Human Beings exist with similarities to the Pentateuch since both stories involved commiting a 'wrong' act. The upset gods frown at Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl actions since they used a beautiful god for the Creation of Earth. For the Creation of Human Beings, Quetzalcoatl steals his father's remains from the Lord of the Dead Land to create humans. Pentateuch: Adam and Eve steal from the Tree of Knowledge and Eve is created from the bones of Adam.


 * The creation of Earth and Humans also corresponds with Enuma Elish since both creations utilized the remains of gods.

**Differences**

 * In the Aztec creation story there is just a group of gods that create the world, and in the Enuma Elish there is a particular man and woman who create everything.


 * Also, in the Bible there is only God who creates humans and the earth.


 * In the bible God creates everything on earth, and in the Aztec creation myth the earth is created from the body of a monstrous goddess.


 * In the Aztec creation myth, Quetzalcoatl gives his people only corn to eat, and in the Enuma Elish and in the Bible humans have all of the nourishing plants in the world to choose from.


 * In the Bible God creates the world very easily, but in the Aztec creation myth it takes four days, four nights, and a human sacrifice just to light up the fifth world.