tale as old as time, literally

By nandis, March 14, 2014

tale as old as time, literally 

Stories that answer the question of where we came from are a time-tested way of talking about ourselves. Whether we believe in them literally, there are still truths of humanity in the archetypes represented in the myths. The creation story of Genesis is missing a female archetype, but not all creation myths leave out the mother.

In Maori legend a set of parents create the first people. Rangi, the sky father, and Papa, the earth mother existed in perpetual embrace. They had many sons, who lived in the darkness between them. After a while, the sons decided they wanted more space and pushed their parents apart, exiling Rangi to the sky, and leaving Papa, the earth mother to nurture them. The sons disperse, becoming gods over various things, and populate the earth without a single female. 

Nearly all stories that include a male and female creator, the male leaves to the sky after creation and the female remains behind to watch over the earth. Mormon theology acknowledges a set of Heavenly Parents, implying that both Mother and Father are in the heavens. Beyond that, the status quo is to not talk about mother on pretense of her being fragile. In this poem, written by Linda Sillitoe, both God and Goddess are shown as powerful beings in their own right, partners in creation.

 

Song of Creation

LINDA SILLITOE

Who made the world, my child?

Father made the rain

silver and forever.

Mother’s hand

drew riverbeds and hollowed seas,

drew riverbeds and hollowed seas

to bring the rain home.

 

Father bridled winds, my child,

to keep the world new.

Mother clashed

fire free from stones

and breathed it strong and dancing,

and breathed it strong and dancing

the color of her hair.

He armed the thunderclouds

rolled out of heaven;

 

Her fingers flickered

hummingbirds

weaving the delicate white snow,

weaving the delicate white snow

a waterfall of flowers.

And if you live long, my child,

you’ll see snow burst

from thunderclouds

and lightning in the snow;

listen to Mother and Father laughing,

listen to Mother and Father laughing

behind the locked door

 

Song of Creation: https://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V12N04_97.pdf