creation myth

The myth of creation is the symbolic narrative of the beginning of the world as
understood by a particular community. The later doctrines of creation are
interpretations of this myth in light of the subsequent history and needs of the
community. Thus, for example, all theology and speculation concerning creation
in the Christian community are based on the myth of creation in the biblical
book of Genesis and of the new creation in Jesus Christ. Doctrines of creation
are based on the myth of creation, which expresses and embodies all of the
fertile possibilities for thinking about this subject within a particular religious
community.
Myths are narratives that express the basic valuations of a religious community.
Myths of creation refer to the process through which the world is centred and
given a definite form within the whole of reality. They also serve as a basis for
the orientation of human beings within the world. This centring and orientation
specify humanity’s place in the universe and the regard that humans must have
for other humans, nature, and the entire nonhuman world; they set the stylistic
tone that tends to determine all other gestures, actions, and structures in the
culture. The cosmogonic (origin of the world) myth is the myth par excellence.
In this sense, the myth is akin to philosophy, but, unlike philosophy, it is
constituted by a system of symbols; and because it is the basis for any
subsequent cultural thought, it contains rational and nonrational forms. There is
an order and structure to the myth, but this order and structure is not to be
confused with rational, philosophical order and structure. The myth possesses its
own distinctive kind of order.

The Genesis of the Judeo-Christian

Faiths
Genesis, the first book of the Jewish Torah and the Christian
Bible, contains two origin stories, both of which are accepted
as the creation of the world by today's Jewish, Christian faiths.
In the first, God says, "Let there be light," and light appears. In
six days, he creates the sky, the land, plants, the sun and
moon, animals, and all creatures, including humans. To all he
says, "Be fruitful and multiply," which they do. On the
seventh day God rests, contemplates his handiwork, and gives
himself a good evaluation. In the second story, God creates the
first man, Adam, from the earth. He makes a garden in Eden
for Adam, but forbids him to eat fruit from the "Tree of the
Knowledge of Good and Evil." Adam names the animals but
remains lonely. God anesthetizes Adam and makes one of his
ribs into the first woman, Eve. A talking serpent persuades her
to eat the forbidden fruit, and she convinces Adam to do
likewise. When God finds out, he drives them from the garden
and makes man mortal. They should have stuck with apricots!
The Greeks and the Titans
The early Greek poets posited various cosmogonies. The
bestpreserved is Hesiod's Theogony. In this hymn, out of the
primordial chaos came the earliest divinities, including Gaia
(mother earth). Gaia created Uranus, the sky, to cover herself.
They spawned a bizarre menagerie of gods and monsters,
including the Hecatonchires, monsters with 50 heads and a
hundred hands, and the Cyclopes, the "wheel-eyed," later
forgers of Zeus's thunderbolts. Next came the gods known as
the Titans, 6 sons and 6 daughters. Uranus, despising his
monstrous children, imprisoned them in Tartarus, the earth's
bowels. Enraged, Gaia made an enormous sickle and gave it to
her youngest son, Cronus, with instructions. When next
Uranus appeared to copulate with Gaia, Cronus sprang out and
hacked off his father's genitals! Where Uranus's blood and
naughty bits fell, there sprang forth more monsters, the Giants
and Furies. From the sea foam churned up by the holy testicles
came the goddess Aphrodite. Later, Cronus fathered the next
generation of gods, Zeus and the Olympians. And, boy, were
they dysfunctional!
Hindu Cosmology's Rendezvous with Brahma
The Hindu cosmology contains many myths of creation, and
the principal players have risen and fallen in importance over
the centuries. The earliest Vedic text, the Rig Veda, tells of a
gigantic being, Purusha, possessing a thousand heads, eyes,
and feet. He enveloped the earth, extending beyond it by the
space of ten fingers. When the gods sacrificed Purusha, his
body produced clarified butter, which engendered the birds
and animals. His body parts transformed into the world's
elements, and the gods Agni, Vayu, and Indra. Also, the four
castes of Hindu society were created from his body: the
priests, warriors, general populace, and the servants.
Historically later, the trinity of Brahma (the creator), Vishnu
(the preserver), and Shiva (the destroyer) gained prominence.
Brahma appears in a lotus sprouting from the navel of the
sleeping Vishnu. Brahma creates the universe, which lasts for
one of his days, or 4.32 billion years. Then Shiva destroys the
universe and the cycle restarts. Relax everybody, the current
cycle has a couple billion years left.
Japan, this Island Earth
The gods created two divine siblings, brother Izanagi and
sister Izanami, who stood upon a floating bridge above the
primordial ocean. Using the jeweled spear of the gods, they
churned up the first island, Onogoro. Upon the island, Izanagi
and Izanami married, and gave forth progeny that were
malformed. The gods blamed it upon a breach of protocol.
During the marriage ritual, Izanami, the woman, had spoken
first. Correctly reprising their marriage ritual, the two coupled
and produced the islands of Japan and more deities. However,
in birthing Kagutsuchino-Kami, the fire god, Izanami died.
Traumatized, Izanagi followed her to Yomi, the land of the
dead. Izanami, having eaten the food of Yomi, could not
return. When Izanagi suddenly saw Izanami's decomposing
body, he was terrified and fled. Izanami, enraged, pursued
him, accompanied by hideous women. Izanagi hurled personal
items at them, which transformed into diversions. Escaping
the cavern entrance of Yomi, he blocked it with a boulder,
thus permanently separating life from death.
China, the Middle Kingdom
A cosmic egg floated within the timeless void, containing the
opposing forces of yin and yang. After eons of incubation, the
first being, Pan-gu emerged. The heavy parts (yin) of the egg
drifted downwards, forming the earth. The lighter parts (yang)
rose to form the sky. Pan-gu, fearing the parts might re-form,
stood upon the earth and held up the sky. He grew 10 feet per
day for 18,000 years, until the sky was 30,000 miles high. His
work completed, he died. His parts transformed into elements
of the universe, whether animals, weather phenomena, or
celestial bodies. Some say the fleas on him became humans,
but there is another explanation. The goddess Nuwa was
lonely, so she fashioned men out of mud from the Yellow
River. These first humans delighted her, but took long to
make, so she flung muddy droplets over the earth, each one
becoming a new person. These hastily-made people became
the commoners, with the earlier ones being the nobles the first
example of mass-production!
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Christian Traditions
Christian tradition is a collection of traditions consisting of
practices or beliefs associated with Christianity. These
ecclesiastical traditions have more or less authority based on the
nature of the practices or beliefs and on the group in question.
Many churches have traditional practices, such as particular
patterns of worship or rites, that developed over time. Deviations
from such patterns are sometimes considered unacceptable or
heretical. There are certain Christian traditions that are practiced
throughout the liturgical year, such as praying a daily devotional
during Advent, erecting a nativity scene during Christmastide,
chalking the door on Epiphany Day, fasting during Lent, waving
palms on Palm Sunday, eating easter eggs during Eastertide, and
decorating the church in red on Pentecost.
Rites of passage
The main function of a local church is as a place for Christians to
worship together. Most churches hold services every Sunday and
throughout the week, and also welcome visitors to engage in
private prayer. Rites of passage, such as baptisms, marriages and
funerals, are held in local churches. This important function of
churches enables whole communities to be involved in these
celebrations in the lives of Christians.
Marriage
Marriage is an important rite of passage that is seen by many
Christians as the foundation of family life.
Christian wedding ceremonies
Many Christians marry in church, surrounded by family and
friends. Christian wedding ceremonies reflect Christian ideas
about the purpose of marriage and have features that are of great
religious and spiritual importance, including:
The congregation sing hymns and
say prayers to thank and praise
God and ask for his blessing on
the couple.
The priest gives a sermon on the theme of love and self-sacrifice.
Rings are exchanged, symbolising eternal love and that marriage
is a lifelong commitment. The couple make important promises,
called vows, to stay committed to each other. The couple sign the
marriage register, which is required by law in the UK.
A couple may choose to change some elements of the marriage
ceremony. For example, some couples choose to omit the
traditional vow where a bride promises to ‘honour and obey’ her
husband. Instead, they might choose to use words that show a
more equal partnership.
Some churches perform same-sex marriages, while some
churches, such as the Roman Catholic Church, do not marry
couples of the same sex. The meaning and purpose of marriage In
these verses from the Bible, St Paul teaches that a married couple
become ‘one flesh’, meaning that the union is a lifelong
commitment, with the wife being obedient to her husband.
According to this teaching, the husband should care for the wife
just as God cares for the people of the Church. The idea of a
husband being in charge of his wife is viewed by many Christians
as contradictory to gender equality. They instead believe that both
partners in a marriage should love and respect each other equally,
with neither being in charge of the other.
Funerals
A very important function of a local church is as a place where
funerals are conducted. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says: I am the
resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live,
even though they die (John 11:25). For this reason, Christian
funerals, although sad for those who mourn the person who has
died, are often seen as ‘celebrations of life’ because this person’s
soul is believed to be joining God in Heaven. Christian funerals
differ according to denomination and specific beliefs about the
afterlife. Some Christians believe in the resurrection of the body,
so they prefer burial over cremation, which destroys the body.
This is because the Apostles’ Creed says: I believe in … the
resurrection of the body.
However, some Christians believe that resurrection will be
spiritual, as St Paul stated in a letter in the Bible (1 Corinthians
15:44). For these Christians, both cremation and burial are
acceptable.
Christian funerals bring comfort and hope of salvation to the
friends and family of the deceased person. Practices that help to
bring this comfort and hope include:
singing hymns and saying set prayers to thank and praise God
using flowers to decorate the church and the coffin
using candles to remind mourners that Jesus is the ‘light of the
world’
praying for the deceased person’s soul (Catholic Christians)
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Norse : belonging or relating to the people who lived in
Scandinavia in the past, especially the Vikings
Scandinavia, historically Scandia, part of northern Europe,
generally held to consist of the two countries of the Scandinavian
Peninsula, Norway and Sweden, with the addition of Denmark.
Some authorities argue for the inclusion of Finland on geologic
and economic grounds and of Iceland and the Faroe Islands on the
grounds that their inhabitants speak North Germanic (or
Scandinavian) languages related to those of Norway and Sweden.
Who were the Vikings? The Vikings were raiders, pirates, traders,
explorers, and colonizers during the 9th to 11th century. They
often traveled by sea from Scandinavia and took control of areas
of Europe and beyond.
THE CREATION OF THE COSMOS
The Norse creation myth or cosmogony (an account of the origins
of the cosmos) is perhaps one of the richest in all of world
literature. First, let’s look at this exceptionally colorful story itself,
then consider how the Vikings may have interpreted it and found
meaning in it.
The Origin of the Cosmos
Before there was soil, or sky, or any green thing, there was only
the gaping abyss of Ginnungagap. This chaos of perfect silence
and darkness lay between the homeland of elemental fire,
Muspelheim, and the homeland of elemental ice, Niflheim.
Frost from Niflheim and billowing flames from Muspelheim crept
toward each other until they met in Ginnungagap. Amid the
hissing and sputtering, the fire melted the ice, and the drops
formed themselves into Ymir (“Screamer”[1]), the first of the
godlike but destructive giants. Ymir was a hermaphrodite and
could reproduce asexually; when he slept, more giants leapt forth
from his legs and from the sweat of his armpits.
As the frost continued to melt, a cow, Laudanum (“Abundance of
Humming”[2]), emerged from it. She nourished Ymir with her
milk, and she, in turn, was nourished by salt-licks in the ice. Her
licks slowly uncovered Buri (“Progenitor”[3]), the first of the
Aesir tribe of gods. Buri had a son named Bor (“Son”[4]), who
married Bestla (perhaps “Wife”[5]), the daughter of the giant
Bolthorn (“Baleful Thorn”[6]). The half-god, half-giant children
of Bor and Bestla were Odin, who became the chief of the Aesir
gods, and his two brothers, Vili and Ve.
Odin and his brothers slew Ymir and set about constructing the
world from his corpse. They fashioned the oceans from his blood,
the soil from his skin and muscles, vegetation from his hair,
clouds from his brains, and the sky from his skull. Four dwarves,
corresponding to the four cardinal points, held Ymir’s skull aloft
above the earth.
The gods eventually formed the first man and woman, Ask and
Embla, from two tree trunks, and built a fence around their
dwelling-place, Midgard, to protect them from the giants.
ASK AND EMBLA
Ask and Embla are the first humans – male and female,
respectively – to be created in Norse mythology.
The story of how they were created, as it has come down to us in
Old Norse literature, goes like this:
Not too long after the world itself was created, Odin was walking
along the coast of one of the new land masses. With him were two
other gods: in one version, these were his brothers Vili and Ve,[1]
and in another version, they were the obscure figures Hoenir and
Lodurr.[2]
The three deities found two tree trunks, perhaps pieces of
driftwood, lying on the beach. They were shaped like a man and a
woman, but they were lifeless and powerless. So the three gods
decided to give them what they lacked and make them true
humans. Odin blew into them the breath of life, while his two
companions imparted inspired mental activity, a healthy
complexion, and the ability to speak, hear, and see.[3] They
dressed them in suitable clothes and named the man “Ask” and the
woman “Embla.” Ask and Embla were then given Midgard, the
world of human civilization, for their dwelling-place. They
became the father and mother of the entire human species.[4][5]
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Babylonia was a state in ancient Mesopotamia. The city of
Babylon, whose ruins are located in present-day Iraq, was founded
more than 4,000 years ago as a small port town on the Euphrates
River. It grew into one of the largest cities of the ancient world
under the rule of Hammurabi. Several centuries later, a new line
of kings established a Neo-Babylonian Empire that spanned from
the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea. During this period,
Babylon became a city of beautiful and lavish buildings. Biblical
and archaeological evidence point toward the forced exile of
thousands of Jews to Babylon around this time.
Where Is Babylon?
The town of Babylon was located along the Euphrates River in
present-day Iraq, about 50 miles south of Baghdad. It was founded
around 2300 B.C. by the ancient Akkadian-speaking people of
southern Mesopotamia.
Babylon became a major military power under Amorite
king Hammurabi, who ruled from 1792 to 1750 B.C. After
Hammurabi conquered neighboring city-states, he brought much
of southern and central Mesopotamia under unified Babylonian
rule, creating an empire called Babylonia.
Hammurabi turned Babylon into a rich, powerful and influential
city. He created one of the world’s earliest and most complete
written legal codes. Known as the Code of Hammurabi, it helped
Babylon surpass other cities in the region.
Babylonia, however, was short-lived. The empire fell apart after
Hammurabi’s death and reverted back to a small kingdom for
several centuries.
Neo-Babylonian Empire
A new line of kings established the Neo-Babylonian Empire,
which lasted from 626 B.C. to 539 B.C. The NeoBabylonian
Empire became the most powerful state in the world after
defeating the Assyrians at Nineveh in 612 B.C.
The Neo-Babylonian Empire was a period of cultural renaissance
in the Near East. The Babylonians built many beautiful and lavish
buildings and preserved statues and artworks from the earlier
Babylonian Empire during the reign of king Nebuchadnezzar II.
Fall of Babylon
The Neo-Babylonian Empire, like the earlier Babylonia, was
short-lived. In 539 B.C., less than a century after its founding, the
legendary Persian king Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon. The
fall of Babylon was complete when the empire came under
Persian control.
Babylon In Jewish History
After the Babylonian conquest of the Kingdom of Judah in the
sixth century B.C., Nebuchadnezzar II took thousands of Jews
from the city of Jerusalem and held them captive in Babylon for
more than half a century.
Many Judeans returned to Jerusalem after the Neo-Babylonian
Empire fell to Cyrus the Great’s Persian forces. Some stayed, and
a Jewish community flourished there for more than 2,000 years.
Many relocated to the newly created Jewish state of Israel in the
1950s.
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What Was the Tower of Babel?
Situated in Genesis 11:1-9, we encounter an odd story that seems to explain why so
many languages have formed on earth.
In essence, a group of people gathered together (in a disputed location, some say
Babylon, others have other conjectures), to create a tower that would reach the
heavens. Essentially, they wanted to become like God. God, seeing this, confuses their
language so they can’t communicate with one another and finish the tower. By
“confuses their language” we mean, creates multiple languages. Therefore, the people
of earth disperse, based on common language, and continue to fill the earth, just as the
Lord commanded (Genesis 1:28). In this article, we’ll endeavor to discuss what was
the Tower of Babel physically, spiritually, and why it matters to us today.
What Did the Tower of Babel Look Like?
Most likely, the Tower of Babel was something known as a ziggurat structure built by
the people of Shinar (historians have not come to a conclusion as to the exact location
of Shinar).
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A ziggurat, a pyramid-like structure made of mudbrick (Genesis 11:3), often had ties
with pagan religions such as those of the Babylonians and Marduk. Although Marduk
didn’t really get his claim to fame until the 1800s BC (and Answers In Genesis places
the construction of the Tower of Babel in 2200s BC), ziggurat structures started
around 3,000 BC, well before the Tower of Babel construction. Ziggurat structures
undoubtedly had pagan roots, as they were built for the patron deity of that land.
Nimrod (Genesis 10:8), Noah’s great-grandson and a mighty-man or giant, who
ordered the construction of the tower, likely didn’t have the best of intents.
Because the people of Shinar wanted to reach the heavens, we can imagine this was a
very tall ziggurat structure. Scripture doesn’t tell us how far along God let them build
the tower before he disrupted their progress.
Where Was the Tower of Babel Located?
Although we likely don't have the exact coordinates, we can hazard a guess that the
Tower of Babel was located in what would later be the Babylon we come to know in
586 BC. Most likely, in modern terms, Iraq. This makes sense given the Ziggurat
shaped building, in lieu of other similar projects being built in that area at the time.
Babylon was slightly different during the time of this construction as opposed to the
Babylon we'll get to know centuries later. But even then, it
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was a city of depravity and ruin. No
wonder the Bible talks so badly about Babylon when we get to Revelation. Babylon
consistently appears in the Bible narrative. First, when mankind rebels against God
right after the Flood. God told humanity to spread throughout the earth, but they stayed
put and in defiance, built a tower to reach the heavens . Furthermore, Babylon later
sacks Jerusalem in the 6th century BC and makes an appearance in Revelation as the
whore of Babylon.
What Does the Bible Say about the Tower of Babel?
Let's take a look at the verses found in Genesis 11:1-9 and we'll discuss: "Now the
whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they
found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, “Come, let’s make
bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar.
Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the
heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered
over the face of the whole earth.” But the Lord came down to see the city and the
tower the people were building. The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same
language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible
for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand
each other.” So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped
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building the city. That is why it was
called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From
there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth."
Notice how they acknowledge that God told them to scatter throughout the earth. He
didn't want them to stay in one spot. Nevertheless, they defied him. They built this
tower to shake a fist at the sky. In doing so, they wrote the demise of one language.
Hence the reasons why we have some many languages today. It all started with the
Tower of Babel. Even when they attempted to defy God, they didn't stand a chance to
go against his will.
What Did the Tower of Babel Mean Spiritually?
The Tower of Babel, plain and simple, was an act of rebellion against God. Josephus, a
historian, points to one of the main reasons that Nimrod ordered the construction of the
Tower of Babel was to create a structure tall enough to withstand another worldwide
flood, like the one seen in Genesis 6. Nimrod appeared to have forgotten the purpose
of the flood in the first place. God sent a worldwide flood because of the earth’s vast
wickedness and depravity.
In a way, Nimrod shakes his fist at God saying, “I’ll create a structure so high that
even you can’t destroy me.” He tries to equate himself with God. Not to mention, the
ziggurat structure had deep pagan roots before Nimrod ordered its construction.
Therefore, like the people pre-Flood, the people
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of Shinar engage in the things of this world rather than the things of God. Furthermore,
the people of Babel didn’t follow God’s command to spread throughout the whole
earth. They settled in Shinar, in direct disobedience, and began to build this structure
they hoped would last.
What Is the Significance of the Tower of Babel?
This story matters because we see what happens when mankind tries to prevent the
acts of God. They tried, by their own hands, to create their own ark of salvation, their
own fortress. But salvation only comes through God. We can’t continue to live in sin
and create a “Tower of Babel” for ourselves, hoping we’ll craft a structure high
enough to avoid the wrath of God.
Maybe we don’t build physical mudbrick ziggurat structures today, but we do often try
to create our own versions of the Tower of Babel. We think, maybe through our good
works, maybe through our attending church weekly, maybe through our community
services can we build a structure high enough to avoid God’s judgment. Yet we learn
that God doesn’t work that way. A tower can’t save us. We need to find salvation
through him. We also learn that if we try to directly disobey a command from God,
that he will intervene. Just like Jonah tried to sail the opposite way from where God
called him, God sent a huge fish to swallow him and transport him back to Nineveh
(Jonah 1:17).
And just like the people of Shinar refused to populate the whole earth
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refused to populate the whole earth and settle, God confused their
languages, forcing them to move and fill the earth.
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African Folklore and Legends

Passed down from generation to generation...
African folklore is passed down from generation to generation and the
stories are very important to the traditions and customs of all African
people.
Tricksters and animals play a common role in their folklore. The
stories are not only entertaining but serve to teach a lesson as well,
sometimes of a moral value and other times of survival.
West Africans have many tales about a wandering trickster spirit who
is associated with change and quarrels. In some stories, he is the
messenger between the world and the supreme god.
Among the Fon people of Dahomey (Benin), Legba is the guardian
and trickster of crossroads and entrances. He speaks all languages and
has the power to remove obstacles and provide opportunities. All
ceremonies begin and end with Legba because no communication with
the gods can exist without first consulting him.
African folklore tales about animal tricksters often describe how
helpless creatures manage to outwit fierce animals. One of the most
important animal tricksters of West African legends is Anansi, who
acts on behalf of the sky god, Nyame. Anansi became the King of All
Stories after proving to Nyame that he could trick a jaguar, hornets
and a fairy. Anansi is often depicted as a spider, a human or a
combination of both. The name translates literally to "spider".
Other animal tricksters common in African legends include the
tortoise and the hare. There are even stories of animals who help
humans. According to the San Bushmen, the praying mantis gave
them words and fire. The Bambara people of Mali claim that an
antelope taught them agriculture.
The Kikuyu People believe that in the days of long, long ago, when
the Good Lord N'gai made his plans for all the creatures upon his
earth, he made the hippopotamus as an animal of the forests and
plains. But the hippopotamus was greedy and, finding plenty of food
all round him and no enemies to worry about, he grew fatter, and fatter
and fatter. And the fatter he grew, the more he suffered from the heat
of the Equatorial midday sun.
Day after day, when he waddled down to the river for his drink, he
gazed with envy at the little fishes that swam in the pool which was
cooled by the melted snows from far-away Mount Kenya. "Oh" he
would sigh, " how wonderful it would be if I could live, like N'gai's
little fishes, in the clear, cool, refreshing water!"
The hippopotamus pondered over his trouble for many days, and
eventually decided to approach The Lord of All Creation. "Please,
Good Lord N'gai" he cried loudly to the heavens upon one particularly
hot day, "allow me to leave the forests and the plains. Let me live
instead in the clear, cool waters of your rivers and lakes, for the heat
of the fiery sun is killing me!"
"No", replied Lord N'gai, "for my little fishes are very dear to me, and
if you were to live in the rivers and lakes, you might try a change of
your eating habits, and begin to eat those little fishes. That would
never do. No, you must continue to live upon the dry land."
So the hippopotamus stayed sadly in his home in the forests and
plains, where the sun continued to beat down mercilessly on his
unprotected hide. "This is more that I can bear!", moaned the poor
creature. "Please, please, Good Lord N'gai, let me leave the forests
and plains, and become a creature of the rivers and lakes, I promise
most faithfully that I will not eat your little fishes."
The Great Lord N'gai thought the matter over, while he looked down
upon the plains baking in the heat of the tropical sun, and eventually
his heart softened. "Very well," he agreed, " I will allow you to live in
my rivers and lakes, but how will you prove to me that you are not
eating my little fishes?"
"I will lie in the cool of the water by day, and at night time I will
browse along the banks of the rivers, and in the vleis," replied the
hippopotamus. "I promise that I will not eat your little fishes."
"But that will not be proof to me that you are keeping your promise!",
pointed out The Great Lord N'gai. "Well then," answered the
hippopotamus, "I will come out of the water every time that food
passes through my body, and I will scatter my dung on the earth with
my tail. All that I have eaten will be spread out in your sight, and you
will see for yourself that there are no fish bones. Surely this will be
proof enough!"
So this is way, to this very day, the hippopotamus comes out of the
water to scatter its dung as it looks up to heaven and says, "Look
N'gai, no fishes!" - and that is why hippos don't eat fish!
African King This Is Good!!!
The story is told of a African King who had a close friend with whom
he grew up.
The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred
in his life (positive or negative) and remarking, "This is good!"
One day the king and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The
friend would load and prepare the guns for the king. The friend had
apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for
after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and his thumb
was blown off.
Examining the situation, the friend remarked as usual, "This is good!"
To which the king replied - "No, this is not good!" and proceeded to
send his friend to jail.
About a year later, the king was hunting in an area that he should have
known to stay clear of. Cannibals captured him and took him to their
village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and
bound him to the stake. As they came near to set fire to the wood, they
noticed that the king was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they
never ate anyone who was less than whole. So untying the king, they
sent him on his way.
As he returned home, he was
reminded of the event that had
taken his thumb and felt remorse
for his treatment of his friend. He
went immediately to the jail to
speak with his friend. "You were
right," he said, "it was good that
my thumb was blown off." And he
proceeded to tell the friend all
that had just happened.
" And so, I am very sorry for
sending you to jail for so long. It
was bad for me to do this." "No,"
his friend replied, "This is good!"
"What do you mean, 'This is good'?
How could it be good that I sent
my friend to jail for a year?" "If I
had not been in jail, I would have
been with you, and not here with
you right now."
In a very unusual way, the
message here unfolds into
exposing the following principle
about life. "Absolutely everything
happens for a purpose; and out of
what seems like adversity at the
time; always comes good".
I'm sure that if any of us care to
reflect back on the tragedy's, the
heartaches, the 'bad times' in our
lives, that we discover that we
have really grown or developed
during that period of time: even
though the reflection may still
cause us discomfort in some way. It is in this way that we slowly
gather experience and wisdom,
and even though we may think or
feel that it is unfair, that's the way
it is. "This is good".