Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
question troubles the mind with doubts, whether there was ever a
birth-time of the world and whether likewise there is to be any end.'
Creation and the processes by which it happened were often
explained through the incarnation of deities. The Egyptians had a
whole pantheon, paralleled to some degree by the Greek and Roman
gods. Even the Celts had their own line-up of gods, many of whom
were related to the natural elements and astronomical bodies. Various
peoples used these ideas to rationalise their existence - to understand
their position within the environment, and the various elements (air,
land and water) that constituted that environment. They also used
beliefs to derive a cosmology or history of their planet that they
themselves could understand.
Creation and the early history of the Earth have been the subject
of mythological stories derived from many cultures. Certainly these
ideas would have developed independently of each other. Today when
we refer to 'myths' the general understanding is that these were ideas
that are now discredited or wholly incorrect. A search on the Internet
under 'creation myths' certainly leaves this impression. Here I prefer
to use the term 'beliefs' instead of 'myths', reflecting the older but now
largely superseded concept of the latter term. There is no doubt that
the beliefs outlined below were of huge significance to the various
civilisations in which they evolved. There is no evidence to suggest
that these peoples considered these ideas fallacies. While modern
scientists are confident that our understanding of the Earth's creation
and its progression are broadly understood and explained in a logical
manner, there is of course a possibility that we, like our predecessors,
are incorrect. I, for one, believe that the Earth has a very long history
and that geologists and astronomers have got the story correct. Others,
perhaps, do not feel as confident.
EGYPTIAN BELIEFS
The oldest documented creation beliefs are those of the Egyptians, and
can be traced back to around 2,700
BC
. There are several strands or
traditions and they have become somewhat interwoven, but all have a
