World on the Turtle’s Back

“World on the Turtle’s Back”an Iroquois Creation Myth

DO NOW: Read pg. 32 and 33. What did you learn about the Iroquois? In your own

words, what is a creation myth?

Creation Myth: story of origin, explains how the natural world works, reflects social customs and traditions, serves as a guide/teaches lessons, involves supernatural beings or events

Why are people so eager to understand the origin of their world?

Cause and Effect RelationshipsCause• Pregnant woman wants

forbidden roots• Falling, she clutches at roots• Muskrat gets dirt from the

ocean bottom• Woman walked as the sun

moves• Arrows – one sharp, one

blunt• Unnatural birth• Animals molded out of clay

• Duels• Grandma is killed

Effect• Husband makes a hole, she

falls• Seeds in her fingernails• Woman plants seeds and

grows plants• Earth grew (origin of ritual

dances)• Birth of twins – truth and lies• Mother dead• Competition – prey and

predators• Ruler of the Sky (victor) and

Ruler of Night and Shadows• Her head becomes the moon

Balance• Meat eaters and

vegetarians• Medicine and disease• Population control• World needs “good” and

“evil” to function properly

Why did the “evil” twin create medicine? Why did the “good” twin kill his brother and grandmother?Nothing is ALL “good” or ALL “evil”; people are a mix of good and bad.

Re-read the first three paragraphs. How is this myth similar to and different from other myths you’ve heard.? Details.

Lines 46-62. Consider the role that “all creatures” play in this myth.

What does this suggest about the Iroquois’ attitude toward nature?

• Nature helps and supports the woman•Animals are wise and resourceful•Nature is revered and respected•Woman takes care of nature and ensures that plants grow

Symbolism

• The Great Tree – tree of life/growth and knowledge, roots/ancestry, they reach in the earth and toward the sky (links all life), bridge between heaven and earth, wisdom

• Twins – balance; NOT good and evil, but right and left

• Woman – Mother Earth

Do you know of any important mythological trees or twins from other cultures?

What did you learn about Iroquois beliefs and culture?

• World needs balance• Respect for nature• See themselves as part of

nature, not superior to it (circle of life)

• Nature is sacred• The ocean – always

existed; eternal and godlike; unknown

Why do you think the grandmother preferred the left handed twin?

Is this an effective creation myth? Does it explain everything? Which parts were interesting? Why?