Myth is not a collection of invented events, but carries within it a certain idea related to humans and nature. In order to understand it, it is necessary to penetrate its complex symbolic language which contains multiple meanings.
The myth of the Great Flood is present in various forms in almost all religious systems. In its basic symbolic key, it tells us about the end of one time cycle and the beginning of a new one.
An ancient Egyptian priest from Sais, a great city in the Nile Delta, conveyed an unusual story to the Athenian statesman Solon:
“Oh Solon, Solon,” said an extremely old priest to him, “you Greeks are always children, there are no old Greeks… What do you mean?” the priest replied, “You are all young, your souls are young, because you do not carry any ancient belief, created on the basis of old traditions… And here is the cause of it: numerous destructions have befallen the human race in various ways, and more will come… by fire and water, the greatest ones, and the smaller ones by countless other means… By celestial bodies which are in constant motion.” The movement around the Earth involves a deviation from established paths, so on Earth, due to many fires, there are occasional devastations… You primarily remember only one flood on Earth, although there were many before… Once upon a time, there was Solon, before that destruction by flood, the greatest of all, a city where the Athenians now live, the best in war and in every way, and especially distinguished by good laws.
In front of the strait that you call the Pillars of Hercules (Gibraltar), there was an island larger than Libya and Asia combined; from there, those who traveled at that time could cross to other islands, and from them to the entire continent that surrounded this sea… On that island, Atlantis, a great kingdom was founded that ruled the entire island, many other islands, and part of the continent… Later, due to tremendous earthquakes and floods, during one single day and the following night of destruction, all of your military force sank into the ground, and similarly, the island of Atlantis sank into the sea and disappeared. tade.1
Among the ancient Egyptians, there is a legend about a universal flood. The god Tum, also known as Temu, Atem, Atmu, drew water from the deepest abyss and directed it towards the Earth to flood and destroy the human race. All humans perished, except for those who were on the boat of the god Tum.
Persian myths tell us about the hero Yimi, about how Ormuzd commanded him to teach humanity divine laws, which Yima refused. When he learned that a terrible winter had taken hold of the land and that a great flood followed, he built a huge structure in which he enclosed the best animal and plant species he could find. He lived happily for a thousand years with the people he had placed in the shelter.
Scandinavians tell the story of a giant named Imir, whom the children of the god Bora, Odin, Vil, and Ve, executed. Imir’s blood flooded the Earth so much that almost all the giants, the mysterious race that according to Scandinavian mythology inhabited our planet, perished in the great flood, except for the giant Belgelmir. that he would be saved from the impending flood. Vaivasvata agreed and the fish revealed its true form, the avatar of Lord Vishnu. The fish instructed Vaivasvata to build a massive boat and gather all the seeds and living beings to save them from the flood. When the flood came, the fish guided the boat to safety and ensured the survival of life on Earth. and protect himself. Vaivasvata saves the god who reveals to him that a flood is coming. Following Vishnu’s advice, Vaivasvata builds an ark. But a small fish quickly grows to the size of the entire ocean. When the flood begins, Vaivasvata and his companion are the only ones who survive.
The ancient Sumerian people, who lived in the Mesopotamian region, left us a tale of a legendary flood. King Gilgamesh of the Sumerian city of Uruk (early 3rd millennium BC) encounters Utnapishtim in his search for immortality:
Utnapishtim said to him:
I want, Gilgamesh, to confide in you an unknown event
and reveal to you a secret of the gods.
Surippak is a city located on the Euphrates, you know it well.
It is an ancient city.
For a long time, the gods favored it.
Then they decided to send a flood.
During the divine council,
Ea, the god of the depths, sat
and told me in my reed house about the gods’ decision…
Utnapishtim, son of Ubaratutu,
build a wooden house,
raise it into a ship!
Leave your wealth, seek life.
Bring life into the ship. no seed
of any kind!…
I loaded my entire family and
closest relatives onto the boat.
I herded large livestock and small animals
into it.
I let craftsmen of all skills
enter…
When the time came,
the rulers of darkness unleashed a terrible rain…
For six days and six nights,
the rain fell in torrents.
On the seventh day, the flood subsided,
and there was silence like after a battle…
The boat sailed towards Mount Nisir.
It docked and remained firmly on it.
When the seventh day came,
I took a dove and released it.
The dove flew away and returned.
It didn’t find a place to rest
and therefore came back.
I took a swallow and released it.
The swallow flew off and returned.
It didn’t find a place to rest
and therefore came back.
I took a raven and released it.
The raven flew away,
saw the water receding,
and never returned.
Then I let them all out,
in all four directions…
When they exited the boat, the god Ea granted Utnapishtim and his wife eternal life on the condition that they live “far at the mouth of the rivers,” in undisturbed peace.
This is what the Bible tells us about the flood. ija:
In the eyes of God, the earth had become corrupt… God said to Noah: “I have decided to put an end to all beings because the earth is filled with wickedness; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Build for yourself an ark of resinous wood…”
Then the Lord commanded Noah to enter the ark and take with him his family and all living things, two of each. The flood lasted 40 days and 40 nights, after which the waters receded and the ark came to rest on Mount Ararat. Noah then released a raven and a dove, which returned because the water still covered the surface. After seven days, he released the dove again, and it returned with an olive branch, a sign that the waters had subsided. From Noah’s three sons, a new world branched out.
The ancient Aztec annals and chronicles preserve a myth about five suns or eras of the world’s existence, during which the evolution of humans and other beings takes place. According to one of the most complete versions of this myth, the flood marks the end of the fourth period or the Water Sun, when humans were transformed into fish.
And so they disappeared… : They were pressed by water and turned into fish. In just one day, the sky fell and they disappeared… The whole mountain disappeared, water covered everything for 52 years, and their years came to an end.
The writings of Bernardino de Sahagun, a Spanish historian from the 16th century, also include a description of this myth: It rained so much and abundantly that the heavens fell and the waters swept away all the people…
In the area of Ancasmarca, near Cuzco in South America, there is this myth:
One month before the flood, their llamas were very dejected. They didn’t eat anything during the day, and they stared at the stars all night, until finally the shepherd who was taking care of them asked what they were looking at. They replied that they were watching the stars that were saying the world would be destroyed by water. When the shepherd heard this, he consulted with his six sons and daughters and agreed with them to gather all the food and livestock they had and go to the top of Mount Ancasmarca. It is said that as the water rose and flooded the land, the mountain rose higher and higher, so that the water did not cover it. When the water finally receded, they returned to their homeland and were surprised to find their llamas waiting for them.