Mythologis
Creation Myths: How the World Was Made in the Mythologies of the World

Mythology Themes

Creation Myths: How the World Was Made in the Mythologies of the World

The Stories of the Beginning, from Chaos to Cosmos

The complete guide to the world's creation myths: how the Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Norse, Hindus and many more imagined the beginning of everything, from chaos and water to the first gods and the first people.

190 pagesPDFEnglishMythologis Library

$14.99

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Inside this book

What you will read

  • 11 chapters, primary sources
  • Instant PDF download
  • Original ink illustrations
  • Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, Norse and Hindu beginnings
  • Designed for print quality
See all chapters  +
  1. 01The Question of the Beginning
  2. 02Out of Chaos and Water
  3. 03The Enuma Elish: A World from a Dead Dragon
  4. 04Egypt: Creation from the Waters of Nun
  5. 05Hesiod and the Greek Beginning
  6. 06Ymir and the Norse Creation
  7. 07The Cosmic Egg and the Cycles of India
  8. 08Creation in China and East Asia
  9. 09The First People: Clay, Corn and Bone
  10. 10African and American Beginnings
  11. 11The Patterns That Repeat

About this book

About this Mythology Themes mythology guide

Every people has told a story of how the world began, and the stories rhyme. This is the complete guide to the creation myths of the world, from the Enuma Elish to the giant Ymir.

Before anything else, there is the question of the beginning. Every people has told a story of how the world was made, and the stories rhyme in haunting ways. Again and again the world starts in water or in darkness or in a shapeless chaos; a first being or a first act divides the sky from the earth; the gods are born, and then the human race, often from clay or from the body of a slain giant. To read the creation myths side by side is to watch humanity think about where everything came from.

This is the complete guide to the creation myths of the world. The Babylonian Enuma Elish, where the world is built from the body of a defeated dragon; the Egyptian creation from the waters of Nun; the Greek passage from Chaos to the gods in Hesiod; the Norse world made from the giant Ymir; the Hindu cosmic cycles and the cosmic egg; the creation stories of China, of Africa and of the Americas; and the strange family resemblances that run through them all.

The book sets the creation myths beside one another, drawing on the Enuma Elish, Hesiod, the Rig Veda, the Eddas and the sacred texts, and every chapter cites where it comes from.

Delivered as a print-quality PDF within 24 hours of purchase.

What you will discover inside

  • The Babylonian world built from the body of a slain dragon
  • The Egyptian creation from the dark waters of Nun
  • The Greek passage from Chaos to the gods in Hesiod
  • The Norse world made from the giant Ymir
  • The cosmic egg and the great cycles of Hindu creation
  • The strange patterns that repeat across unrelated cultures

Mythology Themes mythology book at a glance

TraditionMythology Themes mythology
Chapters11 chapters
Length190 pages
SourcesDrawn from the primary sources, cited inline
Reading levelBeginner-friendly. Every name and place is explained from scratch
FormatPrint-quality PDF
DeliveryPDF within 24 hours

Formats and editions

EditionWhat you getPrice
Instant PDFPrint-quality download, readable on any device. PDF within 24 hours.$7.99
PaperbackA paperback edition is on the way. Sign up on this page to hear when it lands on Amazon.Coming soon

About the author

Guillaume Henry, founder of Mythologis

Guillaume Henry

Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Mythologis

Guillaume Henry founded Mythologis to make the world's mythologies readable without losing what makes them strange. Every Mythologis book draws on the primary sources first, cross-references multiple translations, and avoids inventing details that aren't in the originals.

More about the author

Questions about the Mythology Themes mythology book

When will I receive my PDF?

Within 24 hours of purchase. Your download link arrives in your inbox automatically.

Does it compare the myths or just list them?

It compares them. The point of the book is to set the creation stories side by side so the shared patterns, the starting water, the dividing of sky and earth, the making of people from clay, become visible across cultures that never met.

Is this book based on primary sources?

Yes. It draws on the Babylonian Enuma Elish, the Egyptian creation texts, Hesiod's Theogony, the Rig Veda, the Eddas and other sacred sources, with references to the standard translations.

How long is the book?

Eleven chapters, around 190 pages depending on the final layout.

Will there be a paperback on Amazon?

The PDF is available immediately. A KDP paperback edition follows once the book has been validated by readers.

What formats is this book available in?

Every title is available as an instant PDF, downloaded the moment you buy it: the link appears on the confirmation page and lands in your inbox. Selected titles also have a paperback edition on Amazon. Where the paperback is not out yet, you can sign up to be notified the day it does.

What is the return policy?

The PDF is delivered instantly by Mythologis. If a download ever fails or a file looks wrong, get in touch and we will make it right. Paperbacks bought on Amazon are handled under Amazon's own returns and refund policy.

Can I order from outside the United States?

Yes. The PDF is a digital download, so it works instantly anywhere in the world, with nothing to ship. Where a paperback edition exists, it is sold across Amazon's international marketplaces, with shipping rates and delivery times depending on your country.

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