The Winds of Creation Trivia Quiz

Answer: Australian Aboriginal

The Aboriginal people of Australia have their own distinct belief systems. While different groups have their own individual myths, there are many common features across the groups. The myths are collectively known as "Dreamtime". According to these beliefs, the Rainbow Serpent is regarded as the Creator Being. This could be due to its association with water, which sustains all life.

Answer: Philippines

This creation myth is part of the Indigenous culture of Philippines before it was colonized by the Europeans. In this belief system, called bontoc, the supreme deity was Lumawig, the personification of nature, who was also cast into the role of teacher and friend. Lumawig placed pairs of reeds around the world and made them humans. Each pair had one man and one woman but they all spoke different languages. Lumawig continued to help and guide them live their lives.

Answer: Hindu

Hinduism has various creation myths described in different texts. The Atman as creator is found in the Upanishads, ancient texts in Sanskrit that form the core philosophy of Hinduism. According to this myth, the Atman existed first and then created the heavens and the earth. It then also formed man. When man felt lonely, he divided himself into two parts - the husband and wife.

Answer: Chinese

Pangu is a creation myth of the Chinese. The first written record dates back to the 3rd century AD, during the Three Kingdoms period. According to this myth, before the world came into existence there was chaos. From this chaos, a cosmic egg was formed. Both Yin and Yang were found within the egg. Pangu, a hairy giant, emerged from within this egg and separate it into two distinct parts of heaven and earth.

Answer: Zoroastrians

This myth originated in Persia, the home of the Zoroastrian faith. Ahura Mazda, the supreme deity of the Zoroastrians, created a beast called Gayomart. Gayomart was neither male nor female. This beast was killed by a demoness sent by the Spirit of Darkness to destroy all of Ahura Mazda's creations. Just before Gayomart died, the moon managed to save his seed. From the beast's corpse, a tree grew and its branches gave the first man and woman.

Answer: Choctaw

The Choctaw are a tribe of Native American people from the southeastern part of the United States of America. The ancient mound called Nanih Waiya can be found in the state of Mississippi and is believed to have been constructed around 300 BC. It is worshiped by the Choctaw as the source of their origin.

Answer: Inca

Viracocha is regarded as the chief deity in the Inca pantheon. According to myth, Viracocha rose from Lake Titicaca and was the one who created light, then going on to create the sun, moon and stars. His first attempt at creating humans displeased him as the big stones he brought to life did not have the ability to think. So he brought forth a flood and destroyed them. For his second attempt, he used smaller stones and thus created the human race.

Answer: Māori

The Māori are indigenous to New Zealand. According to Māori myth, Rangi and Papa were the first couple who were locked in a tight embrace forever till their children tried to separate them. As the children grew tired of living in the darkness of their embrace, they thought of ways to get into the light.

While they first discussed killing their parents, they later settled for separating them. This resulted in Rangi, their father, becoming the sky and Papa, their mother, becoming the earth.

Answer: Mongolian

Mongolians, like some of the other cultures, have multiple creation myths. One of these is described in the question. In yet another myth, the earth and heavens are held up by ninety-nine gold columns. This world thus has three stories - the upper most is heaven and is for the gods, the middle one is earth and is for humans and the lowest is reserved for man after death.

Answer: Kuba

The Kuba are native to Central Africa. The Kuba Kingdom was well established between the 17-19th centuries, till the colonization by Europeans. According to Kuba myth, Mbombo is the supreme creator deity. Kuba had a sharp stomach pain which made him vomit out the sun and moon and stars.

The heat and light emitted by these objects dried up the waters covering the earth. Mbombo vomited again to create nine distinct species of animals which then went on to create more different types. He also vomited out the first men.