Social Orders and Creation Stories: Crash Course World Mythology #5

Summary

This Crash Course Mythology episode delves into myths that explain the origins of men and women, often portraying women as subordinate. It examines the Biblical story of Adam and Eve, Greek mythology's Pandora, and a Japanese creation myth, highlighting how these narratives have historically justified male dominance and the social order. The episode critiques these ancient stories for their implications on gender relations and their enduring impact on societal perceptions.

Takeaways

• 🌏 The video discusses how myths from various cultures explain the origins of people and the relationships between men and women.
• 👥 Myths often focus on dualities, particularly the distinction between men and women, and frequently portray women as subordinate to men on earth.
• 📜 The second creation story from the Book of Genesis is highlighted, where man is created first, suggesting his importance and later woman is created from his rib.
• 🔄 The script points out the use of wordplay in Genesis to justify male superiority, with the Hebrew words for 'man' and 'woman' being closely related.
• 💔 The Bible's narrative includes punishments for disobedience, affecting women more directly with pain in childbirth and subordination to their husbands, establishing a patriarchal order.
• 🌍 Greek mythology's story of Pandora is presented as another example of a myth that rationalizes misogyny, with her being created as a punishment and bearer of evils to men.
• 🎁 In Japanese mythology, the creation of the earth and the primal couple Izanagi and Izanami's story is used to establish male precedence and female subservience.
• 🤝 The Japanese creation myth involves a marriage ritual and procreation, where the order of speaking during the ritual affects the outcome of the children born.
• 👶 The birth of a deformed child in the Japanese myth is attributed to the woman speaking first, reinforcing the idea of male precedence in rituals and life.
• 🌳 The script suggests that myths may have been created to rationalize social orders and gender roles that already existed or were desired by the storytellers.
• 🔗 It is noted that myths and rituals are often closely connected, with myths providing a narrative to justify societal practices and structures.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the Crashcourse Mythology episode described in the transcript?

The main focus of the episode is to explore how myths explain the origins of people, specifically men and women, and their relationships with each other.

What is the significance of the story of the creation of man and woman from the Bible in the context of this episode?

The story from the Book of Genesis is significant as it provides an early justification for men being superior to women, based on the creation narrative and the subsequent 'punishments' after the eating of the fruit from the tree of knowledge.

How does the transcript suggest that the Bible's creation story may have influenced social structures?

The transcript suggests that the Bible's creation story might have either described an existing family structure or was written to encourage a specific family structure where men leave their parents' household upon marriage.

What is the term used in the transcript to describe the Greek god of laughter, and why is it mentioned?

The term used is 'Gelos'. It is mentioned in the context of the humor in the Bible's creation story, particularly the wordplay around the naming of woman as 'isha' derived from 'ish', meaning man.

What role does the character of Pandora play in Greek mythology in relation to the theme of the episode?

In Greek mythology, Pandora is a figure created by Zeus as a punishment for Prometheus and as a source of troubles for mankind, embodying the concept that women are the source of societal problems and reinforcing misogyny.

How does the Japanese creation myth mentioned in the transcript establish a rationale for male precedence and female subservience?

The Japanese creation myth establishes this rationale through the story of Izanagi and Izanami, where the order in which they speak during their marriage ritual determines the success of their offspring, with Izanagi speaking first leading to successful births.

What is the connection between myths and rituals as discussed in the episode?

The connection is that myths often provide explanations or justifications for rituals, such as the Japanese ritual of celebrating the birth of a first child by floating a clay figurine away, which may be related to the story of the deformed leech-child Hiruko.

What theme emerges from the creation stories discussed in the episode regarding the introduction of human toil, pain, and disease?

A recurring theme is that these negative aspects of human life are often blamed on women, serving as a justification for male dominance and a patriarchal social order.

How does the episode suggest that myths may have been used to support existing social systems?

The episode suggests that myths may have been created or interpreted to rationalize and reinforce social systems where men feel it is their right to rule over women.

What is the significance of the mention of Phaeton in the episode?

The mention of Phaeton, who almost burned down the Earth due to his mistake, serves to highlight the inconsistency in blaming women for human suffering, as men too can make grave errors.

What are the references provided in the transcript to support the discussion on myths and their implications?

The references include works by Thury and Devinny on mythology, Hesiod's writings, and adaptations from Littleton and Willis' 'World Mythology: The Illustrated Guide', which provide scholarly context and sources for the myths discussed.

Outlines

00:00

😇 Biblical Interpretation of Gender Roles

This paragraph delves into the Biblical account of the creation of man and woman as described in Genesis 2. It discusses the traditional interpretation that positions men as superior to women, based on the narrative where Eve is created from Adam's rib and the subsequent naming of her by Adam. The paragraph highlights the early justification for male dominance through wordplay in the original Hebrew language and the implications of this narrative on marriage and social order. It also touches on the punishments inflicted upon Adam and Eve after the 'Fall,' which are seen as reinforcing a patriarchal structure, with women bearing the brunt of the consequences, such as pain in childbirth and submission to their husbands.

05:01

😈 Mythological Justifications for Misogyny

The second paragraph explores the theme of misogyny in mythology, starting with the story of Pandora in Greek mythology. It discusses how Pandora was created by Zeus as a punishment for Prometheus and was endowed with negative qualities by Hermes, reflecting a male god's biased view of women. The paragraph also mentions the Japanese creation myth involving Izanagi and Izanami, where the order of speaking during their marriage ritual determined the precedence of male over female. It points out the commonality among different mythologies of blaming women for human suffering and the establishment of a social order where men dominate, suggesting these myths may serve to rationalize and perpetuate gender inequality.

10:03

📚 References and Credits

The final paragraph provides a list of references and credits for the video script. It cites the works of E.M. Thury and M.K. Devinny's 'Introduction to Mythology: Contemporary Approaches to Classical and World Myths,' as well as C. Scott Littleton's 'World Mythology: The Illustrated Guide,' edited by Roy Willis. This section acknowledges the sources that have contributed to the content and production of the Crash Course Mythology series, ensuring academic integrity and providing resources for further exploration of the topics discussed.

Keywords

💡Creation Myths

Creation myths are traditional stories that explain the origin of the world and how life came to be. In the context of this video, they specifically explore the origins of men and women and their relationships. The script discusses various myths from different cultures, such as the Biblical story of Adam and Eve and the Greek myth of Pandora, to illustrate how these narratives have historically shaped gender roles and societal structures.

💡Gender Fluidity

Gender fluidity refers to the idea that a person's gender identity can change over time or may not be fixed to a binary male or female. The script mentions that myths do not usually incorporate contemporary ideas of gender fluidity, but it does acknowledge the existence of some characters like Tireisias, who is an ancient seer known for changing gender in Greek mythology, as an exception to this general trend.

💡Dualities

Dualities in the context of this video refer to the binary oppositions often found in myths, such as the distinction between men and women. The script points out that myths frequently focus on these dualities, which can set women as subordinate to men, especially in earthly contexts, although the situation in the heavens can be more complex.

💡Patriarchy

Patriarchy is a social system in which men hold primary power and are dominant in roles of political leadership, moral authority, and social privilege. The script discusses how certain myths, such as the Biblical story of Adam and Eve, can be interpreted as providing justification for a patriarchal social order, where men are seen as superior or having dominion over women.

💡Izanagi and Izanami

Izanagi and Izanami are deities from Japanese mythology who are considered the primal couple responsible for the creation of Japan's islands and gods. The script uses their story to illustrate the establishment of male precedence and female subservience in Japanese creation myths, where Izanagi's speaking first in the procreation ritual is seen as the correct order, leading to successful offspring.

💡Pandora's Box

Pandora's Box is a story from Greek mythology where the first woman, Pandora, opens a box (or jar) releasing all the world's evils into humanity, with only hope remaining inside. The script uses this myth to highlight the theme of misogyny, where women are blamed for bringing sorrows and troubles to the world, thus justifying male dominance.

💡Immortality

Immortality in myths often refers to the state of being exempt from death or decay. The script mentions that in some creation stories, such as the Biblical account, humans were originally immortal until an act of disobedience (eating from the tree of knowledge) introduced mortality and suffering into the world.

💡Rationalization

Rationalization in this context means providing a logical explanation or justification for beliefs, customs, or actions. The script suggests that myths often serve to rationalize social structures and gender roles that people encounter in their daily lives, such as the patriarchal order.

💡Hiruko

Hiruko is a deformed leech-child born to Izanagi and Izanami in Japanese mythology. The script uses the story of Hiruko to illustrate the belief that the order of speaking during the procreation ritual was significant, with Izanami's speaking first leading to the birth of an imperfect child, reinforcing the idea of male precedence.

💡Social Order

Social order refers to the arrangement of a society's structure, including the roles and relationships between individuals. The script discusses how myths can describe or promote a certain social order, such as one where men are dominant and women are subordinate, and how these narratives can have lasting impacts on gender relations.

💡Rituals

Rituals are formalized practices or ceremonies with symbolic meanings, often connected to cultural beliefs. The script mentions an ancient Japanese ritual related to the birth of a first child, which may be linked to the creation myth involving Izanagi and Izanami, showing the connection between myths and the rituals that reflect or honor them.

Highlights

The episode focuses on myths explaining the origins of men and women, and their relationships.

Myths often incorporate dualities, with a key binary being the distinction between men and women.

In many myths, women are depicted as subordinate to men on earth, with more complex roles in the heavens.

The Bible's creation story from Genesis 2 is examined, where man is created first, suggesting his importance.

The story of Adam and Eve introduces an early justification for male superiority based on word play.

Men's dominion over other creatures is marked by the power to name them, as demonstrated in the Bible.

The concept of marriage and the social order where men leave their parents' household upon marrying is explained.

The Bible's narrative provides a rationale for patriarchal order as a punishment for Eve's disobedience.

Greek mythology's story of Pandora is used to rationalize misogyny as a punishment for Prometheus.

Pandora's creation by Zeus is described as 'an evil thing for their delight', according to Hesiod.

The Japanese creation myth involves Izanagi and Izanami, who solidify the drifting land and create children.

In Japanese mythology, the first child's deformity is attributed to Izanami speaking first, establishing male precedence.

The connection between myths and rituals is highlighted, such as the Japanese ritual of floating a clay figurine for the first child's birth.

Many creation stories suggest that humans were immortal until an error brought death and suffering.

The blame for human toil, pain, and disease is often placed on women in myths, influencing gender relations.

The episode suggests that myths may serve to justify male dominance and provide stories to support it.

The episode concludes by questioning the logic behind blaming women for human suffering, highlighting the need for critical analysis of myths.

Transcripts

Hi I’m Mike Rugnetta, this is Crashcourse Mythology and today, rather than focus on

how the earth and what’s around it was created, we’re going to look specifically at what’s

on it, more specifically people, and even more specifically, men and women.

People.

Also the occasional animal.

No, not you Thoth.

You’re a god with an animal head, it’s different.

Anyway, we’re going to see how myths explain our origins and our relationships with each

other, or at least how they try to explain them.

It’s couples therapy, myth style.

INTRO Myths don’t usually incorporate contemporary

ideas of gender fluidity, although sometimes they do--Tireisias, ancient seer, I’m looking

at you.

As we’ve seen from the Chinese and Zoroastrian creation stories, myths often tend to focus

on dualities, or binaries, and one of the key ones we find is a distinction between

men and women.

And this binary opposition frequently sets women as subordinate to men, at least on earth.

In the heavens, it’s a little bit more complicated, as it tends to be.

Let’s start with a story that is probably well known to many of our viewers: the creation

of man and woman from the Bible.

Close readers of the Book of Genesis will know that there are two or even three creation

stories in it, which, according to Biblical scholars reflects different writing traditions.

We’re going to focus on the second one, found in Genesis 2.

As we join our story, God has already created the the earth and the heavens and man to till

the earth, because as we established last time: Gods don’t like weeding.

Unlike the first version of creation in Genesis, man is created near the very beginning, which

suggests that he’s actually pretty important in the grand scheme of things.

But apparently one man wasn’t enough for all that Edenic gardening.

Genesis 2 verse 21 begins: So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall

upon the man, and while he slept took one his ribs and closed up its place with flesh:

and with the rib the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her

to the man.

Then the man said,

This is the bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh, she should be called Woman, because

she was taken out of Man.

Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife and they become

one flesh.

Here we see an early justification for men being superior to women and it’s kind of

based on bad word play.

In the rest of the Genesis story, one of the things that marks man’s dominion over other

creatures is that he is given the power to name them, just as he is permitted to name

woman here.

The word play here also works in the original Hebrew, where the word for man is “ish”

and the word for woman is “isha” Get it!

She was taken out of man and so even her name is taken out of man.

Yup.

It’s Hilarious.

Just ask Gelos, Greek god of laughter.

Yeah, tough crowd.

This passage also explains marriage -- although only between a man and a woman -- and describes

a social order in which men leave their parents’ household when they marry to have their own

homes.

Whether this describes a family structure that already existed or was written in order

to encourage such a family structure, we can’t say for certain, but it’s likely that this

was an after-the-fact description.

Providing a rationalization for what people encounter in their daily lives is an important

function of myths.

The Bible goes on to refine the “natural” relationship between men and women and not

in an especially fun or feminist way.

After they eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge, God is miffed and he punishes them.

To the woman he said, I will greatly multiply your pain in childbearing;

In pain you should bring forth children, Yet your desire shall be for your husband,

And he shall rule over you.

And to Adam he said, Because you have listened to the voice of

your wife, And you have eaten of the tree of which I

commanded you, “You shall not eat of it,”

cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of

your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth to

you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.

In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground,

For out of it you were taken; You are dust, and to dust you shall return.

There’s just a lot going on here.

One way to interpret this is that it provides justification for man’s dominance over women

as a punishment for what one woman did in disobeying god.

The first punishments directly affect the experiences of women, causing the pain of

childbirth and desire for a husband that shall “rule over” her, establishing a patriarchal

order that really caught on.

Men are punished too, by having to work hard in order to eat, toiling at bringing food

out of the ground.

More gardening.

And what is the reward for all this hard work?

Death.

And returning to the ground.

Not even dental benefits.

Worse yet, as far as solidifying male-dominance goes, all of this is because man listened

to the voice of his wife.

So that sets a pretty nasty precedent.

Greek mythology creates a similar rationale for misogyny with the story of Pandora.

Even before she opened the jar bringing sorrows to all the world, Zeus made her as a punishme

nt for Prometheus who stole fire and gave it to the humans.

This is in addition to having his liver eaten by an eagle for all of eternity.

According to Hesiod she would be, “Another gift to men, an evil thing for their delight.”[1]

Hermes endowed Pandora with “lies and persuasive words and cunning ways.”[2] And probably

also, like, the absolute perfect shade of lipstick, but before we agree to this image

of women as conniving and untrustworthy, let’s pause to remember that it’s Hermes, a male

god and one of the great misogynists of the ancient world, who bestows these qualities

on Pandora, so this is a dude’s hateful vision of women.

Anyway, Zeus gave Pandora as a gift to Prometheus’s brother Epimetheus, who accepted her, even

though Prometheus had told him to never accept a gift from Zeus.

Maybe Zeus gifted lots of socks.

According to Hesiod, here’s what happened: Before this time men lived upon the earth

Apart from sorrow and from painful work, Free from disease, which brings the Death-gods

in.

But now the woman opened up the cask, And scattered pains and evils among men.

Inside the cask’s hard walls remained one thing,

Hope, only, which did not fly through the door.

The lid stopped her, but all the others flew, Thousands of troubles wandering the earth.[3]

Unfortunately, this concept that a social order of male dominance and female subordination

resulting from women acting out of turn, is not unique to the Biblical or the Greek tradition.

We find a similar story in Japan, just without an evil serpent or an all powerful death chest.

Let’s go to the Thoughtbubble. 1.One Japanese creation myth starts with a

young, not fully formed earth that looks something like a jellyfish.

2.Three invisible gods came into existence in Takamagahara, the High Plains of Heaven.

These three gods, called kami, were led by the Lord of the Center of Heaven, Amanominakanushi-no-kami,

After them were seven more generations of “heavenly” gods, 3.followed finally by

the primal couple Izanagi and his wife Izanami, who was also his sister.

4.Izanagi and Izanami were commanded by the gods to solidify the drifting land, so they

went to the Floating Bridge of Heaven and stirred the soupy liquid below with a spear.

Drops congealed on the tip of the spear, and formed the island of Onogoro, the first dry

land.

5.The Primal Couple went down to Onogoro and built a heavenly pillar.

Then they decided to procreate Izanagi asked his sister how her body was

formed and she told him that there was an unfinished part between her legs.

He replied that between his legs was an excess and perhaps the two should join there.

They devised a marriage ritual whereby each would walk around the pillar, and when they

met they would exchange compliments and have intercourse.

6.A child was born, but it was a deformed leech-child called Hiruko.

Its parents put Hiruko in a boat and set it out to sea.

The gods determined that the reason that the first child was born deformed was that Izanami

had spoken first.

7.Izanami and Izanagi returned to the heavenly pillar in Onogoro and repeated the ritual,

only this time Izanagi spoke first.

In due time, Izanami gave birth to an abundant number of children, islands, gods and goddesses.[4]

Thank you, Thoughtbubble.

This rationale established male precedence and female subservience in Japan.

Not only does this myth explain Japanese gender inequality, it also may explain an ancient

Japanese ritual in which the birth of a first child was celebrated by putting a clay figurine

into a reed boat and floating it away.[5] There is often a strong connection between

myths and rituals.

Many creation stories begin with the idea that human beings are immortal until something

or someone intrudes.

Biblical humans were immortal until Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge, for example.

It was human error that brought death into the world.

Oops.

So we see another theme emerging here.

The Biblical, Japanese, and Greek explanations place the blame for human toil, pain, disease

on women.

It’s a pernicious idea, and it’s one that has had profound consequences for gender relations.

Perhaps what we are seeing is a justification for a system in which men feel it is their

right to rule over women, and find stories to tell to support it.

After all, there is no logical reason why women should be blamed.

Men make mistakes, too.

We’re gonna get to Phaeton, and that time he almost burned down the entire Earth, eventually.

Thanks for watching, see you next time.

Crash Course Mythology is filmed in the Chad and Stacy Emigholz Studio in Indianapolis,

Indiana, and was made with the help of all these nice people.

________________ [1] Quoted in Thury, E.M.

& Devinny, M.K.

Introduction to Mythology: Contemporary Approaches to Classical and World Myths.

4th ed.

Oxford U. Press.

2016.

P. 43.

[2] Ibid [3] Ibid p. 44

[4] This version of the myth is adapted from Littleton, C. Scott, World Mythology: The

Illustrated Guide.

Willis, Roy (General editor) Oxford U. Press.

2006 pp. 112-113 [5] ibid.