Why origin myths are less about the beginning and more about the present

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: We often mistake origin myths for ancient science or history, but they are rarely concerned with first causes. Instead, these narratives function as powerful, living tools that justify current social orders, land rights, and political loyalties. They are not inquiries into the past; they are blueprints for the present.

Origin myths, or cosmogonies, are frequently misunderstood as attempts to explain the literal birth of the universe. In reality, these narratives are less interested in the 'first cause' of existence than in establishing the validity of the world as it currently stands. Many traditions do not describe creation as an act of making something from nothing, but rather as the fashioning of the earth from pre-existing raw materials. In various African cosmogonies, for instance, the earth is considered pre-existent, while in other regions, creators rely on helpers like the 'earth-diver' to retrieve land from a primordial ocean.

The primary function of these stories is to provide a framework for human behavior and social organization. By attributing the current state of the cosmos to sacred forces, myths imbue existing institutions and social hierarchies with an aura of legitimacy. This is not merely a historical exercise; it is a practical one. Among the Iatmul of Papua New Guinea, for example, clans engage in intense oral contests, reciting mythological details to settle modern disputes over land ownership. In such cases, the accepted version of the myth directly dictates who possesses property in the present day.

Even in modern, literate societies, mythlike traditions continue to shape reality. Polarized communities often rely on irreconcilable narratives to justify current enmities, as seen in 20th-century Greece or Northern Ireland. These narratives are held with a quasi-religious faith that resists objective historical testing. Whether through the image of the cosmogonic egg found in Hinduism or the dualistic struggles influenced by Zoroastrianism, these stories define what is constitutive of the cosmos. By setting the pattern for everything that follows, cosmogony remains the clearest expression of humanity’s basic propensity to organize its world through narrative rather than inquiry.

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