Which Myth Will Be Ours?
The drama that is currentlyunfolding is being played upon a planet-wide stage that reaches far into the atmosphere and into the depths of the seas. It engages the mighty forces of raging winds and torrential rains, shattering earthquakes and collapsing towers of ice, flushes of invasive populations and witherings of beloved species. Consensus holds that the future will not resemble the past. But it is not known if we are heading toward a worldwide ecosystem adjustment or an epic terminous!
The works of art being created by contemporary eco artists present compelling samplings of material conditions and options. This is an emotional narrative, as fraught with dread and uncertainty as it is invested with optimism and humor. However diverse the outcomes they are imagining, none anticipate a return of the Medieval belief that Paradise on Earth that they envisioned as a congenial climate, abundant vegetation, and perpetual daylight seven times brighter than a sunny day.
At the same time, eco artists hope to avoid updating the mythic tales that describe disasters wrought by angered deities to punish humans for their wanton ways. The international precedents for this tragic scenario include:
Greek: Zeus sent a flood to destroy humans.
Lithuania: the supreme god Pramzimas saw nothing but war and injustice among mankind so he sent the giants of water and wind to destroy earth.
Egypt: people had become rebellious so Atum destroyed all he made and returned the earth to the Primordial Water.
Babylonia: three times the gods rose up because of the disturbance from humans by sending a plague, then a famine, then a flood.
Hebrew: God, upset at mankind’s wickedness, resolved to destroy it by making it rain for 40 days and nights. Yoruba: without the aid of the god, Ifa, mankind couldn’t interpret the desires of the gods who, in a fit of rage, destroyed nearly everybody in a great flood.
Hindu: the demon Hayagriva stole the sacred books from Brahma, and the whole human race became corrupt so the god Vishnu announced that all the corrupt creatures would be destroyed by a deluge.
China: the Supreme Sovereign ordered the water god Gong Gong to create a flood as punishment and warning for human misbehavior.
Skokomish: The Great Spirit, angry with the wickedness of people and animals, decided to rid the earth of all wicked animals and people.