Flood Myths
| Sumerian
| Babylonian | Hebrew | Australian
| Chaldean | Zoroastrian | Hindu
| Greco-Roman |
| Jicarilla | Mayan | Aztec
| Squamish | Skagit | Mandingo
| "People of Mount Jefferson" |
| Yakima | Cado | Chippewa
| Navaho | Hopi | Pima
| Andaman | Huarochiri |
| Miao/Yao | Hawaiian | Batak
| Scandinavian | Celtic | Yoruba
|
| Kabadi | Gunwinggu | Wiranggu
| Palau Isles | Tahitian |
| Samoan | Quillayute | Nizqualli
| Kamu | Shasta |
| Cheyenne | Lakota | Tsetsaut
| Papago |
| Toltec | Huichol | Malorotare
|
| Yanomamo | Yamana |
| Yuma |
HOME
In the eleventh tablet of the Semitic
Babylonian epic of Gilagamesh is a flood story that is the source for the Noah
story. The Gods resolved to cleanse the earth of an overpopulated humanity, but
Utnapishtim was warned by the God Ea in a dream. He and some craftsmen built a
huge (seven decks encompassing one acre in area) ark. Utnapishtim then loaded it
with his family, the craftsmen, and "the seed of all living
creatures." The waters rose up, and a storm continued for six days and six
nights. The Gods repented and wept upon seeing the global destruction of living
beings and stilled the flood on the seventh day. The waters covered everything
but the top of the mountain Nisur, where the boat landed. A dove was loosed, but
it returned, having found no place to rest. A swallow was sent, but it too
returned. Seven days later, after having loosed a raven that did not return to
the ark, the people began to emerge. Utnapishtim made a sacrifice to the Gods.
He and his wife were given immortality and lived at the end of the earth.
Back to top
Three times (every 1200 years), the Gods
became distressed by the disturbance from human overpopulation. The Gods dealt
with the problem first by plague, then by famine. Both times, the God Enki
advised humans to bribe the God causing the problem. The third time, Enlil
advised the Gods to destroy all humans with a flood, but Enki had Atrahasis
build an ark and so escape. Also on the boat were cattle, wild animals and
birds, and the family of Atrahasis. After seeing the suffering caused by the
flood, the Gods regretted their action, and Enki established barren women and
stillbirth to avoid the problem in the future.
Back to top
Based on the Babylonian story with the
difference that the flood was a harsh punishment for humanity's sinfulness. Noah
was 600 years old when it began to rain for what ended up being 40 days and 40
nights. After the end of 150 days, the waters were abated. The ark rested in the
seventh month upon the mountains of Ararat. Waters decreased until the 10th
month, on the first day of the 10th month; tops of mountains were also seen. At
the end of 40 days, Noah opened the windows of the ark. First, he sent a raven,
which went to and fro. He then sent a dove, which returned and hadn't found
land. After seven more days, another dove was loosed; it returned that evening
with an olive leaf. The next week, the dove didn't return. After a year and 10
days from the start of the flood, every creature emerged from the ark. Noah
sacrificed some clean animals and birds to God, and God, pleased with this,
promised never again to destroy all living creatures.
Back to top
During the Dreamtime flood, woramba, the
Ark Gumana carrying Noah, Aborigines, and animals, drifted south and came to
rest in the flood plain of Djilinbadu (about 70 km south of Noonkanbah Station,
just south of the Barbwire Range and east of the Worral Range), where it can
still be seen today. The white man's claim that it landed in the Middle East was
a lie to keep Aborigines in subservience.
Back to top
Xisuthrus was warned of a coming flood by
the God Chronos, who ordered Xisuthrus to write a history and to build a vessel
(5 stadia by 2 stadia) for his relations, friends, and two of every type of
animal. After the flood began to subside, he sent out some birds, all of which
returned. Upon trying again, the birds returned, their feet covered in mud. On
the third trial, the birds didn't return. The people disembarked and offered
sacrifices to the Gods. Xisuthrus, his wife, daughter, and the pilot of the ark
were eventually transported to live with the Gods.
Back to top
Ahura Mazda warned Yima that destruction
in the form of floods, subsequent to the melting of the snow, was threatening
the sinful world and gave him instructions for building a vara in which
specimens of small and large cattle, humans, dogs, birds, fires, plants and
foods were to be deposited in pairs.
Back to top
Manu, the first human, saved a small fish
from the jaws of a larger fish. After hearing the smaller one beg for
protection, Manu kept the fish safe, transferring it to larger and larger
containers as it grew, finally returning it to the ocean.
Because of this kindness, the fish returned to
warn Manu about an imminent flood and told him to build a boat, stocking it with
samples of every species. After the flood waters rose, Manu tied a rope to the
fish's horn. The fish led him to a mountain and told Manu to fasten the ship's
rope to a tree so that it would not drift. He stayed on the mountain (known as
Manu's Descent) while the flood swept away all living creatures. Manu alone
survived.
Back to top
Zeus decided to punish humanity for its
evil ways. Other Gods grieved at the destruction because there would be no
beings to worship them. Zeus promised a new stock, a race of miraculous origin.
He was going to use thunderbolts when he remembered one of Fate's decrees: that
a time would come when sea and earth and dome of the sky would blaze up, and the
massive structure of the universe would collapse in ruins. With Poseidon's help,
he caused storm and earthquake to flood every part of the land except the summit
of Mount Parnassus. When Zeus crushed the hanging clouds in his hand, there was
a loud crash, and sheets of rain fell from heaven. The rivers began rushing to
the sea. When Neptune struck the earth with his trident, the rivers raced across
the plains. Sea and earth could no longer be distinguished; all was sea without
any shores, covering every living being except for one fortunate couple,
Deucalion and Pyrrha. Earlier, Deucalion and Pyrrha had consulted Themis at her
oracular shrine. She warned of a future flood, and they prepared by acquiring a
boat. In time, their boat ran aground on the summit of Mount Parnassus. (Note:
This is the mountain at Delphi, "navel of the earth" and home of the
great oracle.)
Recognizing their piety, Zeus allowed them to
live and withdrew the waters. It was then that Deucalion and Pyrrha remembered
the other oracle given by Themis: to repopulate the world by throwing
"behind you the bones of your great mother." Pyrrha didn't want to
injure her mother's ghost by disturbing her bones. Prometheus soothed her fears.
"Oracles are righteous and never advise guilty action..." They decided
that the "bones" were stones in the body of the earth ("Great
Mother"). They threw the stones, which became humans; men of the stones
thrown by Deucalion; women, of those cast by Pyrrha. Animals were produced by
earth of its own volition. According to Plato: "Many great deluges have
taken place during the nine thousand years."
Back to top
Before the Apaches emerged from the
underworld, there were other people on the earth. Dios told an old man and old
woman that it would rain forty days and nights. People were warned to go to the
tops of four mountains (Tsisnatcin, Tsabidzilhi, Becdilhgai, and another whose
identity isn't known) and not to look at the flood or sky. The people didn't
believe the old couple. When the rains came, only a few people made it to the
mountain tops and shut their eyes. Those who looked at the flood turned into
fish or frogs; if they looked at the sky, they turned into birds. After eighty
days, Dios told the 24 people remaining to open their eyes and come down. These
24 people went into mountains. Eight other people survived the flood who were
able to travel by looking where they wanted to go, and they were there. These
people told the Apaches about the flood before going into two mountains
themselves. Around the turn of the millennium, the surface of the earth will
again be destroyed, this time by fire.
Back to top
God sent the flood because the people made
from wood (an early version of humans) had no souls, minds or hearts and had
forgotten how they were made. They wanted to escape, but the animals that they
had starved and beaten, the pots they had burnt, and the trees they'd stripped
refused to help them. Only a few escaped the flood, and it is said that their
descendants are monkeys.
Back to top
In the Valley of Mexico there lived a
pious man named Tapi. Creator told him to build a boat to live in, to take his
wife and a pair of every animal that existed. Neighbors thought he was crazy. As
soon as he finished, it began to rain. The valley flooded; men and animals went
to mountains, but they were submerged. The rain ended, waters receded, etc. Tapi
realized that the flood waters had receded after having sent a dove that did not
return. Tapi rejoiced.
Back to top
When the Squamish saw the great flood
coming, they made a giant canoe and a long rope of cedar fibers with which they
fastened the canoe to a giant rock. Into the canoe, they put every baby, a young
man and woman to be their guardians, and food and water. The waters rose and
drowned everyone else. After several days, the man saw Mount Baker in the
distance. He cut the rope and paddled south to it, and made a new home there.
The outline of the canoe can still be seen halfway up the slope of Mount Baker.
Back to top
The Creator made the earth and gave four
names for it -- for the sun, waters, soil and forests. He said only a few
people, with special preparation for the knowledge, should know all four names,
or the world would change too suddenly. After a while, everyone learned the four
names. When people started talking to the trees the change came in the form of a
flood. When the people saw the flood coming, they made a giant canoe and filled
it with five people and a male and female of all plants and animals. Water
covered everything but the summit of Kobah and Takobah (Mts. Baker and Ranier).
The canoe landed on the prairie. Doquebuth, the new Creator, was born of a
couple from the canoe. He delayed getting his spirit powers, but finally did so
after his family deserted him. At the direction of the Old Creator, he made
people again from the soil and from the bones of the people who lived before the
flood.
Back to top
A charitable man gave away everything he
had. The God Ouende rewarded him with riches, advised him to leave the area, and
sent six months of rain to destroy his selfish neighbors. The descendants of the
rich man became the present human race.
Back to top
Twice, a great flood came. Afraid that
another might come, the people made a giant canoe from a big cedar. When they
saw a third flood coming, they put the bravest young men and young women in the
canoe, with plenty of food. Then the flood, bigger and deeper than the earlier
ones, swallowed the land. It rained for many days and nights, but when the
clouds finally parted for the third time, the people saw land (Mount Jefferson)
and landed on it. When the water receded, they made their home at the base of
the mountain. The canoe was turned to stone and can be seen on Mount Jefferson
today.
Back to top
In early times, many people had gone to
war with other tribes, but there were still some good people. One of the good
men heard from the Land Above that a big water was coming. He told the other
good people and decided they would make a dugout boat from the largest cedar
they could find. Soon after the canoe was finished, the flood came, filling the
valleys and covering the mountains. The bad people were drowned; the good people
were saved in the boat. We don't know how long the flood stayed. The canoe can
still be seen where it came down on Toppenish Ridge. The earth will be destroyed
by another flood if people do wrong a second time.
Back to top
Four monsters grew large and powerful
until they were high enough to touch the sky. One man heard a voice telling him
to plant a hollow reed. He did so, and it quickly grew very big. He, his wife,
and pairs of all good animals entered the reed. Waters rose to cover everything
but the top of the reed and the heads of the monsters. Turtle destroyed the
monsters by digging under them and uprooting them. The waters subsided, and
winds dried the earth.
Back to top
While the medicine man Wis-kay-tchach was
hunting, his young wolf was killed by some water lynxes. Wis tried to kill one
of the lynxes to get revenge. First, he turned himself into a stump at the edge
of a lake. Frogs and snakes tried to pull the stump down, but Wis kept himself
upright. The lynx, suspicions lulled, went to sleep. Wis returned to normal
shape and, though warned to shoot the lynx's shadow, forgot and shot its body.
He shot a second arrow at the shadow, but the lynx escaped into a river, which
then overflowed and flooded the whole country. Wis escaped in a canoe.
Back to top
For their sins, the Gods expelled the
Insect People from the first world by sending a wall of water from all
directions. The Insect People flew up into the second world. Later, in the
fourth world, descendants of these people were likewise punished. They escaped
the floodwaters by climbing into a fast-growing reed. Cicada dug an entrance
into the fifth world, where people live today.
Back to top
The people repeatedly became distant from
Sotuknang, the creator. Twice he destroyed the world (by fire and by cold) and
recreated it while the few people who still lived by the laws of creation took
shelter underground with the ants. When people became corrupt and warlike a
third time, Sotuknang guided them to Spider Woman, who cut down giant reeds and
sheltered the people in the hollow stems. Sotuknang caused a great flood, and
the people floated in their reeds for a long time. They emerged after coming to
rest on a small piece of land. They still had as much food as they started with.
Guided by their inner wisdom (which comes from Sotuknang through the door at the
top of their head), the people traveled on, using the reeds as canoes. They went
northeast, finding progressively larger islands, until they came to the Fourth
World. When they reached it, they saw the islands sink into the ocean.
Back to top
As people grew in numbers, they became
selfish and greedy. As the situation on Earth became worse, the Earth Maker
decided to drown all evil ones from the face of the Earth, but not without
warning. He asked all to listen to the voice of the north wind as it called to
them to be honest and live in peace. Few listened to the north wind. The next
night another warning echoed from a distant thunderstorm to the east. When the
prophet Suhu spoke, he was called a fool, and the people continued to ignore the
warning of the wind. On the third night, the wind came from the west. They were
cautioned again to listen to the voice of the prophet Suhu. On the fourth night,
the wind came from the south, and only Suhu heard its mournful cry. "Suhu,"
said Earth Maker, "Take your people who are good to the summit of Kakatak
Tamai, for all the land will soon be covered with water, and all the evil will
perish." The prophet Suhu gathered the good from all corners of the land
and led them to the top of Crooked Top Mountain. Then the roar of thunder and
lightning enveloped the land. From the east the rains came, and for two moons it
fell. All of the land except Crooked Top Mountain was covered with water. The
Earth Maker spoke once again from the thunder clouds atop Kakatak Tamai.
"All good people will return to the desert valley to till the fertile soil,
and all evil ones will be turned to stone," he said. And so it was. The
stone people are clearly visible in the mountains, giant rock structures
imploring the Gods for release from their fate. And the white stratum line which
appears near the top is the high water mark from the flood.
Back to top
The Andaman Islanders talk of their
Supreme Being, Puluga, who lives in the sky. It was Puluga who created the world
and man. However, when man began to forget his creator, Puluga became annoyed
and sent a flood which covered the whole earth and wiped out the race. Four
people escaped and so Puluga had mercy on them.
Back to top
In the Huarochiri area of Peru, the
Quechua-speaking people have a myth of a deluge caused by a God whose presence
was not recognized by the people. He sent a flood which wiped all of the
villages away except for one woman who had befriended the God and was given
instructions to take refuge on a high mountain.
Back to top
The Miao and Yao people of the Guizhou
province of South China relate the story of Fu Xi and his sister Nu Gua (meaning
melon). They befriended the Thunder God who gave them a gourd seed. As the
deluge began, the two survived inside the gourd, the only two survivors. They
later married and bore a ball of flesh which they sliced into several pieces.
The wind carried the pieces all over the globe to reestablish humanity
everywhere.
Back to top
A Hawaiian legend tells of a flood (Kaiakahinalii)
in which all beings were killed except for Nuu and his family who repopulated
the earth when the ark landed on top of Mauna Kea.
Back to top
Naga-Padoha, the giant snake on which the
earth rests, grew tired of its burden and shook it off into the sea. But the God
Batara-Guru caused a mountain to fall into the water to preserve his daughter.
From her, the human race is descended. Later, the earth was replaced onto the
head of the snake.
Back to top
Oden, Vili, and Ve fought and slew the
great ice giant Ymir, and icy water from his wounds drowned most of the Rime
Giants. The giant Bergelmir escaped, with his wife and children, on a boat.
Ymir's body became the world we live on.
Back to top
Heaven and Earth were great giants, and
Heaven lay upon the Earth so that their children were crowded in the darkness
between them. One of their sons led his brothers in cutting up Heaven into many
pieces. From his skull they made the firmament. His spilling blood caused a
great flood which killed all humans except a single pair, who were saved in a
ship made by a beneficent Titan. The waters settled in hollows to become the
oceans.
Back to top
A God, Ifa, tired of living on earth and
went to dwell in the firmament. Without his assistance, mankind couldn't
interpret the desires of the Gods, and one God, in a fit of rage, destroyed
nearly everybody in a great flood.
Back to top
Lohero and his brother were angry with
their neighbors, so they put a human bone into a small stream. Soon a great
flood came forth, and the people had to retreat to the highest peaks until the
sea receded. Some people descended, and others made their homes on the ridges.
Back to top
The woman Gulbin killed a snake, began
cooking it, and slept while it cooked. But the snake was the daughter of She Who
Lives Underground. That snake made water rise, drowned the woman, and at last
came up and ate her. Later the Snake vomited her bones, which became like rock.
The first people were living in what is now the middle of the sea. In panic, the
people swam around trying to get to dry land. There was no place they could go
except for the rock Aragaladi, but Aragaladi was not a real rock; Snake had made
it rise up for them. A man came from the mainland in a canoe, but he drowned in
the middle of the sea. Snake came and swallowed the people and later vomited
their bones. She made the place deep with sea water. Those first people became
rocks. Nobody goes to Aragaladi now.
Back to top
Djunban was hunting kangaroo rat with his
magic boomerang, but he hit his "sister" Mandjia instead and wounded
her leg. Some time later he taught his people how to make rain. The next day
Mandjia died from her injury. Djunban performed the rain-making ceremony again,
but he was grieving his sister and not concentrating on his task, and the rain
came too heavily. He tried to warn his people, but the flood came and washed
away all the people and their possessions.
Back to top
Before humans, one of the Kaliths
(deities) visited an unfriendly village and was killed by its inhabitants. His
friends, searching for him, were met with unkindness except from the woman
Milathk, who told them of the death. They resolved vengeance by flooding the
village, and suggested Milathk save herself on a raft. Milathk perished in the flood, but was recalled to life and became the mother of mankind.
Back to top
A sea God, angered because a fisherman had
lowered hooks which got entangled in his hair, caused a flood which covered all
but the tops of the mountains.
Back to top
In a battle between Fire and Water
(offspring of the primeval octopus), everything was overwhelmed by a
"boundless sea," and the God Tangaloa had the task of re-creating the
world.
Back to top
Thunderbird was once so angry that he sent
the ocean over the land. When it reached the village of the Quillayute, they got
into their canoes. The water rose for four days, covering the mountains. The
boats were scattered by the wind and waves. Then the water receded for four
days, and people settled in many areas.
Back to top
The people became so numerous that they
ate all the fish and game and started to eat each other. They were so wicked
that Dokibatl, the Changer, flooded the earth. All living things were destroyed
except one woman and one dog, which survived atop Tacobud (Mt. Ranier). From
them the next race of people were born. They lived like animals until the
Changer sent a Spirit to teach them civilization.
Back to top
A brother and sister, warned of the
upcoming flood by a mouse, sealed themselves inside a drum, and emerged again
after the flood receded. They looked far and wide for mates, but they were the
only survivors. A malcoha cuckoo sang to them, "Brother and sister should
embrace one another." They slept together. After seven years, the child was
born as a gourd. A little later, hearing noises from the gourd, they burnt a
hole in its shell, and people of the different races came out, first Rumeet,
then Kammu, Thai, Westerner, and Chinese.
Back to top
Coyote encountered an evil water spirit
who caused water to rise until it covered Coyote. After the water receded,
Coyote shot the water spirit with a bow and ran away, but the water followed
him. He ran to the top of Mount Shasta; the water followed but didn't quite
reach the top. Coyote made a fire, and all the other animal people swam to it
and found refuge there. After the water receded, they came down and found new
homes.
Back to top
One particularly hard winter had
"great floods" in addition to earthquakes and volcanoes. The people
spent the long winter in caves.
Back to top
Unktehi, a water monster, fought the
people and caused a great flood. The people retreated to a hill, but the water
swept over them, killing them all.
Unktehi was turned to stone; her bones are in
the Badlands now. A giant eagle, Wanblee Galeshka, swept down, saved one girl
from the flood, and made her his wife. (In another version, the thunderbirds
fought and defeated Unktehi and her children before the waters washed over the
highest mountain.)
Back to top
A man and his wife went up the hills to
hunt marmots. There, they saw that the water was still rising. They enclosed
their children, along with supplies, in hollow trees. All other people drowned.
Back to top
Komashtam'ho caused a great rain and
started to flood out the large dangerous animals, but he was persuaded that
people needed some of the animals for food. He evaporated the waters with a
great fire, turning the land to desert in the process.
Back to top
Coyote and Montezuma survived, in their
separate crafts, a flood which covered all the land. They met again on the top
of Monte Rosa, which rose above the flood waters.
Back to top
One of the Tezcatlipocas (sons of the
original dual God) transformed himself into the Sun and created the first humans
to show up his brothers. The other Gods, angry at his audacity, had Quetzalcoatl
destroy the people, which he did with a flood. The people became fish.
Back to top
A man clearing fields found the trees
regrown overnight. He found that his grandmother Nakawe did this, and she told
him that he was working in vain because a flood was coming. Per her
instructions, he built a box and survived the flood with corn, beans, fire, and
a black bitch. After the flood, he would return home from work to find meals
prepared. He spied one day and found that the bitch took off her skin and became
a woman to do the work. He threw her skin into the fire and bathed her in
nixtamal water. They repopulated the earth.
Back to top
The Star people listened to Jaguar and
killed and ate a woman. Kuamachi wanted to punish them, but they were too many
and too powerful. He invited them to help in picking dewaka fruit. They came,
and while they were eating fruit, Kuamachi dropped one fruit. Water came out of
it, spread, and caused a flood. Kuamachi and his grandfather stayed in a canoe;
they got bows and arrows and shot the people who were helpless in the trees. The
people fell down into the water below, which was infested with dangerous
animals. Kuamachi and his grandfather ran out of arrows before shooting Wlaha,
the leader of the Star people. He had caught seven arrows. He shot them into
heaven, making a ladder which he, the surviving Star people, and finally
Kuamachi ascended to become stars.
Back to top
The son of Omauwa (one of the first
beings) became very thirsty. Omauwa and his brother dug a hole for water, but
they dug so deep that water gushed forth and covered the jungle. Many drowned.
Some of the first beings survived by cutting down trees and floating on them.
They became foreigners and floated away. The Yanomamo survived by climbing
mountains. Raharariyoma painted red dots all over her body and plunged into the
lake, causing it to recede. Omauwa then caused her to be changed into a rahara,
a dangerous snake-like monster that lives in large rivers.
Back to top
Lexuwakipa, ibis, felt offended by the
people, so she let it snow so much that ice came to cover the entire earth. When
it melted, it rapidly flooded all the earth except five mountain tops, on which
a few people escaped. Signs of the floodwaters still show up on those mountains.
In another version, the moon-woman Hanuxa caused the flood because she was full
of hatred against the people, especially the men, who had taken over the women's
secret kina ceremony and made it their own. A few people survived on five
mountain tops.
Back to top