Women in Aztec creation mythology and the Book of Genesis

Women in Aztec Creation

Compare and Contrast

Women in Aztec creation story and women in the Book of Genesis (The Holy Bible) creation story

Compare and Contrast the women in Aztec creation story and women in The Book of Genesis (The Holy Bible) creation story

Women have been the part of arts, philosophy, and theology since the history. Women and their creation has been a subject of interest and many myths and stories are affiliated with the creation of women. The paper compares and contrasts between the women in Aztec creation story and women in the Book of Genesis. There are a few universal roles of a woman. Like giving birth to children, raising kids and feeding them and taking care of the husband and his house. However, beyond this conventional role, there is a lot more than that a woman does and that she is expected to do. The traits of women as discussed in these two concepts are compared here. The woman is differently perceived in different societies based on her creation and role in the world. Some think that she is just a source of pleasure while others associate powers and authority with her. Some think she is a good luck and other considers her as a burden. The paper finds how Aztec philosophy and the Book of Genesis perceive woman similarly or differently.

Creationism

Aztecs believed that Enkidu, friend of Gilgamish was created by a goddess from water and clay (Aztec Creation Story, 2012). Bible and the Book of Genesis preach that woman, on the other hand, was created from the left rib of Adam (Women in the Book of Genesis, n.d.). The book says that it was Adam who was created from clay and water. Thus the two philosophies claim that human being was surely created from clay and water but bible says that man was directly created from mud and water while the women (Eve in terms of Bible and Enkidu as Aztecs say) was created from rib of her husband.

The creation as discussed by Book of Genesis says that "Now the earth was formless and empty." Hence unlike Aztec stories, the live according to Book first started in heaven and then in earth. Sun, moon, land, vegetation and rivers were created before the woman but this is in contradiction with Aztec philosophy where woman was created along with sun (Aztec Creation Myths, 2012). It was her birth that was considered her source of power. The Book of Genesis puts light on location of birth. The Adam and Eve were both created in Heaven but the Aztec stories only tell how they were created and not where they were created (Aztec Creation Myths, 2012). They were created big but it is not known where.

Appearance

In Aztec as well as Book of Genesis, the women are painted as a piece of art or beauty. The Book of Genesis paints the picture of women in paradise that will be a reward for those that obeyed Lord. These women are those that will serve pious men (Women in the Book of Genesis, n.d.). In Aztec writings, the women were so beautiful that she was a goddess. Unlike the gods that have traits of power, bravery and stamina, the females were supposed of as an element of beauty. The Book of Genesis says that the beauty was used for positive as well as for negative intentions. The book says that the women are a beautiful being but some women have misused their beauty to tempt men. Even the most powerful men fell victim to these women.

Symbolic with Love

Not only that both Aztec and Genesis paints women as beautiful and having a catchy appearance, they are told to be symbolic with love. The women are mostly in role of wives where their husbands' life revolves around family because they get attention and love from there. The Aztec as well as the Book of Genesis associates the love of children with the mother and her care. She is the one who is meant to love. Her love is unconditional and she is ready to sacrifice for her love too.

Obedience

The Aztec philosophy considers that good women were born to be obedient to their husbands (Aztec Creation Story, 2012). Their role was to take care of his belongings and be faithful. In the Book of Genesis too, the women are portrayed as wives and not as other relatives. Although the good women are obedient the book says, it gives examples of those women that were not really pious at some time in their lives like the women who tempted Joseph (Women in the Book of Genesis, n.d.).

Worship

In Aztec culture, woman was considered among one of the goddess. She had the power of creating things and she was worshipped. In Bible on the other hand, God forbade from worshipping any man or women, plants, animals, etc.

Food

The Book of Genesis says that in beginning, man was a vegetarian. Hence it says "every green plant on earth is to be food for man and every living being on earth" (Anne, 2013). The book also says that "trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food." (Anne, 2013). It was quite late that people started hunting animals for food. On the other hand, since the Aztec says women were transcended from wilderness to civilization, she was familiar with hunting before vegetation (Anne, 2013).

Prone to Tricks of Satan

The women were shown to be very brave by the Aztecs. However, Book of Genesis believed that it was more likely for a woman to fall victim to tricks of the Satan. Hence she violated the guiltiness in paradise and also she agreed to Satan for tempting great men in history (Women in the Book of Genesis, n.d.). The customary explanations spotted inconsistencies between parts of the Bible and the concept of Midrash was explained. It is imaginative tale by the Talmudic Rabbis to explain creation of human beings. The book said that the righteous women could beat men by getting access to and excelling in knowledge. In front of evil forces, the Book of Genesis thinks that women are more vulnerable while the Aztec stories tell that a woman knows how to fight evil. The Aztec stories believe in the will power of woman more than the Book of Genesis believes. The book says she can make laugh of her own husband, she can break his trust and violate his orders if she falls victim to Satan (Women in the Book of Genesis, n.d.).

Freedom

The women of Aztec concept are felt to be more free and independent than the Book of Genesis' women. The Aztecs believed that a woman could be a ruler not only of the country or world but also of the universe. In Bible however there is no single instance that could prove that women also have leadership abilities to rule and be free in making decisions of their life. The freedom associated with the woman in Aztec stories is limitless. She can not only alter the way of her life but also she can handle and alter the lives of others for good. Unlike Book of Genesis' concept, the Aztec story women do not change the destiny with her prayers but through the power of her arms. She can command the things and use people to do what she wants.