Origin Stories

The origin stories of humankind remain shrouded in mystery, as much the realm of myth as traditional historiography. Delve into creation stories from around the world with your students to learn how humans have sought to know themselves, and the common threads that bind us to those at the dawn of history will be revealed.
Origin Stories

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Featured Materials

Comparing Origin Stories
Big History
Activity

Comparing Origin Stories External link

What similarities can you find between different origin stories? Time to choose your own origin story adventure and compare it with the Big History story.
Big History Origin Story
Diagram of our solar system with the Sun and eight planets in orbit.
Big History
Article

Big History Origin Story External link

In the beginning, as far as we know, there was nothing. So how did all of this get here? Big History pulls together evidence from many disciplines to explain our history.
Māori Origin Story
Wooden carvings featuring two Māori gods embracing.
Big History
Article

Māori Origin Story External link

The Indigenous people of Aotearoa (New Zealand) tell a story focused on the divine family of the sky who are eventually separated to allow light into the world.

Lessons

Lesson 1.3
Big History
What is Big History?
Origin Stories
How did the Universe begin? How did human life on Earth come to be? People across different times and regions created origin stories to answer these questions.
View Lesson

Materials

Maya Origin Story
Sculpture of a maize god from the palace of Yax Pac. The god is a personified maize cob in the form of a beautiful young man, his hair the corn silk.
Big History
Article

Maya Origin Story External link

The Maya tell a story about how the gods created the first humans through a series of trials and errors.
Chinese Origin Story
Woodblock print of an imagined portrait of Pan Gu.
Big History
Article

Chinese Origin Story External link

The world began with a chaos-filled egg that housed Pan Gu. When he died, his body morphed into the Earth and heavens.
Draw Your Origin Story
Big History
Activity

Draw Your Origin Story External link

What does your origin story have in common with the other origin stories you read? Time to compare these stories and consider how your origin story changes when you extend the scale.

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