Grade 7 Unit 1 Vocab (25-26)

Front

Origin Story

Back

is a narrative that explains beginnings that focuses on the beginning of the entire cosmos.

Front

Ex Nihilo (Out of Nothing)

Back

The world is created from a void, emptiness, or non-existence. A powerful, singular creator deity often speaks the world into existence.

Front

Chaoskampf (Chaos Battle)

Back

The world is created from a struggle or battle between a heroic deity and a primordial monster or force of chaos.

Front

World Parent

Back

The universe is formed from the body or the separation of two primordial parents, typically a male Sky Father and a female Earth Mother.

Front

Emergence

Back

The first people or beings emerge from an underworld or from deep within the earth to a new, higher world.

Front

Earth Diver

Back

A deity or divine being sends an animal or bird into a primordial ocean to bring up soil, which is then used to create the land.

Front

Cosmic Egg (additional origin story type)

Back

It explains that the universe began from a huge, egg-like shape floating in a dark, empty space.

Front

Separation/Divine Sacrifice

Back

explains that the world was created from the body of a sacrificed god or giant.

Front

Yoruba Origin Story

Back

an Earth Diver story where the god Obatala pours soil from a snail shell onto a primordial watery chaos, which is then spread by a hen and a pigeon to form the earth, with humans later sculpted from clay and given life by the sky god Olorun.

Front

Hindu (Prajapati) Origin Story

Back

describes how the singular deity Prajapati first created a golden cosmic egg from a primordial watery chaos through self-discipline. He then broke the egg to form the heavens and earth, before sacrificing and dividing himself to create all living beings and the universe.