Do any Pagans believe in a literal creation?

Question

akin to Christianity, or do most subscribe to the theory of evolution. Every pagan I have met believes in the theory of evolution, was wondering if there were some gods/goddesses who handed down information about a literal creation to describe our origins as opposed to Darwin's theory. Please, no jerk responses, just the facts ma'am :)

Sidequestion: What did Pagans believe about our origins before Darwin's theory came about in the 1800's?

Answer 1

not me. I'm one of the run of the mill pagans who is firmly in the evolution camp.

Answer 2

I'm sure there have to be at least a couple, somewhere, that has some sort of creation beliefs that are different from evolution. Many ancient pagans certainly did.

I have met a couple that definitely believed that the evolutionary process was guided by gods and/or goddesses.

Answer 3

I think, as a whole, we're less concerned with getting "into the weeds" in terms of details, and more concerned with the general stories.

In other words, it's more important to us that the gods had a hand in making things as they are, as opposed to quibbling over whether they used evolution or simply made things spring fully formed from the head of Zeus.

Answer 4

Evolution and Abiogenesis are two different things.

Answer 5

I am a Nordic pagan and I ascribe to the Nordic creation story, which is thus...

When all was twilight, before there were gods or men, there existed a great abyss, the cleft of clefts, the yawning gulf, which is known as Ginnungagap (Magically charged space). This space was so long, and deep, and wide that its size is beyond the capacity of man to fathom. In the north, beyond Ginnungagap, came into being the realm of Nifflheimr (Mist world or Nibel home) which was a land of misty darkness and freezing cold. In the center of this realm, there existed a well which is still today called Hvergelmir (Bubbling, roaring, or seething cauldron) and from it flowed the twelve venomous rivers, which together were called the Elivágar (Rivers whipped by passing storms). These rivers were Svöl (cool), Gunnthrá (Battle-Defiant), Fjörn, Fimbulthul (Loud-bubbling), Slið (Fearsome), Hrið (Storming), Sylg, Ylg, Við (Broad), Leipt (Fast as lightning), and Gjöl by name and their venomous waters flowed swiftly from their source until they encountered the cold blasts from Ginnungagap, where they hardened into huge blocks of ice which rolled into Ginnungagap, with a continual roar like thunder.

To the south of Ginnungagap came into being the realm of Muspellsheimr (Fire-world, or Muspel home) the world of elemental fire where all was warmth and brightness. It glowed with intense radiance and spread forth beauteous sparks and radiant fire. The sparks from Muspellsheimr fell through the frozen vapour and the heat caused drops of moisture to begin to fall from the ice. There was an explosion when the forces of fire and ice met in the depths of Ginnungagap and great energies were released. It was then that life began to be for from this explosion was formed the first living being, a great frost-giant called Ymir (the Roarer) or Aurgelmir (seething clay). He was ugly to behold and as he began to move he was tortured by pangs of intense hunger. He groped about in a ravenous frenzy but at first could find nothing to sustain him.

In the process in which Ymir came into being there was also engendered the great cosmic bovine Audhumla (The nourisher, void, darkness) and from her teats flowed great streams of milk, some of which eventually found their way to Ymir, who drank until he was full and then fell into a deep sleep. As he slept he sweated and from the sweat under his left arm came into being a son and daughter and his feet together engendered a son called Thrúthgelmir who was six-headed and who brought forth Berglemir (The mountain old) who was the progenitor of all the races of giants.

During that time, Audhumla also sought food. She found her sustenance by licking the salty ice blocks. After licking for an entire day, the hair of a great head appeared. At the end of the second day the entire head was exposed and at the end of the third day a being nimble, powerful and endowed with great beauty leapt forth from the ice and was given the name Buri. Buri was an androgyne and immediately engendered upon himself a son and called him Börr (Born). This began the race of gods. Börr took to wife the giant-maid Bestla, daughter of Bolthorn (thorn of evil) and from Bestla Börr got three sons Odin (spirit), Wili (Will), and Vé (Holy). These three immediately joined with Börr and Buri in waging war against the giants.

Ages passed and the number of both gods and giants grew until finally Odin and his brothers slew the giant Ymir and then ended the war. As he died, the blood of Ymir gushed from his wounds in such quantities that a deluge consumed all the giants save Berglemir and his wife, who escaped in a boat. When Ymir was dead the gods, who had came to be known as the Æsir (Pillars and supporters of the world) set forth to a new task. They rolled the corpse of Ymir into the yawning abyss of Ginnungagap and began to reform it. Out of Ymir's flesh they fashioned Miðgarðr (middle garden) which is the world on which we now stand. They took the eyebrows of the giant and made from them the bulworks and ramparts. From the bones of Ymir were made the rocks and stones of the earth and out of his hair was made the trees and grasses and all plants. They found in the flesh of the giant, maggot like creatures and endowed them with supreme intelligence, thus creating the dwarfs, elves, and all the small beings. From the blood of Ymir the three gods formed the seas, lakes, rivers, streams and all the waters of the world.

They then took the skull of the giant and placed it as the vault of the sky then set four sturdy dwarfs at four points to hold it up. These dwarfs were called Nordri (North), Sudri (South), Austri (East), and Westri (West). The gods then scattered in the sky the shredded brain of Ymir, which became the clouds, and sparks from Muspellsheimr, which became the stars. The bodies of the drowned giants were gathered up and placed in the great world mill where they were ground up and became the sand and the shores. The water of the seas were sucked in through a fearsome maelstrom in the eye of the mill and the sea ebbs and flows as it is drawn into Hvergelmir in Niflheimr and thrown forth again. The very heavens are made to swing by the great world mill round Veraldar Nagli (The world spike) which we now call Polaris, the north star.

The two brightest sparks from Muspesslheimr were kept and used by the gods for a special purpose. The largest and brightest was used to fashion the sun and the other somewhat smaller spark, for the moon. When the sun and moon were shaped, the gods then went to the dwarf smiths, the sons of Ivalde and the kinsman of Sindri and had them fashion chariots of gold. Then to the chariot of the sun they harnessed two steeds, Arvakr (The early waker), and Aslvið (The rapid goer). To protect them from the intense heat, the gods placed bladders of cool air under the horse withers. They also made the shield Svalin (The Cooler) and placed it between the steeds and the sun. To the moon chariot was harnessed the steed Alsvið (The all Swift) but as the power of the moon was of a milder nature than that of the sun, no protection was needed.

There was, among the new race of giants sprang from Berglemir, one named Mundilfore, who had a daughter that he named Sol after the sun and a son that he named Mani after the moon. The gods at once set the two of them the task of driving the chariots of the orbs after which they were named across the sky.

Next, the gods summoned Nott (Night) and entrusted to her the dark chariot pulled by the steed Hrimfaxi (Frost-mane) and from whose mane dew and hoar frost dripped onto the earth. Nott had been married three times and to her first husband Naglfari (or Narvi) she bore a son named Aud. To her second husband, Annar, she bore Jörd (or Fjorgyn) (Earth), a daughter, and to her third husband, Delling (Dawn) she bore a son who was Dag (day). This third child was of such radiant beauty that the moment the gods became aware of him the set him in a chariot drawn by the steed Skinfaxi(Shining Mane) from whom beams of bright light shown out in every direction, illuminating the world and bringing light and gladness to all.

But, evil always treads on the footsteps of good and the sun is pursued by the wolf Sköll (Repulsion) and the moon is chased by Hati (Hatred) who attempt to swallow them. It can be seen that the wolves come close to doing that in the occurrence of eclipses which are the result of the sun and moon disappearing, briefly in the gaping maw of the wolves.

Mani has with him two companions, Hyuki, the waxing moon and Bil, the waning moon. The two children had been sent out by their father, Vidfinner, to draw song-mead from the mountain spring Byrger (The Hidden). They filled the pail Saegr to the brink and the mead spilled when they raised the pole Simul. One night as they descended the mountain, Mani took pity on the cruel treatment of their father and caught them up where they can still be seen on the moon. It is from their tale that we have the origins of the rhyme of Jack and Jill.

Along with the sun, Moon, Day, and Night to mark the precession of the year, the gods also set Evening, Midnight, Morning, Forenoon, Noon, and Afternoon to share their duties. Winter, the child of Vindsval (Wind cold) and Summer, who is the son of Svásuð (Agreeable), were set as the seasons.

To the north of Miðgarðr sits a giant named Hræsvelgr (the corps swallower) in the shape of an eagle who spreads his wings and sends the cold winds which chill the earth and sweep ruthlessly across the face of the earth.

The gods next turned their attention to the dwarfs which they had previously created. For those which were dark, treacherous and cunning by nature was assigned the world known as Swartalfsheimr (Dark eld home) as their dwelling and as it was underground the inhabitants (Dwarfs, trolls, gnomes, kobolds) were not allowed to come forth during the day or else be turned to stone. These beings spend their existence exploring all the dark, secret places in the earth. They collected gold, silver and precious stones which they hid and could extract at will.

The remainder of the small creatures, including all those that were fair, good, and useful, the gods called elves and fairies and sent them to dwell in Ljosalfheimr (light elf home) and could come and go between this world and Miðgarðr whenever they wished to attend to the plants and flowers, sport with the birds and butterflies or dance in the light of the moon.

When Berglemir and his wife survived that flood which came when Ymir was slain, they came to land and the world where they landed was thereafter known as Jötunheimr (Giant-home) and was where the giants descended from them (Etins, Rises, and thurses) lived. The other races of giants, the Muspelli, reside in Muspellsheimr with their leader Surtr (the Swart).

The gods by then had, for themselves built a world for their home and called the realm Asgarðr (Ases-Garden). Palaces were raised and great halls timbered as the abodes for the gods.

Also by that time, ther had come into being a race of gods whose providence was sea and wind who were known as the Vanir and who had a world of their own called Vanaheimr (Van home). There are those who have put forth the idea (and I find it as plausible an origin for them as any other) that the Vanir are descended from the male and female giants who were formed from the sweat under Ymir's left arm.

Lastly was a realm which was dark and filled with loathsome creatures and numbing cold called Hel. Next, Odin created a huge tree called Yggdrasil (Ygg’s Steed), the tree of the universe which is said to have three roots; one in the depths of Nifleheimr, one in Miðgarðr, and a third in Asgarðr. An eagle sits perched in the uppermost branches of the tree and between the eagles eyes sat a hawk (of falcon) called Vedfolnir who sees what occurs in the three worlds which hold a root and reports all he sees. Heiðrun the goat eats the leaves and from her flows the divine mead drank by the gods. Also, the leaves are eaten by four harts (stags) called Dain, Dvalin, Duneyr and Durathor from whose horns honey-dew dripped down upon the earth and furnished the water for the rivers of the world.

In the seething cauldron Hvergelmir which was near the root of Yggdrasil which lay in Niflheim, the dragon Niðhoggr (the dastardly striker, or the lower one) constantly gnawed on the root along with many smaller dragons and worms. Between the dragon Niðhoggr and the eagle runs the squirrel Ratatosk (rat tusk or Gnaw tooth) carrying insults between them.

In order to travel from Asgarðr to Miðgarðr or the other lower worlds, the gods constructed the sacred bridge Bifrost (the quaking or quivering bridge) out of fire, water and air whose quivering hues it retained.

Odin, along with two other of the gods Hoenir and Lodur, were one day walking on Miðgarðr and decided among themselves that the world was far too empty. As they walked along the sea-shore, they found two trees, an ash and an elm, which by the gods were hewn into the shape of a man and woman. Odin gave to these shapes a soul, Hoenir gave motion and senses and Lodur gave blood and complexion. To the man who was shaped from the ash tree the name Ask was given and to the Woman the name Embla. These two lived and flourished and began the race of men.

Mind you I am also conversant with the theory of evolution have no trouble reconciling that with my religions beliefs even to the point of holding them both to be tru at the same time.