Timeline of the Four Worlds

Breakdown of this concept:

Several Native American tribes have myths and legends that include genealogical lineages and ancestral stories similar to those found in Hawaiian mythology. Here are a few examples from different tribes:

Navajo (Diné)

The Navajo have a rich tradition of creation stories and genealogies, particularly in their Diné Bahaneʼ (Navajo creation myth). This myth describes the emergence of the Navajo people through different worlds, with each world representing a stage in their creation and development. Key figures in these myths include First Man and First Woman, who play crucial roles in the creation of the Navajo people and their subsequent generations.

Hopi

The Hopi creation myth involves the journey of their ancestors through different worlds. The story begins with Tawa, the Sun Spirit, who created the First World and its inhabitants. Due to corruption and disharmony, the people were led by Spider Grandmother through various worlds until they emerged into the present Fourth World. The Hopi maintain detailed genealogies of their clans, tracing their lineage back to these ancestral migrations.

Iroquois (Haudenosaunee)

The Iroquois creation story, part of their oral tradition, includes the Sky Woman who fell from the Sky World and gave birth to twin sons, Sapling and Flint. These twins are considered the ancestors of the Iroquois people. The Iroquois also have detailed clan systems and lineages that trace their ancestry back to these mythological beginnings.

Cherokee

The Cherokee have a creation myth involving Kana’ti (the Lucky Hunter) and Selu (the Corn Mother), who are the first man and woman. They had two sons who played a crucial role in the mythology of the Cherokee people. The descendants of these figures form the basis of Cherokee genealogies and clan structures.

Lakota (Sioux)

The Lakota creation myth centers around the emergence of their people from Wind Cave in the Black Hills. The trickster figure, Iktomi, and the spirit Inyan are central to their creation stories. The Lakota trace their lineage back to these mythical events, with detailed oral traditions preserving the genealogies of their clans and families.

Anishinaabe (Ojibwe)

The Anishinaabe creation myth includes Nanabozho (or Wenabozho), a cultural hero and trickster figure, who is considered an ancestor of the Anishinaabe people. The myth details his role in shaping the world and teaching the Anishinaabe people. Their genealogies often trace back to these early mythological figures.

Examples of Specific Myths:

1. Hopi Migration Myths: The Hopi people believe they migrated through three previous worlds before emerging into the current one. Each clan has a detailed history of their journey and the lessons learned from each world.
2. Iroquois Sky Woman: Sky Woman’s descent from the Sky World and the creation of the earth on the back of a turtle form the basis of Iroquois cosmology and genealogy.
3. Cherokee Corn Mother: Selu, the Corn Mother, is central to Cherokee agricultural traditions and their lineage, linking the people’s origin directly to the sustenance of corn.

Key Themes:

• Creation from Earth: Many myths involve the first humans being created from the earth, similar to the Hawaiian myth of Kumuhonua.
• Ancestral Figures: Foundational figures, often a first man and woman or cultural heroes, are central to these myths.
• Migration and Emergence: Stories of migration through different worlds or emergence from the earth are common.
• Clan Systems: Detailed clan systems that trace lineage back to mythological ancestors.

These examples show how various Native American tribes incorporate genealogical lineages into their creation myths, similar to the Hawaiian traditions. Each tribe’s mythology is rich and complex, with unique stories that reflect their cultural values and history.

according to Hopi mythology, we are currently living in the Fourth World, known as Tuwaqachi. The Hopi believe that the previous three worlds were destroyed due to the people’s corruption and failure to live according to spiritual laws. Each destruction was followed by a migration and emergence into a new world.

Summary of the Four Worlds in Hopi Mythology:

1. First World (Tokpela): The First World was created by Tawa, the Sun Spirit, and Spider Grandmother. It was eventually destroyed because the inhabitants became corrupt and disobedient.
2. Second World (Tokpa): The survivors of the First World were led by Spider Grandmother to the Second World. This world also fell into disrepair and corruption, leading to its destruction.
3. Third World (Kuskurza): The Hopi people emerged into the Third World, where they again faced challenges and ultimately succumbed to corruption. This world was destroyed by a great flood.
4. Fourth World (Tuwaqachi): The survivors of the great flood emerged into the Fourth World. They were greeted by Masauwu (Masaw), the guardian of this world, who taught them how to live in harmony with the land and follow spiritual teachings. The Hopi believe that they are currently living in this Fourth World.

Characteristics of the Fourth World:

• Moral and Spiritual Lessons: The Fourth World is seen as a place where humans have another chance to live in accordance with spiritual laws and maintain a balance with nature.
• Guidance from Ancestral Spirits: The Hopi people are guided by Kachinas (ancestral spirits) and teachings from figures like Spider Grandmother and Masauwu.
• Responsibility to Maintain Harmony: There is an emphasis on living sustainably, respecting the earth, and adhering to moral and spiritual principles to avoid the fate of the previous worlds.

To draw a scientific relation between the Hopi mythology of world cycles and actual geological or cosmic events, we can look at known natural disasters, ice ages, and cosmic impacts that have occurred over the last million years. Here’s a brief overview:

Known Geological and Cosmic Events

Ice Ages: The Earth has experienced several glacial and interglacial periods during the last million years.

• Last Glacial Maximum (LGM): About 20,000 years ago, during the Pleistocene epoch, ice sheets covered large parts of North America, Europe, and Asia.
• Interglacial Periods: These are warmer periods between ice ages, with the current Holocene epoch being one such period.

Cosmic Impacts: There have been significant asteroid impacts in Earth’s history.

• Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis: Around 12,800 years ago, a proposed cosmic impact is believed to have triggered the Younger Dryas, a sudden return to glacial conditions.
• Tunguska Event: In 1908, a large explosion over Siberia, caused by an airburst of a meteoroid or comet, demonstrated the potential for significant localized impacts.

Volcanic Eruptions: Major volcanic events have had profound effects on the climate and life on Earth.

• Toba Supervolcano Eruption: Approximately 74,000 years ago, the eruption of the Toba supervolcano in Indonesia is believed to have caused a global volcanic winter and possibly a genetic bottleneck in human populations.
• Krakatoa: The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia caused significant climatic effects and destruction.

Hopi Myths and Specific Endings of Worlds

The Hopi mythology provides specific reasons for the destruction of each world, often tied to moral and spiritual failures rather than natural events:

1. First World (Tokpela): Destroyed by fire. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for volcanic activity or intense cosmic radiation.
2. Second World (Tokpa): Destroyed by ice. This aligns with the idea of an ice age or a significant glacial period.
3. Third World (Kuskurza): Destroyed by a great flood. This aligns with various flood myths around the world and could be tied to melting ice caps or large-scale flooding events.

Scientific Correlation

• Fire: Volcanic activity, such as the Toba eruption, could be linked to the destruction by fire in Hopi mythology. Large volcanic eruptions have caused significant climate changes and could be remembered as a world-ending event.
• Ice: The multiple ice ages over the past million years, particularly the Last Glacial Maximum, could correlate with the Second World’s destruction by ice.
• Flood: The end of the last ice age led to rising sea levels and widespread flooding, which could correlate with the great flood described in the Third World’s end.

Summary

While the Hopi myths speak to spiritual and moral causes of world destruction, the specific descriptions (fire, ice, flood) can be correlated with major natural events in Earth’s history:

• Volcanic Eruptions (Fire): The Toba eruption around 74,000 years ago.
• Ice Ages (Ice): Various glacial periods, with the most recent being the Last Glacial Maximum around 20,000 years ago.
• Post-Ice Age Flooding (Flood): Rising sea levels and melting ice caps at the end of the last ice age, around 11,000 years ago.

This correlation suggests that ancient peoples might have encoded their observations of natural disasters into their mythologies, reflecting a deeper understanding of the cyclical nature of Earth’s environment.

Many mythologies from around the world describe events that can be correlated with significant natural disasters and environmental changes in Earth’s history. Here are some examples that fit into the timeline of volcanic eruptions, ice ages, and major flooding events:

Mythologies and Natural Events

Volcanic Eruptions (Fire)

• Greek Mythology (Titanomachy and Gigantomachy): The battles between the Titans and the Olympian gods, and later between the giants and gods, involve immense fires and destruction, which could metaphorically represent volcanic eruptions.
• Hindu Mythology (Kali Yuga): The current age of destruction in Hindu cosmology, marked by significant upheaval and disasters, could symbolize volcanic activities and other catastrophic events.

Ice Ages (Ice)

• Norse Mythology (Fimbulwinter): A long and harsh winter preceding Ragnarok, the end of the world. This harsh winter could symbolize the effects of an ice age or a significant cooling period.
• Aztec Mythology (Five Suns): The Aztecs believed in five creation cycles, each ending in a cataclysm. One of these cycles, the Fourth Sun, ended in a cataclysmic flood, but prior cycles involved destruction by cold and ice.

Major Floods (Flood)

• Sumerian Mythology (Epic of Gilgamesh): The story of Utnapishtim surviving a great flood sent by the gods is one of the earliest flood myths, similar to the biblical story of Noah.
• Chinese Mythology (Great Flood of Gun-Yu): A myth about a great flood during the reign of Emperor Yao, controlled by Yu the Great, who eventually founded the Xia Dynasty. This could be linked to post-ice age flooding.
• Mesoamerican Mythology (Maya): The Popol Vuh describes a great flood sent by the gods to destroy the wooden people, a previous human creation, before creating the current race of humans.

Timeline Correlation

Volcanic Eruptions (~74,000 years ago)

• Hindu Kali Yuga: The current age of destruction could symbolize a long-term period of upheaval, including volcanic events.
• Greek Titanomachy/Gigantomachy: Myths of battles involving fire and destruction.

Ice Ages (~20,000 years ago)

• Norse Fimbulwinter: Symbolizing the harsh climate conditions of an ice age.
• Aztec Fourth Sun: Ending in cold and ice before the flood cycle.

Post-Ice Age Flooding (~11,000 years ago)

• Epic of Gilgamesh: Describing a great flood similar to many other ancient flood myths.
• Chinese Great Flood: Myth of a massive flood controlled by Yu the Great.
• Maya Popol Vuh: Flood destroying the wooden people, preceding the current human race.

Many mythologies provide specific descriptions of the types of people or beings that existed during the times of these cataclysmic events.

These descriptions often include details about their behaviors, appearances, and the reasons for their ultimate destruction. Here are some examples:

Volcanic Eruptions (Fire)

Greek Mythology

• Titans: The Titans were primordial deities who were powerful and gigantic. They ruled during the Golden Age and were eventually overthrown by the Olympian gods in the Titanomachy.
• Giants: The Giants were monstrous beings born from the blood of Uranus, who fought against the Olympian gods in the Gigantomachy. They were often depicted as huge and incredibly strong.

Hindu Mythology

• Asuras and Rakshasas: During the Kali Yuga, the current age of destruction, beings like asuras (demons) and rakshasas (man-eaters) become more prominent. They are characterized by their evil tendencies and opposition to the gods.

Ice Ages (Ice)

Norse Mythology

• Frost Giants (Jotunn): The Jotunn, or Frost Giants, are beings associated with cold and ice. They live in Jotunheim and are often in conflict with the gods of Asgard. Their presence is integral to the harsh winters and the Fimbulwinter preceding Ragnarok.

Aztec Mythology

• Humans of the Previous Suns: The people of the earlier cycles (Suns) were different from the current humans. For example, the people of the Second Sun were turned into monkeys because they failed to live according to the gods’ expectations.

Major Floods (Flood)

Sumerian Mythology

• Utnapishtim and Antediluvian Humans: Utnapishtim, who survived the great flood in the Epic of Gilgamesh, was a wise and pious man. The people before the flood, however, were corrupt, which led the gods to decide to cleanse the world with the flood.

Chinese Mythology

• People Before Yu the Great: The flood during Emperor Yao’s reign devastated the land and the people. The myth doesn’t specify the physical characteristics but highlights their inability to control the flood, which Yu the Great eventually managed to do.

Mesoamerican Mythology

• Maya Popol Vuh: The wooden people created by the gods before the current race were ungrateful and did not have souls. They were destroyed by the gods through a great flood and other calamities.

Specific Attributes of People in Myths

Moral and Ethical Behavior: Many myths emphasize that the people of earlier times were often morally corrupt or failed to follow the gods’ laws, leading to their destruction.

• Greek: The Titans and Giants were powerful but ultimately destructive and had to be overthrown.
• Sumerian: The antediluvian humans were corrupt, necessitating the flood.

Physical Characteristics: Some myths describe the physical differences between beings of different ages.

• Norse: The Jotunn are depicted as enormous beings associated with ice and cold.
• Aztec: People of previous Suns had different forms, like the monkey transformation.

Survivors and Heroes: Often, a few righteous or capable individuals survive to guide the next age.

• Sumerian: Utnapishtim, who was granted immortality for his piety.
• Chinese: Yu the Great, who controlled the flood and established the Xia Dynasty.

Creating an extensive timeline that spans different mythological worlds, characters, myths, legends, and archaeological findings can be quite intricate. I’ll focus on a timeline that aligns with geological and archaeological findings while incorporating the mythological elements from various cultures, particularly the Hopi, Norse, Greek, and Sumerian traditions.

Timeline of the Four Worlds

Here’s an extended timeline that incorporates mythologies and legends from China, Africa, and North America, along with the existing ones. This will further enrich the understanding of the mythological cycles and their correlations with geological and archaeological findings.