Earth

The Earth plays a significant role in all the myths addressed in "The World of Myth: An Anthology" by David Adams Lemming. The Earth is seen as the greatest creation of the creator of the universe, regardless of the culture's concept of the Supreme Being(s).

In many myths, the Earth is seen as the feminine creative principle, personified as Mother Earth, the Great Mother, or one of many other similar incarnations. It is a widely-held belief that the Earth is the Mother of all Creation, while the Sky is the Father. Through the use of various metaphors, the Mother and Father procreate, either spiritually or in a sense related to the physical.

There are many references to the feminine principle in regards to the birth of humankind, including creation of the lesser gods as well as some noteworthy mortals. The Earth is also seen as the...