The Myth of the Creation of Man: Its Similarities in Iranian and Semitic Mythologies

Myth, as one of the oldest and most important creations of the human mind, is also the maker of human life. It is a symbolic narrative of all existence that explains the great and fundamental issues, such as the genesis of the universe and its components and end the world. Despite the lack of historical and scientific evidences, myth for believers is a holy and supreme truth. One of the most important mythological narratives in all nations, is the myth of creation of man. Despite the intellectual, cultural and religious differences, different ethnic groups and nations share common views about the myth; there is a great resemblance between Aryan myth of creation of man, especially its Iranian version, and Semitic myth of creation. These similarities can be traced to the two religions of the Judaism and Islam. By descriptive-analytical method and based on narrations in Iranian and Semitic sources, in this article, we try to look comparatively at the myth of creation of man in Iranian and Semitic mythologies. The research shows significant similarities in these two mythologies, especially in the subject of the emergence of man from plant or soil. Sometimes, these similarities are due to the natural influence of myths, and sometimes are due to the fundamental and common beliefs of mankind that are the result of the common human biological experiences.