Running head: CREATIONISM

Greek Mythology and Saipan Legends on Creationism

Riggz Ranier Adaza Awit
English 202
Northern Marianas College

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Greek Mythology and Saipan Legends on Creationism

Creationism will always be a delicate and complex subject or topic among individuals
who can relate to it particularly when they have different beliefs and cultures. Creationism is one
of the building pillars in life that helps shape a persons belief through the stories told about how
the world was created, which can be explained by viewing the different tales about it. Two
perspectives that share a common point, yet vary in story, are Greek mythology and Saipan
legends. Furthermore, there are multiple different cultures that have different outlooks on how
the world was created, yet this proposal will focus on these two cultures. This proposal provides
background, research questions, planned methodology, and tentative schedules.
Creationism is defined as a belief that the entire universe and that all living organisms
originates from acts or miracles from divine beings. It gives a reason to believe certain things
that do not have answers for scientifically and also helps mold the different cultures that follow
different beliefs. Creationism is believed to be that all things in life are made with the help of
intelligent intervention or supernatural phenomenon. Although there are many different factors
that can shape a persons life, creationism is the major factor for some people (Petteri, AnnaMari, Esko, 2014, para. 1).
The research project describes and focuses on the two creation stories that are told in
Greek mythology and Saipan legends. According to Greek mythology, the beginning of
everything started when four divine beings came into existence, Chaos (Space), Gaea (Earth),
Tartarus (the Abyss), and Eros (Love) (Britannica, 2010, p. 460). After these four beings were
created, they in turn gave birth to different beings such as Ether, Day, Uranus, and other
mythical beings. When the Olympian gods and goddesses were born and had overthrown their
predecessors, they in turn gave birth to man by using clay and shaping it into man from their own

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image and after molding it, they gave life to it and made man mortal (The creation, 2015, para.
1). However; according to Saipan legends, two mythical beings named Puntan and Fuuna
created the entire universe from their entire own bodies. For example, Puntan asked his sister,
Fuuna, to turn his eyes into the sun and moon; his chest into the sky; his back became the earth;
and his eyebrows turned into a rainbow, Puntans figure changes marked the worlds creation.
Fuuna contemplated the creation of earth and became fond of it; however, her time soon was
coming to a close. So she decreed that when the time came, she would transform into a rock and
that on earth another kind of rock would open and give birth to the creation of man and women
in the image of both Puntan and Fuuna (Flood B., Strong B., 2002, p. 1)

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Primary Question:
What are the relations and differences between Greek mythology and Saipan legends on
creationism?
Secondary Question 1:
How does Greek mythology and Saipan legends view gods and goddesses?
Secondary Question 2:
How does Greek mythology and Saipan legends perceive life and death?
Secondary Question 3:
What are current Saipan residents perspectives on beliefs or opinions on creationism?

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There are two methods that will be done to collect the intended data needed for the
research project. The first method would be a survey on creationism which would utilize the
website known as Survey Monkey. The goal for this research project would be to amass data
from at least 20 or more responses. The survey would mainly ask the person being surveyed their
basic knowledge on Greek mythology, Saipan legends, and of course creationism. Furthermore,
to accumulate more data on the topic, a hard copy survey will be distributed to family, friends,
and Northern Marianas College colleagues to further increase the response and data amount to a
sufficient level of information. The second method would be interviews among Mrs. Kimberly
Anderson and her colleagues via online or face to face in which I would question them on their
knowledge of creationism.
In conclusion, the two methods will help create enough data for the research project to be
efficient for understanding. In doing so would show the differences and relations between
different cultures on creationism and what perspectives does todays society have on it. By
researching on this topic, I hope to enrich people on the basic knowledge of creationism and the
different stories that come from it.

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Sunday

No classes

Writing & Research (12PM-

Monday

Speech (1:30PM-2:55PM)

3PM)
Writing & Research (N/A)

Tuesday

English (8AM-9:25AM)

Interview (10AM-1PM)
Writing & Research (N/A)

Math (1:30PM-3:25PM)

Interview (N/A)

Wednesday

Marketing (5PM-6:25PM)
Speech (1:30PM-2:55PM)

Writing & Research (N/A)

Thursday

English (8AM-9:25AM)

Interview (10AM-1PM)
Writing & Research (4PM-

Math (1:30PM-3:25PM)

6PM)

No Classes

Interview (10AM-1PM)
Writing & Research (12PM-

Friday

3PM)
Saturday

No Classes

Interview (N/A)
Writing & Research (12PM3PM)
Interview (N/A)

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References
Britannica, I. (2010). The new encyclopaedia Britannica (15th ed.). Chicago, Ill.:
Encyclopaedia Britannica.
The Creation. (n.d.). Retrieved February 15, 2015, from
http://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/The_Myths/The_Creation/the_creation.html
Flood, B., & Strong, B. (2002). Micronesian legends. Honolulu, Hawaii: Bess Press.
Nieminen, P., Mustonen, A., & Ryokas, E. (2014). Theology & Science Theological
Implications of Young Earth Creationism and Intelligent Design: Emerging Tendencies of
Scientism and Agnosticism.