Common themes in mythology. Eliade M

All contemporaries have long come to terms with the prospect of the end of the world. Whether it is played out by a director in a movie, a science fiction writer or publicist in the next bestseller, or the leader of a religious concession in front of his flock. The popularization of this grandiose topic has led people to discuss endless options for the “end”, leaving aside the most important thing - the reasons for this, everyone expected event. Understanding the impenetrable jungle of versions, we will go through all the significant options, from the most ancient to those now filmed.

As a rule, after any significant natural phenomenon, thoughts about the grandiose and unknown force of nature, a force beyond the control of man, flash through everyone’s head. An understanding comes that man is unable to influence, much less curb, Mother Nature. Only by completely assimilating with the laws of the universe can one achieve harmony at all conceivable and inconceivable levels. Our distant, distant ancestors knew this truth; it was they, warning the future generation, who left us prophecies, ancient myths about the onset of the “end of the world”, in their opinion the most important information. On one level people laugh and deny, but on a deeper level everyone knows that something different, unique and very important is going to happen. Now there is a science - Eschatology - the doctrine of the End of the World. The basis of the teaching is most religious systems, including the Christian faith. It is noteworthy that all versions of legends about the End of the World have similar features.

Almost always, the onset of the End of the World is associated with the arrival of the Messiah - Jesus Christ, Saoshyant (in Zoroastrianism), Maitreya (in Buddhist mythology), Mashiach (in Judaism), Emperor of Emperors Falun (Falungun). The Messiah comes to defeat evil and carry out the Last Judgment. The background of the Last Judgment is a world catastrophe - the destruction of the world, a flood, a world fire, etc. After purification, the world is reborn again. The versions described below are: Zoroastrianism, Sumerians, Mayan Indians, Isaac Newton, Ancient Indians, Scandinavians, Muslims.

Mayan Indians

The leaders of discussions and interpretations remain the Mayan Indians, a mysteriously disappeared civilization that inhabited the current territory of South America. According to the ancient Mayan calendar, which counts eras in approximately 394-year periods known as baktuns, the end of the 13th baktun (i.e., the end of the world) falls on December 21, 2012. The number 13 is sacred to the Mayans of this tribe. The calendar shows that on this day time “expires” and the year of the end of the world is supposed. The ancient myths of the Mayans did not tell people the reason for these changes. One thing is clear: the End of the World in 2012 does not mean any disaster; on the contrary, it implies a spiritual transition to a new civilization with a new holistic understanding of the Universe. The Mayan calendar, despite its antiquity, is surprisingly accurate.

The most interesting thing is that according to the ancient myths of the Mayan Indians, the year of the end of the world is 2012; the Mayan calendar even knows exactly the day - December 21st; according to their prediction, a parade of planets is inevitable. Saturn, Jupiter, Mars and Earth will line up. Actually, similar parades of planets have happened before. How does the parade of planets in the year of the end of the world differ from previous ones? The fact is that on this day not only the planets of the solar system will line up, but also the planets of other star systems, forming a line from the center of the galaxy. And this is a completely different matter. The process can be compared to the hands of a clock when the clock hands move to the 12 o'clock position. This combination will mean the transition of the universe from one system to another. According to one version of scientists, the Indians inherited the calendar, writing and exact sciences from a previous, more highly developed civilization.

Isaac Newton

Isaac Newton, the world famous scientist who laid the foundations of modern physics, astronomy, mathematics and optics, calculated the exact date of the Apocalypse. It is interesting that in 2012 the Mayan calendar also promises unprecedented global cataclysms for humanity.
One of the manuscripts, the original of which was presented at the Newton Mysteries exhibition in Jerusalem, contains a forecast that the end of the world will come in 2060. This terrible event will occur 1260 years after the formation of the Holy Roman Empire by Charlemagne in 800. In his calculations, Newton used the mysterious Book of the Prophet Daniel, which predicted the date of the coming of the Messiah. Newton was convinced that ancient texts concealed special knowledge.

The mysterious document dates back to 1704. Newton's manuscripts were sold in 1936 at Sotheby's in London. Since 1969, they have been kept in the safes of the National Library of Israel in Jerusalem and have been accessible only to a few specialists. Newton believed that the Book of Daniel covered the pre-literate history of the world and that the divine purpose of the scientist was to decipher it. The end of the world will be preceded by destructive wars and global epidemics. Then the Messiah must descend to earth, who will rule the planet for a millennium

Sumerians

About 6,000 years ago, in the Mesopotamia region, a highly developed civilization appeared (from nowhere) with all the attributes that speak of its high organization: a monarchy, a bicameral system of elected deputies and civil councils, judges and juries, laws of correct behavior, concepts and beliefs that form how This is not surprising, the foundation of our modern culture.

It turns out that the Sumerians knew what our solar system looked like from space. They described all the planets in detail, down to the color of each. So, between Jupiter and Mars, the Sumerians placed another planet, which they called Nibiru. According to their description, it was a huge planet that rotates in the opposite direction to other planets; it has an extremely elongated and inclined elliptical orbit and passes through our solar system every 3600 years. The Sumerians believed that the planet Nibiru was inhabited by conscious beings - the Niphelims, or Anunaki. Their lifespan was 360,000 Earth years. They were real giants: women were from 3 to 3.7 meters tall, and men from 4 to 5 meters. Now Nibiru is 40 million kilometers from Earth, and this is the same distance as to Venus, that is, very close. People observed it with the naked eye in the form of a reddish disk. Based on modern science, the appearance of another planet in our solar system is an inevitable natural disaster, the “end of the world.”

Zoroastrianism

The most ancient texts of predictions about the End of the World are given by the Avesta, the sacred book of the ancient Iranian religion of Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrianism was subsequently supplanted by Islam in Iran, but it is still an active religion among the Parsi people in India. Zoroastrian eschatology and the doctrine of the confrontation between the forces of good and evil had a great influence on similar teachings, which became an integral part of Christianity, Islam, and Manichaeism.

According to the teachings of the Zoroastrians, the supreme creator god Ahuramazda determined the existence of the Universe at 12,000 years. In the first three thousand years, Ahuramazda created the spiritual world and light. At this time, Angro-Manyu - the Zoroastrian Devil did not come into contact with the spiritual world, he existed outside of it. Then evil came into the world, then Angro-Manyu appeared. The universal confrontation between the forces of good (Ahuramazda) and the forces of evil (Angro-Manyu) began. Zoroastrians divide the remaining 9 thousand years into three eras of struggle between these original forces of creation.

The last three-thousand-year period begins with the preaching of Zarathushtra. According to the Avesta, during these 3 thousand years, three messiahs Saoshyanta - the sons of Zarathushtra - will come successively in a thousand years: that is, if we take into account that Zarathushtra lived in the 10th century BC, the coming of the messiah was predicted for them in the 1st century AD. (Christ?), and then after a thousand and two thousand years. The end of the world was predicted by the Avesta around 2000 AD. There is no need to take this too seriously - this calculation is based only on the magical meaning of the number 3: three eras, multiply 10 by 10 three times and we get a thousand years. Three eras are known to all peoples of antiquity (Golden, Copper and Iron Ages), but the duration of these eras was determined differently by all religions. The era of the struggle between good and evil of Ahuramazda and Angro Mainyu, according to the Avesta, must end in disaster. Then a monstrous winter will come, the end of the world, the dragon Azhi-Dahak will rule over the world, and then, after the Earth will perish and be cleansed in fire (and sinners will be tortured with molten bronze that will rain from the sky for the last three days), the world will again will be reborn and acquire asha - an unshakable principle and order.

Ancient Indians

The religious texts of the ancient Indians also speak about three eras. Indians believe that the Universe changes three times during each world period (kalpa): it passes from a state of creation and formation to a state of continued existence and then destruction. But unlike the Zoroastrians, Indians operate with much longer periods and dates for the end of the world.

According to their ideas, the duration of the existence of the Universe - a day of Brahma - is 8,640,000,000 years. This day consists of 2 thousand mahayugas (major yuga periods). One Mahayuga, or period of Manu, is 4,320,000 years. This great Yuga, in turn, is divided into four ordinary Yugas: 1) Satyayuga - the golden age of 728,000 earthly years; 2) Tretayuga - Silver Age 1,296,000 years; 3) Dvaparayuga - Copper Age 864,000 years and 4) Kaliyuga - Iron Age 432,000 years.
Now, according to Indians, we live in the last, Iron Age, at its very beginning. This means there are still four hundred thousand years until the End of the World.

Scandinavians

The prophecy about this end of the world was made by a dead seer named Velva, who was temporarily revived by the supreme god of the Vikings, Odin, especially for this purpose. It begins with a monstrous earthquake. The rebel god Loki is freed from the yawning depths and leads his squad into the last battle. The giant wolf Fenrir swallows the sun, another wolf steals the moon. The dead ship Naglfar, made of nails, sails from the kingdom of the dead. The giant Surtr approaches from the south with a sword that is “brighter than the sun” (fire).

From the depths, throwing giant waves onto the land, the world serpent Jormungandr will emerge. Stars are falling from the sky. The ground is shaking. Ragnarok begins - the battle of gods and monsters, in which both die and at the end of which Surt burns the whole world with fire. But the death of the world, the end of the world, will be followed by its revival, two people - Div and Livtrasir - are saved by hiding in a grove, they will again give rise to the human race...

Muslims

The last days, the end of the world, will be preceded by times of godlessness and decline in morality. “Whoever enters the mosque will not perform prayer, the shopkeeper will weigh and measure, keeping dogs will become a more attractive occupation than raising a child,” “Drunkenness and usury will become commonplace,” etc. Then a descendant of Allah will appear with a cloud over his head. And an angel from this cloud will announce: “This is the Mahdi! Follow his commands!” Then the false prophet Dajjala will appear (short height, crooked legs, curly hair, one damaged eye) and call himself a god.

Then there will be signs - the sun will rise from the west, the earth will be enveloped in fog, from which the infidels will swell to death. After this, people will hear the sound of a trumpet. The Archangel Israphael will sound the trumpet. This sound will kill all living beings, and a terrible storm and strong earthquake will occur on Earth. All mountains will be destroyed to the ground. Then the archangel will blow the trumpet a second time, and then everyone will be resurrected and will be called to the Court of the Most High, where everyone will be judged according to their deeds.
What did our ancestors want to tell us when they left us warnings about the end of the world? A huge variety of “ends” converge in a single reason. Godlessness, low morality, environmental disaster - nature gets rid of garbage. Anyone who thinks about this once changes their life once and for all.

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RUSSIAN PEOPLES' FRIENDSHIP UNIVERSITY

Coursework in literature

on the topic of:

"Myths about the end of the world"

Completed by: FL student – ​​120

Checked:

Moscow 2006

1) Introduction………………………………………………………….

2) Hindu eschatology

3) Zoroastrian eschatology (Ancient Iran).

4) German-Scandinavian eschatology.

5) Christian Eschatology.

6) Islamic eschatology.

7) Comparison table

8) Description of the comparative table and conclusions from it

9) List of used literature

All myths are usually divided into several types:

1) Myths about animals and plants (myths about transformations).

2) Myths about heavenly bodies:

Solar (about the Sun)

Lunar (about the moon)

Astral (about stars and planets)

3) Myths about dying and rising gods (about the seasons)

4) Creation Myths:

Cosmogonic (about the origin of the world)

Theogonic (about the origin of the gods)

Anthropogonic (about the origin of man)

5) Myths about cultural heroes (about the origin of cultural goods)

6) Eschatological myths (about the end of the world)

Each division is conditional. But with the help of this division we can judge the degree of development of the civilization that created this or that myth. Initially, a person needs food - and he begins to come up with legends about what he eats (myths about animals and plants). Then he begins to think about why day gives way to night, and night gives way to day and make his own assumptions about this (myths about celestial bodies). Then a person begins to notice a change in climatic conditions in the area in which he lives (myths about the seasons). Since the change of day and night occurs more often than the change of seasons, our ancestors began to construct explanations for the change of day and night earlier than to explain the change of seasons. Therefore, we place myths about dying and resurrecting gods later than myths about heavenly bodies.

Sooner or later, a person comes to mastering fire, inventing tools, and thus myths appear about cultural heroes, mythical characters who somehow made the lives of others easier. Although this may not be an individual hero, but an entire people who taught another a certain craft and thus acquired a place in its mythology.

When a person determines for himself where it all began, he begins to ask the ensuing question: “How will it all end?” Thus, myths about the end of the world, that is, eschatological myths, are born.

Eschatology (the doctrine of the ultimate destinies of the world and humanity) is an integral part of any religious system. Eschatological views have a decisive influence on the ideological principles of religion, being their logical conclusion. The presence of eschatological myths testifies to the high level of development of the people who created them. The caveman will not be interested in the end of the world; he is busy with more pressing issues (searching for food, for example).

Hindu eschatology.

At the head of the Hindu pantheon are three gods:

Brahma is the creator of the world.

Vishnu protects the world created by Brahma. In some myths, he descends to Earth and incarnates into a mortal being to save the world and restore order (avatar).

Shiva destroys the world when it is filled with evil. At the same time, Shiva destroys the world not of his own evil will. Destroying the world is the purpose of this god.

Hindu eschatology is closely related to the concept of mythological time. The day-and-night (“kalpa”) of Brahma lasts 24,000 divine years. This time is divided into 4 periods, 4 “yugas” (yuga is the designation of the world period):

Kritayuga is a golden age, humanity is prospering, all people are righteous and just. This is the longest yuga.

Tretayuga is the Silver Age, vice appears, but it is still small. People begin to divide into classes and forget about duty. Religion turns from a spiritual need into a means to achieve personal goals.

Dvaparayuga is the Copper Age, evil and vices prevail. People turn away from debt. There is less good behavior, and more and more solemn rituals. Diseases and disasters begin. The single faith is divided into four parts (four castes in India).

Kaliyuga is the Iron Age, the shortest yuga, lawlessness reigns everywhere. According to ancient Indian mythology, Kaliyuga began on February 18, 3102 BC. e. (Accordingly, you can calculate the day of the end of the world). Everyone turns away from sacred duty. Virtue and good behavior disappear completely. Anger, sadness, hunger and fear reign in the world. The rulers behave like highway robbers, trying to seize power and wealth by any means. It is believed that our age - Kaliyuga - will perish from a fire that will burn everything. This era takes its name from the name of the goddess Kali (translated as “black”), the four-armed goddess of death, wife of Shiva,

After the end of Kaliyuga, Shiva “dances” destroys the world, the Sun burns all living things, the elements of matter disintegrate, space collapses and Ishvara (the image of the Absolute as the ruler of the manifest world) turns the Universe into his subtlest world. The night of Brahma comes, he rests for 12 thousand years, then Brahma wakes up and everything repeats all over again.

The myth of the visions of Markandeya can be considered part of Hindu mythology.

Markandeya was a legendary Indian sage. Vishnu showed him the Cow of the Law and showed him how at first she stood on four legs (kritayuga). Then, during the Tretayuga, the Cow of the Law removes one leg and stands on three legs. Fairness is reduced by one third. Then Dvaparayuga comes. The Cow of the Law is already standing on two legs. Justice is halved. When Kaliyuga occurs, the Cow of Law stands on one leg. There is only one quarter of justice and law left in the world. Then, the Cow of the Law will remove her last leg and fall - the world will collapse.

Zoroastrian eschatology (Ancient Iran).

Iranian mythology intersects with Indo-European mythology and the mythology of India in particular. This can be explained by the fact that the ancient settlements of both Iranians and Hindus arose during the Great Migration, that is, both mythologies were created by people who had the same ancestors.

Zoroastrianism got its name from the name of the prophet Zoroaster. The main role in the ritual of Zoroastrianism is played by fire, considered as the embodiment of divine justice.

At the head of the forces of good in Zoroastrianism is Ahura Mazda, at the head of the forces of evil is the hostile destructive spirit Angro Mainyu. Ahura-Mazda, knowing that it was impossible to eradicate evil, invited Angro-Mainya to fight for 9,000 years. Thus, the followers of this religion divided the history of the world into 3 periods (eras) of 3000 years each. In the last 3000 years, the era of the Separation of Good and Evil, three saviors will be born.

The first of the saviors will meet with Ahura Mazda and, returning to the physical world to people, will purify the faith. Then the first end of the world will come (in ancient Iranian mythology, the end of the world is called “frashkard”). Then wolves from all over the world will gather in one place and merge into one huge wolf. Righteous people will gather an army, perform a sacred ritual and fight the monster. They will kill the wolf with whips, daggers, spears and arrows. Wolfsbane will spread around and all the plants will die. Then it will rain endlessly and snow will fall. By the end of the terrible winter, wild animals will flock to people from everywhere. No one will kill them, but, on the contrary, will take care of the animals as if they were their own children.

Then the second Savior will appear and proclaim to people the forgotten law and faith. But again, like wolves once did, snakes of all varieties will crawl and grow together into a single body, and this giant snake will move towards people. And the righteous will again go out into battle and destroy the serpent. And a deva (devil) will arise in the form of a black locust and enter the body of a two-legged deva. Then the terrible dragon Azhi Dahak, chained in the crater of the volcano, will break free. He will devour a third of people, cows and sheep. Fire, water and plants will come to Ahura Mazda and pray to him. The Creator will awaken the mighty warrior Kersaspa herself from sleep and he will destroy Dahaka. After this, Ahura Mazda will begin to destroy the world.

The whole world will be engulfed in fire (the personification of divine justice), all the dead will be resurrected and judged. A stream of molten copper will spill onto the ground. To the righteous it will seem like warm milk, but to the sinners it will burn in torment. Then the stream of molten metal will reach hell and Angro Mainyu, along with his minions, will be destroyed forever. Each soul will have to cross the horsehair-thin Bridge of Selection (Chinwa Bridge) leading to heaven (the House of Songs). After this, the earth will turn into a flowering plain and people will stop eating meat. Eternal spring will come.

German-Scandinavian eschatology.

In German-Scandinavian mythology, the myth about the end of the world is called Ragnarok. Ragnarok is the most terrible, the most eerie and yet the most poetic of the Scandinavian myths.

The word "Ragnarok" literally means "fate or doom of the gods." This concept includes the complete destruction of everything by the forces of evil, and in history there is, perhaps, no second equally gloomy concept of the fate of humanity and the gods created by it. It is of great importance that the gods know from the very beginning that the end of the world cannot be prevented.

The gods in German-Scandinavian mythology are no less responsible for evil on earth than people. In particular, the gods are responsible for the emergence of greed in people; the god of justice Tyr resorted to deception in order to put the wolf Fenrir on a chain. This chain was indestructible, but with every bad human act the chain became weaker.

The prelude to Ragnarok will be the decline of human morality. Brother will go against brother for the sake of profit, neither father nor son will stir a feeling of pity for each other. Chained by a dwarven chain, the giant wolf Fenrir will break free and swallow the Sun. Then the fierce winter of Fimbulvetr will come - three winters in a row all year round, and there will be no other seasons, only snow will fall from all sides.

Following this, rocks and entire mountain ranges will begin to collapse. These powerful shocks will break the chains and shackles in which all their main enemies were shackled by the gods. Water will begin to flood the land, because the World Serpent Ermungand will turn over in the sea, and in great anger will crawl to the shore, spewing poison onto heaven and earth.

Then the ship Naglfar, made from the nails of the dead and equipped in the swamps of Hel (the underworld), will break loose from its anchor and float, caught up by a gigantic shaft. On board is a team of the dead and the villain Loki, who has awakened from paralysis and broken his stone shackles. This ghost ship is ruled by a giant named Moody. The terrible dog Garm will also break free.

And then the sky, which has become ominous, will split in two, and an army of the sons of Muspell will appear. Muspell (or Muspellsheim) is a fiery country that existed even before the beginning of creation. Muspell is the abode of fiery giants, similar to animated volcanoes: fiery rays burst out of their eyes, and lava came out of the cracks in their dark bodies. The warriors held huge granite clubs in their paws. At the head of this army rode the giant Surt.

All this army of darkness will gather on the Vigrid field and oppose the gods (Aesir). Ahead of the Aesir army will be the supreme god Odin riding on his horse, followed by the thunderer Thor with his hammer, Odin's son Thor, the god of war Tyr and the rest of the gods and warriors.

Thor, seeing Jormungand, will separate from the main army and go to measure his strength with the World Serpent.

Thus begins the battle of the gods with the world's evil.

The frantic Fenrir will be the first to rush into battle and swallow Odin, but one of the sons of the supreme god will press the wolf’s lower jaw to the ground with his foot, grab his upper jaw with his hand and tear his mouth apart.

Here the dog Garm will rush forward and, flooding the ground with stinking foamy saliva, will enter into battle with Tyr. After a fierce fight, they will strike each other to death.

Thor will kill the World Serpent, but will not be able to come to the aid of the other gods, since, having moved only nine steps from the defeated snake, he will fall, poisoned by its poison.

The treacherous Loki will also die in this battle. Surtr, seeing that the advantage over the army of the Aesir was not coming, would spew out an all-consuming flame and burn the world.

This will end the battle between good and evil, in which evil will win.

After this, the world will be reborn again, younger gods who were not responsible for the mistakes of the previous ones will emerge from the kingdom of the dead and will create a new world.

Christian Eschatology.

Christian eschatology is revealed in the revelation of John the Theologian.

This passage of the Bible says that four horsemen will come to earth. Behind them there will be a great earthquake, the Sun will turn pale, and the Moon will become red as blood, stars will begin to fall on the Earth. Because of this, the sky will disappear “rolled up like a scroll” and the continents will begin to move (“and every mountain and island moved from their places”). All people will hide in the caves and gorges of the mountains and begin to beg them to hide from the wrath of God.

Then the Angel will mark with the seal of God those who led a righteous life - and they will be saved, ascending to the abode of God. After which seven angels will blow trumpets and disasters will fall on the Earth (earthquakes, hail, fires, volcanic eruptions, etc.).

Then a meteorite will fall to the ground, and huge locusts will emerge from the crevice it creates and begin to sting sinners. These locusts will be the size of horses, with human faces and lion teeth and stings like scorpions. Its bites will not kill, but only torment people, like scorpion stings. Even those sinners who want to die cannot die. This will continue for five months, after which there will be an invasion of four Angels at the head of an army on horses spewing fire, smoke and brimstone.

After the seventh Angel blows the trumpet, the Earth will become the “Kingdom of the Lord.”

Then a sign will appear in the sky - a woman “clothed with the Sun” and a huge red dragon with seven heads. The woman will give birth to a child, and a war for him will begin between the dragon and the Angels. At the end of this war, the Angels will cast down the dragon (devil) to Earth and he will rule on earth (the personification of vice). Then God will command his seven Angels to pour 7 bowls of wrath onto the Earth. And people who find themselves in the power of the devil will begin to suffer again: purulent wounds will appear on their bodies, all life in the seas will die, the Sun will begin to burn people with fire, etc. The city of Babylon, which has become a symbol of the sinfulness of people, will be destroyed. After this, the army of the Beast (vice) and the kings of the earth will fight with the army of God and lose, the Beast and his false prophet will be thrown into the lake of fire. The dragon will be bound and thrown into the abyss for a thousand years, after which he will be released and will again tempt the nations. Then God will burn the nations that have again submitted to the devil, and throw the dragon himself into the lake of fire to the Beast and the false prophet.

Then the judgment of the dead will begin and everyone will be rewarded according to their deserts: the sinners will be thrown into the lake of fire, and the righteous will see a new world and a new Jerusalem (paradise), in which there will be no illnesses, sorrows and misfortunes.

Islamic eschatology.

Belief in the Day of Judgment is one of the main tenets of faith in Islam. Muslims believe that on a day known only to God (Allah), when He sees fit, this world will come to an end as a result of a terrifying, unimaginable cosmic cataclysm. Archangel Israfil will blow into a huge trumpet called “Su"ur” and the End of the World will come. The terrible sound of the trumpet will kill all living beings and a terrible storm, a strong earthquake will occur on the earth. Not only the buildings of people will collapse, but all the mountains will be destroyed to the ground. The End The Light will affect not only the Earth, but the harmony of the entire universe will be disrupted and as a result of the cataclysm, the entire universe will be reorganized.

After a certain time allotted for such a reorganization, Archangel Israfil (peace be upon him) will blow the “Su”ur trumpet a second time. After the second voice of “Su”ur”, all the dead will rise and will be called to the “Mahshar” field, where Allah Almighty will be administer Your Fair Judgment. Each resurrected person will be given a book with his deeds.

Belief in the Day of Judgment is also belief in the existence of Libra Mizan. All good deeds and sins will be weighed on these scales. Nothing can be hidden. Those who have lived a pious life will immediately go to heaven (the Gardens of Adna) and experience happiness, the understanding of which lies far beyond human imagination. And those who did not believe in the One God, Allah, will remain in continuous, terrible fire among a disgusting environment and the same friends in misfortune. The Koran (the holy book of Muslims) says that non-believers will want to have another opportunity to return to the world in order to live their lives differently in the light of their new knowledge of Genesis, but it will be too late.

	Hinduism	Zoroastrianism	Germanic-Scandinavian mythology	Christianity	Islam
Who will prevent the end of the world.	Nobody. The end of the world is in order for Hindus. Everything should take its course.	People. Only after this will the kind supreme being stand up for them.	Gods. They will sacrifice themselves, even knowing that they cannot win.	Sinners and the devil. The world that will exist before the end of the world will satisfy only them.	Nobody. No one can resist the power of God.
Natural catastrophes before the end of the world (earthquakes).		Yes. Before the end of the world there will be a plague of locusts and a long winter.	Yes. The Sun and Moon are involved in cataclysms. There will be a long winter before the end of the world.	Before the end of the world there will be a plague of locusts. The Sun and Moon are involved in cataclysms.
End date Sveta.	Known.	Roughly known.		Unknown. The end of the world will come when evil finally prevails.	Known only to God. The end of the world will come unexpectedly, but there are signs of the end of the world, which in some places have come true.
Who died as a result of the end of the world.	All people.	Sinners.	All people and all gods.	Sinners.	Sinners.
Which means the end of the world.	Death of the world.	Cleansing and renewal.	Cleansing and renewal.		Reward to everyone for what they have accomplished.
Blame for the end of the world	People and gods are not guilty		Both gods and people	Yes, the angels cast down the dragon into our world

1) Who will prevent the end of the world:

By comparing all five columns, we can judge the worldviews of all five peoples. The two poles here are the Scandinavians and the Hindus. Hinduism is characterized by subordination to the general flow of events. The Scandinavians resist the end of the world until the very end, at the same time the gods realize that this struggle is useless (you cannot escape fate). However, here another incentive comes into force - the heroes fight in the name of posthumous glory. Perhaps the reason for such different perceptions of fate was the difference in the living conditions of the peoples (peaceful Indian pastoralists and warlike barbarians of the Scandinavian Peninsula, for whom war is a way of survival).

The contradictions between Iranians and Hindus, as two antagonistic peoples (the conflict between pastoralists and farmers is inevitable) are also revealed in their eschatologies. The supreme deity, the highest power among the Hindus (their own god) destroys the world, while among the Iranians, God saves people by punishing only sinners. In general, Hindu mythology is interesting because it is the whole world that is filled with evil, and not just individual sinners who force God to destroy the world.

As for Christianity and Islam, in both of these religions, opposing the end of the world is completely the lot of sinners. The only difference is that in Islam the “infidels” simply will not be able to resist God and will automatically come under his control. Thus, the preachers of Allah are once again trying to emphasize the greatness of their God.

2) Natural disasters before the end of the world:

In all mythologies, the end of the world occurs due to a natural disaster (in Hinduism, however, the end of the world is personified to a greater extent than anywhere else). This is not a coincidence; for people creating mythology, at that time the most terrible disaster was earthquakes, hail, etc. Man at that time had not yet mastered the forces of nature to such an extent as to be afraid of himself (for example, errors in a nuclear reactor ).

An interesting fact is the detailed description in Ancient Iranian and Christian eschatologies of the threat associated with locusts. This may be a consequence of the adoption of mythological stories between peoples. As you know, the first steps towards monotheism were taken in Zoroastrianism, and Christianity is a vivid example of monotheism. In Scandinavian and Christian mythologies, natural disasters are directly associated with the Sun and Moon. This suggests that the ethnic groups who created these myths mastered the principles of astronomy and understood the connection between cosmic objects; in Viking eschatology, a direct connection was also established between the Sun and the temperature on Earth (winter Fimbulvetr after Fenrir swallows the Sun).

3) Date of the end of the world:

Islam occupies a special place in this aspect. The Koran describes the moment in which the prophet of Allah Muhammad was asked about the day of the End of the World. In response, he asked how the questioner was sure that the End of the World was not beyond the threshold. For Muslims, the End of the World can come any day; their world is already filled with evil. This attitude towards the Last Day can be considered as another method of forcing those who believe in Allah to lead a righteous life, presenting them with the fact of an imminent end.

In Hinduism and Zoroastrianism, as in more ancient religions, there is a certain date for the end of the world. It is not found in Christianity and German-Scandinavian mythology, as in later-formed religions. This indicates the increasing share of philosophy in religion (now the onset or approach of the end of the world depends on everyone).

4) Who will die as a result of the end of the world (which means the end of the world):

Also, the growing share of Gnostics (Gnostics is a combination of religion and philosophy) can be judged by the facts that Hindu eschatology leaves no one alive (for this mythology, the end of the world is really its end). At this time, among Zoroastrians, Muslims and Christians, those who led a righteous lifestyle will remain alive (or be reborn in a new, reborn world). So, allegorically, people who preach this or that religion are given life priorities. In German-Scandinavian mythology, gods and people die, but after the destruction of the previous world, unjustly killed gods who were not responsible for the mistakes of the previous ones will emerge from the Kingdom of the Dead and create a new world. To some extent, this is a kind of rebirth.

For Muslims and Christians, after the end of the world, a new world is not born; people remain either in hell or in heaven. These two religions position our world as the final and only one - this imposes an additional share of responsibility on believers.

1) Mythology. Encyclopedia, - M.: Bel

S. Fingaret "Myths and Legends of the Ancient East", - M.: Norint, 2002

2) http://persian. ***** History and mythology of Ancient Iran. Frashcard Alexey Fantalov

http://job. *****/book_print. php? id=32502&page=1 Anatoly Sutugin Pagnarok - the death of the gods and the whole world. Library Samizdat Publishing system Userline.

Bible, -M.: United Bible Societies 199 pages

From Islam ru: http://www. *****/vera/polojenie/sudday Judgment Day Islam. Ru – Independent Islamic Information Channel

It just so happens that in all religions the end of the world is spelled out in one way or another.
According to VTsIOM, about 10% of the Russian population believes in the end of the world. People are simply tired of worrying and thinking about tomorrow. To call what is happening mass psychosis is an exaggeration; it is rather an information virus organized by the media to attract attention both to themselves and to trade, speculating on mass psychosis. In order to achieve your personal reset, the end of the world is not necessary. Looking for strength to live without fear of the end is the self-organization of society at a higher moral and spiritual level, which we do not have now, as well as the family.

One of the options for the end of the world is played out in the series God of Gods Mahadev (Part 3)- episode 528, when Parvati absorbed her husband Mahadev (Shiva), being in the incarnation of the Goddess Kali, thereby disrupting the balance of the Universe.

Watching Parvati consume the Universe, Vishnu says: “This is the end of the Universe.”

Parvati swallows the Universe

And only Vishnu, with his Divine song, was able to break into Parvati’s consciousness so that she would finally remember who she is and what her responsibility is to Nature.

When Brahma is awake, the so-called “day of Brahma” begins, the creation of the world occurs. The period when Brahma sleeps is called “the night of Brahma,” at which time the world collapses into a point and all development ceases. Brahma's day and night last 24,000 years. The Hindus call this period of time “kalpa”. “Kalpa” is divided into world periods or “yugas”, in each of which humanity is at a certain level of spiritual development.

The first period is called Krita Yuga in Sanskrit - this is

"golden age"to Earth Yes, it lasts longer than all the others. People obey the laws of supreme justice, honor the gods, lead a righteous lifestyle and strive for self-improvement. Therefore, there are no wars, poverty, grief or disease in the world, and every person has everything they need for prosperity and well-being.

The second period is Treta Yuga, this is already

"silver age" . The world is not as ideal as in the first period; humanity is divided into classes, each of which has not only its own merits, but also some vices. Religion begins to turn into a tool for controlling people, used for the purpose of acquiring power and wealth.

In the third period, these negative processes continue to develop. Dvapara Yuga or

"Copper Age", is characterized by a decline in morality in society, a loss of connection with the gods, and the transformation of religion into a series of magnificent rituals, behind which emptiness is often hidden. Natural disasters and diseases strike people who have lost their moral guidelines.

And finally, the shortest world period begins - Kali Yuga or Yuga

"iron". The name speaks for itself here, since it is difficult to compare simple iron with pure gold. Likewise, the people of Kali Yuga differ significantly from their ancestors who lived during the “golden age”. The true divine laws have been forgotten, they have been replaced by the laws of force, money and power. “He who is stronger is right,” as the proverb says. The rulers do not try to educate and develop their people, because they themselves indulge in laziness and debauchery. Kali Yuga is translated from Sanskrit as “black” - this is one of the names of the wife of the god Shiva. Kali, in Hindu mythology, is the goddess of death. The corruption and degradation of society goes so far that the only way out of this situation is the destruction of the old, outdated world. The beginning of Kali Yuga falls on February 18, 3012 BC. From this date the countdown to the end of the world begins.Now, according to Indians, we live in the last, Iron Age, at its very beginning.
The negativity of this time is now clearly visible throughout the world. In India, for example, the lack of spirituality of the upper strata of the elite has reached such a climax that they are completely indifferent to the misfortunes of their own people, they simply do not notice their troubles, floods, and poverty. Apparently, therefore, in order to somehow spiritually influence the soulless rich layer and strengthen the spirit of the poor layer of the population, spiritual and moral series began to be produced in India and this is an order of the Indian government in order to attract young people to the sacred scriptures and distract them from bad thoughts and actions - for example, the series Mahabharat, the series God of Gods Mahadev (Shiva)

Vishnu and his divine play (lila) are the creation that supports and destroys countless worlds. The main functions of Vishnu are maintaining dharma and destroying evil. In order to punish evildoers and protect virtuous people, Vishnu periodically descends into this world in the form of avatars. The Puranas contain a description of the ten main avatars of Vishnu, nine of which had already appeared on Earth and completed their mission, and the last one is the tenth avatar of Kalki, in this avatar he is depicted as white on a black horse or vice versa - black on a white horse, holding a flaming sword in his hand , with which he exterminates enemies, destroys the world and restores dharma. Dharma is the observance of norms and rules that are necessary to maintain cosmic order; also, depending on the context, dharma can mean “moral principles”, “religious duty”, “universal law of existence”, etc.
The tenth avatar of Vishnu is Kalka must descend at the very end of Kali Yuga. Kali Yuga is the fourth and final era in the Hindu time cycle. Characterized by a decline in morality, as the good in the world is reduced to one quarter of its original state. Variants of interpretation of the name: “age of the demon Kali”, “iron age”, “age of discord”. Indian literature gives different dates for Kali Yuga. According to the Puranas, Kali Yuga began at midnight on January 23, 3102 BC. e. (according to the Gregorian calendar). The duration of the Kali Yuga era is 432 thousand years. (Note: so people will have to suffer for a very, very long time).
The Mahabharata (chapters 186 - 189) describes that this is the worst age, when the life expectancy of people decreases to 100 years, when general economic and spiritual degradation sets in, when people show the most terrible and disgusting qualities. Their courage, intelligence and strength weaken. People's behavior begins to be controlled by anger, envy and ambition. People become deceitful and keep only the appearance of sacrifices, gifts and vows. Brahmins stop praying, retreat from making sacrifices and reading the Vedas, forget about funeral sacrifices and eat whatever they can. The loss of moral values ​​and oblivion of duty ultimately turns against the very carriers of evil and vice. The rulers who became tyrants in this era are unable either to keep people in obedience or to protect their peoples from the attacks of other peoples who have fallen into a state of barbarism, forgetting virtues and making sacrifices to the gods. Kali Yuga ends when evil and violence fill the entire world, which then collapses - pralaya (a period of inactivity in the Universe). Thus, the Maha-yuga (Manvantara) ends, and the circle of eras resumes.
However, it would be wrong to call Kali Yuga a complete dark spot on world history. Even in this “age of the demon” there is a short (by the standards of Kali Yuga) period of “golden time”. In the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Krishna tells Ganga devi that 5,000 years after the onset of Kali Yuga, a special time will come - the Golden Age of Kali, which will last 10,000 years. And this is great news for us living today: after all, given that it is now 5117 years since the start of Kali Yuga, we have been living in the “golden age of Kali” for 117 years.
Special hopes are placed on this period, up to the cancellation of the coming apocalypse. If in 10 thousand years all the light forces can recognize each other and unite, then perhaps the decisive battle between Sri Kalki and Kali will not happen, and the world will move on to a new era in a soft and painless way.

The end of the world will begin when god Shiva performs his dance of destruction, and the Sun will send its rays to the earth, which will burn all living things. The material world will disintegrate into primary elements and the “night of Brahma” will begin, which will last 12,000 years. Then Brahma will awaken again and a new cosmic cycle of creation will begin.

Unlike Zoroastrians, Indians operate over much longer periods.
According to their ideas, the duration of the existence of the Universe - a day of Brahma - is 8,640,000,000 years. This day consists of 2 thousand mahayugas (major yugas - periods). One Mahadaga or period of Manu is 4,320,000 years. This great yuga, in turn, is divided into four ordinary yugas:
1) Satyayuga - golden age of 1,728,000 earth years;
2) Tretayuga - Silver Age 1,296,000 years;
3) dvaparayuga - copper age 864,000 years and
4) Kadyuga - Iron Age 432,000 years.
This means, according to their calculation and representation, There are still four hundred thousand years until the End of the World.

Buddhist predictions about the end of the world.
The ideas of the end of the world in each religion have similar features and each religion describes the apocalypse differently.
Buddhism today is practiced not only in India, but also in other parts of the planet. Adherents of the Buddha predict the end of the world for all humanity and claim that the world was created by Higher powers, and will be destroyed by them. Buddhist predictions indicate that human civilization will have to face serious challenges three times, putting its survival in jeopardy. These three tests - three periods in Buddhism - are called kalpas and have their own characteristic features.

The first kalpa is the period of creation. During this period, people only learn about the world around them through creation and try to understand the laws according to which the world develops.

The second kalpa is the period marking the flowering of human civilization, where people make great discoveries and amazing inventions.

The third kalpa is the period of decay. During this period, the collapse of the lower worlds begins. The whole world, like a sheet of paper, folds up, and after a while it unfolds, but after that there is nothing living left on it. During the period of collapse, only the higher worlds, the gods of Brahma, will not suffer.

Buddhism teaches that the end of the world will come when the entire earth is engulfed in fire. The emergence of fire will be facilitated by the appearance of seven suns. They will burn and evaporate everything, and life will arise in this reservoir, which will mark the beginning of a new civilization.

Buddhism says that the change of civilizations occurs due to the fault of humanity. People destroy themselves, and they cannot explain why they do it.

Buddhism does not give an exact date for the end of the world, however, there are some signs of when it will happen. So, according to Buddhist belief, a thousand Buddhas should come into the world, and only with the death of the last one, human civilization will cease to exist and the end of the world will come. At the moment we are experiencing the reign of the fourth Buddha - Shikya Muni, and

We have at least another thirty-nine billion years to wait until the end of the world!

Mythology of the Middle East Hook Samuel

Eschatological myth (end of the world myth)

Eschatological myths are a distinctive feature of the Jewish and Christian thought traditions. Perhaps they learned something from the eschatology of Zoroastrianism. In the writings of the prophets, and most of all in apocalyptic literature, the idea of ​​a catastrophic end of the world occupies a significant place. The prophets believed that the "history of salvation" must involve the decisive intervention of divine powers. “And it will happen in the last days” is a typical phrase in prophetic literature. When prophets try to describe the end of the world, they are forced to resort to the language of myth. The description of Marduk's victory over the dragon, the lord of chaos in the Babylonian creation epic, provides them with the images and images needed to describe Yahweh's decisive victory over the forces of evil. Just as the divine act of creation lies somewhere outside of historical realities and can only be described in the language of myth, so the divine act that completes history can only be described in the same language. From Judaism, the eschatological use of myth was transferred to Christianity, where it was fully manifested in the Revelation of John the Theologian.

It must be said that the use of this category of myths in the Gospel texts in no way calls into question their historical accuracy. However, for those who believe (as did the prophets and the first disciples of Christ) that God entered human history, there are some moments in history when events occur whose causes and nature lie beyond the boundaries of historical causation. Here the function of myth is to express through symbolic images that which cannot be expressed in any other way. So myth becomes a continuation of symbolism.

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3.5.4. Another possible conclusion about the main content of the promised revelation is the eschatological judgment of God. A. Garrow believes that the most important thing in the content of the promised revelation is the eschatological judgment of God. Revelation 14 announces judgment on the kingdom of the beast: “Who

What are the myths about the end of the world called? and got the best answer

Answer from Sanya Sanych[guru]
ESCHATOLOGICAL MYTHS
(from the Greek zshatos - “last”), myths about the end of the world.
Archaic mythologies are characterized by the idea of ​​a world catastrophe separating the mythological times of first creation from the present - a flood, a fire, the disappearance (destruction) of the first generations - giants, etc. Primitive E. m. are far from ethical principles: for example, among the Kets there was a series of floods represented as "rinsing the earth", living beings are saved on the islands; Among the Sami, eschatological myths are associated with the myth of a heavenly hunt - with the death of Mändash the world will perish.
The developed Eschatological myths corresponded to cosmogonic myths about the confrontation between the forces of chaos and space, calendar myths about the dying of nature deities, ideas about death and the afterlife, and especially about the lost golden age, the imperfection of the world and people.
Typical myths are about cosmic cycles (cf. kalpa), in Aztec mythology - the era of four suns: the first incarnation of the sun was Geekathgpoka, the era ended with the destruction of a generation of giants by jaguars; the era of the second sun - Netzalcoatl - ended with hurricanes, people turned into monkeys, the era of the sun - Tlaloc ended with a universal fire, the era of Chalchiupisue - with a flood; delay the end of the fifth era; Tonatiu can make regular sacrifices designed to support the powers of the gods.
Hisiod's ideas about the decline of virtue with each new cosmic cycle of the golden age to the iron age. st Kritayuga to Kaliyuga (see Yuga) in Hindu mythology] were most consistently developed in Iranian mythology: the space eras were perceived as the epotte of the universal struggle between good and evil, Ahurama, and Anglo-Mainyu. God is in the last battle." (ahuras) will defeat the spirits of evil (cf. Scandinavian ideas about the “fate of the gods” - Ragnarok, the world will be renewed in a universal fire, the righteous will be saved by saoshyant. The expectation of the Messiah - the savior of humanity on the day of the Last Judgment - becomes the main motive; "E.M. Judaism, Christianity , numerous messianic (cf. Mani) and prophetic movements.
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Answer from 3 answers[guru]

Hello! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: what are the myths about the end of the world called?

Is it not easy to deal with Koschei? His death is at the end of a needle, that needle in an egg, an egg in a duck, a duck in a hare, a hare in a chest? see below:
#yaimg192579#The image of Koshchei expresses the world of violence and misanthropy. Undoubtedly, Koschey -