Audrey Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Harte Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I don't know. Perhaps ice dam floods are far
> more
> > impressicve.
> >
> > Also, I presume there are myths of volcanoes
> and
> > earthquakes in areas where volcanoes and
> > earthquakes are prevalent. Floods happen
> > everywhere though.
>
> California is famous for its fault lines, yet
> there are no legends of earthquakes. I haven't yet
> come across a stand alone earthquake or volcano
> myth. The earthquakes happened in conjunction with
> floods and other events. [/quote]
Both volcanoes and earthquakes figure into several indigenous myths ( 1, 2, 3, 4.) But since neither typically wipe out entire areas, maybe they aren't stressed as much as a tsunami is. That is, earthquakes and volcanoes aren't typically the main subject of a myth like a megaflood is.
>
> > Regarding the vessel, the descriptions vary.
> As
> > far as common details, though, didn't I already
> > say that this could be conflation due to
> cultural
> > contacts?
>
> So you would explain flood myths in the Americas
> with cultural contacts?
> How long would it take for a flood story to travel
> from the Mesopotamia area to the Americas? Also to
> Japan, Australia and Alaska? Are you saying the
> flood myths arrived in other continents recently,
> since you have to allow time for migration? [/quiote]
No, actual floods can also explain flood myths.
Seen any scablands?
>
> One or two towns flooded does not a myth make. We
> see floods yearly, as ancient man would have seen
> living along rivers. A river overflowing or an
> earthen levee bursting would not be the stuff of
> legends. It would have to be an extraordinary
> event to be worthy of passing generation to
> generation. So what would have caused such
> catastrophic floods? If you blame glacial melting
> then you have to go back to the end of the last
> ice age. Are you saying the flood myths originated
> 10,000 bc and spread to continents? [/quote]
Didn't I already say that?

Besides, earthquakes cause tsunamis. Also, gigantic tsunamis can be generated by landslides.

> If you think the myths originated in Mesopotamia
> or shortly before, then aren't you assuming
> ancient man was an idiot who believed every
> fantastic tale told him by foreigners?
You don't read well, do you.
I never said the above - in fact I implied the contrary.

>That there
> were none who said..... ya right. That they had
> never witnessed or heard of a rain flooded valley
> or a river overflowing, and were so simpleminded
> that they exaggerated a local flood into a global
> flood. They were too stupid to know the
> difference? Well if the myth spread to other
> continents then they were traveling and would have
> seen the land was or was not devastated by a
> global flood. And they didn't stop to think....
> what a load of bs that story was. Because ??

No, I think modern man is an idiot who believes everything he's told. One need only read posts on this very forum for examples.

What I said is that what we refer to as myths may have been stories passed on for entertainment purposes, until better entertainment was available.

>
> Because it wasn't "conflation due to cultural
> contacts". To allow for migration time for
> cultural contacts you have to place the floods
> much further back in time, meaning the myths
> survived by word of mouth alone for thousands of
> years and elements were added that local tribes
> couldn't possibly know of.

Floods happen everywhere.
>
> And the American natives whose myth involves going
> underground or floating in tree trunks, weren't
> they making canoes at the time? But they were too
> stupid to conceive of a giant canoe so they put
> their survivors in tree trunks?
>
Myths contain crazy ideas, don't they.
> And why would some myths speak of land appearing
> or land disappearing? A local flood wouldn't make
> land suddenly appear.

An earthquake would.
> And how would you explain the Australian
> aborigines, whose culture predates Mesopotamia,
> having flood myths that contain elements not found
> in Gilgamesh? They just embellished stories
> before Mesopotamia created them?

I dunno... floods maybe?

> And what of the Cave of Swimmers? The Sahara was
> wet enough for swimming with whales?
>
Cave whales - a little known ancient species.

Harte