In many ancient civilizations the surrounding physical geography has played a role in the development of mythology and more specifically our creation. The interdependence on the Nile for survival for early Egyptians was crucial in their culture developing their creation story. Watching the rise and fall of the Nile from wet to dry season, from feast to famine was the basis for the understanding of water to be where all things come from. This is attention to the surrounding geography also led to the Gods residing on Olympus which is the highest mountain in Greece which was then impossible to climb. In most any mythology you will see a connection to the surroundings of the culture, the very fact that most gods and goddesses are caretakers or the cause of natural structures or occurrences lends to this. Geological evolution caused by tectonic activity and erosion is even documented in Iroquois creation myths as two brothers one good one evil in a cycle of creation and destruction.
The world around us has had such a role in inspiring our very notion of our creation and the nature of the universe. We may not claim that sea monsters live in the oceans now that we have explored them or think that gods live on mountain tops but the world around us provides just as much wonder and beauty today as it did then.
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