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Central Asian Mythology

Central Asian Creation and Devil-Tricksters

What are some examples of Central Asian creation myths?

Each Central Asian group has its own creation myth, but the theme of the struggle between the creator and the devil-creator provides a consistency to the various myths of the Central Asian peoples. Also consistent is the theme of the earth-diver creation. The archetypal skeleton behind the Central Asian creation myths is evident, for instance, in a wide variety of cultures that include the Turkic, the Tungus, the Buryat, the Mongolian, and other peoples of Siberia and the Caucasus.