Myth Comparison
Here is a table comparing the flood narratives found in Gilgamesh, Rig Veda, Genesis, and Ovid’s Metamorphoses.
Gilgamesh Rig Veda Genesis Ovid’s Metamorphoses
The flood lasted for six days and seven nights. The flood lasted a full year. The rain lasted for forty full days without stop. It is not told how long it rained to cause the flood.
All kinds of animals were brought on the boat. No animals were saved. Noah welcomed all kinds of animals to enter in pairs. No animals mentioned.
An ark was built to carry only his family and the builders of the boat. A boat was built to float on the flood waters. Noah, his wife and sons, and the wives of his sons were the only people who entered the ark. Deucalion was happy to escape the flood.
A dove, swallow, and raven were sent out to find dry land, with only the raven being successful. No birds were sent afterwards Noah first sent out a raven, then a dove, with the dove being successful. No birds were used in this story.
The flood covered everything except the mountain tops. The flood occupied most of the land as a whole. The flood covered the earth as a whole. The flood occupied most of the land mass.
The boat eventually stopped on Mount Nimush, or modern day Pakistan. It is not mentioned where the boat eventually stopped. The ark came to stop on the mountainous regions within Ararat. Triton used his shell to call back the flood waters.
An offering was set up to the four directions of the earth using reeds, cedar, and myrtle. An offering of Purusa with oil and wood was made. Noah made an offering of each clean cattle and bird to God. There was no offering.
The idea to build an ark came to Utanapishtim in a dream. It is not mentioned how the idea to build a boat came about God revealed to Noah his plans to send a flood to punish mankind and asked him to build an ark. Deucalion managed to escape the flood, but there is no mention of a plan to build a boat.
Utanapishtim and his wife lived at the source of the rivers, separated from everyone else. The flood started from the Seven Rivers. Noah, his family and the animals entered the ark before the rains started. The flood just started, with no specified origin or direction.
The boat was sealed using pitch and tar No mention of how the boat was built. Noah used pitch to caulk the ark on the inside and outside. There is nothing mentioned about the boat that Deucalion used.
The flood symbolized cleansing of the world. The flood was to cleanse the world and make it pure again. God wanted to rid the earth of all sinners. Everyone on earth had sinned, so the whole world was being punished.
There are several notable similarities between the four stories, even though they belong to different eras and civilizations. The common theme is that mankind sinned and made God/the Gods angry. The Gods decided to punish mankind by sending a flood to submerge the whole earth (Puchner 2012). In all the stories, a few people survive the flood to represent continuity of mankind after the floods subside. The similarities between the stories may mean they are versions of a common original story.
It is clear that the four cultures above have strong cultural values that govern their day-to-day life. Religion plays an important role, and they all believe that God/Gods have power to destroy the earth. In each culture, a majority of the people have turned against the societal teachings and sinned against their respective gods. These stories are trying to send the message that if people sin and turn against god, they will be punished.
References
Puchner, M. (2012). Norton Anthology of World Literature: Beginnings to 1650 (3rd Ed.). New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
