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There is significant scientific proof indicating that Earth once went through a deluge so vast that it engulfed the entire globe, eradicating both humans and animals. In Western traditions, the tale of Noah’s Ark is widely recognized, and the concept of the Great Flood is closely linked to several religious beliefs.
Interestingly, almost every civilization around the world has its own rendition of a Great Flood myth. Some of these stories are intertwined with elements of magic and mythology, while others present the flood as a true historical event.
10. The Great Flood in Chinese Mythology
Around 1920 BC in China, the great flood story didn’t cover the entire globe. However, for the residents of Lajia in the northwestern Qinghai province, it must have felt as if the world was submerged.
The disaster began with a powerful earthquake, which caused rocks to tumble down from the mountains, obstructing the Yellow River and forming a natural dam. The earthquake claimed many lives, and archaeologists have likened the scene to Pompeii, with many bodies found in their original homes, preserved under layers of sediment.
Lajia’s troubles didn’t end there. The natural dam began accumulating rainwater for a whole year before it finally collapsed, unleashing a catastrophic flood that claimed even more lives. Survivors fled to higher ground, where the vast expanse of water stretched out as far as they could see.
Emperor Yu spent 22 years rerouting the floodwaters. Once the land was restored to the people, Yu set about rebuilding Chinese civilization from the ground up. Over millennia, as the story was passed down orally, it grew more dramatic and elaborate.
This prompted many modern individuals to dismiss the tale as mere legend. However, scientists have examined the rock formations near the Yellow River and confirmed that the flood was, indeed, a real event.
9. Matsya’s Prophecy
In Hindu belief, the god Vishnu manifests in 10 different avatars, one of which is the fish named Matsya.
Indian mythology tells the tale of King Manu, who, upon pouring water into his hands, discovered a tiny fish. The fish pleaded for his help to survive, and the king decided to place it in a pitcher of water.
By the following day, the fish had grown substantially, prompting King Manu to move it to larger containers. Eventually, the fish became so enormous that he took it to the ocean. It was then that the fish revealed itself as Vishnu, who, in gratitude for the king’s kindness, warned him of an impending terrible drought, followed by relentless rains and a devastating flood.
Vishnu instructed King Manu to gather all the living plants and animals to ensure their survival during the flood, placing them aboard a massive boat. Along with the king, seven sages and their families joined the voyage. These sages were revered for their wisdom, holding the entirety of the world’s knowledge. After the floodwaters receded, they settled on a mountaintop, where they began to rebuild civilization.
8. The Gateway to the Fourth World
In Native American folklore, humanity’s existence is divided into four distinct worlds: the first, second, third, and fourth. Almost every Native American tribe tells a version of a great flood myth. The flood occurs when the creator gods, displeased with humanity’s behavior, decide to start anew by sending a flood to cover the Earth.
Sound familiar? Author Paul Goble suggests that these Native American creation stories should be approached with some skepticism. Many of the accounts, written in English, were influenced by Christian colonists who criticized and adapted the native myths, even attempting to impose the Noah’s Ark narrative onto them. Goble’s research uncovered the most authentic version of a creation story from the Algonquin tribe.
In the myth, the Earth split open, releasing water that wiped out all life except for birds, fish, and other aquatic creatures. The birds, weary of constant flight, sought guidance from the creator god, who instructed them to dive underwater and gather mud to form new land. Together, the animals worked to create a new world from the mud.
7. The Flood of Deucalion
In Greek mythology, Prometheus is credited with creating humans from clay. However, Zeus viewed this as a grave mistake, as he believed humans were selfish beings who had completely neglected to honor the gods.
Zeus decided that humanity needed a fresh start. Deucalion, Prometheus’s son, and his wife Pyrrha were living on Earth at the time. After receiving a warning from Prometheus about the flood, they built a boat to ensure their survival.
While a few humans managed to escape by fleeing to the mountains, most perished in the floodwaters. Deucalion and Pyrrha’s boat came to rest atop a mountain. To repopulate the Earth, Deucalion was instructed to “throw the bones of your mother” over his shoulder.
He understood that the “mother” referred to Earth, and the “bones” were actually rocks. Deucalion and Pyrrha began tossing rocks, which mysteriously transformed into crying babies. Who cared for these infants? The answer remains a mystery.
6. The Maori Myth
The Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand. Their legend tells of the goddess Whaitiri, who had little love for humanity. A cannibal and the cause of thunderstorms, she struck fear into the hearts of most people.
Whaitiri descended to Earth to marry a mortal named Kaitangata, who bore the nickname “man-eater.” Upon discovering that this was only a nickname and not a reflection of his true nature, she abandoned him. Their grandson, Tawhaki, was a strikingly handsome man, as most demigods are. He married a woman named Hinepiripiri, and they lived happily together.
Tawhaki’s two brothers-in-law grew envious, as their wives constantly gushed about Tawhaki’s attractiveness. Unable to bear the admiration, the brothers-in-law plotted to kill him.
Hinepiripiri tended to his injuries and created a fire to keep him warm. Consumed by anger and betrayal, Tawhaki cried out to the gods, seeking revenge against the men who had tried to end his life.
Whaitiri, his grandmother, heard his call and responded with overwhelming force. A fierce storm flooded the land, drowning everyone in its path. Tawhaki and Hinepiripiri, undeterred, decided to begin repopulating the Earth immediately. One log burned through the night. They named their son Wahieroa, which means “long piece of firewood.” At least no one was left to mock his name.
5. Tiddalick The Frog
The Aboriginal people of Australia believed in the importance of maintaining the Earth's energy balance to ensure harmony. However, when the balance tipped, it resulted in a great flood.
The story centers around Tiddalick, the mythical frog. Instead of allowing the rain to fall naturally, Tiddalick, being excessively thirsty, hoarded all the water in the world. This led to a severe drought.
The animals, desperate for water, urged Tiddalick to release some of it. To make him laugh, an eel performed a humorous dance in front of him. The eel’s antics succeeded a bit too well, causing torrents of water to flow from Tiddalick’s mouth as he laughed.
The resulting flood devastated and stranded many people. Today, the tale of Tiddalick is still shared in Australian children’s literature, though in a much gentler form.
4. The Epic Of Atrahasis
A clay tablet from Babylon, written in the Akkadian language, recounts the tale of Atrahasis. In ancient times, the gods were responsible for digging canals and rivers, a task they eventually grew weary of and decided to strike. To address the issue, Enlil, the chief god, decided to create humans from the blood of a goddess and clay.
For over a thousand years, humans flourished on Earth. However, Enlil became irritated by the constant noise they made and ordered the god of disease to unleash a plague. Atrahasis, a human, pleaded with the gods for mercy.
Enki, the sea god, secretly advised Atrahasis to pray to Namtar, the plague god, instead of the gods collectively. The flood of human prayers overwhelmed Namtar, driving him mad, and he called an end to the plague.
Angered by the interruption, Enlil attempted to annihilate humanity with a drought. After six years of famine, people resorted to cannibalism. Enki, feeling pity for the humans, sent fish from the sea and rained down food upon them. Enlil discovered Enki’s interference and commanded him to destroy humanity with a massive flood.
Enki understood the importance of following his chief god's orders, but he secretly warned Atrahasis about the impending flood. He instructed him to construct a large, double-decker ark sealed with tar. Atrahasis gathered as many plants and animals as possible and brought the wisest elders aboard. The rain fell for seven days and nights, drowning the Earth in floodwaters.
The mother goddess was horrified by the devastation Enlil had wrought. In a desperate attempt to save humanity, she suggested that future generations of humans should have population controls rather than reproducing indiscriminately.
She introduced the concept of miscarriages and stillbirths, alongside periodic natural disasters to periodically trim the population. Enlil saw this as a fair solution to managing the human race and agreed to let Atrahasis rebuild civilization.
3. Drowning In Blood
In Norse mythology, Ymir was the first giant and the god who gave birth to all mythical beings. His descendants included both gods and giants. Ymir had a magical cow named Audhumla, whose milk provided him nourishment.
Ymir’s grandsons—Ve, Vili, and Odin—decided to end his life. When Ymir perished, his blood poured out, triggering a devastating flood that drowned the giants. The gods then dismembered his body, using pieces of it to form the Earth. Ymir’s salty blue blood became the oceans and lakes, while his bones and flesh transformed into land.
A frost giant named Bergelmir managed to find a boat and survive the deluge, escaping with his wife. After the gods shaped the land, they ascended to the top of a mountain, where their children also made their homes on high peaks.
In Norse mythology, the frost giants lived alongside humans. Lacking the ability to reproduce on their own, Odin, Ve, and Vili used Ymir’s flesh to create new beings. They selected logs and molded them into humans.
2. Igorot
In Philippine mythology, the Great Spirit Lumawig had two sons who were passionate hunters. However, the world was flat—lacking hills or mountains—making hunting far too easy. They decided to use their magical abilities to flood the Earth.
They set up a hunting trap, and as a result, the flood was filled with both animals and humans. The two mischievous brothers were delighted with their creation and laughed in satisfaction. Lumawig, however, quickly figured out what his sons had done.
Lumawig searched the Earth for survivors. He found a brother and sister stranded on a small island. To help them, he gave them fire for warmth, his dog for company, and his deer for sustenance.
He used the fire to dry the land, which had become uneven from the rushing waters. The previously flat Earth now had mountains. The siblings were left with the task of repopulating the world alone.
1. The Epic of Gilgamesh
In ancient Mesopotamia, the story of the Epic of Gilgamesh is preserved on cuneiform tablets. The tale of Atrahasis, however, is older, and both narratives predate the Hebrew account of Noah’s Ark.
Numerous historians have pointed out that the Gilgamesh story closely mirrors the Atrahasis tale. Some argue that because Gilgamesh was recorded later, these people likely sought to maintain the same legend, tweaking certain names and details while adding elements reflecting their evolving beliefs.
Among the new aspects introduced was the gods' promise to Gilgamesh that he could achieve immortality, though it wasn’t as effective as hoped. The central lesson was that by leaving a lasting legacy in civilization, Gilgamesh would live on, ensuring he could never truly die.
As a result, some historians argue that the Epic of Gilgamesh should be viewed more as a literary creation than a historical account of nonfiction events.
In the Sumerian version, the protagonist is named Ziusudra, and once again, the story shares striking similarities with both Gilgamesh and Atrahasis. Yet, in this version, the gods deem Ziusudra worthy of true immortality, rather than merely offering him a philosophical lesson on the nature of life and death.
