Some cultures deliberately make their own origins humble and comic

Evidence

Then Tangaloa cared for the new land. The bird pecked at a washed-up vine that had begun to rot, and from the maggots and pieces sprang the first people — humble beginnings for humankind, the Tongans say with a smile, lest anyone grow too proud. — , A Year of World Stories, 12308

Categorization

• SEED: Essay angle: ‘humble-origin myths’ — comparing the Tongan maggot origin with other cultures’ deflationary self-accounts (Cynics, some Buddhist tales).
• XREF: connects to: Cultures preserve idealized versions of their own rulers and pasts. — , A Year of World Stories, 2165; Nearly every people independently creates culture-hero stories to explain origins — , A Year of World Stories, 15277; Uncontacted peoples on opposite sides of the earth independently created culture-hero stories — , A Year of World Stories, 15276 (+2 more)

Related

• Nearly every people independently creates culture-hero stories to explain origins (similarity 0.80)

Broader Connections

• Nearly every people independently creates culture-hero stories to explain origins #qualifies (0.60) — , A Year of World Stories, 15277
• Uncontacted peoples on opposite sides of the earth independently created culture-hero stories #corroborates (0.55) — , A Year of World Stories, 15276
• Perceptions of the Other are always shaped by available cultural tools #expands (0.40) — Peter Morey, Islamophobia and the Novel, 351