Perhaps the most remarkable extra-biblical creation story is that of the Miao people.(6) The Miao are an ethnic minority in southwest China, close cousins of the Hmong in Laos. Originally they lived on the south bank of the Yangtze River, in Jiangxi province; they were driven into the less desireable mountains of Sichuan and Yunnan when the Chinese migrated across the Yangtze, after 1000 B.C. Their creation story is in the form of poetry, which is kept accurate by reciting it frequently, especially at weddings and funerals. Look at all the details it shares with the first eleven chapters of Genesis:
On the day God created the heavens and earth,
On that day He opened the gateway of light,
In the earth then He made heaps of earth and of stone.
In the earth He created the hawk and the kite.
In the water created the lobster and fish.
In the wilderness made he the tiger and bear,
Made verdure to cover the mountains,
Made forest extend with the ranges,
Made the light green cane,
Made the rank bamboo.
On the earth He created a man from the dirt.
Of the man thus created, a woman He formed.
Then the Patriarch Dirt made a balance of stones.
Estimated the weight of the earth to the bottom.
Calculated the bulk of the heavenly bodies.
And pondered the ways of the Deity, God.
The Patriarch Dirt begat Patriarch Se-teh.
The Patriarch Se-teh begat a son Lusu.
And Lusu begat Gehlo and he begat Lama.
The Patriarch Lama begat the man Nuah.
His wife was the Matriarch Gaw Bo-lu-en.
Their sons were Lo Han, Lo Shen and Jah-hu.(7)
So the earth began filling with tribes and with families.
Creation was shared by the clans and the peoples.
These did not God's will nor returned His affection.
But fought with each other denying the Godhead.
Their leaders shook fists in the face of the Mighty,
Then the earth was convulsed to the depth of three strata.
Rending the air to uttermost heaven.
God's anger rose till His being was changed;
His wrath flaring up filled His eyes and His face.
Until He must come and demolish humanity.
Come and destroy a whole world full with people.
So it poured forty days in sheets and in torrents.
Then fifty-five days of misting and drizzle.
The waters surmounted the mountains and ranges.
The deluge ascending leapt valley and hollow.
An earth with no earth upon which to take refuge!
A world with no foothold where one might subsist!
The people were baffled, impotent and ruined,
Despairing, horror stricked, diminished and finished.
But the Patriarch Nuah was righteous.
The Matriarch Gaw Bo-lu-en upright.
Built a boat very wide,
Made a ship very vast.
Their household entire got aboard and were floated,
The family complete rode the deluge in safety.
The animals with him were female and male.
The birds went along and were mated in pairs.
When the time was fulfilled, God commanded the waters.
The day had arrived, the flood waters receded.
Then Nuah liberated a dove from their refuge,
Sent a bird to go forth and bring again tidings.
The flood had gone down into lake and to ocean;
The m&d was confined to the pools and the hollows.
There was land once again where a man might reside;
There was a place in the earth now to rear habitations.
Buffalo then were brought, an oblation to God,
Fatter cattle became sacrifice to the Mighty.
The Divine One then gave them His blessing;
Their God bestowed His good graces.
Lo-Han then begat Cusah and Mesay.
Lo-Shen begat Elan and Nga-shur.(8)
Their offspring begotten became tribes and peoples.
Their descendants established encampments and cities.
Their singing was all with the same tunes and music;
Their speaking was all with the same words and language.
Then they said let us build us a very big city;
Let us raise unto heaven a very high tower.
This was wrong, but they reached this decision;
Not right, but they rashly persisted.
God struck at them then, changed their language and accent.
Descending in wrath, He confused tones and voices.
One's speech to the others who hear him no meaning;
He's speaking in words, but they can't understand him.
So the city they builded was never completed;
The tower they wrought has to stand thus unfinished.
In despair then they separate under all heaven,
They part from each other the world-ball (globe) to encircle.(9)
They arrive at six corners and speak the six languages.
The Patriarch Jah-hu got the center of nations.
The son he begat was the patriarch Go-men.(10)
Who took him a wife called the Matriarch Go-Yong.
Their grandson and his wife both took the name Tutan.
Their descendants are given in order as follows:
Patriarch Gawndan Mew-wan,
Matriarch Cawdan Mew-jew;
Patriarch Jenku Dawvu, Matriarch Jeneo Boje;
Patriarch Gangen Newang (wife not given);
Patriarch Seageweng, Matriarch Maw Gueh.
Their children, eleven in number, was each the head of a family.
Five branches became the Miao nation.
Six families joined with the Chinese.
Source:
http://xenohistorian.faithweb.com/genesis/gen08.html
