A Comparative Analysis of Global Deluge Myths

Abstract

Traditions from all over the world contain narratives of a  ‘Great Flood’ that fit into larger cultural narratives, and such an event has been a topic of speculation for centuries. This study does not aim to prove or disprove the validity of these traditions, but rather to examine the thematic and contextual similarities and differences among these deluge traditions from around the world. This study analyses the deluge myths across Mesopotamian, Babylonian, Biblical, Indian, and Mesoamerican traditions. It explores the possibility that these narratives emerged either from shared cultural transmission or from collective memories of real catastrophic flood events. By drawing on primary texts like the Atrahasis legend and the Epic of Gilgamesh, among others, and secondary scholarship, this study adopts a comparative and thematic approach. By employing multiple theoretical and analytical frameworks, including naturalistic, structural, psychological, historico-comparative, phylogenetic, linguistic, and feminist approaches, the study identifies recurring motifs, shared narrative structures, and culturally specific variations. It highlights the universal patterns underlying flood myths while also emphasizing their cultural meanings.