Read this creation story: A long time ago, there was a vast expanse of water instead of earth. The animals and trees lived on a
level above the water. One day, Wise Badger dived deep into the water to search for mud. Sadly, he could not swim for long and had to come back. The animals decided to send Brave Muskrat to get the mud. He dived into water and swam for a long time. He came up with a small amount of mud. The mud began to expand in every direction, creating an island. The animals waited for the island to dry. They sent Big Crow to keep watch on the island. In seven days, Big Crow returned and informed them that the island was dry and ready. The animals and trees moved onto the island and lived happily ever after. What is this type of creation story called?
This type of creation story or myth could be a good example of what is called "Earth-diver". As the name suggests, this kind of creation myth involves a vast ocean and almost nothing else. Someone, a god, dives into the ocean to retrieve something small that would expand exponentially to fill/complete the rest of the world. The sample story adheres almost completely to the "Earth-diver" except for the fact that the "diver" had not been a deity.
Me when I think of the difference I think of a folktale being something that could happen more so than a fairy tale, and for a fairy tale I always think of a Disney movie.
