The origin story of the island in Lost is an example of dualistic cosmology, an origin story that involves two feuding parties that results in the creation of the universe, or in this case, the paranormality of the show's setting.
Dualism is the existence of two-parts, sometimes opposite one another.
In Lost, the Man in Black and Jacob are an example of dualism, with one representing good and the other evil. Their actions create the mystical story of the island's origins.
Examples[]
These examples bare some similarity to the plot of Lost and are possible candidates for what the writers were alluding to.
The Yaghan People's Yoalox Brothers[]
The Yaghan people were an island tribe in South America. They believed the first humans were fathered by the younger of two dualistic brothers. The older of the two brothers was an idealist who wanted a paradise on Earth free of work, suffering, or death, but the younger valued work and accepted death and prevailed to father mankind.[1]
Europeans landed on the island and it led to the eventual extinction of the tribe, with the exception of one currently living tribes person who lives in Chile as of this writing.
Hopi People of Arizona (Native American)[]
The Hopi Native American tribe of Arizona believe two twin brothers travelled from Heaven carrying plants. They travelled down through levels of caves, and grew plants upwards so others could climb up the levels where they broke through the cave floor. In the lowest cave were humans, and they climbed the cane plant up to the fourth cave world, Earth.[2]
The Hopi prophecies of two brothers as well. The elder brother, representing shining light, will to help his younger brother bring about purification, or final judgment, after which there would be true peace and brotherhood. The purification would right the wrongs done to the people by the white invaders.[3]
The cave setting, two brothers and concept of judgement have places in the Lost story.
References[]
- ↑ European Encounters with the Yamana People of Cape Horn, Before and After Darwin By Anne Chapman, page 405
- ↑ Creation Stories - http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Ca-Cr/Creation-Stories.html
- ↑ Hopi Prophecy - http://www.welcomehome.org/rainbow/prophecy/hopi1.html