Metamorphoses & Enuma Elish (The Epic of Creation)

Finding similarities in two pieces of ancient literature could be akin to comparing apples and oranges.  Metamorphoses and Enuma Elish are more like a Fuji apple and a granny smith. One is a little tarter and both need to be chopped up before I can consume them happily. (One of my professors recently told me never to use clichés. Notice my blatant disregard for authority!)

There are many similarities between these two creation stories.

Structure

Both Metamorphoses and Enuma Elish originated from cultures with a heavy oral tradition. Enuma Elish would have been recited as part of a large ceremony and Ovid would have recited Metamorphose not simple wrote it down. The fact that these pieces needed to be memorized dramatically affected their structure. This also meant they were created / evolved with a similar structure.

And I do not just mean that they both have short lines (though they do). I am mostly taking about the repetition of words and names. I would think they both had a rhythmic feel as well— the loss of which is the most depressing aspect of reading a translated text.

Enuma Elish -- copy of tablet 1 -- I can just sence the rythmic pattern! Can't you? 

Chaos to Order 

Metamorphoses and Enuma Elish are both Creation myths. In keeping with most creation myths they move from chaos to order.

In Ovid’s Metamorphoses creation starts with the universe in chaos. There is no earth, no shape or form. It is “Chaos, so-called, all rude and lumpy matter” (Ovid, 168).

Enuma Elish demonstrates a completely different type of chaos: the chaos of namelessness. The first two lines “When the skies above were not yet named— Nor earth below pronounced name” (The Epic of Creation 147).

Violence

Once everything starts to get more organized (things get named, gods are born/made/ whatever) both Metamorphoses and Enuma Elish delve into violence. After all what was says "creation myth" better than everyone (men and gods) diving into an incestuous murderous rage?