Munda Creation — The Egg That Became the World
The Munda people of Jharkhand believe that before creation there was nothing but water. The supreme god Singbonga floated above this water and set a cosmic egg afloat on its surface. From this egg hatched the first beings: Horo, the tortoise, and Karakom, the crab. The tortoise dove into the waters and brought earth to the surface on his back, creating the first land. But the earth was too soft. Singbonga then created the great spider which spun a web across the landscape, hardening the earth. The first humans were born from the union of the sun and the earth. The Munda also revere bongas (spi