The proposition
The project examines whether recurring stories of flood, darkness, sky fire, world ages, refuge, and renewal preserve cultural memories of actual environmental catastrophes.
What is established
Catastrophe traditions exist across many cultures. Their dates, transmission routes, genres, meanings, and relationships to local hazards differ substantially.
| Claim class | Minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| Established Evidence | Original measurement, documented record, or primary text with a traceable citation. |
| Mainstream Interpretation | A fair account of the prevailing explanation and its limits. |
| Alternative Hypothesis | A stated mechanism and test that could distinguish the claim. |
| Author’s Analysis | Reasoning visibly marked as interpretation rather than source fact. |
What must be tested
Comparisons require the earliest recoverable text or ethnographic record, original-language context, date of collection, transmission history, motif definition, and plausible relationship to local evidence.
- Does the proposed cause precede the claimed effect within realistic uncertainty?
- Is the magnitude physically sufficient?
- Is the association reproduced in independent records?
- Would the model have predicted the evidence before it was observed?
Counterarguments and alternatives
Floods are common human experiences; motifs diffuse between cultures; collectors reshape oral accounts; and broad thematic comparisons can manufacture similarity.
Source and revision status
Research outline only. Primary papers, datasets, translations, and archival documents have not yet been attached to every claim.
Review sources & corrections