Fire Starters

In Greek mythology, Prometheus is a Titan, the son of Iapetus and Themis, and brother to Atlas, Epimetheus and Menoetius. He was a champion of mankind, known for his wily intelligence, who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals. Zeus then punished him for his crime by having him bound to a rock while a great eagle ate his liver every day only to have it grow back to be eaten again the next day. His myth has been treated by a number of ancient sources, in which Prometheus is credited with – or blamed for – playing a pivotal role in the early history of mankind. During the Greek War of Independence, Prometheus became a figure of hope and inspiration for Greek revolutionaries and their philhellene supporters.

The two most prominent aspects of the Prometheus myth – the creation of man from clay and the theft of fire – have parallels within the mythologies of many cultures throughout the world:

 The creation of man from clay

• In the Babylonian creation epic Enuma Elish, the goddess Ninhursag created humans from clay.
• In Africa, the Yoruba culture holds that the god Obatala likewise created the human race.
• In Egyptian mythology, the ram-headed god Khnum made people from clay in the waters of the Nile.
• In Chinese myth, the goddess Nuwa created the first humans from mud and clay.
• According to Genesis 2:7 "And the Lord god formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."
• According to Qur'an, Allah created man from clay.
• Mayan myth holds that Tepeu and Kukulkán (Quetzalcoatl) made the first humans from clay, but they were unsatisfactory.
• The Māori people believe that Tāne Mahuta, god of the forest, created the first woman out of clay and breathed life into her.

 

The theft of fire

• According to the Rig Veda (3:9.5), the hero Mātariśvan recovered fire, which had been hidden from mankind.
• In Cherokee myth, after Possum and Buzzard had failed to steal fire, Grandmother Spider used her web to sneak into the land of light. She stole fire, hiding it in a clay pot.
• Among various Native American tribes of the Pacific Northwest and First Nations, fire was stolen and given to humans by Coyote, Beaver or Dog.
• According to some Yukon First Nations people, Crow stole fire from a volcano in the middle of the water.
• According to the Creek Indians, Rabbit stole fire from the Weasels.
• In Algonquin myth, Rabbit stole fire from an old man and his two daughters.
• In Ojibwa myth, Nanabozho the hare stole fire and gave it to humans.
• In Polynesian myth, Māui stole fire from the Mudhens.
• In the Book of Enoch, the fallen angels and Azazel teach early mankind to use tools and fire.

(Source: Wikipedia)