Cosmogonic Myths and Theoretical Science

VI. Myths of Creation from a Cosmogonic Egg


Introduction | Supreme BeingAncient ScienceEmergent CreatorWorld ParentsCosmogonic Water Cosmogonic Egg


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Mars Meterorite

The egg almost universally symbolizes perfection and totality. Cosmogonic myths which posit creation as arising from the cosmic egg are varied. Sometimes the creator God lives alone inside the egg. Sometimes the primordial chaos is described as an egg. Generally, all the possibilities of a perfect creation are inherent in the egg. Detail - NASA Photo Mars meteorite sample ALH84001, August 7, 1996.

China

In the San­wu li­chi (Records of Cycles in Threes and Fives - 300 CE),the yinyang  narrative tells that heaven and earth were inextricably commingled  like a chicken's egg. Within the egg there was engendered a being - P'an­Ku. After 18,000 years this egg mass split apart: the bright and light became heaven, the dark and heavy became earth. For another 18,000 years heaven daily increased 10 feet in height and the earth increased 10 feet in thickness. Between the two was P'an­Ku, who grew 10 feet in size daily. After 18,000 years heaven and earth were separated 90,000 li (or 30,000 English miles). This conception relates to the Chinese astronomic theory at the time that earth was enclosed by heaven as is the yolk of an egg by its shell.

Greece

OrpheusThe Orphic rites practiced in parts of Greece (including Athens in the 5th and 6th century) incorporate a number of concepts including doctrines about death and resurrection. The extant fragments of writings are known as the "Orphic Bible" and include a theogony similar to that of Hesiod.

The Dogon

DogonTwinsAccording to tradition, the Creator fashions an egg. It is the egg of the world "aduno tal." The world egg is infinitesimal and consists of air, fire and water and a metal called sagala. The world egg is, then, infinitely small and infinitely heavy (480 donkey-loads or 85,000 pounds = weight of all seeds and iron on earth.) In the egg are two pairs of twins -- one male, one female. The twins mature in the egg. At maturation they become androgynous (perfect creatures).

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