Fire mythology includes tales of fire deities, humans stealing or receiving fire from gods, and fire as a plot element or tool. Fire is an important part of human civilizations, and many cultures have elaborate stories about the element. Some stories involve gods or tricksters setting mankind on fire, while others elaborate on the nature of fire itself. Fire can also be personified and used in various ways in myths.
There are many different types of fire mythology, some involving tales of how humans acquired fire and others relating to fire deities more generally. Fire is a very important part of most human civilizations, so it is very common for mythological systems to have elaborate stories about the element. One common type of story involves a god or trickster setting mankind on fire, but others elaborate on the nature of fire itself. Apart from these stories, there are also many stories involving fire as a plot element or tool.
Some of the more common types of fire mythology involve fire deities who may or may not directly use fire in the story. Often, the god or goddess is simply associated with fire either because of its shape or the elements it is believed to govern. Kagutsuchi, for example, is a Japanese fire god who burned his mother to death when he was born, prompting his father to cut him into eight pieces. In these stories, the deity’s association with fire may not play a central role in the plot, but members of the culture familiar with the mythology will understand that this god is associated with fire even if this fact is not specifically mentioned.
A very common type of fire mythology involves humans stealing or receiving fire from gods or a forbidden land. Few stories involve humans creating fire themselves, with most relying on an original source of fire or a source of knowledge that makes fire. For example, the myth of Prometheus is about how a Titan stole fire from the gods and gave it to mankind, which resulted in an eternal punishment for Prometheus.
Many cultures have similar stories of heroes and other individuals traveling to the land where fire is found and bringing it back to humanity. Native American myths often have such stories. Tricksters like Coyote can also be responsible for fire theft. In the mythology of fire of this kind, the gods are often angry and punish the thief.
Some examples of fire mythology fit neither type exactly. Fire can, for example, be personified. There is a myth that Anansi the spider invited fire, which is a character in the story, to dinner, and burned down Anansi’s house. Fire as a plot element is also often featured in myths because fire is an important part of human life. Characters can burn a sacrifice or appease the gods with fire, or use fire in many other ways.
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