Thieves of Fire in Ancient Mythology: Divine Creation and Destruction in the Hands of Man
From ancient times and even to this day, people consider fire one of the basic elements of the universe. Interpretations of fire in ancient mythologies vary greatly, with fire viewed as a creative and cleansing force as well as a destructive and punishing one. Due to its life-giving qualities, fire is closely associated to the gods in the ancient world. As fire is “divine” and heavily associated with creation (creation of food, creation of warmth and so on), a lot of ancient myths imply that fire was meant for the gods, not mankind, to control. Therefore, the giving of fire or, more often, the theft of fire for the benefit of humanity who were not meant to hold such power, is a theme that recurs in many world mythologies.
Thus we have heroes and divine tricksters in ancient mythologies who would steal fire and cheat death to give mankind a bit of that power of “creation”. The most famous story is easily the story of the titan Prometheus, from Greek mythology, who stole the heavenly fire for humanity, thereby enabling the progress of civilization. In Polynesian mythology, Maui stole fire from the fire goddess Mahuika. In North America there is a myth from the Ojibwa people, of Nanabozho the hare that stole fire and gave it to the humans.
Prometheus: The Thief of Fire, Friend of Mankind
Prometheus brings fire to mankind. (Public Domain)
