Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.21857/y7v64t0nqy
The Egg in Myths about the Creation of the World
Goran Jakovljević
; Bjelovar City Museum, Bjelovar, Croatia
Abstract
The symbolism of the Egg may be followed through cosmogonic myths in many civilisations, which are similar among themselves and show that they share the same roots in certain segments. The roots of the Western civilizational circle are to be found in Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Syrian and the Palestinian countries, as well as in the Aegean (Balkan-Anatolian) cultural sphere. As a result of the contact with other civilizational circles, a kind of transfer of these influences on a lot wider geographic areas took place, as well as cyclic synergy came about. By comparing various cosmogonic myths, the conclusion may be drawn that the Egg is the primordial state of Cosmos, with Chaos within, from which the first Germ of Life stems (nature; gods; humans). The meaning of the original symbol of the Egg got lost in the course of time, so that only its importance with respect to the abundance and the cyclic restoration of life in nature, and the afterlife and resurrection in religion remained.
Keywords
original water; cosmic egg; chaos; cosmogony; myth; Easter egg; theogony
Hrčak ID:
250762
URI
Publication date:
15.11.2020.
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