Sumerian mythology says that the mother goddess Nammu created man from clay. The Chinese books of songs dated around 400 BC say that goddess Nuwa created man from clay.
We must have seen a ram headed god picture in Mummy films and it is called Khnum. Egyptian mythology says that Khnum created man from clay in waters of Nile. Some African tribes believe that goddess Obatala created human bodies from clay and god breathed into them bringing life.
If we think that it was only Jewish/Christian god who created man from clay we are wrong. The only difference is that Christianity and Judaism try to depict the creator as a man while other religions say the creator was a goddess. Male chauvinism? Shouldn't the creator be a woman?
It is not so surprising why all the religions attribute clay to man's origin. Since the sculptors used clay for creating statues people could have imagined that god too created man in that way. Or, was man indeed created from clay? Except some trace quantity of silicon in human body there doesn't seem to be
much connection between both - scientifically. Even in case of silicon processors the days are numbered. Intel CEO Otellini is confident that first non-silicon processor would hit market in 2017.
Does it have at least any philosophical or spiritual meaning? I somehow like the biblical quote used on Ash Wednesdays:" You are dust and unto dust you shall return." Let us come to the first part of the sentence later, but the second part is true. Whether we are buried or cremated, we go to the dust/sand. Sand becomes clay when it is watered. The wet soil paves way for plants to grow and animals to eat them. Man grows and reproduces eating those plants and animals. Therefore, is it not correct to say that man is made of dust? We are born to our mothers. Thus the mother goddess created us from clay! It is a full circle now.
We must have seen a ram headed god picture in Mummy films and it is called Khnum. Egyptian mythology says that Khnum created man from clay in waters of Nile. Some African tribes believe that goddess Obatala created human bodies from clay and god breathed into them bringing life.
If we think that it was only Jewish/Christian god who created man from clay we are wrong. The only difference is that Christianity and Judaism try to depict the creator as a man while other religions say the creator was a goddess. Male chauvinism? Shouldn't the creator be a woman?
It is not so surprising why all the religions attribute clay to man's origin. Since the sculptors used clay for creating statues people could have imagined that god too created man in that way. Or, was man indeed created from clay? Except some trace quantity of silicon in human body there doesn't seem to be
much connection between both - scientifically. Even in case of silicon processors the days are numbered. Intel CEO Otellini is confident that first non-silicon processor would hit market in 2017.
Does it have at least any philosophical or spiritual meaning? I somehow like the biblical quote used on Ash Wednesdays:" You are dust and unto dust you shall return." Let us come to the first part of the sentence later, but the second part is true. Whether we are buried or cremated, we go to the dust/sand. Sand becomes clay when it is watered. The wet soil paves way for plants to grow and animals to eat them. Man grows and reproduces eating those plants and animals. Therefore, is it not correct to say that man is made of dust? We are born to our mothers. Thus the mother goddess created us from clay! It is a full circle now.
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