(Abridged Article)
1. Numbakulla was a sky god who created all life on Earth, including humans. His name means “always existing” or “out of nothing.” Wherever he put his foot down, mountains, rivers, valleys and forests were formed. In some depictions, Numbakulla is depicted as two separate beings, while in others, he is described as a dual being with male and female traits. Once they finished with their creations, they became two great lizards.
2. Ra was a sun god, who emerged from the ocean of chaos at the beginning of time. He took the form of a human with the head of a falcon and a sun disc on his temple. He created the Ennead (old gods of Egypt), but in time, his children grew wary of their father, who had become cold and aloof. He eventually retired to the heavens, where he became the guardian of the sun. At night, he would journey into the underworld, where an entourage of gods protected him from the forces of chaos, including a wicked serpent called Apep.
3. Prajapati is the ‘lord of creation’ who emerged from primal waters of chaos inside a golden egg. This egg contained everything in the universe, meaning Prajapati represented all that is, including the life force that pervades reality. He also had a female aspect called Vac, who personified the sacred word of creation. He created the devas (gods of the ether) followed by the asuras (gods of the material world below). When the heavens were finished, Prajapati created all life on Earth, earning him the title ‘lord of creatures’.
4. Ahura Mazdā is the creator of heaven and earth, as well as all the beings who inhabited it (e.g. spirits, humans and animals). He was the first monotheistic deity, known to his followers as the ‘uncreated one. The scriptures say he formed the entire cosmos by thought alone. He dwelled in the heavens, and it was said the sun was his eye, which he used to observe the Earth below. This made fire a very sacred element to the Zoroastrians, as it captures the brilliance of the sun upon Earth.
5. El was the supreme creator of the Canaanites, and the father of the gods. His wife was the Mother goddess Asherah, and together they sired 70 children. In the Ba‘al cycle, El is described as a grey-bearded man, with a kingly demeanour, a warriors prowess and a wise man’s soul. El was known to his followers as Qaniyunu ‘ôlam (the Creator Eternal). He was one of four beings to emerge during creation, including Il-Ib (the divine ancestor), Dagnu (a day god), Ba’l Ṣapān (a storm god) and El himself.
6. Chiminigagua was the supreme creator of the Muisca people. He banished the darkness of chaos by opening his belly, releasing a great light from within. At the same time, another being emerged called Bachué, who was known as “Grandmother”. Where he represented light and materialism, she with represented the non-physical aspect of creation. In this sense, Chiminigagua and Bachué are one, as it was her will and his form that gave rise to the cosmos.
7. Ülgen is a creator being, who is said to be without end or beginning. He is described as an old man with a long beard, who lives in a golden house on the sixteenth floor of the heaven, (above the stars, sun and moon). He created heaven and earth, and was the upholder of peace, order and goodness. Ülgen also governed the celestial movement of the heavens, including the weather, the rising/setting sun, and the movement of stars.
8. Begochiddy is a creator god, who had a head of golden hair, pale skin, and deep blue eyes. He emerged from the darkness of chaos like all other creators, but unlike other origin stories, he did not create the world. Instead, he produce all the natural features upon it, including mountains, insects and plants. He also set the sun, moon and stars in the sky. His final act was to impart humanity with the secrets of cooking, agriculture, language and law, before disappearing from their lives forever.
9. Adroa is a transcendental god, who lives beyond space and time. He created all life on Earth, included the first humans, Gborogboro and Meme. These mortals were supernatural in that they too could create, and were long lived. The Lugbara believed their creator had two aspects. One was Adroa, the kind and benevolent god who lived in the heavens, establishing law and order. The other was Adro, his physical self, who lived in caves and river, and brought nd chaos into the world.
10. Viracocha was the creator of heaven and earth. He filled the sky with birds, the wilderness with beasts and the seas with fish. He also sculpted a race of humans from clay. He then travelled the lands, teaching the art of civilisation to mankind. This included weaving, language, politics, agriculture and the arts. He often dressed as a beggar to disguise himself. In this form, he was described as an old man with a long white beard, dressed in a tattered robe hunched upon a staff.
11. Ometeotl was an ancient deity who emerged from pre-creation to forge the universe. This primordial being possessed two spirits; one Ometecuhtli (male), and the other was Omecihuatl (female). Together, they resided on Omeyocan, “Place of Duality”, which sat on the 13th level of heaven. After they finished creating the heavens, they produced the four Tezcatlipoca’s, who were instructed to rule over the cardinal directions upon Earth.
12. Bemba is a creator God who was composed of four parts. Two aspects were male, known as Pemba (a sky god) and Ndomadyiri (an earth deity). The other two aspects were Musukoroni (a fire goddess) and Faro (a water deity). Whereas Pemba represented law and order, his sister symbolised chaos and destruction. In time, she created so much destruction that Bemba created the other twins, Faro and Musukoroni, to re-establish order in the world.
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