Creator deity facts for kids
A creator deity or creator god is a deity (a god or goddess) who is believed to have made the Earth, the world, and the entire universe. In religions that believe in only one God (called monotheism), this single God is often seen as the creator. Some religions that focus on one main god but accept others (called monolatristic traditions) might say there's a main, all-powerful being who is the primary creator, and then a secondary creator who helps shape things.
One God, One Creator
Atenism: An Ancient Idea
Around 1330 BCE, in ancient Egypt, Pharaoh Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti started a new religion called Atenism. They believed in only one god, Aten, who was the sole creator. They even built a new capital city, Akhetaten, just for Aten and his worshippers. Before this, Aten was just one of many gods in Egypt. Atenism didn't last long after Akhenaten died, but some scholars think it was one of the first times people believed in only one god.
Abrahamic Religions: Stories of Creation
Judaism: The Genesis Story
The story of creation in the Book of Genesis is very important for both Judaism and Christianity. It has two main parts. In the first part, Elohim (a Hebrew word for God) creates the heavens, Earth, animals, and people in six days. On the seventh day, God rests and blesses it. In the second part, God, now called Yahweh, creates Adam, the first man, from dust. He places Adam in the Garden of Eden and later creates Eve, the first woman, from Adam's side to be his helper.
This story shares some ideas with older Mesopotamian mythology but strongly teaches the Israelite belief in one God. The Genesis story shows that there is only one God, unlike the many gods in Mesopotamian beliefs.
Christianity: God's Design
Christianity also follows the creation story from the first two chapters of the Book of Genesis. The first part of the story (Genesis 1:1-2:3) describes creation happening in six days. Each day, God divides things (like light from darkness) and then fills those divisions (like the sun, moon, and stars filling the light and darkness).
The second part (Genesis 2:4 onwards) focuses more on humans. It tells how God formed Adam and placed him in the Garden of Eden. Then, God created Eve from Adam. This part of the story highlights God's relationship with humanity. Christians believe that God created everything from nothing, which is called creation ex nihilo. This idea is found in early Christian beliefs, like the Apostles' Creed from the 1st century AD, which says, "I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth."
Islam: Allah, The All-Powerful Creator
In Islam, the creator deity is God, known in Arabic as Allah. Allah is seen as the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator, who also sustains, orders, and judges the universe. Creation is a choice made by God, full of mercy, and it has a big purpose. The Quran (the holy book of Islam) says that God created the heavens and Earth not for play, but to test humanity. Those who pass this test will be rewarded with Paradise.
Islam teaches that God exists above the heavens and all creation. However, God is also very close to humans, "nearer to him than his jugular vein" (meaning by His knowledge). Muslims are told to always remember God and pray only to Him. Islam teaches that Allah is the same God worshipped by Christians and Jews.
Sikhism: The Formless Creator
In Sikhism, one of the most important duties is to worship God as "The Creator." God is called Waheguru and is described as being without shape, timeless, and invisible. Sikhs believe in "One God for All," which is called Ik Onkar.
Baháʼí Faith: Knowing and Loving God
In the Baháʼí Faith, God is the eternal being who created everything. God is described as a "personal God" who is all-knowing, always present, and all-powerful. Even though God is beyond direct reach, His qualities are seen in everything He created. The main reason for creation is so that created beings can get to know and love their Creator.
Mandaeism: The Great Life
In Mandaeism, Hayyi Rabbi (meaning 'The Great Life') is the highest God from whom everything comes. He is also called 'The First Life'. Mandaeans believe Hayyi Rabbi created all worlds and placed souls into human bodies, including Adam and Eve. They see God as eternal, the creator of all, and the only one in charge, with no partners.
Many Gods, Many Creators
Monolatrism: Primary and Secondary Creators
Some traditions, like monolatristic ones, might have a primary creator who is the ultimate source, and a secondary creator who does the actual work of shaping the world. For example, in some Vaishnava traditions within Hinduism, Vishnu is the primary creator who provides the basic universal shell and raw materials. Then, Brahma is the secondary creator who uses these materials to create planets and supervise their population.
Monism: Oneness of Everything
Monism is a philosophy that says everything is one. This is different from believing in a creator God who is separate from what He created. Spiritual monism believes all spiritual reality is one, while material monism believes all material reality is one.
No Creator God
Buddhism: No Creator Deity
Buddhism does not believe in a creator deity. It teaches that some gods, like Mahabrahma, might be mistakenly seen as creators, but they are not.
Jainism: An Eternal Universe
Jainism does not support the idea of a creator god. According to Jain teachings, the universe and everything in it—souls, matter, space, time, and motion—have always existed. They are governed by natural laws. Jains believe that you cannot create something from nothing, so the total amount of matter in the universe stays the same. Similarly, the soul of every living being is unique, was not created, and has existed forever.
Jainism teaches that a conscious being like God cannot create a material universe. Also, any soul that gets rid of its bad actions and desires can achieve freedom. A soul that has no desires would not want to interfere with the universe. Rewards and sufferings are not from a god, but from the natural order of the cosmos, where individuals experience the results of their own actions through karma. Jainism believes that a good and moral life is possible without the idea of a creator god.
Polytheism: Diverse Creation Stories
In religions with many gods (called polytheism), the world often comes into being in different ways. It might sprout from a seed, be born miraculously, or be created by a divine "craftsman" (called a demiurge). Sometimes, a god is involved in creation, whether they mean to be or not.
Here are some examples:
- African stories:
* Mbombo from Bakuba mythology, who vomited out the world because of a stomachache. * Unkulunkulu in Zulu mythology.
- American stories:
* Nanabozho (Great Rabbit), an Ojibwe god who could change shape and helped create the world. * Coatlicue in Aztec mythology. * Viracocha in Inca mythology. * A trickster god, often a Raven, in Inuit mythology.
- Near Eastern stories:
* Atum in Egyptian mythology. * Ptah creating the universe with his word. * Neith, who wove the universe into being. * Marduk killing Tiamat in Babylonian mythology.
- Asian stories:
* Atingkok Maru Sidaba in Manipuri mythology, creator of the universe. * Izanagi and Izanami-no-Mikoto in Japanese mythology, who stirred the ocean to create islands. * Pangu in Chinese mythology, who separated heaven and earth. * Lord Brahma in Hinduism is often seen as the creator of the universe.
- European stories:
* The sons of Borr slaying the giant Ymir in Norse mythology. * Rod in Slavic mythology.
- Oceanic stories:
* Makemake, creator of humanity in Rapa Nui mythology. * Ranginui, the Sky Father, and Papatūānuku, the Earth Mother in Māori mythology.
Platonic Demiurge: The Craftsman
The Greek philosopher Plato described a creation story with a being called the demiurge (meaning "craftsman"). This demiurge is like a skilled builder who shapes the world from existing matter, rather than creating it from nothing. Later philosophies like Neoplatonism and Gnosticism further developed this idea.
Hinduism: A Rich Tapestry of Beliefs
Hinduism has many different beliefs, including monotheism (one God), polytheism (many gods), and monism (all is one). The idea of a creator deity in Hinduism is complex and depends on the specific tradition.
Ancient texts like the Rig Veda ask deep questions about what created the universe. These texts often speak of "One Truth" or "Reality." Later Hindu texts offer many ideas about how the universe began. They talk about Sarga (primary creation) and Visarga (secondary creation). This means there's an unchanging, ultimate reality (like Brahman) and a constantly changing, observable reality. The universe is seen as going through endless cycles of creation, evolution, dissolution, and re-creation.
While Brahman or Purusha or Devi are sometimes seen as the primary creators, different gods and goddesses are named as secondary creators. Often, Brahma is described as a "secondary creator" in texts like the Mahabharata. He is said to be born from a lotus from Vishnu's navel and then creates all the forms in the universe, but not the universe itself. In other traditions, Shiva or the Great Goddess might be seen as the ultimate creator.
Other Creation Stories
Kongo Religion: Nzambi Mpungu and Kalûnga
The Bakongo people traditionally believe in Nzambi Mpungu, the Creator God. They also believe in his female partner, Nzambici, and spirits like the basimbi. Their oral traditions say that in the beginning, there was only an empty circle. Nzambi Mpungu called forth a spark of fire called Kalûnga, which grew and filled the space. When it became too big, Kalûnga released hot elements that formed the universe, including the sun, stars, and planets. Kalûnga is seen as the source of life and motion.
The Bakongo believe Nzambi created two worlds: the physical world and the spiritual world of ancestors. The Kalûnga line separates these two worlds, and all living things exist on one side or the other. This line became a river that carries people between worlds at birth and death, allowing them to be reborn.
Chinese Traditional Cosmology: Pangu and Shangdi
Pangu is another creator deity in Chinese mythology. In the beginning, there was only a formless chaos. This chaos gathered into a cosmic egg for eighteen thousand years. Inside, the opposing forces of yin and yang balanced, and Pangu emerged. He is often shown as a hairy giant with horns. Pangu created the world by separating Yin (Earth) from Yang (Sky) with his axe. To keep them apart, he stood between them, pushing the Sky up. This took eighteen thousand years, with the sky, Earth, and Pangu growing each day.
After his work, Pangu rested. His breath became the wind, his voice the thunder, his left eye the sun, and his right eye the moon. His body became the mountains and land, his blood formed rivers, and his sweat became rain. Even the fleas on his fur became human beings.
Another Chinese creator deity is Shangdi, who might have been believed in even before Pangu. Shangdi shares some ideas with the God of Abrahamic faiths.
Kazakh: Jasagnan
According to Kazakh folk tales, Jasagnan is the creator of the world.
Images for kids
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A robot representing a creator.
