Theft of fire
Videos
The theft of fire for the benefit of humanity is a theme that recurs in many world mythologies, symbolizing the acquisition of knowledge, or technology, and its transformative impact on civilization.
Prometheus Brings Fire to Mankind (1817) by Heinrich Füger
The control of fire by early humans was a critical technology enabling the evolution of humans. Fire provided a source of warmth and lighting, protection from predators, a way to create more advanced
Theft of fire
…trickster figures as the thief, and supernatural heroic guardians who hoard fire from humanity, often out of mistrust for humans. These myths reflect the significance of fire in human history, which is considered a major milestone in the development of human society. In African mythology, the San peoples tell of ǀKaggen, stealing fire from…
Cro-Magnon artists painting in Font-de-Gaume under the lighting of controlled fire, American Museum of Natural History, by Charles R. Knight (1920)
Zhoukoudian Caves, a World Heritage Site and an early site of human use of fire in China