Male and Female Modes of Creation

by Dr. Wayne Glowka

Professor of English and Acting Co-Chair of the Department of English, Speech, and Journalism

Georgia College & State University

The means by which the original being or beings in a myth create things reflects how males and females are valued in a culture. Patriarchies tend to value males over females, and patriarchal creation myths generally emphasize male contributions to creation. In such myths, male beings may assume female reproductive functions and give birth to objects without female assistance. Likewise, matriarchies tend to value females over males, and matriarchal creation myths generally emphasize female contributions to creation. In these myths, female beings may give birth to objects by themselves or with the assistance of male beings. In both kinds of myths, the contribution of the devalued sex is generally de-emphasized, but matriarchal myths seem more accepting of male and female cooperation in the process of creation. The mixture of elements in some myths indicates that an original matriarchal myth has been superseded or displaced by a patriarchal one.

The Egyptian Patriarchal Myth

The ancient Egyptian myth of creation constructed from fragments dating from 3000 to 1500 B.C.E. offers a patriarchal version of creation. In this myth, the original being, called Atun or Re, is alone at the beginning in the dark primeval waters. The primeval waters, of course, constitute a female element, but this element is completely passive and has no personality. The only active agent is the male god Atun. By his own power, Atun rises as the sun and creates the order in the universe:

As creator of the Word and as the Word itself, the Egyptian god claims a generative power that is essentially oral and mental. Oral creation is a reproductive function generally claimed by males in patriarchal myths. These myths ascribe great importance to creation without assistance, and the Egyptian god emphasizes his power to generate by himself:

Atun plans things before they take on existence and thus employs a mental form of creation. However, the first two subsequent beings seem to come out of the mouth of Atun (in this translation):

In the view of some scholars, however, the spitting may not be oral. There is some suggestion that the process may be more like masturbation than spitting:

Whether expectoration or ejaculation, the unassisted male gives birth to other living creatures. After this initial act of solo male creation, sexual reproduction becomes the means of populating the rest of the universe with creatures. Shu and Tefnut produce other gods, who in turn produce others. After the initial—almost adolescent—male creative act, creation requires the cooperation of the male and female principles.

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