The origin of light in Inuit mythology

Tulugaak from an illustration by Agnes Nanogak, Holman island, 1983

In Inuit mythology, Tulugaak was the creator of light. The Inuit are very tied to the past, trying to explain to some extent the existence of some creatures, such as the onset of light.

In the early times, there was only darkness; there was no light at all. At the edge of the sea a woman lived with her father. One time she went out to get some water. As she was scraping the snow, she saw a feather floating toward her. She opened her mouth and the feather floated in and she swallowed it. From that time she was pregnant.
Then she had a baby. It's mouth was a raven's bill. The woman tried hard to find toys for her child. In her father's house was hanging a bladder that was blown up. Now the baby, whose name was tulugaak (Raven), pointed at it and cried for it. The woman took the bladder down from the wall and let the baby play with it. But in playing with it, he broke it. Immediately, it began to get light. Now there was light in the world, and darkness, too.

A god between life and death

The mythological Trinity or Triad: Osiris, Horus and Isis

In Egyptian mythology there are many legends about the relationship between life and death, often expressed in a struggle between light and dark.
In the myth of Osiris and Isis, as a life-death-rebirth deity, Horus/Osiris (life/death) became a reflection of the annual cycle of crop harvesting as well as reflecting people's desires for a successful afterlife, and so the legend became extremely important, outstripping all others.

The myth concerns the death of Osiris, the god of the Afterlife and the dead, the travel of his sister-wife Isis searching his body and the birth of Horus, the ancient Egyptian's national patron god.

Never look back!

Federico Cervelli (1625 – 1700),  "Orfeo ed Euridice"
Querini-Stampalia Foundation, Venice (Italy)

The story of Orpheus and Eurydice, told by Apollonius of Rhodes, Virgil and Ovid, is a clear example of light as life and dark as death.

Orpheus dared more than any other man ever dared for his love and he tooks the fearsome journey to the underworld to bring Eurydice to light. The "Gods who rule the dark and silent world" summoned Eurydice and gave her to him, but upon one condition: that he would not look back at her as she followed him, until they had reached the upper world...

Aten the great Sun god

The pharaoh Ekhnaton and his family worshipping Aten

In the history of religions and philosophy, light is the simbol of positivity, in two different meanings: light as principle of life and knowledge.

In Ancient Egyptian religion, the sun is the light source. The pharaoh Ekhnaton places traditional gods under that of Aten (or Ra), the sun god.

The Great Hymn to the Aten suggests that Ekhnaton considers Aten as the only god and creator of the universe:

How manifold it is, what thou hast made!

They are hidden from the face (of man).

O sole god, like whom there is no other!

Thou didst create the world according to thy desire,

Whilst thou wert alone: All men, cattle, and wild beasts,

Whatever is on earth, going upon (its) feet,

And what is on high, flying with its wings.

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