Amma and the Egg that Contains the Universe (Dogon/Burkina Faso, Mali)
The early story of the universe has to do with a struggle between Amma, the creator, and Ogo, one of her creations.
In the beginning, Amma, alone, was in the shape of an egg: the four collar bones were fused, dividing the egg into air, earth, fire, and water, establishing also the four cardinal directions. Within this cosmic egg was the material and the structure of the universe, and the 266 signs that embraced the essence of all things. The first creation of the world by Amma was, however, a failure. The second creation began when Amma planted a seed within herself, a seed that resulted in the shape of man. But in ...