The gate of the year

Fresco of the XV century, from the Chruch of Vittskövle, a little village of Southern Sweden, showing the creation of animals.
The image refers to the narrative of the sixth day of creation (Genesis, 1, 24-25), in which God created the wild animals, the domestic livestock, and all the reptiles of the soil. Man, who is created soon after, is destined to have dominion “over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth” (Genesis, 1, 26). On the base of these Old Testament sources, Christianity has tried to draw a greater separation between man and animals, with respect to the religions of Antiquity, though this representation reveals also several ambiguities. On the one hand, man, created in the image and likeness of God, is opposed to the animal, submitted and imperfect, if not even impure. On the other hand, in some Christian authors the sentiment emerges, more or less widespread, of an authentic communion among all living beings and of a relationship – not only biological – between man and animals. These latter can become a model for humans and in this sense they are quoted by theologians, moralists and preachers (Pastoureau 2012, p. 12).

[Image: http://booksofalltime.com/2010/12/28/creation-myth-smackdown-hesiod-vs-genesis/]




Animals

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Fresco of the XV century, from the Chruch of Vittskövle, a little village of Southern Sweden, showing the creation of animals. The image refers to the narrative of the sixth day of creation (Genesis, 1, 24-25), in which God created the wild animals, the domestic livestock, and all the reptiles of the soil. Man, who is created soon after, is destined to have dominion “over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth” (Genesis, 1, 26). On the base of these Old Testament sources, Christianity has tried to draw a greater separation between man and animals, with respect to the religions of Antiquity, though this representation reveals also several ambiguities. On the one hand, man, created in the image and likeness of God, is opposed to the animal, submitted and imperfect, if not even impure. On the other hand, in some Christian authors the sentiment emerges, more or less widespread, of an authentic communion among all living beings and of a relationship – not only biological – between man and animals. These latter can become a model for humans and in this sense they are quoted by theologians, moralists and preachers (Pastoureau 2012, p. 12). [Image: http://booksofalltime.com/2010/12/28/creation-myth-smackdown-hesiod-vs-genesis/]