The 'Orphic egg

there is an egg which, upon "hatching", either gives rise to the universe itself or gives rise to a primordial being who, in turn, creates the universe. The egg is sometimes lain on the primordial waters of the Earth. The egg is a universal symbol of life. It appears in various creation myths, representing the start of the universe itself. In ancient Greek cosmology, the 'Orphic egg' is considered to be the source of life, and is often depicted with a serpent wound around it. It often represents the birth of a new world, universe, or all-powerful being. In Orphic mythology, Chronos, an unaging being, produced an egg, Aether, and Chaos from "earth and water". The egg hatched into Phanes, a god who created the cosmos and gave birth to the first generation of gods. In Orphic belief, this myth describes humanity as having a dual nature: body inherited from the Titans, and a divine spark or soul inherited from Dionysus.