Perhaps the notion of a “god of fire”, as opposed to the notion that “fire is a god”, might have originated with politicians.
The parallels between religion and politics are so patently obvious as hardly to be worth enumerating. Both seek to control people, one by fraud, the other by force. Both have their hierarchical bureaucracies and authoritative potentates, whether central and totalitarian, or local and democratic. And both make a call for altruism and sacfice from people, ostensibly for some “greater good”, yet somehow vast sums of the money, and almost all the clout ends up benefitting the poobahs first and foremost, while crumbs and coins that spill over are sent out to charity and welfare.
Seeking that kind of political power, a natural thing for an aggresive, meat-eating, hunter-gatherer species to do, might easily account for the first god of fire.
It goes something like this. My hold on the tribe is pretty good, but things are a little shaky, and I have to keep fighting off Mog and the other contenders every friggin’ day, and I’m tired of it. So…
“I have spoken with God of Fire. He has annointed me as Head Knocker. Give me, er, I mean, give him one trinket from each of you, or he will have me burn everything in your cave.”
And so I legitimize myself, create for myself a special ethics set, justify pillaging and looting other men, all because these people respond to fear.
I, politician, have invented the god of fire.