Cain

In stories common to the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions, Cain (Hebrew קין Kayin or Qayin) is the eldest son of Adam and Eve, and the first man born in creation according to the Genesis. In the Hebrew language, Cain means "acquisition."

He was a tiller of the land while his younger brother Abel was a shepherd. God's rejection of Cain's sacrifice of fruit and grain in preference to Abel's blood sacrifice of a lamb drove Cain to murder his brother in a jealous rage. When God later questioned Cain as to his brother's whereabouts, Cain answered, "Am I my brother's keeper?"

In punishment, God condemned Cain to wander the earth forever, giving him the mark of Cain that turned the earth and all its living creatures against him. Cain protested that his punishment was too harsh, and God relented, allowing Cain to settle at last in the Land of Nod, where he founded the city of Enoch.

In popular mythology, although it is unspecified in the Bible, Cain's mark is red hair. He is also thought to have fathered the Biblical races of giants and monsters -- the so-called children of Cain.

For the American crime writer, see James M. Cain.