Oceanic, American Indian, and African Myths of Snaring the Sun by Katherine Luomala

Oceanic, American Indian, and African Myths of Snaring the Sun by Katherine Luomala, published in 1940. A comparative folkloric study examining the widespread mythic motif of capturing or restraining the sun across Oceanic, Native American, and African traditions. Luomala analyzes narratives in which cultural heroes or trickster figures ensnare the sun using nets, ropes, snares, or other devices, interpreting the symbolism of these acts within the broader religious and cosmological frameworks of the societies in which they appear. The work explores the sun as a life-giving yet potentially destructive force, and considers how myths of its capture reflect concerns with time, order, agriculture, and human agency in relation to nature. Concise yet scholarly, this 58-page study of mythology and folklore. Lecture booklet format. Softcover with light shelfwear; previous owner’s name on cover.