Mythology of the San Bushmen of Southern Africa

Mythology of the San Bushmen of Southern Africa gives an in-depth account of San mythology and its connections to the religion, social organization, and ecological adaptations of this erstwhile hunting-gathering people. The mythology and cosmology of San Bushmen posits ongoing connections and interactions between actual, experienced reality and virtual, imagined myth time. Along with conflations of human with animal and woman/wife with antelope/meat, the trickster-god figure is central to San mythology. In this book Mathias Guenther places San mythology firmly in the context of world mythology.

List of contents

• Preface


• Introduction


• 1. The San Bushmen


• 2: The San Bushman World of Myth and its Denizens and Domains


• 3. The Trickster


• 4. The Impact of San Bushman Mythology on Past Lifeways and Lives


• 5. Mythology in the San Bushmen's Contemporary World


• 6. San Bushman Mythology, World Mythology, and Myth Studies


• Bibliography


• Index

About the author

Mathias Guenther is Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at Wilfrid Laurier University and Honorary Research Professor at the South African Rock Art Research Institute. Among his numerous books are Human-Animal Relationships in San and Hunter-Gatherer Cosmology and Tricksters and Trancers: Bushman Religion and Society.

Product details

• Authors: Mathias (Emeritus Professor of Anthropol Guenther, Guenther Mathias
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Release: 27.06.2025
• EAN: 9780197634356
• ISBN: 978-0-19-763435-6
• No. of pages: 320
• Series: World Mythology in Theory and Everyday Life
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Religion/theology > Miscellaneous; Non-fiction book > Politics, society, business > Society; SOCIAL SCIENCE / Folklore & Mythology, Folklore, myths & legends, Folklore studies / Study of myth (mythology)