J.D. Lewis-Williams, one of the leading South African archaeologists and ethnographers, uses ethnographic, archival, and archaeological lines of research to understand San-Bushman mythological stories. From this, he establishes a more nuanced theory of the role of myths in cultures worldwide.

List of Illustrations Acknowledgements A note on pronunciation Prologue: A Broken String? Chapter 1: Myth in its San incarnation Chapter 2: Bringing Home the Honey Chapter 3: The Mantis makes an Eland Chapter 4: The Fight with the Meerkats Chapter 5: A Visit to the Lion's House Chapter 6: The Mantis Dreams Chapter 7: Narrating and Painting Chapter 8: People of the Eland Chapter 9: The Broken String Chapter 10: 'They do not possess my stories' References Index About the Author