| Soul Catcher |
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Information AboutSoul Catcher |
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| 1972 novels | |
| novels by frank herbert | |
| native american mythology | |
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Soul Catcher is the name of a book written by Frank Herbert in 1972 . It is about a Native American who kidnapped a young white boy, and their journey together. This is not your typical touchy-feely Native American story written by a white man however. This is a story of vengeance and sacrifice. In the conflicted anti-hero, one may see many truths to the feelings harbored by those who were conquered. Many Native American myths are touched on, i.e. that the bee does not haphazardly sting its victim rather it chooses that person. There is also no Hollywood ending in this fascinating book. Instead the book is committed to seeing the sacrifice through and the “lamb” must be an innocent to represent the many Native American innocents slaughtered. Therein lies the conflict with our tragic hero, that he may actually have found respect for his young white hostage, yet he knows what it is that he ''must'' do for his people. A Soul Catcher is also a device used in Northwest Native American soul-retrieval/soul-healing rituals. Traditionally, these shamanistic devices were made out of the hollowed leg bones of an animal with plugs on either end. The shaman would enter a trance and attempt to convince pieces of a patient's fragmented soul to return to the body. Tribes that used this device include the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshiam. |
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