> There was a big movement around the turn of the century interested in
> Solar mythology where all myths and folktales were interpreted as
> metaphors for the Sun either rising or waxing and waning with the year.
> It was kind of a humorous school of thought of the most ludicrous form
> of monomythism.
Andrew Lang (he of the multicoloured books of fairy tales) effectively satirised the Solar Monomythologisers by examining the life of their leading proponent, Freidrich Max Muller, a ploddingly worthy literal- minded German scholar of the type this Daily is wholly unfamiliar with. Using Max Muller's own recognition criteria, he "proved" from the known details of his life that the Great Scholar was in fact a Solar Hero, if not the Sun God himself.
The movement got quieter after that... though another fine comic mention comes in James Branch Cabell's excellent book "Jurgen", where Our Hero is shown by the Master Philologist that he must be a solar legend and is therefore doomed to travel to the Underworld with the Autumnal Equinox, the poor fellow:
"For in becoming the consort of a nature myth connected with the Moon Jurgen had of course exposed himself to the danger of being converted into a solar legend by the Philologists, and in that event would be compelled to leave Cocaigne with the Equinox, to enter into autumnal exploits elsewhere..."
> BTW have you noticed that there is very little Glorantha folklore?
A man after my own heart! Write folktales, guys! They're more fun than clunky great myths, and easier to tell round the campfire...
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