Literature and Myth Camara Laye’s Example

In this article, myth is discussed as a literary concept. Mythological issues like the effects of names and the dates of birth on Camara Laye were explained by the help of Cavendish’s theory of numerology. The article also presented totems as one of the elements that we must respect for our well being. In this paper, the opinion of Abimbola (1977) that each and every living soul was born with a totem, a phenomenon that must be respected as revealed in the novels of Camara Laye. It is also discovered that there are supernatural powers that control the natural. The ancestors were partly seen as omnipresent- those whose spirits could be invoked for protection and provision anywhere any- time. At the concluding part, every individual is urged to know his/ her position in the supernatural. This would help everyone to pray for the desirable position as regards his/her destiny and reject every undesirable future occurrence through prayer.

Key words: Literature, Myth, Novel, Totem