From the Library: CATCHING A GHOST

Legends of Volcanoes is a charming 1916 Arts & Crafts binding of one of W. D. Westervelt's rarer titles. Westervelt translated many of the original ghost stories of Hawaii from the native language of the Kingdom.

Any W.D. Westervelt's titles are worth reading if you want to know how traditional ghost stories in America begin. The collection in Legends of Volcanoes includes a story of catching a ghost.

Catching a ghost is not an an uncommon theme in Native American cultures. It reminds me of the Cherokee story of Spearfinger. Apparently a lost art, ghost catching is a rare motif in European folklore.