μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Origin of death from falsified message.

Mythological motifs. · Creation and ordering of human life. · Ordering of human life. · Beginnings of trouble for man. · view the constellation · filed as A1335.1

In our texts — keyword-matched, unreviewed
Filed across the traditions
  • S. Am. Indian (Cashinawa) Métraux BBAE CXLIII (3) 684, (Tropical Forests): Lowie ibid. (3) 55.
  • general *Dh III 22
  • general *Wesselski Theorie 43
  • general Gaster Oldest Stories 91. African: Werner African 160ff., 167, (Hottentot): Bleek 69 No. 31, 71 No. 32, 72 No. 33, 74 No. 35, (Basuto): Jacottet 46 No. 6, (Gold Coast): Barker and Sinclair 129 No. 23, (Togo): Einstein 5, (Sandeh): Casati I 222
Within the index

Filed under Origin of death.

1 finer motif beneath it
Origin of death: wrong messenger goes to God
Filed beside it
Origin of death from bad creator's unsuccessful imitation. The bad creator attempts in vain to endow his creations with life like the good creator. Fails and thus introduces death Origin of death from unwise choice. Choice between two bundles, one containing tempting articles, the other everlasting life. People choose the large bundle and lose everlasting life Origin of death when early people put on new skins. Child fails to recognize mother, who puts old skin back on Origin of death: serpent given immortality instead of man. Renews his skin Origin of death: punishment for scorning deity First son who died before his father after the Flood Origin of death because world is overpopulated Origin of death because people weary of living Men die because a snake comes to prey on mankind while creator rests God of world of the dead demands that men die so he will have subjects. (Cf. A487) Death origin: God sends a woman to sell poisoned curds to man God sends centipede down to introduce death into the world through its poisoned sting Death comes into the world by treachery of the gods: stick used by man for scratching his back is changed into cobra God punishes man by killing his child: origin of death
Carried in tale types

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