μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Hoarded game released. Animals are kept imprisoned by malevolent creature. Released by culture hero.

Mythological motifs. · Creation and ordering of human life. · Acquisition of culture. · Acquisition of food supply for human race. · view the constellation · filed as A1421

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“They all moved near the buffalo-inclosure. “After four nights,’”’ said Coyote, “we will again hold a council as to how we can release the buffalo. A very small animal shall go where the old woman draws her water. When the child gets water, it will take it home for a pet. The old woman will object; but the child will think so much of the animal, that it will begin to cry and will be allowed to keep it.”

— Tales of the North American Indians, Tale 21 · served from our shelf  receiptuncorrected OCR — being verified against the scan

Attested across traditions
Scholars’ trail — 7references

The index’s own references — the collections where scholars sighted this story-shape, tradition by tradition. Titles on our shelf are live links; the rest is the frontier, not yet shelved.

  • HinduKeith 33f.
  • IndiaThompson-Balys
  • TongaGifford 91
  • HawaiiBeckwith Myth 434f.
  • Eskimo (Bering Strait)Nelson RBAE XVIII 515, (Greenland): Rink 442, Holm 75, (Cape York): Rasmussen III 51.
  • general Kodiak: Jochelson JE VI 143, 164, 187, 367
  • general S. Am. Indian (Yunca, Peru): Alexander Lat. Am. 229 (fish)
Within the index

Filed under Acquisition of food supply for human race.

2 finer motifs beneath it
Hoarded rice made available once more to men by culture heroMan given dominion over beasts
Filed beside it
Origin of food from body of slain food-goddess. (Cf. A2611.1)Gods teach how to seek and prepare foodCreator of food itemsFood originally obtained without effortAfter Fall first parents fed and clothed from one palm-treeAt beginning people start to eat the earthAssignment of edible animals. Certain animals may be eaten by manAcquisition of vegetables and cerealsOrigin of seedAcquisition of food supply – miscellaneousAcquisition of spiritous liquorsAcquisition of wineAcquisition of food supply – miscellaneous
Travels with
Origin of human wisdom. It is kept hidden by monster and is later stolen. It escapes and spreads through the world. (Cf. A1111, A1421.)

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