μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Ant thrown from heaven: hence narrow waist. God decides dispute between ant and spider in spider's favor. (Cf. A2355.1.2.)

Mythological motifs. · Animal characteristics. · Various causes of animal characteristics. · Animal characteristics: change in ancient animal. · view the constellation · filed as A2214.2

Filed across the traditions
  • Finnish Aarne FFC VII 22 No. 124, XXXIII 55 No. 124
  • Esthonian Aarne FFC XXV 149 No. 66
  • Flemish DeMeyer FFC XXXVII 89 No. 124
  • Lithuanian Balys Index No. 3200, Legends Nos 291–94
  • India Thompson-Balys.
Within the index

Filed under Animal characteristics from dropping ancient animal from air.

Filed beside it
Swallow thrown on his tail: cause of split tail. (Cf. A2378.5.1.) Unicorn thrown from ark and drowned: hence no longer exists Crab thrown to ground: breaks into small pieces. Hence crabs are small Tortoise hurled on rock: half falls on land, half in water. Therefore amphibious Bat falls from high perch due to extreme heat of sun's rays, breaks bones, etc. Hence peculiar feet and nose
Travels with (Thompson’s cf.)
Why ant has small waist. (Cf. A2214.2.)

ask the rhapsode about this motif · search the shelf for “spider's” · wander