μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif
Scholars’ trail — 1reference

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.

  • India*Thompson-Balys.
Within the index

Filed under Animal characteristics: punishment for planning man's downfall.

Filed beside it
What creature has sweetest blood: gnat's tongue torn out. Assembly to decide who has the sweetest blood so that it may be the food for the serpent. Gnat discovers that man has the sweetest blood. Rather than let him tell this secret, swallow tears out his tongue. Gnat can only buzz. (Cf. A2344.2, A2426.3.2.)Animal characteristics: punishment for carrying devil into paradiseMagpie tells man he is to die next day: no tongue and long tail. God pulls out his tongue and makes his tail long for doing this forbidden thing. (Cf. A2344.2.6, A2378.3.1.)Animal punished for not heralding dawnNit tries to bore through man's head: must remain at edge of hair. (Cf. A2433.5.1.)Jay carries sulphur to devil in hell: must be quiet at noonCat commanded to pray so as not to slay man: why cat purrs
Travels with
How frogs lost tails. (Cf. A2231.4, A2236.3.)Why hog roots in ground. (Cf. A2236.3, A2275.5.1.)Why bat sleeps by day. (Cf. A2236.3.)Why dogs get stuck in copulation. (Cf. A2236.3, A2236.5.)

wander