μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Culture hero's (divinity's) expected return. Divinity or hero is expected to return at the proper time and rescue his people from their misfortunes. Often joined with A571.

Mythological motifs. · Demigods and culture heroes. · Culture hero's (divinity's) expected return. · view the constellation · filed as A580

ask the rhapsode about this motif →

Attested across traditions
On our shelf — the index’s citations, resolved to served chapters
  • FinnishThe Kalevala, Rune LThompson cites: Kalevala rune 50. – Jewish: Neuman
The motif on our shelf — written from the served texts; every claim cited  receipt

Thompson's Finnish citation lands on the final rune, where the return-promise is spoken at the exact moment the old dispensation loses office. Mariatta's child — of whom the old singer sneers, "Since the berry is his father" — is baptized "King and Master of Karyala" [The Kalevala, Rune L]. Superseded, Wainamoinen "Sang his farewell song to Northland" and "Sang himself a boat of copper" [ibid.]. The expectation is planted in his own farewell: "Then will Suomi need my coming, / Watch for me at dawn of morning", when he will return to "bring back the Sampo" and "Bring again the golden moonlight, / Bring again the silver sunshine" [ibid.]. The label's condition — rescue from misfortune at the proper time — is here need itself: he comes back when his people are "Hungry for the true religion" [ibid.]. And he leaves collateral against that day: "But he left his harp of magic" and his songs, "To the lasting joy of Suomi" [ibid.]. Departure staged as supersession, return pegged to future want. Thompson's row pairs the rune with a Jewish parallel (Neuman), unserved; the address's eight other rows are parsed and waiting.

Witnesses: The Kalevala, Rune L

Scholars’ trail — 9references

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.

  • NorseOlrik Ragnarök 108ff., 478 (Balder)
  • Irish mythCross
  • WelshMacCulloch Celtic 194 (Arthur)
  • FinnishKalevala rune 50. – Jewish: Neuman → on our shelf: The Kalevala, Rune L
  • PersianCarnoy 339. – N. Am. Indian: *Thompson Tales 274 n. 11a.
  • AztecAlexander Lat. Am. 66.
  • general *Norlind "Skattsägner". – Danish: Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XXIX 74
  • general Fb. "Holger Danske"
  • general Eng., Scot.: Baughman
Within the index
1 finer motif beneath it
Culture hero (divinity) returns
Keeps company with — shares receipted episodes
Creator's grandmother. Casually mentioned in the course of the creation mythCulture hero's (demigod's) departureDivinity's departure for westBoneless man turned over to produce seasonsTabu: looking into box (Pandora)Magic airshipsMagic canoe. (Cf. D1121.)Canoe made by magicWaters magically divide and closeLove-compelling man sickens of bargain. A man given the power of making all women love him is smothered to death by themRising and falling sky. Sky rises and falls at horizon, giving periodic access to the other worldModesty brings reward

wander