μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Earth Diver. From a raft in the primeval sea, the creator sends down animals to try to bring up earth. After a number of animals have failed, one (often the muskrat) succeeds. The earth is made from the bit brought up.

Mythological motifs. · Cosmogony and cosmology. · –A899. The earth. · –A839. Creation of the earth. · Primeval water. · view the constellation · filed as A812

Attested across traditions
Cited in the index
  • general **E. W. Count The Earth Diver and the Rival Twins (Proceedings 29th International Congress of Americanists [Chicago, 1952] 55–62)
  • general Walk "Die Verbreitung des Tauchmotivs in den Urmeerschöpfungs- (und Sintflut-) Sagen" Mitteil. d. anthrop. Gesellschaft Wien LXIII (1933) 60–76. – Siberian: Holmberg Siberian 318, *322ff.
  • general Hatt Asiatic Influences 12–36, India: *Thompson-Balys. – N. Am. Indian: *Thompson Tales 279 n. 30, (Calif. Indian): Gayton and Newman 53.
Within the index

Filed under Primeval water: In the beginning everything is covered with water.

3 finer motifs beneath it
Devil as Earth Diver. Satan dives for earth at instance of God. Succeeds only third time (by use of right formula). He hides the earth under his tongue. It swells, and he must be rescued by God Earth from egg from bottom of sea recovered by bird Creator sends crow, after creating her, to scout for earth-nucleus
Filed beside it
God and Devil fly together over primeval water Primeval water to subside in a specified time Earth brought up from bottom of primeval water. (Cf. A812.) Raft in primeval sea. Creator is on the raft and there creates the earth. (Cf. A812.) Earth from object thrown on primeval water Earth from turtle's back. Earth erected on back of a turtle floating in primeval water. (Cf. A844.1.) Earth rises from sea Earth let down from sky on to primeval ocean
Travels with (Thompson’s cf.)
Earth brought up from bottom of primeval water. (Cf. A812.) Raft in primeval sea. Creator is on the raft and there creates the earth. (Cf. A812.)
Keeps company with — shares receipted episodes
Woman who fell from the sky. – Daughter of the sky-chief falls from the sky, is caught by birds, and lowered to the surface of the water. She becomes the creator Primeval water: In the beginning everything is covered with water Earth from turtle's back. Earth erected on back of a turtle floating in primeval water. (Cf. A844.1.)

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