μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif
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.

  • BretonSébillot Incidents s. v. "animaux"
  • French CanadianBarbeau JAFL XXIX 13
  • HinduTawney II 599
  • India*Thompson-Balys
  • ChineseEberhard FFC CXX 40 No. 28. See also references given under B200.
  • general *Chauvin VIII 126 No. 113
  • general *BP I 331. Irish myth: Cross
Within the index

Filed under Speaking animals.

8 finer motifs beneath it
Animals speak, praising God, on the night of Christ's NativitySpeaking beasts – domesticSpeaking beast – wildSpeaking birdSpeaking insectsSpeaking fishSpeaking reptileSpeaking amphibia
Filed beside it
Person frightened by animals successively replying to his remarks. Example: Man riding horse and followed by dog tells horse to jump over a hole. Horse says, "I will not." Man turns to dog and says, "Isn't that strange – a horse talking!" The dog says, "Yes, isn't it." Often the man runs, meeting other animals which answer him, until he falls exhaustedTalking animal or object refuses to talk on demand. Discoverer is unable to prove his claims: is beatenFormerly animals and man spoke the same language. God took the power of speech from the animals because men refused to kill speaking beastsAnimal understands human speechAnimal whistles (sings, etc.)Animal languages. The various animals have languages of their own. (Cf. B251.1.2.)Knowledge of animal languages. Person understands themAnimal language learned

wander