μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

The one compulsory thing. Unless one does this one thing, misfortune comes. (Sometimes one is under magic compulsion.)

Tabu. · Unique prohibitions and compulsions. · The one compulsory thing. · The one compulsory thing. · view the constellation · filed as C650

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Scholars’ trail — 2references

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.

  • general **Reinhard the Survival of Geis in Mediaeval Romance. – Irish myth: Cross, MacCulloch Celtic 177ff., passim, *Schoepperle Tristan and Isolt II 307
  • general Beal XXI 312.
Within the index
13 finer motifs beneath it
Customs connected with unique compulsionThe one compulsory question. Percival must ask the meaning of the strange sights he sees; else the Fisher King will not be healedCompulsion: taking back talisman which opened treasure mountain. Hero takes treasure and forgets the talismanOnly one certain gift must be acceptedGirl from elfland must eat earthly food in order to remainOne must eat "death vegetable" whenever one sees it. Otherwise god will be angryCompulsion to bathe in certain waters dailyInjunction: to marry first woman metInjunction: protect certain stone from molestationCompulsion to go to certain place at certain time (or once each year)The one compulsory song. Beer cannot be brewed until an old man sings the song of the origin of beerCompulsion to tell storiesCompulsion to give food to everyone met on journey

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