μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Wandering ghost makes attack. Unprovoked and usually unmotivated.

The dead. · Ghosts and other revenants. · Malevolent return from the dead. · Other malevolent revenants. · view the constellation · filed as E261

Filed across the traditions
  • Irish Jacobs Celtic 200, Kennedy 180, O'Suilleabhain 30, 99, Beal XXI 309, 331
  • New York Jones JAFL LVII 246
  • Icelandic *Boberg
  • Lithuanian Balys Index No. 3542, Legends No. 712
  • Russian Ralston 271, 274, 313
  • Finnish-Swedish Wessman 27 Nos. 229–240
  • Lappish Qvigstad FFC LX 40 No. 11
  • general cf. 2 Nos. 15–17
  • general N. Am. Indian (Kathlamet): Boas BBAE XXVI 182, 184 (Tahltan): Teit JAFL XXXII 225.
Within the index

Filed under Other malevolent revenants.

5 finer motifs beneath it
Wandering skull pursues man Dead arises when shroud bursts and pursues attendant Man attacked on Christmas night by dancing ghosts Ghost pursues man Ghost beats living man with whip
Filed beside it
Ghost rides on man's back Adulteress returns from dead as devastating dragon Ghost drives priest into oven Meeting ghost causes misfortune Dead carry off living Dead tears living to pieces Ghost (revenant) kills by spewing water from his mouth on Hallowe'en. (Cf. F211.1.1.1.) Sea-ghosts. Ghosts which haunt the sea Road-ghosts. (Cf. E332ff., E582.) Ghosts which haunt roads Churchyard ghosts Gallows ghost. Ghost haunts gallows Ghost haunts place of great accident or misfortune Ghosts haunt tree Ghosts haunt spring Malevolent revenants – miscellaneous

ask the rhapsode about this motif · search the shelf for “unmotivated” · wander