μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Dead cannot rest until certain work is finished.

The dead. · Ghosts and other revenants. · Ghosts and revenants – miscellaneous. · The unquiet grave. · view the constellation · filed as E415

In our texts — keyword-matched, unreviewed
Filed across the traditions
  • U.S. Baughman (E354)
  • North Carolina Brown Collection I 679
  • New York Jones JAFL LVII 245
  • West Indies Flowers 430.
Within the index

Filed under The unquiet grave. (Cf. D2151.1.2.3.) Dead unable to rest in peace. Aside from the references given in the numbers immediately following, see E200–E399 passim.

4 finer motifs beneath it
Ghost returns to hunt lost article Dead rich man returns to rebuke his children who have kept the money he promised to the church Ghost of priest cannot rest because he failed to say certain masses for the dead. (Cf. E341.3, Q521.6.) Dead cannot rest until money debts are paid. (C.f. E351.)
Filed beside it
Ground trembles or rumbles when ghost rises from grave Ghost shakes off earth when he rises from grave Dead cannot rest because of sin Person under religious ban cannot rest in grave Murdered person cannot rest in grave. (C.f. all references to E231, E334, E337.1.1, E337.3.) Drowned person cannot rest in peace. (Cf. E334.4.) Man who removes landmarks cannot rest in grave. (Cf. E345.1.) Dead person speaks from grave Other restless dead

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