μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif
Filed across the traditions
  • India *Thompson-Balys, Tawney II 483
  • Chinese Werner 224, 282
  • Eskimo (Bering Strait) Nelson RBAE XVIII 460, 515
  • N. Am. Indian *Thompson Tales 311 n. 118
  • Africa (Gold Coast) Barker and Sinclair 97 No. 18, (Fjort): Dennett 74 No. 16, (Ekoi): Talbot 71, 184, 344, (Congo): Weeks 202 No. 1, 217 No. 12, (Zulu): Callaway 147, (Ila [Rhodesia]): Smith and Dale II 348.
  • general Chauvin VII 54ff. No. 77. Greek: Frazer Apollodorus I 332 n. 2 (Dionysus and Semele) → on our shelf: The Library (Bibliotheca), BOOK III, ch. V
  • general S. Am. Indian (Kariri, Shipaya): Métraux MAFLS XL 25
Within the index
8 finer motifs beneath it
Return from upper world Man taken to upper world sees all that happens on earth Journey to heaven (upper-world paradise) Journey to see deity. Usually to the upper world Man admitted into heaven but must not find fault Visit to star-world Visit to land of moon Visit to land of the sun
Keeps company with — shares receipted episodes
Sun father-in-law Sphinx. Has face of woman, body and tail of lion, wings of bird Animal bribed with food. (Sop to Cerberus.) Animal as guard of person or house Guardian animals evaded Tabu: killing sacred dragon. (Cf. B11.) Transformation to animal for breaking tabu Transformation: man to dolphin Transformation: man to feather Transformation: oars and masts to serpents Protean beggar: Person assumes successive forms in order to beg Transformation combat. Fight between contestants who strive to outdo each other in successive transformations

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