μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif
Filed across the traditions
  • Chinese Graham
  • N. Am. Indian **Thompson The Star-Husband Tale 93–163
  • general *Thompson Tales 311 n. 118c
  • general S. Am. Indian (Cherentes, Amazon): Alexander Lat. Am. 308, (Toba): Métraux MAFLS XL 41, (Chaco): Métraux BBAE CXLIII (1) 369.
Within the index

Filed under Journey to upper world. Most references for F0 discuss this motif.

1 finer motif beneath it
Man seeks his mother (star-maiden) in upper world
Filed beside 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 land of moon Visit to land of the sun
Keeps company with — shares receipted episodes
Sun father-in-law Animal bribed with food. (Sop to Cerberus.) Animal as guard of person or house Guardian animals evaded Transformation: man to feather Protean beggar: Person assumes successive forms in order to beg Transformation combat. Fight between contestants who strive to outdo each other in successive transformations Transformation to reach difficult place Transformation to escape difficult situation Transformation to receive food Burning magically evaded. (Cf. D1656.) Resuscitation by arrangement of members. Parts of a dismembered corpse are brought together and resuscitation follows. (Sometimes combined with other methods.)

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