Water-spirits kidnap mortals and keep them under water — Mythoi

Motif

Water-spirits kidnap mortals and keep them under water.

Marvels. · Marvelous creatures. · Spirits and demons. · Water-spirits. · view the constellation · filed as F420.5.2.2

Filed across the traditions

Irish Beal VII 49
Lappish Qvigstad FFC LX 46 No. 60
German Paul 46, Brüger 130
French Sébillot France II 342, 409, 410
India *Thompson-Balys
Chinese Werner 352 → on our shelf: Myths & Legends of China, Chapter XIV
Japanese Ikeda
Africa (Cameroon) Rosenhuber 46ff.

Within the index

Filed under Malevolent water-spirits.

2 finer motifs beneath it

Water-spirit returns kidnapped man in return for release of his long hair. Victim's father has wound the hair around his fingers Mistreated boy sings unto water spirits to take him: waters rise up in tank to engulf him

Filed beside it

Water-spirits lure mortal into water Water-spirit keeps souls of drowned persons in dishes in his home Water-spirits steal children and leave changeling Water-spirits interfere with building bridges, dams. (Cf. F451.5.2.5.) Water-spirits take revenge on mortals Water-spirit turns boat in circle Water-spirit splashes passing people Water-spirits lead travelers astray Water-man sits on back of persons as heavy burden Water-spirits cause blindness Water-spirit causes illness and death

Travels with (Thompson’s cf.)

Dwarfs kidnap mortals. (Cf. F420.5.2.2. and cross-references there given.)

Carried in tale types

The Nix of the Mill-pond · ATU 316 2 recorded variants

ask the rhapsode about this motif · search the shelf for “water-spirits” · wander