μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Dragon-tongue proof. Dragon slayer cuts out the tongues and uses them later to prove his identity as slayer.

Tests. · Identity tests: Recognition. · Identification by tokens. · Identification by matching parts of divided token. · view the constellation · filed as H105.1

Filed across the traditions
  • Irish myth Cross
  • French Canadian Barbeau JAFL XXIX 7, 18f.
  • Italian Novella Rotunda
  • Greek Frazer Apollodorus II 63 n. 4 → on our shelf: The Library (Bibliotheca), BOOK III, ch. XIII
  • India *Thompson-Balys
  • N. Am. Indian Thompson CColl II 323ff.
  • Jamaica Beckwith MAFLS XVII 278 No. 90.
  • general *Types 300, 303
  • general *Hartland Perseus III 203ff.
  • general **Ranke FFC CXIV 251ff.
  • general *BP I 534ff., 548
  • general Fb "tunge" III 893b
  • general Hdwb. d. Märchens I 242a nn. 24–47
  • general Schoepperle I 204 n. 3
Within the index

Filed under Parts of slain animals as token of slaying.

1 finer motif beneath it
False dragon-head proof. Impostor cuts off dragon heads (after tongues have been removed) and attempts to use them as proof of slaying the dragon
Filed beside it
Tongue as proof that man has been murdered Arm of monster kept as token of innocence of dog. Scottish: Campbell-McKay Head of monster as token (proof) of slaying Ears, fingers and noses of demons cut off as proof of killing them Identification between lovers by matching claw and leg of dragon Sex organs of enemy as proof of slaying
Travels with (Thompson’s cf.)
Rescue tokens. Proof that hero has succeeded in rescue. (Cf. H105, H105.1, H105.2.)
Keeps company with — shares receipted episodes
Transformation: man to wild beast (mammal) Transformation: man to tiger Transformation: man to cuttlefish Transformation: man to serpent (snake). (Cf. B642.1.) Repeated transformation. Transformation into one form after another Magic meat Magic sword Magic strength-giving food. (Cf. D1030.) Immortality by burning Protean transformation of water-spirit Test of sex of man masking as girl: arms placed among baskets and war-trumpet sounded. Man snatches arms Man disguised as woman admitted to women's quarters: seduction
Carried in tale types

ask the rhapsode about this motif · search the shelf for “dragon-tongue” · wander