μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif
Filed across the traditions
  • Irish myth Cross
  • N. Am. Indian *Thompson Tales 312 n. 122, (California): Gayton and Newman 95
  • Africa (Basuto) Jacottet 72 No. 11.
Within the index

Filed under Tests of power to survive. Vain attempts to kill hero.

1 finer motif beneath it
Pit test. Hero thrown into pit
Filed beside it
Heat test. Attempt to kill hero by burning him in fire Cold test. Attempt to freeze hero to death Poisoned food test. Attempt to kill hero by feeding him poisoned food Poisoned clothing test. Attempt to kill hero by poisoning clothing Test: bite of poisonous snake Clam test. Hero is sent to capture a giant clam, so that he can be killed Killing trees threaten hero Clashing rocks test: hero to pass between them Spine test. Attempt to kill hero by throwing him on sharp spine or spike Wedge test. Hero is caught in cleft of tree Hanging test. Unavailing attempt to kill hero by hanging Plank test. Attempt to kill hero by letting plank fall on him Toboggan test. Attempt to kill hero on dangerous toboggan Test: playing game with ferocious beast Drowning test. Unavailing attempt to drown hero
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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