μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif
Scholars’ trail — 2references

The index’s own references — the collections where scholars sighted this story-shape, tradition by tradition. Titles on our shelf are live links; the rest is the frontier, not yet shelved.

  • Italian NovellaRotunda
  • IndiaThompson-Balys.
Within the index

Filed under Tests of friendship.

2 finer motifs beneath it
Sultan takes disguise of beggar to test friendsFriends desert when man reports loss of his money
Filed beside it
Test of worthiness for friendshipTest of friendship: the half-friend. A man kills a hog and tells his friends that he has killed a man and asks where he can hide the body. All of them drive him away and only his father's half-friend remains true to him in his feigned troubleTest of friendship: substitute as murderer. A man in misery gives himself up as a murderer rather than endure further misery. His friend tries to take on himself the guilt and be substituted. The real murderer, touched by the generosity, confessesTest of friendship: to go with one to death. Everyman. He calls in Riches, Family, etc. Only Good Deeds remains with himThe hare with many friends. In the final test none help and only her legs save herTest of friendship: death feigned to test debtor friendsTest of friendship: the imagined refusal. Man wonders if his friend would lend him his palfrey. Decides he would refuse. Imagines that he has actually asked for the palfrey and has been refused. Cools toward his friend. The owner of the horse asks for an explanation. He agrees to lend him the horse and they are reconciledFriends refuse to fight against each otherPregnant wife left in charge of friendFriendship kept up even during sons' jealousy and enmityTest of friendship: to take a slap publicly from friendTest of friendship: mourner says dead husband can be touched only by sinless person; volunteers for cremating body immediately disperseTest of friendship: loyalty to condemned friend

wander