μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif
Scholars’ trail — 1reference

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.

  • Icelandic*Boberg.
Within the index

Filed under Clever judicial decisions.

5 finer motifs beneath it
Pouring water into the inkwell. Soldier accused of stealing slavegirl from author. Girl told to pour water into an inkwell. She does it so skillfully that she must have learned it from the authorMeasuring the dregs. Some full and some half-full wine casks left with man by neighbor, who accuses him of theft. Fraud of accusation detected by measuring the dregsGold pieces in the honey-pot. Woman leaves honey-pot with neighbor to guard. It has gold below the honey. Neighbor steals the gold and substitutes honey. Theft proved by gold pieces sticking to sides of pot. (Cf. J1192.2.)A two-headed man is only one man. Two-headed man claims double inheritance. Hot water poured over one head. Other head cries out with pain. He is declared to be one man and to merit only one shareTrue husband of woman determined by assigning superhuman task. Thus god masking as husband is discovered
Filed beside it
Series of wise judgments settles quarrels of villageThe Irish Solomon (Cormac mac Airt). Famed for his clever decisionsJudgment by testing loveJudgment as rebuke to unjust plaintiffSeries of clever unjust decisions: plaintiff voluntarily withdraws. (1) Man pulls off borrowed horse's tail: he shall keep horse till tail grows on. (2) Man falls out of bed and kills a baby (or causes a miscarriage): he shall beget a new baby for the mother. (3) Man falls from a bridge and kills boatsman's son: shall allow boatsman to fall from bridge and kill himClever decisions concerning kissing and rapeJudgments concerning arsonStory told to discover thief. Judge tells story of the lady, her husband, her lover, and the robbers (H1552.1). Which was the most generous? Witness says that robber was. This shows that he has robber's point of viewClever judicial decisions – miscellaneous

wander