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.

  • Africa (Angola)Chatelain Nos. 10, 42, 49.
Within the index

Filed under Clever judicial decisions.

14 finer motifs beneath it
Damages for the field devastated by a flock. David says pay money damages. Solomon says let laborers have flock till milk and wool have paid the damagesThe hog belongs to whichever place he goes of his own accordThe short blanket must be patched. Weaver makes blanket shorter than ordered. Weaver ordered to add a piece to the blanket and then to receive full priceRobber innocent because he is merely following traditions of his ancestorsServants would not have left the coats. Merchants complain to nobleman that his servants have robbed them of money. Nobleman asks whether merchants had on those good coats when the robbery took place. When told yes, he said that the robbers were not his servants, for they would never have left good coatsThread awarded to disputant who knows what it was wound onStolen necklace does not have same scent as defendant usesTenant advised by landlord to steal in order to pay his taxes acquittedThe judge pays fine himself. Tires of the bickering of two men over a trifling sumEnoch Arden decision. Man believing wife dead becomes a priest. Later finds her alive. Pope's decision: he may remain both a priest and husband but must not consort with any other womanThose who furnish equal number of animals for plow share equally in crop (in spite of amount of work done by each)Actual rescuer gets woman. Watchers could never have got her merely by watchingCardinal's clever decision: that the monks who arise earliest may sound matins. There had been a great argument over this privilegeEye of king's foster-son damaged by sting of bee. Boy's friends demand eye of king's son in forfeit; king decrees instead destruction of swarm of bees so that guilty one may perish
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 arsonDecisions based on experimental testsStory 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 view

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