μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Person made to believe that he is dead.

The wise and the foolish. · Fools (and other unwise persons). · Gullible fools. · Nature of gullibility. · view the constellation · filed as J2311

In our texts — keyword-matched, unreviewed
Cited in the index
  • general *Penzer IX 156
  • general Christensen DF XLVII 228 No. 94.
Within the index

Filed under Nature of gullibility.

13 finer motifs beneath it
Wife makes her husband believe that he is dead. (Cf. J2301.) Numskull is told that he is to die when his horse breaks wind three times. When this happens he lies down for dead The "poisoned" pot. The wife tells the husband that a certain pot of preserves is poison. He decides to kill himself and eats the preserves. He believes that he is poisoned and lies down for dead Sham revenant. A man takes refuge from robbers in an open grave. Robbers see him and ask what he is doing. "It is my grave. I went out to get a breath of air." The dead man speaks up. A numskull who has lain down thinking he is dead is carried off in a bier. The carriers lose their way. He speaks up, "I always went that way when I was alive." The dead man in spite of himself. Neighbors who have heard of the numskull's death insist on the funeral although he is alive and well. He is persuaded and is carried on a bier. They meet a busy man whom they try to persuade to join them. He pleads business. The "dead" man speaks: "It's no use, friend, to try to dissuade them." Sham-dead man punished. A numskull lies in an old grave to see the Day of Judgment. He hears bells and thinks that the Last Day has come. He is beaten by mule-drivers when he tells them that he is a dead man. He returns home and tells his wife that he returns from the dead. "How goes it in heaven?" "For one thing, avoid mule-drivers." Cold hands and feet for the dead man. His wife has told him that one tells a dead person by his cold hands and feet. He freezes his feet and hands and lies down for dead. Wolves eat his ass. "Lucky for you that his master is dead!" Parents made to believe that they are dead and are married to each other again Foolish peasants carry couple to burial; when "corpses" speak they flee in terror Drunken man insists that he be beheaded. Is struck with the flat of his sword. He thinks he is dead Idiot tells his mother he has been dead twelve years Supposed dead man roused with whip
Filed beside it
Naked person made to believe that he is clothed Layman made to believe that he is a monk Wife persuades husband that she has returned immediately. She goes to a neighbor's to cook a fish. She is gone a week. She gets a new fish and cooks it and returns home with the hot fish. She convinces her husband of her short absence Husband made to believe that his house has moved during his absence. The wife and her confederates transform the house into an inn with tables, signs, drinkers, etc. The husband cannot find his house Well man made to believe that he is sick Numskull convinced that he is a thief. An article is stolen. Declared that whoever does not eat all his cheese is the thief. A stone is put in the numskull's cheese so that he cannot eat it all. He admits the theft Man made to believe that he is pregnant (has borne child) Drunken man made to believe that he has been to heaven and hell. He is dressed up as a rich lord and given rich food and drink. When put back into his own clothes he thinks that he has been to heaven Numskull believes that he is married to a man. Two men's hands joined in fun with words "I marry you." Fool thinks that he must get a bishop to annul the marriage Wife persuades her husband to have a good tooth pulled Husband made to believe that yarn has changed to tow through his carelessness. Thus his lazy wife is relieved from spinning The student from paradise. A student tells a woman that he comes from Paris. She understands him to say from paradise and gives him money and goods to take to her husband Man who asks for good weather given a box full of hornets. He thinks that it is filled with the weather The moving church tower. To see whether the church is moving someone lays down his coat in front of it. It is stolen. They think that the church has passed over it Numskull with unimportant office boasts of it Fool locked in dark room made to believe that it is continuous night
Carried in tale types

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