μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Holding up the rock. Trickster makes dupe believe that he is holding up a great rock and induces him to hold it for a while. (Sometimes steals the dupe's goods.)

Deceptions. · Deception into humiliating position. · Deception into humiliating position – miscellaneous. · view the constellation · filed as K1251

Filed across the traditions
  • Africa (Kaffir) Theal 113, 189, (Hottentot, South of Zambezi): Theal 91, (Basuto): Jacottet 44 n. 1
  • American Negro (Georgia) Harris Nights 314 No. 54.
  • general *Type 1530
  • general *Parsons JAFL XXX 237, XXXI 227 n. 2, MAFLS XV (1) 59
  • general N. Am. Indian (Mexico): Boas JAFL XXV 206, 237
Within the index

Filed under Deception into humiliating position – miscellaneous.

1 finer motif beneath it
Holding up the roof. Fox pretends to be holding up the roof; hence cannot help the bear, who must do the threshing alone
Filed beside it
Trickster rides dupe horseback. Usually by feigning sickness he induces the dupe to carry him and then boasts that the dupe always acts as his horse Priest trapped in window and humiliated Holding down the hat. Dupe persuaded to guard hat supposed to cover something valuable. It covers a pile of dung. (Dupe's goods are sometimes stolen.) The general hatches out an egg. The page induces the general to take his place in sitting on the eggs. Then he calls the king to look Person hypnotized into believing himself transformed Man falsely reported insane. No one will believe him Man carried and dropped in mid-stream Amorous intrigue observed and exposed Man abed with his wife is frightened away by an intruder who steals his clothes Abbess puts priest's trousers on her head. Suddenly called up while abed with the priest, she thinks to put on her coif. Discomfited by nuns whom she has denounced for incontinence Discovery of abbot's (abbess's) incontinence brings permission to monks (nuns) to do likewise Girl who cannot keep silent thereby provokes her rival to admit unchastity Woman draws a pelt to her instead of her husband. A woman asks of her husband a hair which will magically draw him to her. He gives her a hair from a pelt Rascals pull off judge's breeches and leave him exposed Mock initiation for dupe King induced to kiss horse's rump: trickster then threatens to tell
Carried in tale types

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