μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Boastful fly-killer: "seven at a blow". A tailor who has killed seven flies writes on a placard: "Seven at a blow." He is received as a great warrior.

Deceptions. · Deception through shams. · Impostures. · Sham prowess. · view the constellation · filed as K1951.1

Filed across the traditions
  • French Canadian Barbeau JAFL XXIX 23
  • Missouri French Carrière
  • Spanish Espinosa III Nos. 194f.
  • India *Thompson-Balys
  • Indonesia Coster-Wijsman 73 No. III
  • Philippine Fansler MAFLS XII 51
  • general *Type 1640
  • general *BP I 148ff.
  • general N. A Indian: *Thompson CColl II 430ff.
Within the index

Filed under Sham warrior.

1 finer motif beneath it
Boastful elephant killer: killed at one blow. Elephant has been poisoned
Filed beside it
Runaway cavalry-hero. When the sham hero goes to war his horse runs away with him. To save himself he grasps a cross from a graveyard and waves it from side to side, putting the enemy to flight Sham-warrior intimidates soldiers with his boasting Boastful coward frightened by conspirators Ordinary man assumes high sounding name and challenges enemy chief to single combat. Latter is frightened into believing him to be of exceptional prowess and desists from attacking the city
Carried in tale types

ask the rhapsode about this motif · search the shelf for “fly-killer” · wander