μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Compassionate executioner: substituted heart. A servant charged with killing the hero (heroine) substitutes an animal, whose heart he takes to his master as proof of the execution.

Deceptions. · Escape by deception. · Death order evaded. · view the constellation · filed as K512.2

Filed across the traditions
  • Spanish Boggs FFC XC No. 706C*
  • Missouri French Carrière
  • French Canadian Sister Marie Ursule
  • India Thompson-Balys
  • Jewish Neuman (S350)
  • Chinese Graham
  • Japanese Ikeda
  • general *Types 671, 709
  • general *Böklen Sneewittchenstudien 79ff.
  • general *BP I 450ff., 463
  • general *Aarne FFC XXIII 57, MSFO XXV 181
  • general *Prato RTP IV 178
  • general Chauvin V 208 No. 120
  • general *Cox 474
  • general *Saintyves Perrault 68
  • general Fb "hjaerte" I 631a, "lever" II 404b, "tunge" III 894a. Icelandic: Boberg
  • general N. Am. Indian (Shuswap): Teit JE II 730 No. 50
  • general S. Am. Indian (Quiche): Alexander Lat. Am. 172.
Within the index

Filed under Compassionate executioner. A servant charged with killing the hero (heroine) arranges the escape of the latter.

7 finer motifs beneath it
Compassionate executioner: substituted brains (other animal for helpful animal) Eyes of animal substituted as proof for eyes of children Eyes, ears, fingers of corpse substituted for those demanded of victim Animal substituted for child served at meal Compassionate executioner: substituted child. The servant charged with sending the hero to executioners sends his own child instead Compassionate executioner: substituted puppet drowned Compassionate executioner: mutilation substituted for death
Filed beside it
Compassionate executioners. Slaves charged with killing (drowning) the infant heroine are touched by her "laughing smile" and put her in a calfshed (hollow tree), where she is found by cowherds, who rear her "Prince will soon want me back." Executioner persuaded to let hero go Compassionate executioner: bloody coat. A servant charged with killing the hero smears the latter's coat with the blood of an animal as proof of the execution and lets the hero escape Compassionate executioner: feigns to torture victim Compassionate executioner: sleeping potion supplied instead of poison
Carried in tale types

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