μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif
Scholars’ trail — 7references

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.

  • Icelandic*Boberg
  • EnglishWells 96 (Chevalere Assigne)
  • IrishMacCulloch Celtic 74
  • ItalianBoccaccio Decameron II No. 9 (Lee 56), Basile Pentamerone II No. 6, III No. 2
  • Italian Novella*Rotunda
  • India*Thompson-Balys
  • ChineseEberhard FFC CXX 95 No. 53.
Within the index

Filed under Death order evaded.

6 finer motifs beneath 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 goCompassionate 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 escapeCompassionate 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 executionCompassionate executioner: feigns to torture victimCompassionate executioner: sleeping potion supplied instead of poison
Filed beside it
Uriah letter changed. Falsified order of execution. A messenger is sent with a letter ordering the recipient to kill the bearer. On the way the letter is changed so that the bearer is honoredBribed executioner releases culpritDisguise as girl to avoid executionEscape by hiding
Travels with
Father orders son assassinated. (Cf. K512.)
Carried in tale types

wander