μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Escape by shamming death: blood and brains. The trickster covers himself with paint (or the like) so that he will be thought to have bled to death (or with milk so that it will be thought that his brains have been knocked out).

Deceptions. · Escape by deception. · Death escaped through disguise, shamming, or substitution. · view the constellation · filed as K522.1

Attested across traditions
Filed across the traditions
  • N. Am. Indian *Thompson Tales 329 n 191a
  • Africa (Kaffir) Kidd 242 No. 9.
  • general *Type 3
  • general Dh IV 243
  • general Krohn JSFO VI 55ff.
Within the index

Filed under Escape by shamming death.

1 finer motif beneath it
Woman covers fleeing man with placenta of goat and with blood to convince pursuers she has just given birth and thus prevents their capturing him
Filed beside it
Death feigned to escape unwelcome marriage. (Cf. K523.0.1.) Ogre carries sham-dead man. "He smells already." Death feigned to escape from husband's death plot Captive parrots in net play dead and are thrown out: escape Escape by shammed burial Escape by shammed drowning; wrecked boat or coffin lands Sham murder: trickster attacked by angry mother causes her to spear ox guts and believe she has murdered him Escape by shammed hanging
Keeps company with — shares receipted episodes
Magic spittle Magic excrements Magic tears Magic ornament provides treasure Magic building provides treasure Old man of the sea. Burr-woman. Ogre who jumps on one's back and sticks there magically Quest assigned because of feigned dream Heat test. Attempt to kill hero by burning him in fire Tree-pulling contest Deceptive eating contest Substitute smoker. The hero is compelled to smoke a fatal pipe, but the helpful insect which he carries on his head smokes the pipe for him The false bridegroom (substitute bridegroom). Takes the place of the true bridegroom
Carried in tale types

ask the rhapsode about this motif · search the shelf for “trickster” · wander