μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Escape by use of substituted object. The object is attacked rather than the intended victim.

Deceptions. · Escape by deception. · Death escaped through disguise, shamming, or substitution. · view the constellation · filed as K525

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“EvpuBia Κητώ. Θαύμαντος μὲν οὖν καὶ Ἠλέκτρας Ἶρις καὶ ἅρπυιαι, Δελλὼ «καὶ» ᾿Ωκυπέτη, Φόρκου δὲ καὶ Κητοῦς Φορκίδες «καὶ; Γοργόνες, περὶ ὧν ἐροῦμεν ὅταν τὰ κατὰ Περσέα λέγωμεν, Νηρέως δὲ καὶ Δωρίδος ῖ Νηρηΐδες, ὧν τὰ ὀνόματα Κυμοθόη Σπειὼ Γλαυκονόμη Ναυσιθόη ᾿Αλίη, Ἐρατὼ Law ᾿Αμφιτρίτη Εὐνίκη Θέτις, Εὐλεμένη ᾿Αγαύη Εὐ- δώρη Δωτὼ Φέρουσα, Γαλάτεια ᾿Ακταίη Ποντομέ- δουσα ᾿Ἱπποθόη Λυσιάνασσα, ζυμὼ ᾿Ηιόνη ᾿Αλε- μήδη Πληξαύρη Evepdytn, Upwra…”

— The Library (Bibliotheca), BOOK I, ch. II · served from our shelf uncorrected OCR — being verified against the scan

Attested across traditions
On our shelf — the index’s citations, resolved to served chapters
Scholars’ trail — 12references

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.

  • Irish myth*Cross
  • Missouri FrenchCarrière, Italian Novella: Rotunda
  • Greek*Frazer Apollodorus I 8 n. 2 (Zeus and Kronus) → on our shelf: The Library (Bibliotheca), BOOK I, ch. II
  • India*Thompson-Balys
  • IndonesiaDeVries's list No. 37, Dixon 200, *201 n. 38
  • PhilippineFansler MAFLS XII 51
  • ChineseGraham
  • Eskimo (Greenland)Rasmussen III 65, Rink 107, (West Hudson Bay): Boas BAM XV 194
  • N. Am. Indian*Thompson Tales 355 n. 282
  • Africa (Basuto)Jacottet 226 No. 33.
  • general *Types 160*, 311
  • general *BP I 398ff.
Within the index

Filed under Death escaped through disguise, shamming, or substitution.

10 finer motifs beneath it
Substituted object left in bed while intended victim escapesMan steps aside so that only his shadow is caughtObject substituted for murdered person so as to allay suspicionAnimal jumps out of skin so that only skin is caughtMan leaves mantle so that only mantle is hitEscape, leaving dog as substituteGirl escapes from ogress by substituting pigDestructive magic object tried out on something inanimateCock's blood given spirits instead of human bloodEscape by leaving behind false images made of spittle
Filed beside it
Escape by disguiseEscape by shamming deathEscape by shamming illnessCaptor's bag filled with animals or objects while captives escapeEscape by substituting another person in place of the intended victimSubstitute in ordeal. An ordeal (usually dangerous) is escaped by deceptively providing a substituteEscape from battle by magic invisibilityEscape under mantle of invisibilityEscape by successive disguisesEscape by reversing shoes (boat)Captors deceived into believing captive is planning to stay with them: vigilance relaxed. Captured general orders heavy boxes taken into the temple. These are thought to be gold and it is concluded that he will not try to leave. He escapesPrincess cuts hair to escape captor who holds her hair in hand while sleeping with her
Keeps company with — shares receipted episodes
Fight of the gods and giantsWorld-fire. A conflagration destroys the earth. Sometimes (as with the flood legends) the tradition is somewhat local and does not refer to an actual destruction of the whole earth; sometimes the fire marks the end of the worldLooking tabuSky-basket. Ascent to or descent from upper world in a basketUnnatural parents eat childrenRecognition by "force of nature". Unknown member of family immediately and magically recognized
Carried in tale types

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