μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

God swallows his pregnant wife to prevent birth of son whom he fears.

Ordaining the future. · Prophecies. · Vain attempts to escape fulfillment of prophecy. · view the constellation · filed as M376

Filed across the traditions
Within the index

Filed under Vain attempts to escape fulfillment of prophecy. (Cf. M341.2.10, M343, M344.)

4 finer motifs beneath it
Exposure of pregnant woman to avoid fulfillment of prophecy concerning future child Murder of pregnant woman to avoid fulfillment of prophecy Children swallowed one after the other as they are born for fear one of them will overcome father Delivery of child fated to rule retarded in order to avoid fulfillment of prophecy
Filed beside it
Prophecy of death fulfilled Exposure of infant to avoid fulfillment of prophecy Confinement in tower to avoid fulfillment of prophecy Expulsion to avoid fulfillment of prophecy Slaughter of innocents to avoid fulfillment of prophecy Sword that is to kill one is weighted and sunk so as to avoid the prophecy. (Cf. M341.2.) Man whose death has been prophesied takes refuge in church, but is accidentally slain through window by arrow directed at stag Futile moving to avoid death. Man told by Death he will die where he stands sells everything and moves to another town. He goes for a ride on a mare which runs away with him and throws him on the spot he so dreads, killing him
Keeps company with — shares receipted episodes
Tabu: mortal lusting after goddess Giant. A person of enormous size. (For giants who are primarily ogres see G100 and G400–G599.) Giant wades the ocean Giant throws a great rock Blindness healed by sun's rays Ogre made drunk and overcome Prophecy: future greatness of unborn child. (Cf. M301.2.2, M301.5.1, M301.12, M359.3, M371.1.) Flaying alive as punishment for contesting with a god Birth from person's head

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