μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Queen chosen to live rather than king so that she can bear an heir to the throne. Serpents alleged to tell by their death which shall die first: male serpent predicts king's death; female, queen's. King has male serpent killed.

Society. · Royalty and nobility. · Kings. · view the constellation · filed as P17.2

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Scholars’ trail — 2references

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.

  • general BP IV 139
  • general Gesta Romanorum No. 92.
Within the index

Filed under Succession to the throne.

Filed beside it
No sons left to rule after father. Lawmaker's sons slain in rebellion against himSon succeeds father as kingVengeance for destruction of fairy-mound pursues king's descendantsFirst man to arrive after king's death to be heir. (Cf. N683.)Dying king names successorKingship rotates among brothersBrothers rule jointlySuccession by mother-rightSuccession will fall to line that has been wrongedKingship given to younger brother. (Cf. P17.10.)Natural son succeeds to the throneThree sons each get a kingship, but the youngest the most important in the home country. (Cf. P17.8.)Slayer of king marries widow and inherits kingdomKing to be succeeded by whoever can carry his dead body a certain distanceWhat the princes most desire: king asks each of three sons separately. Answers: to study, to make pilgrimages, to build a great kingdom. Last chosen

wander