Children unwittingly promised (sold). (Cf. S211.) — Mythoi

Motif

Children unwittingly promised (sold). (Cf. S211.)

Unnatural cruelty. · Cruel sacrifices. · Children unwittingly promised (sold). · view the constellation · filed as S240

Filed across the traditions

Irish Baughman
Italian Basile Pentamerone I No. 8.
general *Types 314, 400, 710, 756B
general *BP II 329
general *Fb "frugtsommelig" I 376, "ufødt" III 926a
general *Andrejev FFC LXIX 50ff., 56ff., 223
general *MacCulloch Childhood 418

Within the index

6 finer motifs beneath it

Girl promised unwittingly by her parents to ogre Child unwittingly promised: "first thing you meet." (Jephthah's vow.) Child unwittingly promised: "what you have at home." The man thinks it is a cat (dog) Child unwittingly promised: Nix-Naught-Nothing. The child born while the father is away is named Nix-Naught-Nothing Child unwittingly promised: what is born on your farm. Two women agree that what is born on the farm of each belongs exclusively to the owner. The child of one is born on the farm of the other Daughter unwittingly promised to dog rescuer. (Cf. B620.1.) Without knowing that a dog has rescued her, the father offers her in marriage to her rescuer

Travels with (Thompson’s cf.)

Child sold (promised) to devil (ogre). See also references to S220–S259, practically all of which apply here

Carried in tale types

The Man on a Quest for his Lost Wife · ATU 400 72 recorded variants
The Magic Flight · ATU 313 12 recorded variants
Our Lady's Child · ATU 710 9 recorded variants
Robber Madej (previously The Devil's Contract) · ATU 756B 6 recorded variants
The Nix of the Mill-pond · ATU 316 2 recorded variants

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