Wife dies so that husband's death may be postponed — Mythoi

Motif

Wife dies so that husband's death may be postponed.

Sex. · Married life. · Faithfulness in marriage. · view the constellation · filed as T211.1

Filed across the traditions

Greek Euripides' Alcestis. *Grote I 108.

Within the index

Filed under Faithfulness to marriage in death.

4 finer motifs beneath it

Woman drowns herself as sacrifice to water-gods to save husband's boat from capsizing Husband learning from augurs that his wife will die if he saves self from serpent, lets self be bitten to death Wife offers to sacrifice her right arm for husband's safe return Female deer offers herself instead of her mate, who has been captured. Hunter, struck by her sacrifice, lets both go

Filed beside it

Wife's suicide at husband's death. (Cf. T81.7.) Husband and wife kill themselves so as not to be separated Spouse's corpse kept after death Man becomes a hermit after his wife's death Widowed she-fox rejects suitors who do not resemble her deceased husband Girl forced to marry before sweetheart's return is faithful to her husband. When she refuses to give her former fiancé a kiss, he falls dead. She goes to his funeral and falls dead over his body Wife unwilling to deceive her husband for the man she loves Excessive grief at husband's or wife's death

Carried in tale types

Alcestis · ATU 899 1 recorded variant

ask the rhapsode about this motif · search the shelf for “husband's” · wander