μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Paramour leaves token with girl to give their son.

Sex. · Care of children. · Illegitimate children. · view the constellation · filed as T645

Filed across the traditions
  • Irish myth Cross
  • Icelandic *Boberg
  • India Thompson-Balys
  • Japanese Ikeda
  • Hawaii Beckwith Myth 86, 330, 478f.
  • general *Type 873
  • general *Potter Sohrab and Rustem 6ff.
Within the index

Filed under Illegitimate children.

4 finer motifs beneath it
Sword left for posthumous son to kill father's murderer "Keep it if it is a girl; send it to me if it is a boy." Hero leaving girl says this of the prospective child Father orders the mother to send the expected illegitimate boy to him when he can perform certain feats Hero leaves bedmate keys to treasure chamber for the son she is supposed to bear
Filed beside it
Illegitimate child of nun. (Cf. V465.1.2.) Mother of illegitimate child given as pledge for his crime Test of legitimacy of children: exposure to asps. Asps will bite only foreigners. (Cf. H222.1.) Child betrays his own illegitimacy Illegitimate child taunted by playmates Illegal to care for illegitimate child
Carried in tale types

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