Achilles heel. Invulnerability except in one spot — Mythoi

Motif

Achilles heel. Invulnerability except in one spot.

Miscellaneous groups of motifs. · Unique exceptions · Unique vulnerability. · view the constellation · filed as Z311

Attested across traditions

North American Indigenous Tales of the North American Indians , Tale 64 receipt

Filed across the traditions

Welsh MacCulloch Celtic 97
Icelandic *Boberg
Norse De la Saussaye 144, Von Sydow Fåvne 27ff.
French Canadian Barbeau JAFL XXIX 11
Greek *Basset RTP XXV 124 n. 1, Frazer Apollodorus II 60 n. 2, 214 n. 1 → on our shelf: The Library (Bibliotheca), BOOK III, ch. XIII
Jewish *Neuman
Hindu Keith 125, Penzer I 127
Siberian Holmberg Siberian 389
Eskimo (Mackenzie Area) Jenness 67
N. Am. Indian *Thompson Tales 345 n. 246
Africa Werner African 236, (Fang): Trilles 202.
general **DeCock Studien 153ff. Irish myth: *Cross

Within the index

Filed under Unique vulnerability.

4 finer motifs beneath it

Left eye only vulnerable spot Spot below right ear only vulnerable one Leprosy cured by holy water except on thumb Man can be injured only in armpits

Filed beside it

Unique deadly weapon. Only one thing will kill a certain man Vulnerability only by one person Sword which will break in only one peril: this known only to the maker of the sword Ogre vulnerable only when his face is turned away when he is struck Only one way to besiege certain city

Keeps company with — shares receipted episodes

Bear paramour. (Cf. B601.1., B631, B635.) Transformation: man to wild beast (mammal) Transformation: man to tiger Transformation: man to cuttlefish Transformation: man to serpent (snake). (Cf. B642.1.) Repeated transformation. Transformation into one form after another Magic meat Magic sword Magic strength-giving food. (Cf. D1030.) Immortality by burning The Soul Vital bodily members. They possess life independent of the rest of the body. (Cf. F1096.)

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