Mythological motifs

5,822 motifs · page 16 of 30

• The gods build houses, and fashion tools. A1402
• God teaches people to work. A1403
• Gods teach people all they know. A1404
• Culture originated by ancestor of tribes. A1405
• Acquisition of livable environment. A1410
• Theft of light. Light originally absent is stolen by culture hero. A1411
• Light kept in box (basket). Stolen. A1411.1
• Theft of light by being swallowed and reborn. The hero transforms himself to a particle. The daughter of the guardian of light swallows him as she is drinking water. He is reborn. As a child in the house he steals light. A1411.2
• Origin of light – miscellaneous. A1412
• Light originated from shield of old cobra supporting the earth. A1412.1
• Origin of light: souls of dead in heaven. A1412.2
• Acquisition of daylight by culture hero. A1412.3
• Origin of fire. A1414
• Origin of fire – rubbing sticks. A1414.1
• Fire drill invented. A1414.1.1
• Origin of fire – found in person's own body. A1414.2
• Origin of fire – children strike rocks together, accidentally produce fire. A1414.3
• Origin of fire – gift from god (supernatural person). A1414.4
• Origin of flint and tinder. A1414.5
• Bird as guardian of primordial fire. A1414.6
• Repository of fire. A1414.7
• Tree as repository of fire. A1414.7.1
• Rock as repository of fire. A1414.7.2
• Cave as repository of fire. A1414.7.3
• Theft of fire. Mankind is without fire. A culture hero steals it from the owner. A1415
• Fire witheld from men as punishment. A1415.0.1
• Original fire property of one person (animal). A1415.0.2
• Fire stolen in hollow reed. A1415.1
• Fire carried from heaven in fingernails. A1415.1.1
• Theft of fire by animals. A1415.2
• Theft of fire by bird. A1415.2.1
• Theft of fire – trick exchange. Child of fire-owner is stolen and then given back in exchange for fire. A1415.3
• Vain attempts to circumvent theft of fire. A1415.4
• Country ridded of ogres and made peaceful. A1416
• Theft of tablets of fate. From heaven by bird Zu. A1417
• Acquisition of food supply for human race. A1420
• Origin of food from body of slain food-goddess. (Cf. A2611.1). A1420.1
• Gods teach how to seek and prepare food. A1420.2
• Creator of food items. A1420.3
• Food originally obtained without effort. A1420.4
• After Fall first parents fed and clothed from one palm-tree. A1420.5
• At beginning people start to eat the earth. A1420.6
• Hoarded game released. Animals are kept imprisoned by malevolent creature. Released by culture hero. A1421
• Hoarded rice made available once more to men by culture hero. A1421.0.1
• Man given dominion over beasts. A1421.1
• Man rules all animals. God gives greatest strength to lion, but because of man's wisdom lion is in his power. A1421.1.1
• Assignment of edible animals. Certain animals may be eaten by man. A1422
• Animals sources of food because they were once unfaithful, disobedient wives of a visitor from god-country. A1422.0.1
• What animals are to be eaten by man. A1422.0.2
• Why men may eat hares. A1422.1
• Why Santals eat entrails of hare. A1422.1.1
• Why Birhors eat flesh of monkeys and baboons. A1422.2
• Why the wild boar is hunted by man for food: once a faithless wife killed by her husband. A1422.3
• Acquisition of vegetables and cereals. A1423
• Hoarded plants released. A1423.0.1
• Origin of yams (sweet potatoes, taro). A1423.1
• Acquisition of rice. (Cf. A2685.) A1423.2
• Origin of coconut. A1423.3
• Acquisition of manioc. A1423.4
• Origin of seed. A1425
• Hoarded seeds. A1425.0.1
• All the kinds of seed in a bamboo that culture hero cuts down. A1425.1
• Acquisition of food supply – miscellaneous. A1426
• Discovery of oil. A1426.1
• Acquisition of ale. A1426.2
• Introduction of brewing. A1426.2.1
• Origin of rice-beer. A1426.2.2
• Acquisition of spiritous liquors. A1427
• Liquor discovered when birds get drunk. A1427.0.1
• Liquor discovered by rain-god. A1427.0.2
• Intoxicating drink first used at the wedding feast of the first couple. A1427.0.3
• Creator gives liquor to his servant giant to drink. A1427.0.4
• Acquisition of brandy. Devil teaches how to burn brandy. (Cf. A1456.) A1427.1
• Origin of whiskey. A1427.2
• Acquisition of wine. A1428
• Acquisition of food supply – miscellaneous. A1429
• Discovery of oil (edible). A1429.1
• Origin of yeast: wasp stole it from the old woman underneath the earth. A1429.2
• Acquisition of water. (Cf. A1111.) A1429.3
• First wells dug. A1429.3.1
• Gods provide drinkable water. (Cf. A941.) A1429.3.2
• Acquisition of salt. A1429.4
• Acquisition of other necessities. A1430
• Origin of coal. A1431
• Acquisition of metals. A1432
• Origin of iron. A1432.1
• Iron at first was made for food, not for weapons. A1432.1.1
• Acquisition of gold. A1432.2
• Gold comes from gourd received from fishes. A1432.2.1
• Acquisition of brass. A1432.3
• Acquisition of copper. A1432.4
• Acquisition of money. A1433
• First money received from kettle which two dead men try in vain to carry from hell to heaven. A1433.0.1
• Origin of gold coins. A1433.1
• Origin of silver coins. A1433.2
• Silver coins from pumpkin received from fishes. A1433.2.1
• Origin of shell money. A1433.3
• Acquisition of habitations. A1435
• Origin of cave-digging. A1435.0.1
• Acquisition of guest-houses. A1435.1
• Origin of raths (duns, stone forts). A1435.2
• Raths marked out with brooch. A1435.2.1
• Origin of grass huts to replace caves as dwellings. A1435.3
• Acquisition of vehicles. A1436
• Acquisition of clothing. A1437
• Origin of medicine (healing). A1438
• Origin of medicine: shaman sent down by the Creator equipped with it. A1438.1
• Acquisition of other necessities. A1439
• Acquisition of marble. A1439.1
• Origin of dyes. A1439.2
• Origin of rubber. A1439.3
• Origin of cauldrons. A1439.4
• Acquisition of crafts. A1440
• Assignment of crafts and professions: creator opens shop and from it distributes plough, pen, bottle, pair of scales, fishing-net and loom to various groups. A1440.1
• Origin of distribution of work. A1440.2
• Patriarchs because of long life made inventions. A1440.3
• Acquisition of agriculture. A1441
• Origin of plowing. A1441.1
• Origin of custom of yoking oxen. A1441.2
• Origin of water wheel and rice growing. A1441.3
• Origin of sowing and planting. A1441.4
• Origin of periodic sowing. A1441.4.1
• Origin of onion-growing. A1441.5
• Origin of milling. (Cf. A1446.5.3.) A1442
• Origin of domestication of animals. A1443
• First shepherder. A1443.1
• Acquisition of building crafts. A1445
• Origin of boat-building. A1445.1
• Origin of carpentry. A1445.2
• Why carpenters are found everywhere: flood scatters them on raft over world. A1445.2.1
• Man learns housebuilding from wasp. A1445.2.2
• Acquisition of tools. A1446
• Culture hero steals tools for men. A1446.0.1
• Origin of the saw. Invented by devil. A1446.1
• Origin of the axe. A1446.2
• Origin of the ox-goad. A1446.3
• Origin of the adze. A1446.4
• Acquisition of household implements. A1446.5
• Origin of the broom. A1446.5.1
• Origin of the pestle. A1446.5.2
• Origin of the grindstone. A1446.5.3
• Origin of the winnowing-fan. A1446.5.4
• Origin of baskets. A1446.5.5
• Origin of the oil-press. A1446.5.6
• Origin of metal-working. A1447
• Origin of the bellows. A1447.1
• Origin of blacksmith work. A1447.2
• Origin of goldsmith work. A1447.3
• Origin of smelting. A1447.4
• Origin of mining. A1448
• Origin of pottery. A1451
• Origin of charcoal making. A1452
• Origin of cloth-making. A1453
• Origin of spinning. A1453.1
• Origin of weaving. A1453.2
• Origin of dyeing. A1453.3
• Origin of leaf-dress. A1453.4
• Origin of bark-cloth. A1453.5
• Creator paints on clay models of men clothes that they are to wear. A1453.6
• Origin of raffia cloth. A1453.7
• Origin of shoemaking. A1454
• Origin of cooking. A1455
• Origin of the domestic hearth. A1455.1
• Origin of distilling. Learned from devil. (Cf. A1427.2.) A1456
• Origin of fishing. A1457
• Origin of the fish hook. A1457.1
• Origin of custom of catching fish by day as well as by night. A1457.2
• Origin of the net for fishing. A1457.3
• Origin of fishing stations. A1457.4
• Origin of fish-traps. A1457.5
• Origin of fish ponds. A1457.6
• Origin of hunting. A1458
• Origin of pitfall. A1458.1
• Acquisition of crafts – miscellaneous. A1459
• Acquisition of weapons. A1459.1
• Origin of bows and arrows. A1459.1.1
• Introduction of broad-headed spears into Leinster. A1459.1.2
• Origin of obsidian-tipped spears. A1459.1.2.1
• Origin of sling-stones. A1459.1.3
• Invention of gai bulga. A1459.1.4
• Origin of horse-whips. A1459.1.5
• Acquisition of seamanship (sailing, etc.). A1459.2
• Acquisition of sorcery. A1459.3
• Acquisition of arts. A1460
• Arts taught man by angel. A1460.1
• Acquisition of music. A1461
• Origin of violin. A1461.1
• Origin of lyre. Hermes makes it from a tortoise. A1461.2
• Origin of harp. A1461.2.1
• Origin of organ. A1461.3
• Origin of the use of the rattle. A1461.4
• Origin of whistle. A1461.5
• Origin of shepherd's pipe. A1461.6
• Origin of nose-flute. A1461.7
• Origin of dancing. A1462
• Origin of literary arts. A1464
• Acquisition of poetry. A1464.1
• First poetry composed in imitation of tones of hammer on anvil. A1464.1.1
• Origin of hymn. A1464.2
• Origin of particular song. A1464.2.1