Mythological motifs

5,822 motifs · page 18 of 30

• Origin of custom of wearing a beard. A1597
• First men without beards: Cain, Abel. A1597.1
• Origin of custom of shaving. A1597.2
• Origin of customs of hospitality. A1598
• Origin of additional customs. A1599
• Origin of warning beacon. A1599.1
• Origin of erection of monuments to mark boundaries. A1599.2
• Why women wear veils in India. A1599.3
• Why the face must be wiped dry after washing. A1599.4
• Why in addressing anyone the second plural should be used. A1599.5
• Why earthworms are killed whenever earth is dug. A1599.6
• Why dagger must be always cleaned on the inside of the robe. A1599.7
• Inequalities of fortune among men, otherwise the work of the world will not go on. A1599.8
• Origin of custom of committing suicide by strangling. A1599.9
• Origin of witchcraft. A1599.10
• Origin of quarrels. A1599.11
• Origin of war. A1599.11.1
• Origin of covenanted friendships. A1599.12
• Why certain caste is kind to animals. A1599.13
• Why a lamp must be lighted in a house at least every fortnight. A1599.14
• Origin of begging. A1599.15
• Origin of allusive expression for the story of gods' incest and trickery. A1599.16
• Distribution and differentiation of peoples – general. A1600
• Number of nations of the world (70, 72, 140). A1601
• Origin of various tribes. A1610
• Unworthy origin ascribed to hostile tribes. A1610.1
• Foreigners heads exchanged with those of devils in fight. A1610.1.1
• Couples placed to establish tribes. A1610.2
• Origin of races from mixed offspring of animal marriage. A1610.3
• Tribes from fruits of various trees. A1610.4
• Different tribes result from choice of things Sun offers people. A1610.5
• Tribes from clay models made by creator. A1610.6
• Origin of particular tribes. A1611
• Origin of American Indian tribes. A1611.1
• Origin of the Ojibwa. A1611.1.1
• Origin of Eskimo. A1611.1.2
• Origin of Gypsies. A1611.2
• Origin of various African tribes. A1611.3
• Origin of Bushmen. A1611.3.1
• Origin of various tribes of India. A1611.4
• Origin of various European peoples. A1611.5
• Origin of Greeks. A1611.5.1
• Origin of Italians. A1611.5.2
• Origin of Germans. A1611.5.3
• Origin of Celts. A1611.5.4
• Origin of women in Ireland. A1611.5.4.1
• Origin of the Maic Milid (Milesians, Gaels). A1611.5.4.2
• Origin of the Tuatha Dé Danann regarded as an early tribe. A1611.5.4.3
• Origin of various Near Eastern peoples. A1611.6
• Origin of white and colored races. A1614
• Negroes as curse on Ham for laughing at Noah's nakedness. A1614.1
• Origin of luchrupain (leprechauns, dwarfs, pygmies) from curses of Ham. A1614.1.1
• Origin of "goat-heads" from curse of Ham. A1614.1.2
• Races dark-skinned from bathing after white men. All peoples bathe in the river, the white man first, then in turn, the Spaniard, the Indian, and the negro – each becoming darker because of the condition of the water. A1614.2
• Light and dark-skinned peoples made from light and dark coconuts. A1614.3
• Origin of tribes from choices made. A1614.4
• Origin of tribes from kinds of meat they choose. A1614.4.1
• Origin of race colors from eating of ox. Those who eat livers are black; those who eat lungs and blood are red. A1614.4.1.1
• Origin of different peoples according to choice of chairs. A1614.4.2
• Origin of different peoples according to choice of bows and arrows or else guns, horses and cattle. Indians choose the former, whites the latter. A1614.4.3
• Negroes made from left-over scraps at creation. A1614.5
• Origin of light and dark skin color. A1614.6
• Indians and whites from different legs of first man. A1614.7
• Black tribe because woman is put on fire. A1614.8
• Origin of white man. A1614.9
• Origin of particular languages. A1616
• Cold before theft of fire impedes speech: explanation of difficulty of certain languages. A1616.1
• Origin of Irish language. A1616.2
• Origin of place-name. A1617
• Origin of inequalities among men. A1618
• Distribution of tribes. A1620
• Reasons for difference in population sizes in different areas. A1621
• Wandering of tribes. A1630
• Emergence of tribe from lower world. A1631
• Emergence of tribe from lower world stopped by fat woman or pregnant woman who becomes lodged in the hole of egress. A1631.1
• Tribe climbs down from sky to earth. A1631.2
• Origin of tribal subdivisions. A1640
• Characteristics of tribal subdivisions. A1641
• Origin of different classes – social and professional. A1650
• The various children of Eve. Eve has so many children that she is ashamed when God pays her a visit. She hides some of them and they fail to receive the blessing that God gives those in sight. Thus arises the differences in classes and peoples. A1650.1
• Custom of differentiating social classes by color of dress introduced. A1650.2
• Origin of different trades. A1650.3
• Why some men are good basket-makers. A1650.3.1
• How God distributed professions: according to the bodily appearance of men. A1650.3.2
• Origin of castes. A1651
• Attitude to untouchables. A1651.0.1
• Origin of castes from instructions received in dream. A1651.1
• Caste determined by what kind of tree one catches while crossing a river. A1651.2
• Origin of royalty. A1653
• Origin of kings (from god(s)). A1653.1
• Origin of a king's family from a fairy prince. A1653.2
• Origin of priesthood (shamanism, etc.) A1654
• Origin of priests. A1654.1
• Origin of diviners. A1654.2
• Origin of peasantry. A1655
• Why peasant is always busy: he is eager to produce food for all living beings. A1655.1
• Origin of noblemen. A1656
• Origin of Polish noblemen: from wheat dough that a bitch devours. A1656.1
• Origin of slaves. A1657
• Origin of subject tribes (aithech-thuatha). A1657.1
• Origin of the Fir Bolg ("Men of the Sacks"); so-called because as slaves they were forced to carry earth in sacks (builg). A1657.2
• Origin of professional warriors. A1658
• Origin of fiana (bands of professional warriors). A1658.1
• Origin of different classes – miscellaneous. A1659
• Origin of the Fomorians (giants). A1659.1
• Fomorians descended from Ham (or Cain). A1659.1.1
• Characteristics of various peoples – in personal appearance. A1660
• Hair and beard of various peoples. A1661
• How the white man got his beard. A1661.1
• Why the white man has short hair. A1661.2
• Why Canaanites have curly hair. A1661.3
• Peculiar smell of body. A1662
• Why Jews smell bad. They rubbed Christ's body with garlic. A1662.1
• Heads of various people. A1663
• Why Babylonians are round headed. A1663.1
• Beauty of various peoples. A1664
• Feet of various peoples. A1665
• Why Africans have bad feet. A1665.1
• Eyes of various peoples. A1666
• Why Canaanites have red eyes. A1666.1
• Why Palmyrenes have narrow eyes. A1666.2
• Intelligence of various people. A1667
• Why Europeans know more than natives. A1667.1
• Characteristics of various peoples – in industry and warfare. A1670
• Tribal characteristics – labor. A1671
• Why the negro works. A1671.1
• Tribal characteristics – industry. A1673
• Why the Haidas surpass in certain industries. A1673.1
• Tribal characteristics – stealing. A1674
• Why it is not a sin for a Gypsy to steal: helpful at crucifixion. A1674.1
• Why Russians like thefts and robberies. A1674.2
• Tribal characteristics – warfare. A1675
• Tribal characteristics – bravery or cowardice. A1676
• Why the Chittagongs are not as brave as they used to be. A1676.1
• Characteristics of various peoples – in habits. A1680
• Tribal characteristics – eating. A1681
• Why Indians chew spruce gum. A1681.1
• Why Jews do not eat pork. A1681.2
• Why the Muria eat snakes. A1681.3
• Why the Agaria eat rats. A1681.4
• Tribal characteristics – dress. A1683
• Why Russians wear their shirts outside their breeches. A1683.1
• Why Russians wear red shirts. A1683.1.1
• Why a certain tribe wear clothes like dogs (supposed descendants of a bitch mother). A1683.2
• Origin of custom of wearing mantles. A1683.3
• Why certain peoples go nude. A1683.4
• Why Canaanites go nude. A1683.4.1
• Why certain peoples wear only loincloths. A1683.5
• Tribal characteristics – decoration. A1687
• Why Zuñi girls rub flour on their faces as they grind. A1687.1
• Other origins and originators. A1689
• Why Bhuiya yoke the cow and the bullock together to the plough. A1689.1
• Why Agaria are not afraid of fire. A1689.2
• Why the Gond and Baiga are omnivorous. A1689.3
• Why Saora wave axes and swords and shout while dancing. A1689.4
• Why the Kamar offer liquor to gods and spirits. A1689.5
• Why Jews read and write from right to left: because of the ugly name of the king of the Jews. A1689.6
• Origin of the Russian calendar. A1689.7
• Why Chapperbands coin false money for a living. A1689.8
• Why Chenchu women are ugly. A1689.9
• Why the Agaria are cultivators. A1689.10
• Why one people is superior in power to another. A1689.11
• English more powerful than Hindus since latter were late at distribution of qualities. (Both defecating, but Hindu must wash, while Englishman uses paper.) A1689.11.1
• Why Egyptians are fond of asses. A1689.12
• Why Jews keep aloof from other peoples. A1689.13
• Distribution and differentiation of people – miscellaneous. A1690
• Differentiation between "free" (saer) and "unfree" (daer). A1691
• Creation of animals. (Cf. Chapter B. Animals.) A1700
• Creation of animals by God. A1701
• Creation of animals by creator. (Cf. A0.) A1702
• Culture hero creates useful animals. A1703
• All animals created in couples. A1704
• Animals created to serve man. A1705
• Creation of animals through transformation. (Cf. A1811.1, A1833.2, A1861.1, A1861.2, A1863, A1887). A1710
• Animals from transformations after deluge or world calamity. A1711
• Creator sent for water: Meantime animals assume present forms. A1713
• Animals from various transformed objects. A1714
• Animals from transformed cloth. A1714.1
• Animals from bark thrown on ground. A1714.2
• Animals created from earth. A1714.3
• Buffaloes emerge from earth, the first man holding the tail of last one. A1714.3.1
• Animals from transformed man. (Cf. A2005, A2011.2.) A1715
• Animals from Pharaoh's drowned army. From the army crossing the Red Sea came the various animals. A1715.1
• Animals from men transformed for discourtesy to God (Jesus). (Cf. A1831, A1862, A1871.) A1715.2
• Seven whistlers are the souls of the Jews who crucified Christ. (Cf. F456.1.1.1.) A1715.3
• Animals from transformed men according to favorite food. One man asks for flesh, one for blood, etc. They are changed to mice, cats, and bugs. (Cf. A1811, A1853.) A1715.4
• Animals from transformed survivors of shipwreck. A1715.5
• Animals from transformed ogre or giant. A1716
• Animals from different parts of body of slain giant. Giant person, cow, ox, etc. A1716.1
• Animals from transformed parts of the body (animal or human). A1724
• Animals from body of slain person. A1724.1
• Animals from severed fingers of woman. (Cf. A2102.) A1724.1.1
• Animals from transformed hair. A1724.2
• All living things from Jesus' spattered blood. A1724.3
• Animals from parts of body of deity or saint. A1725
• Animals from spittle of deity (saint). (Cf. A2181, A2182.) A1725.1
• Animals from body dirt of deity (hero). A1725.2
• Primordial animal mutilated to produce present form. A1727
• Creation of animals as punishment. A1730
• Creation of animals as punishment for beating forbidden drum. A1731