Mythological motifs

5,822 motifs · page 28 of 30

• Why crab is cunning. A2525.2
• Why fox is sly. A2525.3
• Why animals are unrestrained. A2526
• Why dog lacks restraint. A2526.1
• Why animal is vain. A2527
• Why cock is vain and selfish. A2527.1
• Why peacock is vain. A2527.2
• Why animal is strong. A2528
• Why leopard is strong. A2528.1
• Why animal is harmless. A2531
• Wild animals lose their ferocity. A2531.0.1
• Why water serpents are not venomous. (Cf. A2532.1.) A2531.1
• Why grizzly bear is peaceable. A2531.2
• Why elephant is peaceable. A2531.3
• Why elephant flees when cock crows. A2531.3.1
• Why animals are venomous. A2532
• Why snakes are venomous. (Cf. A2235.) A2532.1
• Why hairy caterpillar is venomous. A2532.2
• Why animal is timorous. A2534
• Why crab is afraid in dark. A2534.1
• Animals of good omen. A2536
• Why swallow brings good luck. A2536.1
• Why ring-dove brings good luck. A2536.2
• Why spider brings good luck. A2536.3
• Why animal is stupid. A2537
• Why fish is stupid. A2537.1
• Why ass is stupid. A2537.2
• Other animal characteristics. A2540
• Why animal is sacred. A2541
• Why bee is sacred. A2541.1
• Why stork is holy. (Cf. A2221.5.) A2541.2
• Why animal is cursed. A2542
• Why magpie is cursed. (Cf. A2231.) A2542.1
• Magpie refuses to get into ark, sits around outside, jabbering over drowned world, is unlucky. (Cf. A2232.4.) A2542.1.1
• Why spider is cursed. (Cf. A2231.5.) A2542.2
• Animal given certain privilege. A2545
• Why flies may eat anywhere. (Cf. A2221.2.1, A2229.4.) A2545.1
• Why cat eats first. A2545.2
• Why dog eats first. A2545.3
• Dog granted proper food. A2545.4
• Why wild pigs ravage rice-fields. A2545.5
• Animal granted patent of nobility. A2546
• Dog granted patent of nobility. A2546.1
• Wolf granted patent of nobility. A2546.2
• Why certain animal is king. A2547
• Why certain bird is king of birds. A2547.1
• Why game is easy to hunt. A2551
• Why game animals are elusive. A2552
• Why certain animals are swift. A2555
• Why sheep is a good runner. A2555.1
• Why certain animals are sterile. A2561
• Why mule is sterile. A2561.1
• How animals received their names. A2571
• Adam gives name to all animals. A2571.0.1
• Adam names male animals, Eve, female. A2571.0.2
• God gives animals their name on first Sabbath. A2571.0.3
• Names of animals explained by their characteristics. A2571.0.4
• How the blackbird (merulus) received its name. A2571.1
• Quarrels introduced among animals. A2575
• Why monkeys do not fall from trees. A2576
• Why tiger cannot come down a tree head foremost. A2577
• Why animal has long life. A2578
• Why daddy-long-legs has long life. A2578.1
• Why eagle has long life. A2578.2
• Why tiger lacks some qualities of cats: cat, his teacher, omitted to teach him all he knew. A2581
• Why certain animals are plentiful. A2582
• Why pigs are plentiful. A2582.1
• Why particular animals are not found in certain place. A2584
• Why certain district is free of mosquitoes. A2584.1
• Why ants no longer live on the back of the hare. A2584.2
• Why there is enmity between certain animals and man. A2585
• Origin of enmity between serpent and man. A2585.1
• Origin of plants. A2600
• Origin of plants: creator sends down the insects, who plant them. A2601
• Planting the earth. A2602
• Creation of plants by transformation. A2610
• Plants from body of slain person or animal. A2611
• Plants from grave of dead person or animal. A2611.0.1
• Plants from foetus or body of stillborn child. A2611.0.2
• Human placenta transformed into plant. A2611.0.3
• Parts of body of god transformed into plants. A2611.0.4
• Women transformed into flowers. A2611.0.4.1
• Parts of human or animal body transformed into plants. A2611.0.5
• Corn from body of slain person. (Cf. A2685.1.) A2611.1
• Tobacco from grave of bad woman. A2611.2
• Tobacco from grave of virgin. A2611.2.1
• Coconut tree from head of slain monster. A2611.3
• Pepper plant from body of slain person. (Cf. A2686.3.) A2611.4
• Mandrake from blood of person hanged on gallows. (Cf. A2664.) A2611.5
• Hair transformed into plants. A2611.6
• Grass from hair of slain person. A2611.6.1
• Origin of rue: from drops of Christ's blood. A2611.7
• Plants from tears. A2612
• Tears of Adam and Eve leaving paradise become trees. (Cf. A2681.) A2612.1
• Tears of Mary at Annunciation become daisies. (Cf. A2651.) A2612.2
• God's tears become peas. (Cf. A2686.2.) A2612.3
• Plant from spittle. A2613
• Mushroom from spittle of deity. (Cf. A2686.1.) A2613.1
• Object transformed to plant. A2615
• Mary hides in ground nail to be used for cross: origin of thistles. (Cf. A2688.1.) A2615.1
• Plant from mother's milk. A2615.2
• Canoe transformed into coconut tree. A2615.3
• Seaweed becomes vegetation. A2615.4
• One plant transformed into another. A2616
• Plants from transformed person (animal). A2617
• Living boys or girls transformed into plants. A2617.1
• Living animals transformed into plants. A2617.2
• Plants originate from experience of holy person. A2620
• Plants from tread of holy person. A2621
• Flowers from under the feet of Virgin Mary. (Cf. A2650.) A2621.1
• Plants from tread of goddess. A2621.2
• Peter lets key of heaven fall: origin of "Heaven Key" (primrose). Peter hears that duplicate key to heaven has been made. In his excitement he lets his key drop to earth. It is returned by an angel. Where it dropped are the "Heaven Keys". (Cf. A2653.) A2622
• St. Peter's grass. Created by the saint as medicine for snakebite. A2623
• Origin of plant from staff of holy person. A2624
• Origin of thorn tree from staff of Joseph of Arimathea. A2624.1
• Plants from clothing of deity. (Cf. A2615.) A2625
• Other types of plant origins. A2630
• Origin of plant as punishment. (Cf. A2230.) A2631
• Punishment for first murder: thistles, etc. Until murder was committed, only useful plants grew on earth; since then, thistles. (Cf. A2688.1.) A2631.1
• Punishment for Fall of Man: thistles, etc. A2631.1.1
• Origin of plant as reward. A2632
• Willow shelters Holy Family: becomes weeping willow. (Cf. A2681.1.) A2632.1
• Origin of tree for crucifixion of Christ. Planted by Adam's son on the grave of primeval father. A2632.2
• Plants created by direct divine agency. A2634
• Origin of flowers. (Cf. A2617.1, A2621.1.) A2650
• Origin of daisy. (Cf. A2612.2.) A2651
• [First Edition: A2652. Origin of "heaven key" (primrose). (See A2622.)] A2652[1st ed.]
• Origin of primrose. (Cf. A2622.) A2653
• Origin of "Mary's bed straw" (thymus serpyllum). A2654
• Origin of bindweed (convolvulus sepium). A2655
• Origin of rose. A2656
• Origin of mossrose. A2656.1
• Origin of York and Lancaster rose. From dust and blood of slain of War of the Roses – a variety of rose unknown before that time. A2656.2
• Origin of forget-me-not. A2657
• Origin of lady-slipper (calceolaria hybrida). A2658
• Origin of snowdrop (galanthus nivatis). A2661
• Origin of hellebore. A2662
• Origin of clove. A2663
• Origin of mandrake. (Cf. A2611.5.) A2664
• Origin of wild morning glory. A2665
• Origin of narcissus. A2665.1
• Origin of rue. (Cf. A2611.0.4.1.) A2666
• Origin of other plant forms. A2680
• Origin of trees. (Cf. A2612.1.) A2681
• Origin of weeping willow. (Cf. A2632.1.) A2681.1
• Origin of oak. A2681.2
• Poplars from weeping maidens transformed by god. A2681.3
• Origin of birch trees. A2681.4
• First birch trees in Ireland. A2681.4.1
• Origin of palms. A2681.5
• Origin of coconut tree. (Cf. A2611.3.) A2681.5.1
• Origin of bamboo. A2681.6
• Origin of sandalwood tree. A2681.7
• Origin of dammar tree. A2681.8
• Origin of mulberry tree. A2681.9
• Origin of banyan tree. A2681.10
• Origin of breadfruit tree. A2681.11
• Origin of palm-wine tree. A2681.12
• Origin of cedar tree. A2681.13
• Origin of creepers. A2682
• Origin of grass. A2683
• Origin of cultivated plants. (Cf. A2685, A2691.2.) A2684
• Origin of flax. A2684.1
• Origin of hemp. A2684.2
• Origin of sorghum. A2684.2.1
• Origin of cotton plant. A2684.3
• Origin of cereals. A2685
• Origin of corn. (Cf. A2611.1.) A2685.1
• Origin of maize. A2685.1.1
• Origin of straw. Formerly whole blade became grain. Straw left for dog. A2685.2
• Origin of rye. A2685.3
• Origin of barley. A2685.4
• Origin of manioc. A2685.5
• Origin of vegetables. A2686
• Origin of mushroom. (Cf. A2613.1.) A2686.1
• Origin of peas. (Cf. A2612.3.) A2686.2
• Origin of pepper plant. (Cf. A2611.4.) A2686.3
• Origin of kava plant. A2686.3.1
• Origin of edible roots. A2686.4
• Origin of sweet potato. A2686.4.1
• Origin of taro. A2686.4.2
• Origin of yams. A2686.4.3
• Origin of turmeric. A2686.5
• Origin of beans. A2686.6
• Origin of gourds. A2686.7
• Origin of cinnamon. A2686.8
• Origin of fruits. A2687
• Origin of blood-oranges. A2687.1
• Origin of melons. A2687.2
• Origin of berries. A2687.3
• Origin of pumpkin. A2687.4
• Origin of banana. A2687.5
• Origin of weeds. A2688
• Origin of thistles. (Cf. A2615.1, A2631.1.) A2688.1
• Origin of thorn-bush. A2688.1.1
• [First Edition: A2688.2. Origin of nettles.] A2688.2[1st ed.]
• Origin of narcotic plants. A2691
• Origin of coffee. A2691.1
• Origin of tobacco. (Cf. A2611.2, A2611.2.1.) A2691.2
• Origin of ganja. A2691.3