Marvels

5,369 motifs · page 1 of 27

• Journey to other world. F0
• Names for otherworld. F0.1
• Journey to otherworld as dream or vision. F1
• Translation to otherworld without dying. (Cf. F12.3.) F2
• Supernatural husband takes mortal wife with him to heaven. F2.1
• Journey to otherworld as invasion. F3
• Journey to otherworld as hunt. F4
• Journey to otherworld as penance. F5
• Departure to otherworld (fairyland) attributed to death. F6
• Journey to otherworld with angel. F7
• Journey to upper world. Most references for F0 discuss this motif. F10
• Return from upper world. F10.1
• Man taken to upper world sees all that happens on earth. F10.2
• Journey to heaven (upper-world paradise). F11
• Journey to heaven in trance. F11.1
• Man goes to heaven without dying. (Cf. D1856, F2.) F11.2
• Man goes to heaven for limited time. F11.3
• Journey to see deity. Usually to the upper world. F12
• Journey to sky-god. F12.1
• Grieving mortal taken by god of the dead up to otherworld to identify his son, who has just died. F12.2
• Men taken by Brahma to Siva so they can petition him personally. F12.3
• Journey to heaven to see Buddha. F12.4
• Man admitted into heaven but must not find fault. F13
• Visit to star-world. F15
• Man seeks his mother (star-maiden) in upper world. F15.1
• Visit to land of moon. F16
• Visit to land of the sun. F17
• Inhabitant of upper world visits earth. F30
• Child of deity visits earth. F31
• Child of deity stolen and brought down to earth. F31.1
• God visits earth. F32
• God descends to found royal dynasty. F32.1
• Cloud-folk visit earth. F33
• Temptress sent from upper world by deity (Pandora). F34
• Divine animal visits earth. F35
• Divine cow descends to earth. F35.1
• Divine elephant comes down from heaven to feed and disport himself. F35.2
• Access to upper world. F50
• Sky-rope. Access to upper world by means of a rope. F51
• Sky-rope shot by means of arrow. F51.0.1
• Four sky-ropes. F51.0.2
• Special kinds of sky-rope. F51.1
• Spider-web sky-rope. (Cf. F101.7.) Spider makes web on which ascent or descent is accomplished. F51.1.1
• Vine as sky-rope. F51.1.2
• Stalk as sky-rope. F51.1.3
• Chaff sky-rope. F51.1.4
• Rope of god's own hair. F51.1.5
• Heavenly being's hair as sky-rope. F51.1.5.1
• Iron chain hanging from heaven. F51.1.6
• Sky-rope of mucus. F51.1.7
• Sky-basket. Ascent to or descent from upper world in a basket. F51.2
• Ascent to upper world on seat attached to cord. F51.2.1
• Ladder to upper world. F52
• Ladder of glass to upper world. F52.1
• Columns of smoke as ladder to upper world. (Cf. F61.3.1.) F52.2
• Ascent to upper world on arrow chain. Hero shoots arrows which join one another in the air to form a chain. F53
• Tree to upper world. F54
• Tree stretches to sky. F54.1
• Plant grows to sky. (Jack and the Beanstalk). F54.2
• Mountain reaches to sky. F55
• Mountain stretches to sky. F55.1
• Rocks piled up to sky. F55.2
• Sky-window. An opening into the sky gives access to upper world. F56
• Sky-window from digging or uprooting plant (tree) in upper world. F56.1
• Bird pecks hole in sky-roof to give access to upper world. F56.2
• Sky-window at horizon. F56.3
• Road to heaven. F57
• Narrow road to heaven. F57.1
• Person's tongue as path to sky. F57.2
• Path to heaven on beard. F57.3
• Wall as path to upper world. F57.4
• Tower (column) to upper world. F58
• Access to upper world – miscellaneous. F59
• Man stretches self till he reaches other world. F59.1
• Pursuit of game leads to upper world. F59.2
• Gate to upper world. F59.3
• Transportation to or from upper world. F60
• Person wafted to sky. F61
• Ascent to sky on cloud. F61.1
• Ascent to sky on feather. F61.2
• Ascent to sky by sticking to magic feather. F61.2.1
• Descent from upper world on magic feather (like ladder). F61.2.1.1
• Ascent to sky on eagle-down rope. F61.2.2
• Transportation from heaven in mist. F61.3
• Ascent to upper world in smoke. F61.3.1
• Bird carries person to or from upper world. F62
• Bird flies to upper world. F62.0.1
• Birds carry person to upper world. F62.1
• Birds carry person from upper world. F62.2
• Cock carries god to upper world. F62.3
• Person carried to upper world by deity (spirit). F63
• Mortal taken to heaven by heavenly maidens. F63.1
• Mortal taken to heaven by angel. F63.2
• Mortal taken to heaven by sun. F63.3
• Ascent to upper world by holding on to morning star. F63.4
• Journey to upper world by keeping thoughts continually on heaven. F64
• Giant shot into upper world by means of magic bow. F65
• Ascent to upper world on arrow. (Cf. F53.) F65.1
• Journey to upper world on horseback. F66
• Journey to upper world in chariot. F66.1
• Journey to sky-world by riding unseen in supernatural wife's chariot. F66.1.1
• White sheep carries to upper world, black to lower. F67
• Ascent to upper world by magic. F68
• Ascent to heaven by holding on to elephant's tail. F75
• Time involved in upper world journey. F76
• Five hundred years to journey from earth to heaven. F76.1
• Journey to lower world. F80
• Physical features of underworld. Note: physical features of underworld of dead (F81) are listed under A671–A679. Some features of the underworld also appear in F130ff. F80.1
• Castle in lower world. F80.1.1
• Darkness of lower world. F80.1.2
• Descent to lower world of dead (Hell, Hades). F81
• Orpheus. Journey to land of dead to bring back person from the dead. F81.1
• Wife goes to land of dead to procure dead husband's heart. F81.1.1
• Journey to land of dead to visit deceased. F81.1.2
• Journey to hell to recover devil's contract. F81.2
• Journey to hell to circumcize child. F81.3
• Journey to hell to retrieve soul of mother. F81.4
• Journey to lower world to get treasures. F81.5
• Souls redeemed from hell in shape of sheep. F81.6
• Hell of women in south of otherworld. F83
• Ishtar unveiled. Goddess going to lower world passes through seven gates, at each of which she is divested of a garment till she is entirely unclothed. F85
• Journey to otherworld to secure bride. F87
• Access to lower world. F90
• Door (gate) entrance to lower world. F91
• Slamming door on exit from mountain otherworld. It (almost) injures the hero because he has failed to bring back the talisman which opened the mountain. F91.1
• Pit entrance to lower world. Entrance through pit, hole, spring, or cavern. F92
• Visit to lower world through hole made by lifting clumps of grass. F92.1
• Person swallowed up by earth and taken to lower world. F92.2
• Girl gathering flowers swallowed up by earth and taken to lower world. F92.2.1
• Visit to lower world through opening rocks. Rocks open with a charm. F92.3
• Entrance to lower world through mountain. F92.4
• Entrance to lower world by making hole in ground. F92.5
• Entrance to lower world through cave. F92.6
• Hole to underworld kingdom of snakes. F92.7
• Water entrance to lower world. F93
• Boat to lower world. F93.0.1
• Ferryman to lower world. F93.0.1.1
• Under-water entrance to lower world. F93.0.2
• Well entrance to lower world. F93.0.2.1
• River entrance to lower world. F93.1
• Dead place net across river to prevent living man from returning to earth. (Cf. F105.) F93.1.1
• Lake entrance to lower world. F93.2
• Stair to lower world. F94
• Path to lower world. F95
• Path to world of dead. F95.0.1
• Path from grave to lower world. F95.1
• Broad path to hell. F95.2
• Perilous path to hell. F95.3
• Path to underworld marked by knots tied in grass by spirits. F95.4
• Tree as roadway to underworld. F95.5
• Rope to lower world. F96
• Descent to lower world on animal. F98
• Trip to lower world on tiger. F98.1
• Visit to lower world – miscellaneous motifs. F100
• Return from lower world. F101
• Return from lower world up steep slope. F101.1
• Return from lower world by being slung by bent tree. F101.2
• Return from lower world on eagle. F101.3
• Return from lower world on vulture. F101.3.1
• Escape from lower world by magic. F101.4
• Escape from lower world on miraculously growing tree. F101.5
• Ascent from lower world on animal. (Cf. F98.) F101.6
• Escape from lower world on bird. F101.6.1
• Escape from lower world on horse of lightning. F101.6.2
• Escape from lower world by spider's thread. F101.7
• Man returning from hell brings heat with him. F101.8
• Accidental arrival in lower world. F102
• Hero shoots monster (or animal) and follows it into lower world. F102.1
• Sound of drum followed into ghost town. F102.2
• Rescued princess leaves her necklace behind in flight; hero returns for it and is left in underworld. F102.3
• Boy follows nut into lower world. F102.4
• Dead oppose return of living from land of the dead. (Cf. F93.1.1.) F105
• Youths grind in mill of underworldlings. F106
• Youths tutored by Vulcan, smith of Hell. F107
• Nature of underworld inhabitants. F108
• People in lower world tall as a broom. F108.1
• People of lower world come out in the evenings to drink and dance. F108.2
• Visit to lower world – additional motifs. F109
• Visit to lower world made head first. F109.1
• Hell shown to Jonah by fish. F109.2
• Journey to terrestrial otherworlds. F110
• Wonder voyages. F110.1
• Journey to earthly paradise. Land of happiness. (Cf. F132.1.) F111
• Four earthly paradises. F111.0.1
• Swineherd finds terrestrial paradise while looking for lost sow. F111.0.2
• Journey to Isle of Laughter. F111.1
• Voyage to Land of Promise. F111.2
• Island of Tir Tairngire (Land of Promise) cannot be reached in boat made of "dead soft skins of animals." F111.2.1
• Voyage to Land of Lotus Eaters. F111.3
• Paradise of the Blessed, a subterranean world. F111.4
• Land where all creatures are friendly to one another. F111.5
• Voyage to land without evil. F111.6
• Journey to Land of Women. Island of women, land of maidens, country of the Amazons, etc. F112
• Fairyland (Ireland) inhabited (settled) by women only. F112.0.1
• Journey to island inhabited by only one (beautiful) woman. F112.0.1.1
• Separation of sexes in otherworld. F112.0.2
• Man on Island of Fair Women overcome by loving women. F112.1
• City of women. (Cf. F566.2.) F112.2
• Land of men. F113
• Journey inside the earth. F114