56 motifs match “direction”  ·  back to the chapters

• Creator comes from certain direction. A26
• Three-bodied goddess. Hekate has three bodies standing back to back and looking in three directions. A123.1.1
• Culture hero in mother's womb indicates direction to be taken by her. A511.1.2.2
• Earth scattered in a circuit in four directions on primeval water. A814.6
• Rivers formed where certain stones are placed. Each of seven children are to go in a different direction, to walk a mile and put down a stone, then another mile and a stone, etc. Thus rivers are formed. A934.2
• Owl saves man from drowning: flaps wings to call attention to direction of land. B527.3
• Tabu: looking in certain direction. C330
• Forbidden direction of travel. Person free to go in any other. C614.1
• Tabu: going in a certain direction while tending cattle. C614.1.0.1
• Forbidden direction: not to step outside a certain line. C614.1.0.3
• Forbidden direction: north. C614.1.1
• Forbidden direction: south. C614.1.2
• Forbidden direction: west. C614.1.3
• Forbidden direction: east. C614.1.4
• Tabu: going in direction either of sunset or sunrise. C614.1.5
• Disenchantment by obeying directions received in a dream. D753.3
• Magic object obtained by reaching in certain cardinal direction. D859.3
• Reed as direction finder. (Cf. D953.) D1313.5.2
• Magic two-edged knife indicates direction. Points in proper direction; bends downward to indicate wrong direction. (Cf. D1083.) D1313.8
• Charm (medicine) indicates direction. (Cf. D1241.) D1313.9
• Magic pillar of fire indicates direction. (Cf. D1271.) D1313.16
• Arrow shot to discover direction of attacking army. D1314.1.7
• Saint's girdle causes tree to fall in right direction. (Cf. D1057.1.) D1549.2
• Mosque turns around in order to face in the true direction of Mecca after prayers of two saints. D2136.2.1
• Direction of river's flow magically reversed. D2151.2.1
• Land of dead in one of the cardinal directions. E481.6
• Wild hunt courses in particular direction. E501.14.2
• Saint after his death gives directions where he wants to be buried. E545.15
• Life token: direction dagger points determines if ogress has been killed. E761.7.15
• Direction of otherworld. F136
• Image with pointing finger. Inscription says, "Dig here." Treasure etc. found when directions are followed. F855.1
• Directions on quest given by sun, moon, wind, and stars. H1232
• Directions on quest given by herdsmen (peasants). H1232.1
• Directions on quest given by queen. H1232.2
• Directions on quest given by maiden or woman in castle. H1232.3
• Directions on quest given by peasant and his wife. H1232.4
• Directions on quest given by child(ren) still in mother's womb. H1232.5
• Ascetic gives directions to hero on quest. H1233.3.1
• How the tail pointed. One who believes in auguries asks peasant woman if she has seen a bird. "Yes, a crow." And in what direction was his tail pointing?" Answer: "Toward the rear!" J1305
• Directions for getting pay given in return for directions for healing. J1551.4
• Do not start here. Man asks directions to a certain place. Native attempts to give directions, then in disgust says, "If I wanted to go to –, I wouldn't start from here." J1648
• Wants the organ to come and play for her. An old woman enraptured with the sound of a cathedral organ prays for it to come to her house and gives it directions as to where she lives. J1888
• Fool seeks the ears of grain in the direction of the cloud toward which he has sowed them. J1922.2.1
• Rowers pull in opposite directions. J2164.1
• The sledges turned in the direction of the journey. At night turned around by a joker. J2333
• Directions followed literally to the sorrow of the giver. J2516
• Fortune to go to direction cat jumps. King will give wealth to person toward whom the cat jumps. Clever woman has brought mouse along and thus entices the cat. K2.1
• Magic statue betrays a thief by indirection. He has threatened to smash the head of the magic statue if it betrays him. The statue says, "Whoever would tell the truth now is likely to have his head smashed." K428
• Fairies cause sound to appear to come from various directions. K1887.3
• Hero stays overnight in peasant's house, to which he accidentally comes, and where he gets advice and direction. (Cf. H1232.4.) P411.4
• Child promised to devil for directions out of woods when father is lost. S226
• Lazy man asked direction only points with his foot. W111.5.3
• Deaf persons: search for the lost animal. A inquires for his lost animal. B talks about his work and makes a gesture. – A follows the direction of the gesture and happens to find the animals. He returns and offers an injured animal to B in thanks. – B thinks that he is blamed for injuring the animals. Dispute. Taken to deaf judge. (Cf. X111.14.) X111.1
• Deaf peasant: travelers ask the way. Travelers ask their direction. Peasant thinks they want to buy oxen. Peasant's wife arrives; thinks they say her food is too salty. – Daughter-in-law and father-in-law misunderstand each other. X111.2
• Lie: the side-hill beast. Animal with two short legs on one side for convenience in living on hillsides. It can walk around the hill in only one direction. X1381
• Formula: north, south, east, west. (The cardinal directions.) Z71.2.1