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Motifs — first 20 of 21
- Primeval water: In the beginning everything is covered with water. A810
- Wings cut from flying mountains. In beginning mountains have wings. They are cut off by thunderbolt. A1185
- Man chosen as best gift by primeval women. In beginning only women on earth. Deity kills one by accident and promises anything as reparation. They choose man. A1276
- Beginnings of trouble for man. A1330
- At beginning people start to eat the earth. A1420.6
- Beginning of social relationships. A1470
- Beginning of division of labor. A1472
- Beginning of law against rape. A1556.1
- Tabu: feasting by night at beginning of harvest. C237
- Tabu: turning back after beginning a journey. C833.3
- When were you born? Its beginning is like its end, its top like its bottom (1691). H707.1
- "Control your anger at the beginning": counsel proved wise by experience. J21.2.6
- Rocks falling together and thread entering needle's eye suggest sexual intercourse: hence its beginning. J86
- Blind men and elephant. Four blind men feel an elephant's leg, tail, ear and body, respectively, and conclude it is like a log, a rope, a fan, and something without beginning or end. J1761.10
- Deception into listening to speaker. He secures the audience's attention by beginning a tale. He then launches into his speech. K477.2
- Beginning with the smallest. Animals are to eat one another up to avoid starvation. The fox persuades them to start with the smallest. K1024
- Ruler diverts attention from misgovernment by beginning a war. K2381
- Feast as occasion for the beginning of adventures or the arrival of questers. N770.0.1
- Captive released because of ability to recite beginning of Genesis. (Cf. J1185.) V151.1
- Profligate wastes entire fortune before beginning his own adventures. W131.1