“cannot” — Mythoi

Motifs — first 20 of 307

Mortal cannot look at sun since God's name is engraved on it. A733.2
Eclipses because sun cannot endure tragic happenings of history. A737.10
Impounded water. Water is kept by monster so that mankind cannot use it. A hero defeats the monster and releases the water. (The monster is sometimes a giant frog.) A1111
Winds caused by flapping wings. A giant bird causes the wind with his wings. The wings are cut by the culture hero so that the bird cannot flap so hard. A1125
Lizard loses lawsuit: must bob his head. Lizard and ant accused of theft of king's crow. Ant pours boiling water down lizard's throat. When case is tried, lizard cannot talk but only bobs head up and down. Adjudged guilty and condemned to bob his head eternally. (Cf. A2474.1.) A2255.2
Why raven cannot talk. A2422.6
Why frogs cannot speak. A2422.7
Why cormorant cannot speak. (Cf. A2344.2.5.) A2422.8
Why crow cannot enter sparrow's nest. A2431.3.6.1
Why some birds cannot fly high. A2442.1.1
Why leopard cannot capture animal who passes him on right side. A2463.1
Why tiger cannot come down a tree head foremost. A2577
Dragon cannot be killed with weapons. B11.12.1
Dragon which cannot be killed with weapons is kicked in vulnerable spot. B11.12.1.1
Mermaid cannot pass through ice. B81.8
Horse so fast fly cannot light on him. B184.1.1.1
Herd of magic swine that cannot be counted twice with the same result. B184.3.0.5
Snake has hypnotic stare: person cannot move. B765.14
Tabu: speaking about lost money which is to be regained by witchcraft. The loser cannot refrain from speaking of his loss; the money cannot be recovered. C401.3.1
The one compulsory song. Beer cannot be brewed until an old man sings the song of the origin of beer. C671

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Tale types