Motif-Index of Folk-Literature/Volume 1/A/2000

by Stith Thompson

A2000—A2099. Creation of insects.

A2000. Creation of insects. Knortz Die Inzekten in Sage, Sitte und Literatur (Annaberg 1910). Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys.

A2001. Insects from body of slain monster. Usually the monster is burnt; sometimes the insects come from his head, sometimes from his body as it burns. (Cf. A1716.1.) — *Dh I 279, III 152ff., 164ff., 170ff. (dragon); *Fb "myre", "myg"; Persian: Carnoy 288; Siberian: Holmberg Siberian 386; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 23, 128; Japanese: Ikeda; N. Am. Indian: *Thompson Tales 354 n. 275.

A2034.2. Mosquitoes from bones of slain demon flung into the air. B713. Bees born from carcass of ox. E616. Reincarnation as insect. G100. Giant ogre. G655. Ogre's ashes cast on stream cause rapids to stop.

A2001.1. Insects from brains, blood, and bones of slain helpful animal. India: Thompson-Balys.

A2002. Origin of insects from various experiences of saint. Dh I 192f.

A901. Topographical features caused by experiences of primitive hero (demigod, deity). B259.5. Fly, wren, fox live with cleric.

A2002.1. The god Mahadeo turns wood chips into insects. India: Thompson-Balys.

A2003. Origin of insects: released from sack. God places them in a sack and gives it to hare to carry to stream. He must not look in the sack. When he does so the insects escape. The hare laughs and this is the cause of his split lip. — Livonian: Loorits FFC LXVI 93 No. 104; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3131, Legends Nos. 232—244.

A2342.1. Why hare's lip is split. C322. Tabu: looking into bag.

A2004. Insects from devil's post-hole. Devil is given enough land to dig a post-hole. From this come all kinds of insects. To stop them a burning log is put in the hole. Insects therefore hate smoke. Dh I 173 — Finnish: Aarne FFC VIII 21 No. 120, XXXIII 55 No. 120.

A2005. Origin of insects: God throws sand on lazy shepherds. (Cf. A1716.1). — Esthonian: Aarne FFC XXV 150 No. 70.

A2006. Origin of insects: monstrous births from brother-sister incest. India: Thompson-Balys.

A2010. Creation of hymcnoptera.

A2011. Creation of ant. *Fb "myre" (cf. A2001); India: Thompson-Balys.

A2011.1. Creation of ant by devil. *Fb "myre". India: Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 23 (cf. A2001).

A2011.2. Creation of ant: avaricious man transformed. (Cf. A1715, A1730.) — Dh IV 272f. — Wienert FFC LVI 79 (ET 450), 134 (ST 395); Halm Aesop 294.

Q272. Avarice punished.

A2012. Creation of bee. Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys.

A2012.0.1. Creation of honey-bees: transformed man. India: Thompson-Balys.

A1710. Creation of animals through transformation. D180. Transformation: man to insect.

A2012.1. Creation of bee to provide wax for candles in church. (Cf. B259.4.) — *Dh II 129ff.

V133. Holy candles.

A2012.2. First bees in Ireland. Irish myth: Cross.

A2012.3. God sends stinging bees to punish men. Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 187.

A2013. Creation of hornet. India: Thompson-Balys.

A2020. Creation of coleoptera.

A2021. Creation of beetle. Lappish: Qvigstad FFC LX 39 No. 63.

A2021.1. Beetle's special sacredness. India: Thompson-Balys.

A2030. Creation of diptera.

A2031. Creation of fly. India: Thompson-Balys.

B259.5. Fly, wren, fox live with cleric.

A2031.1. Creation of fly: punishment for laziness. (Cf. A1730.) — Dh II 111ff.

Q321. Laziness punished.

A2031.2. Flies on the ark. Noah tries to keep them out. Devil says that either the flies go in or he does. Noah chooses the lesser of two evils. Later the devil slips in nevertheless. Dh I 268.

A2032. Creation of flea. Cf. Type 276**. — Japanese: Ikeda.

A2032.1. Creation of flea: punishment for laziness. (Cf. A1730.) — Dh II 111ff.

A2032.2. Creation of flea: to give women work. (Cf. A2051.1.) — Flemish: DeMeyer FFC XXXVII 89 No. 125a; cf. Livonian: Loorits FFC LXVI 93 No. 103.

A2032.3. Origin of flea: from squirrel. (Cf. A1710.). — Livonian: Loorits FFC LXVI 93 No. 105.

A2032.4. Creation of flea: God plagues the devil with fleas. Lithuanian: Balys Legends No. 131ff.

A2033. Creation of gnat. Livonian: Loorits FFC LXVI 93 No. 102.

A671.2.7. Gnats in hell.

A2033.0.1. Gnats created by devil to worry God. Lithuanian: Balys Legends No. 131f.

A63.4.1. God and devil torment each other with their creations.

A2033.1. Origin of gnats in Lapland. Lappish: Qvigstad FFC LX 39 No. 60

A2034. Origin of mosquitoes. India: Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda; Hatt Asiatic Influences 89f.; Eskimo (Ungava): Turner RBAE XI 264; S. Am. Indian (Tucuna): Nimuendajú BBAE CXLIII (3) 294; N. Am. Indian (Kaska): Teit JAFL XXX 445.

A2034.1. Deity's wife creates mosquitoes to drive her husband out of jungle. India: Thompson-Balys.

A2034.1.1. Mosquitoes created by goddess to make sleeping outside impossible to men. Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 128.

A2034.1.2. Deity creates mosquitoes to irritate other gods. Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 128.

A2034.2. Mosquitoes from bones of slain demon flung into the air. (Cf. A2001.) — India: Thompson-Balys.

A2034.3. Mosquitoes from ashes of bad woman. (Cf. A2001.) — Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 128.

A2040. Creation of lepidoptera.

A2041. Creation of butterfly. India: Thompson-Balys.

A2050. Creation of hemiptera.

A2051. Creation of louse. Lappish: Qvigstad FFC LX 39 No. 61; Eskimo (Ungava): Turner RBAE XI 263.

A2051.1. Louse created to give women work. (Cf. A2032.2.) — *Fb "lus".

A2052. Creation of bugs. Esthonian: Aarne FFC XXV No. 71.

A2053. Creation of maggots. India: Thompson-Balys.

A2060. Creation of orthoptera.

A2061. Creation of cockroach. India: Thompson-Balys.

A2061.1. Origin of cockroach in Finland. Finnish: Aarne FFC VIII 22 No. 125.

A2062. Origin of locust. Flemish: DeMeyer FFC XXXVII 90 No. 125b. — Bushman: Bleek and Lloyd 76.

A2063. Creation of cricket. India: Thompson-Balys.

A2064. Creation of grasshopper. India: Thompson-Balys.

A2070. Creation of miscellaneous insects.

A2091. Origin of spider. ^[1] (Cf. A1751.) — Finnish: Aarne FFC VIII 22 No. 122; India: Thompson-Balys.

A2091.1. Arachne transformed to spider: vies with goddess in spinning. Greek: Roscher Lexikon s.v. "Arachne".

A2231.5. Spider vies with Virgin Mary in spinning: cursed. D181. Transformation: man to spider.

A2092. Origin of scorpion. India: Thompson-Balys.

A2092.1. Origin of leaf-scorpion. India: Thompson-Balys.

A2093. Origin of mantis. India: Thompson-Balys.

A2094. Creation of fireflies. India: Thompson-Balys.

A2095. Creation of lac insects. India: Thompson-Balys.

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1. In folk thought the spider is classed as an insect and not with the other arachnida.