Motif-Index of Folk-Literature/Volume 1/C/300

by Stith Thompson

C300—C399. Looking tabu.

C300. Looking tabu. *Fb "se" III 172b. — Breton: Sébillot Incidents s. v. "vue"; Greek: Fox 67 (Pandrosus), Odyssey VII line 20. — Irish myth: Cross; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham; Javanese: Dixon 209; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 338 n. 217; Eskimo (Greenland): Rink 385; S. Am. Indian (Cherentes, Amazonian): Alexander Lat. Am. 308, (Mataco): Métraux MAFLS XL 35.

D2121.2. Magic Journey with closed eyes. Person must not open eyes while on the Journey. E251.1.1. Vampire's power overcome by endurance and prayer. Hero continues to pray without looking or speaking while vampire punishes him.

C310. Tabu: looking at certain person or thing.

D513.1. Man looks at copulating snakes: transformed to woman.

C311. Tabu: seeing the supernatural. *Fb "se" III 173a; Irish myth: Cross.

C31.1. Tabu: looking at supernatural wife. C32.1. Tabu: looking at supernatural husband. C51.4.2. Tabu: spying on secret help of angels.

C311.1. Tabu: seeing supernatural creatures. S. Am. Indian (Toba): Métraux MAFLS XL 50.

C311.1.1. Tabu: looking at ghosts. Fb "sygdom" III 699a. — India: Thompson-Balys.

E561.1. Sight of dead woman spinning drives people insane.

C311.1.1.1. Tabu: looking through the upturned sleeve of a fur coat. One sees ghosts. Lithuanian: Balys Ghosts.

C311.1.2. Tabu: looking at fairies. Fb "sygdom" III 699a. — Irish myth: Cross; England, Wales: Baughman.

C51.4.3. Tabu: spying on secret help of fairies. F200. Fairies (elves). F348.5. Mortal not to recognize fairy who gives him gift. F361.3. Fairies take revenge on person who spies on them.

C311.1.3. Tabu: looking at mountain-folk. Fb "sygdom" III 699a.

F460. Mountain-spirits.

C311.1.4. Tabu: looking at werewolf. Fb "stum". — Irish myth: Cross.

D113.1.1. Werwolf.

C311.1.5. Tabu: observing supernatural helper. Chinese: Eberhard 217 No. 167.

N810. Supernatural helpers.

C311.1.6. Tabu: seeing witch in her true form. German: Grimm No. 43.

G100. Witches.

C311.1.7. Tabu: looking at slain game before it dies. Eskimo (Central Eskimo): Boas RBAE VI 620.

C311.1.8. Tabu: looking at deity. Jewish: Neuman.

C311.1.8.1. Gods flee at approach of dawn. (Cf. E452.) Tonga: Gifford 140.

C311.2. Tabu: looking at holy objects. Jewish: Neuman.

C312. Tabu: man looking at woman. Irish myth: Cross.

C114.1. Tabu: son seeing mother perform sex act. F1041.32. Death from shame.

C312.1. Tabu: man looking at nude woman. Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; Gaster Thespis 328, Oldest Stories 142.

A1383.3. Shame for nakedness appears to first woman. C942.3. Weakness from seeing woman naked. F1041.32.1. Girl dies of shame at being seen naked. K774. Capture by sight of woman's breasts. T55.6. Person exhibits figure.

C312.1.1. Tabu: man looking at nude goddess. Greek: *Frazer Apollodorus I 363 n. 1 (Tiresias), Fox 46, 185 (Acteon), Grote I 238; Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys.

C31.1.3. Tabu: looking at supernatural wife naked. C52. Tabu: being in presence of god. C943. Loss of sight for breaking tabu. Q221. Personal offences against gods punished. Q415.1.1. Punishment: transformation to deer which is devoured by dogs.

C312.1.2. Tabu: looking at nude woman riding through town. (Godiva.) — Hartland "Peeping Tom and Lady Godiva" FL I 207; Liebrecht Zur Volkskunde 105; English: Baughman.

M235. Godiva.

C312.2. Tabu: looking at woman (miscellaneous).

C312.2.1. Tabu: looking at princess on public appearance. *Chauvin V 61 No. 19; India: Thompson-Balys.

P40. Princesses.

C312.2.2. Tabu: looking at old woman helper as she eats. Gold Coast: Barker and Sinclair 90 No. 16.

C312.2.3. Tabu: looking at supernatural woman who is dismembered. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges.

C312.2.4. Tabu: looking at women performing Bacchic rites. Greek: Grote I 239.

C312.3. Tabu: on looking at daughter for twelve years. India: *Thompson-Balys.

C313. Tabu: woman looking at man.

C313.0.1. Tabu: princess never to see male person. All men must hide when she goes forth. India: Thompson-Balys.

C313.1. Tabu: woman seeing nude man. Greek: Odyssey VI line 128 (Odysseus).

F647.4. Marvelous sensitiveness: women blush. F1041.32.2. Woman dies of shame at seeing naked man (husband).

C313.1.1. Tabu: goddess seeing mortal husband naked. Hindu: Keith 95.

C315. Tabu: looking at certain object.

C51.1. Tabu: profaning shrine. C93. Tabu: trespassing on sacred precinct.

C315.1. Tabu: looking at certain boat. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "bateau". — Eskimo (Greenland): Rink 375, Rasmussen I 239.

C315.2. Tabu: looking at heavenly body.

C315.2.1. Looking at moon when shooting game. Bushman: Bleek and Lloyd 67.

C315.2.2. Tabu: looking at sun. Eskimo (Smith Sound): Kroeber JAFL XII 180, (Greenland): Rink 441, Rasmussen III 51, Holm 72.

C315.2.2.1. Tabu: looking at sun before prince becomes fourteen years old. India: Thompson-Balys.

C756. Tabu: doing thing before certain time. M300. Prophecies.

C315.2.3. Tabu: looking at rainbow. Jewish: Neuman; S. Am. Indian (Toba): Métraux MAFLS XL 39.

C315.3. Tabu: looking at water. India: *Thompson-Balys.

C315.4. Tabu: looking at certain well. Irish myth: Cross.

C261. Tabu: drinking from certain fountain. F933.7. Well floods when gazed upon until mass said over it.

C315.5. Tabu: looking on certain island. Maori: Beckwith Myth 349.

C316. Tabu: looking at certain animal.

C316.1. Tabu: seeing herd red-headed and white-starred. Irish myth: Cross.

B731.4.1. Cow with white ears. B731.4.2. Cow with red ears.

C316.2. Tabu: looking at caribou. Eskimo (Cumberland Sound): Boas BAM XV 241.

C319. Tabu: looking at certain person or thing — miscellaneous.

C319.1. Tabu: king forbidden to look at his son. India: Thompson-Balys.

C319.2. Tabu: seeing dead man not killed by weapons. Irish myth: Cross.

Q227.4. Punishment for looking at saint's corpse.

C320. Tabu: looking into certain receptacle.

C321. Tabu: looking into box (Pandora). Köhler notes to Gonzenbach Sicilianische Märchen No. 15. — Greek: Hesiod Works and Days lines 81—104. — England: Baughman; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *320; India: *Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian: Thompson Tales 276 n. 19.

C915.1. Troubles escape when forbidden casket is opened. C915.1.1. Music-box continues playing when it is touched contrary to tabu. C922. Death by smothering for breaking tabu. N113. Casket with Good Luck in it given to men by Zeus.

C321.1. Tabu: opening too much of magic box at a time. A priest gives a prince a sealed packet which he is to open in time of distress. He must open only one portion at a time. — Chinese: Werner 230.

C321.2. Tabu: opening, gift box prematurely. India: *Thompson-Balys.

C757. Tabu: doing thing too soon.

C322. Tabu: looking into bag. India: Thompson-Balys; Takelau (Samoa): Beckwith Myth 25.

A2003. Origin of insects: released from sack. Looking tabu broken.

C322.1. Bag of winds. Wind is confined in a bag. Man breaks prohibition against looking into bag and releases winds. — Greek: Fox 137, 266, Frazer Apollodorus II 285 n. 2; Estonian: FFC XXV 140 No. 9; Livonian: Loorits FFC LXVI 81 No. 13. — N. A. Indian: Thompson Tales 292 n. 72. — Oceanian: Dixon 55 (Samoan, coconut filled with winds; Chatham Islands, basket); Australian: ibid. 296f. (bag of waters.) — Cf. H. C. Andersen "Paradisets Have."

A1174.1. Night (darkness) in package. Released.

C322.2. Tabu: opening bag too soon. Welsh: Hartland Science 38.

C323. Tabu: looking into flask. Man given magic flask on condition that he never look into it. — Hartland Science 142; Fb "tønde" III 934b.

D1472.1.17. Magic bottle supplies drink.

C324. Tabu: looking into jug. Woman does so and finds mouse in it. — Type 1416; *BP III 543 n. 1; *Fb "Adam" IV 3b; *Crane Vitry 139 No. 13; Krappe Bull. Hispanique XXXIX 44; Jewish: Neuman.

H1554.1. Test of curiosity: mouse in Jug.

C324.1. Tabu: looking into magic calabash. African: (Yoruba): Frobenius Atlantis X 232f. No. 16.

D1470.1.4. Magic wishing-calabash.

C325. Tabu: looking into the pots in hell. Type 475; Köhler-Bolte I 69.

E755.2.1. Souls of drowned in heated kettles in hell. Q561.2. Kettle heating in hell for certain person.

C326. Tabu: looking under certain bell too soon. Chinese: Werner 421.

C327. Tabu: looking into basket. Congo: Weeks 206f. No. 3; Marquesas: Handy 120, 122.

C328. Tabu: opening corpse-wrapping. India: Thompson-Balys.

C330. Tabu: looking in certain direction.

A2234.3. Lemur looks where forbidden: has big eyes.

C331. Tabu: looking back. *Fb "se" III 173b; *Chauvin VII 98 No. 375; Hartland Science 236, 243; Samter Geburt, Hochzeit, Tod 147ff. — *Pease Cicero De Divinatione 182 (Bk I 49); Eitrem Hermes und die Toten (1909) 40f.; McCartney Papers of Michigan Academy of Science, Arts, and Letters XVI (1931) 147f. — Greek: Fox 147, Usener Kleine Schriften IV 455; Jewish: Neuman; Hindu: Caland Die altindischen Todten- und Bestattungsgebraüche 23, 73ff.; India: *Thompson-Balys; Fr. Canadian: Barbeau JAFL XXIX 11; Lithuanian: Balys Legends Nos. 503f.; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 87 No. 7; Eskimo: Holm 19, Rink 164, 169, 299, (Cumberland Sound): Boas BAM XV 225; Tonga: Gifford 22; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 499; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (z—G 3/1241); S. Am. Indian (Yuracare): Métraux BBAE CXLIII (3) 502; Africa (Fang): Trilles 156, 269, (Luba): DeClerq Zs. f. KS IV 197.

C312.1.1. Tabu: man looking at nude goddess. C875. Tabu: carrying child back into house. C943.1. Man receives fork in eye for breaking tabu. C953. Person must remain in other world because of broken tabu. C961.1. Transformation to pillar of salt because of breaking tabu. C961.2. Transformation to stone for breaking tabu. F81.1. Orpheus. Journey to land of dead to bring back person from the dead.

C331.1. Tabu: looking back over left shoulder. Irish myth: Cross.

C331.2. Travelers to other world must not look back. (See all references to F81.1., Orpheus.) — Eskimo (Greenland): Rink 169, 299, Rasmussen III 124, (Mackenzie Area): Jenness 51.

C331.3. Tabu: looking back during flight. Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 84.

C332. Tabu: looking around. Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 252.

C333. Tabu: looking up. Finnish: Kalevala rune 7.

C334. Tabu: looking over cemetery walls, lest one see ghosts. India: Thompson-Balys.

E400. Ghosts and revenants — miscellaneous.

C335. Tabu: looking down upon earth from sky world. S. Am. Indian (Toba): Métraux MAFLS XL 42.

C336. Tabu: woman in other world forbidden to look behind curtains. Kodiak: Golder JAFL XVI 30.

C337. Tabu: looking up chimney. Roberts Type 480, p. 175.