Motif family
Covenant and Sacred Bond
A binding agreement between the human and the divine, or between sacred parties. Includes conditional and unconditional covenants, covenant renewal, and the breaking and restoration of sacred bonds.
87 traditions
2,551 occurrences
555 mapped motifs
- african akan
- african bantu
- akan
- amazonian
- andamanese
- arctic inuit
- armenian
- arthurian
- australian aboriginal
- basque
- bavili
- biblical
- buddhist
- burmese
- buryat mongol
- caucasian
- celtic
- celtic irish
- celtic welsh
- chaco amerindian
- christian
- christian apocrypha
- comparative
- confucian
- daoist
- egyptian
- ekoi
- estonian
- ethiopian christian
- fijian
- filipino
- finnic
- finnish karelian
- fjort
- ganda
- georgian
- germanic
- gnostic
- greek
- greek roman
- guiana amerindian
- hausa
- hawaiian
- hermetic
- hindu
- hopi
- inca
- inuit
- islamic
- islamicate folklore
- japanese
- jewish christian
- jewish pseudepigrapha
- khoisan south african
- kikuyu
- korean
- malagasy
- malay
- mangaian
- maya
- melanesian
- mesopotamian
- mongol
- native american great lakes
- native american northeast woodlands
- native american northwest coast
- native american plains
- native american plateau
- native american southeast
- native american southwest
- navajo
- norse
- persian
- roman
- romanian
- shan
- shinto
- siberian
- sikh
- slavic
- sufi
- taoist
- tibetan buddhist
- tongan
- yoruba
- zoroastrian
- zuni
Conserved neighbors: sacrifice · sacred exchange · divine judgment · ethical command · curse blessing speech
This family has not yet been binned into sub-families; its mapped motifs are listed directly, most widespread first.
Mapped motifs
555 motifs, showing the 60 most attested
- Covenant 1,990 occurrences · 83 traditions
- african akan
- african bantu
- akan
- amazonian
- andamanese
- arctic inuit
- armenian
- arthurian
- +75 more
- threefold petition and refusal 3 occurrences · 1 traditions
- buddhist
- mercy to a defeated enemy 2 occurrences · 2 traditions
- celtic welsh
- norse
- victor spares defeated enemy 2 occurrences · 2 traditions
- hindu
- norse
- Mercy after repentance 2 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamic
- mercy toward a defeated female opponent 2 occurrences · 1 traditions
- hindu
- monotheistic reform against idolatry 2 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamic
- A father seeks mercy from an enemy for his dead son 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
- Abrahamic renunciation of idolatry for the creator who guides 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamic
- Acknowledged fault followed by restoration to community 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- buddhist
- adaptation of older sacred customs into reformed worship 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamic
- adversarial stumbling followed by forgiveness 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamic
- Afflicted people promised succession in the land 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamic
- afflicted supplicant appeals to divine mercy 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamic
- aged father seeking mercy from son's killer 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
- agreement violation and healing sequence 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- aid sought through personal alliance 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- Alliance formed through legal aid 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- Alliance framed by kinship, in-law loyalty, and friendship 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- Alliance pledge strained by competing kinship ties 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- animal enforces the agreed wage 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- buddhist
- apostasy during the leader's absence 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamic
- Appeal to shared fatherhood and old age 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
- arbitrary divine command as obedience test 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamic
- astral idolatry differentiated by celestial body 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamic
- Asylum secured by supplication and marriage status 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek roman
- Atonement and replacement of the slain retainer 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- atonement demand turning into feud threat 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- atonement or compensation after death 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- atonement settlement averts imminent battle 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- atonement through arbitration and compensation 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- Atonement through compensation and arbitration 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- attempted schism by a named instigator 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- buddhist
- Battle cessation through conditional pledge 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- Binding obligation compels dangerous action 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- binding vow to a deity 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- jewish christian
- Blessing after separation through prophetic descendants 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamic
- blood-brother relationship between neighboring peoples 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american southwest
- blood-brotherhood opposed to warrior honour 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- Blood circumcision rite ends a divine threat 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- jewish christian
- Blood-money atonement followed by binding peace pledges 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- blood-money offered and rejected 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- bold petitioner pardoned by ruler 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- buddhist
- Boundary conflict resolved by council and treaty 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american southeast
- boundary crossing into divinely given land 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- jewish christian
- bounded sacred allegiance 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamic
- bride-for-peace or bride-for-safety exchange 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- roman
- bride linked with fragile peace 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- germanic
- broken and renewed covenant 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- jewish christian
- Broken noninterference treaty between magical opponents 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamicate folklore
- Broken pact followed by collective attack 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- Broken pact followed by intensified attack and destruction 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- broken peace and retaliatory accusation 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- broken promise for material gain 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- buddhist
- broken promise of payment after service 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
- Broken royal promise after long poetic labor 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- persian
- Broken treaty at sacred altars 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- roman
- Broken vow or marital transgression leading to crisis 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- finnish karelian
- Captive king and ransom refused or delayed 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- Captive spared only for ransom 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
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