Motif family
External Soul and Life-Token
A being's life, soul, vulnerability, shadow, reflection, or vital force is separable from the body and bound to an external object, animal, plant, body part, hidden place, or token whose capture, loss, damage, or restoration controls life and death.
36 traditions
311 occurrences
291 mapped motifs
18 sub-families
- afro caribbean
- amazonian
- andamanese
- arctic inuit
- australian aboriginal
- basque
- buddhist
- caucasian
- celtic
- celtic welsh
- comparative
- egyptian
- estonian
- filipino
- georgian
- germanic
- greek
- greek roman
- hausa
- hawaiian
- hindu
- islamicate folklore
- japanese
- maya quiche
- melanesian
- nahua maya inca
- native american northwest coast
- native american plains
- native american southeast
- native american southwest
- navajo
- norse
- oceanic
- roman
- shan
- slavic
Conserved neighbors: death and transformation · sacred vessel · sacred treasures · sacred knowledge · shapeshifter · conditional invulnerability hidden weakness
Sub-families · the next landing down
Souls, Life, or Strength Outside the Body
16 motifs
- External or detachable soul 2 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- External soul located outside the body 2 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- external soul hidden outside the body 2 occurrences · 2 traditions
- celtic
- comparative
- External soul kept outside the body 2 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- external life or soul hidden outside the body 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- External life, soul, fate, safety, or strength kept outside the body 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- External or vulnerable soul 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- external soul or life placed outside the body 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- External soul or life stored outside the body 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- External soul or separable soul 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- Externalized life or soul stored outside the body 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- externalized life, strength, or soul 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- hidden external soul 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- life or soul kept outside the body 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- life or strength externally located 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- soul identified with life principle 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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Objects and Vessels Holding Life or Soul
11 motifs
- Life bound to an external object 4 occurrences · 2 traditions
- greek roman
- roman
- external life in object, animal, or stone 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- external soul or external life kept in an object 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- external soul or external life-token 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- external soul or life bound to another object 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- external soul or life bound to external object 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- External soul secured in a totemic object 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- Life or soul deposited in an external object 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- Soul contained in objects or vessels 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- Soul contained in portable wrapping or vessel 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- soul stored in object or container 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
Animals Holding or Sharing Human Life
7 motifs
- animal counterpart killed, human dies simultaneously 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- Death by destruction of an external animal-soul 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- Externalized life hidden in animals 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- human life bound to an animal’s life 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- Life bound to an animal in a cage 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- life or death bound to an animal receptacle 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- person's life bound to an external animal counterpart 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
Plants and Trees Holding Life
8 motifs
- Life-bound tree spirit 2 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek roman
- Balder's life in the mistletoe 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- birth substance transferred to life-plant 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- life bound to a tree or plant 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- life-index plant 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- life of spirit bound to tree 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- roman
- plant fruit as external strength vessel 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- Sacred tree whose life is lodged in an evergreen growth 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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Animal-or-Plant Life Receptacles
2 motifs
- life bound to an animal or plant 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- Life or fate stored outside the body in a plant or animal 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
Hair Holding Life or Strength
5 motifs
- Strength residing in hair 2 occurrences · 2 traditions
- comparative
- greek
- External life or soul hidden in hair 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- fatal hair as life-token 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- Hair as seat of power or vulnerability 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- Loss and restoration of strength through cutting and regrowth of hairs 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
Bodily Sites and Severed Parts Holding Soul
3 motifs
- contagious magic through severed body parts 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- protective life-token hidden in a ruler's body 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- roman
- Soul located at the mouth or nose 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
Shadows as Vulnerable Life-Parts
6 motifs
- Death through loss of shadow 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- Injury to shadow causes injury to owner 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- Noon vulnerability through shortened or absent shadow 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- Shadow as external soul or life-part 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- Shadow as vulnerable extension of a being 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- shadow capture as magical restraint 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- hindu
Reflections and Reflected Bodily Substances
5 motifs
- dangerous reflected image pierced or harmed 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- fatal loss or capture of reflection-soul in water 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- reflection as external soul 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- Soul located in reflection or external object 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- soul located outside or in bodily/reflected substances 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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Portraits and Likenesses Holding Soul
2 motifs
- image possession gives fatal power over the original person 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- portrait or likeness contains the soul 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
Nested Containers and Guarded Hiding Places
9 motifs
- nested containers protecting a life-token 2 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- nested containment of the vulnerable life-token 2 occurrences · 2 traditions
- comparative
- slavic
- invulnerability through soul removal and guarded soul-box 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- life-token hidden in animals or nested containers 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- Nested concealment of a soul in remote containers 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- nested concealment of life in animal, box, and necklace 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- nested containers of a monster's strength 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- Nested life-token concealed through animals or containers 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- Remote guarded hiding place of life 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
Fatal Attacks on External Life-Tokens and Life-Sites
12 motifs
- Life bound to a combustible token 2 occurrences · 2 traditions
- greek
- roman
- breaking or burning the token causes death 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- Death caused by damage to external life-object 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- Defeat by destruction or possession of the external life-token 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- external soul harmed to kill its owner 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- family betrayal or revenge destroys life-token 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- life bound to a vulnerable external object 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- Life bound to an external object burned in fire 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- roman
- life bound to breakable vessel 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- Life-object as death-object 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- lifespan tied to a combustible object 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- opposed elements as soul location and means of death 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
External Life-Tokens, Invulnerability, and Decoys
4 motifs
- conditional invulnerability with human exception 2 occurrences · 1 traditions
- hindu
- False external heart deception 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- buddhist
- Invulnerability dependent on a hidden or external life-object 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- Invulnerability through externalized soul 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
Ritual Capture and Safekeeping of Souls
4 motifs
- breath caught as departing soul 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- capture and confinement of the separable soul 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- Ritual safekeeping of the soul outside the body during danger 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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- soul captured or transported in ritual objects 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
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Control Through a Life-Container
2 motifs
- Coercion by possession of another’s life-container 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- Life or consciousness controlled by handling an external soul-object 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
Soul Departure, Recall, and Succession
3 motifs
- External soul, soul recall, and soul transfer 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- soul leaving the body in animal form 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- soul transfer to successor 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
Life-Tokens Signaling an Absent Person's Fate
4 motifs
- distant token reveals a loved one's disaster 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamicate folklore
- life-token indicating the absent hero's fate 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamicate folklore
- life-token plant indicating absent person's fate 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- Life-token reveals absent kin's fate 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamicate folklore
Not yet placed in a sub-family
186 motifs, showing the 60 most attested
- External soul 3 occurrences · 2 traditions
- comparative
- hausa
- Life token 3 occurrences · 2 traditions
- georgian
- oceanic
- external soul stored outside the body 2 occurrences · 2 traditions
- comparative
- egyptian
- life-token indicating the quester’s fate 2 occurrences · 2 traditions
- basque
- islamicate folklore
- life-token plant signals death 2 occurrences · 2 traditions
- filipino
- oceanic
- animal companions as spirit vessels 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- australian aboriginal
- Animal familiar grants strength with reciprocal vulnerability and food taboo 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- australian aboriginal
- Animal remains as vulnerable link for hostile magic 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- animal soul-companion or fylgja foreshadowing character 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- Animate tree with soul 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- Antagonist's life bound to standing plants 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- slavic
- Breaking an enchantment by recovering the controlling object 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- germanic
- breath carries the departing soul 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- Bride's father whose life is bound to the daughter's espousal 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic welsh
- catching the dying breath 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- roman
- Control object binds transformed human 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- afro caribbean
- Cure by recovery of a bodily object hidden with an animal 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- germanic
- Cutting a soul-associated tree causes storm 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- andamanese
- dead person's soul enters a representative image 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- death located in an ordinary threshold object 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- slavic
- death of animal counterpart causes human death 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- deathless antagonist’s hidden or locatable death 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- slavic
- deathless antagonist with externalized or conditional death 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- slavic
- Destroying or manipulating the external object harms or kills the owner 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- destroying the life-token kills or weakens the being 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- destruction of external life-token causes simultaneous death 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- Destruction of life-bearing tree causes death 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- egyptian
- Destruction or release of external life-vessel causes death 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- Destruction or removal of token causes weakness or death 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- detachable hearts as lives 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- detachable hearts removed nightly 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- slavic
- Displaced, external, or restorable soul 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- divine water barrier and externalized soul 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- egyptian
- elemental vulnerability through soul in snow and death by fire 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- External death hidden in nested egg-chain 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- slavic
- external heart or externalized death 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- slavic
- external heart or life-token hidden outside the body 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- slavic
- External hidden death in nested containers and animals 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- slavic
- External life as a thread cut by the spouse 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american northwest coast
- external life bound to a plant object 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- External life located in animals 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- External life or death bound to an egg or heart 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- slavic
- external life or death hidden in a distant object 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- slavic
- External life or soul object 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- shan
- external life or strength stored outside the body 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- External life-token or danger sign 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- afro caribbean
- external life-token or life-double 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- external life-token plants 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- germanic
- External object containing the antagonist's death 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- slavic
- External power or heart contained in a removable object 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american plains
- External soul as vital double 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- arctic inuit
- external soul deposited in an object or totem 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- External soul hidden in an object or totem 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- external soul hidden in animal and container 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- caucasian
- external soul in stories 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- External soul lodged outside the body 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- External soul or externalized life-token 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- External soul or heart lodged outside the body 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- external soul or life bound outside the body 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- External soul or life contained in a removable necklace 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
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