Motif family

Heroic Funeral Rites and Memorialization

Rites, contests, burial honors, and memorial acts performed for a dead hero, companion, ruler, or kin figure to honor the dead and reaffirm social order.

34 traditions

492 occurrences

481 mapped motifs

afro caribbean
amazonian
andamanese
arctic inuit
arthurian
biblical
buddhist
celtic irish
celtic welsh
christian apocrypha
comparative
confucian
egyptian
finnish karelian
germanic
greek
greek roman
hawaiian
hindu
islamic
islamicate folklore
jewish christian
jewish pseudepigrapha
nahua maya inca
native american northwest coast
native american plains
native american southeast
native american southwest
norse
persian
roman
shan
slavic
sufi

Conserved neighbors: sacred combat · divine warrior · sacrifice · lament and mourning

This family has not yet been binned into sub-families; its mapped motifs are listed directly, most widespread first.

Mapped motifs

481 motifs, showing the 60 most attested

battle for the body of a fallen hero 3 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
contest over the dead hero's arms 2 occurrences · 2 traditions
- greek
- roman
Contest for a dead hero's arms 2 occurrences · 1 traditions
- roman
funeral games honoring the dead 2 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
miraculous preservation of the dead body 2 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
Posthumous hero cult 2 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek roman
protection of the dead from animal desecration 2 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
Self-designated sacred burial place 2 occurrences · 1 traditions
- sufi
supplication for burial of the war dead 2 occurrences · 1 traditions
- roman
triple funeral procession 2 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
Acquisition of a burial place for the dead 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- jewish christian
aged hero's final battle, death, and funeral burning 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- germanic
Ancestor's death and burial by sons 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- jewish christian
Ancestral burial cave and being gathered to one's people 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- jewish christian
ancestral burial in a cave tomb with spouse 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- jewish christian
ancestral settler burial in a named howe 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
animal mourning at funeral rites 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
Animal participates in honoring the dead 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american northwest coast
anticipated funeral rites before perilous action 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- roman
apparition as burial guide 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- egyptian
Apparition of a dead companion requesting funerary action 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
approach to final resting-place 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
arms borne in memory of a slain helper 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- arthurian
athletic combat for prize under a presiding hero 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- roman
athletic contest with ranked prizes 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- roman
avenging defender kills the corpse-dragger 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
battle aftermath with healing and burial of the dead 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
battle for possession of a fallen hero’s body 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
battle for possession of a hero's corpse 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
Battle for recovery or dishonor of a hero's corpse 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
battle for the body of the fallen hero 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
battle for the fallen companion's body 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
battle for the fallen hero's body 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
battle over a dead hero's body 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
battle over fallen hero's body and armor 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
Battle over the body and armor of a fallen warrior 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
Battle over the body and spoils of a fallen hero 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
battle over the body of a slain companion 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
battle-site etiological naming and memorial stones 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
battlefield contest over a fallen warrior's corpse and arms 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
battlefield slaughter and despoiling of the dead 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
body moved to determine place of triumph 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
Body returned from the sea by animals 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
Body set adrift on a ship after revenge killing 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
bones gathered into an urn and covered before tomb raising 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
Bride promised for recovery of slain kinsman’s remains 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american plains
Brightly ornamented funeral rather than visible dark mourning 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- shan
burial at a founded sacred building 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
burial at the death place under a stone cairn 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
Burial obligation owed to a slain foe 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
burial of fallen opponents at the site of killing 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
burial of the fallen after combat 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
burial of the slain in a cairn 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
Burial with equipment, arms, and vehicle 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
Burial with named stone memorial 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
burning ship funeral 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
captured enemy weapons displayed as memorial 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american plains
Captured enemy weapons displayed on a high hill 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american plains
Care, contest, and recovery of bodies 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
Cave burial 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- jewish christian

Each motif link opens its evidence page: every tagged passage with its quote, and a path into the book where the passage lives.