Motif family
Otherworld and Enchanted Realm
The other world # fairyland, the Country of the Young, the enchanted island, the hidden realm # that exists alongside or beneath ordinary reality. Distinguished from the underworld of the dead by its quality of timelessness, beauty, or enchantment.
46 traditions
470 occurrences
461 mapped motifs
- ainu
- akan
- amazonian
- arctic inuit
- arthurian
- buddhist
- celtic
- celtic irish
- celtic welsh
- chaco amerindian
- christian apocrypha
- comparative
- daoist
- egyptian
- estonian
- filipino
- finnish karelian
- germanic
- greek
- greek roman
- hindu
- indigenous australian
- inuit
- islamic
- islamicate folklore
- japanese
- maya
- maya quiche
- melanesian
- micronesian
- nahua
- nahua maya inca
- native american northwest coast
- native american plains
- native american southeast
- native american southwest
- navajo
- norse
- persian
- roman
- romanian
- shan
- siberian
- slavic
- sufi
- zuni
Conserved neighbors: descent · axis mundi · shapeshifter
This family has not yet been binned into sub-families; its mapped motifs are listed directly, most widespread first.
Mapped motifs
461 motifs, showing the 60 most attested
- vanishing castle with captives 3 occurrences · 2 traditions
- celtic
- celtic welsh
- Paradisal garden with flowing rivers 3 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamic
- otherworld food prevents return 2 occurrences · 2 traditions
- inuit
- native american southeast
- deathless happy northern land 2 occurrences · 1 traditions
- hindu
- enchanted tree with hidden musician 2 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- fairy vengeance 2 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- goat-formed woodland spirit 2 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- abandoned sleeper on a strange island 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamicate folklore
- abundant desirable land 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- abundant faraway land 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
- Abundant food and drink in the marvelous land 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- Abundant invisible otherworld of perpetual youth 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- Abundant island garden with concealed danger 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamicate folklore
- abundant isle of the blest where nothing is lacking 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- egyptian
- abundant refuge island 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- finnish karelian
- Abused child petitions an otherworldly hostess for refuge 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- estonian
- Accidental encounter with supernatural beings in a wild place 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- japanese
- Adoption by a nonhuman chief 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american northwest coast
- ageless luminous otherworld 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- romanian
- animal conveyance protecting traveler from time or mortality 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- animal guide leading to a hidden or wondrous dwelling 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- germanic
- Animal immortality in the shade-world 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- chaco amerindian
- Animal messenger carries a human to an animal people's dwelling 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american northwest coast
- Animal messenger reports a lost companion's otherworldly dwelling 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- estonian
- Animal or fish peoples living in underwater villages 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american northwest coast
- Animate praise-giving trees in paradise 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamic
- appeal to a powerful otherworld or enemy ruler for aid 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- apple from otherworld tree as summons or transport 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- aquatic maiden dwelling in caverns and grottoes 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- finnish karelian
- aquatic maidens as liminal companions 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- finnish karelian
- attachment to homeland over otherworldly reward 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- banishment of pain to a hostile otherworld landscape 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- finnish karelian
- Beloved lost to an aquatic realm after failed capture 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- finnish karelian
- Beneficent fairy realm under a divine lord 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- Beneficent fairy realm under divine lordship 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- Blemishless and sinless condition of inhabitants 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- blessed abode for heroic demi-gods 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
- Blessed divine or semi-divine habitation in an ideal polity 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
- blessed island residence of demi-gods 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
- Blessed island with painless divine death in old age 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
- Boundary forest between opposing realms 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- bounded long enchantment with prophesied release condition 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- Burning the witch releases the enchanted landscape 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- germanic
- Captives held in an enchanted fort 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- persian
- captivity among animal people with instruction by prior captive 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american northwest coast
- Capture of an elf figure by a king 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- catalogue of supernatural geography 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- cave-dwelling monstrous race 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- roman
- Cave emergence of an otherworld woman 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- Cave of abundance offered as dwelling 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- roman
- Celestial entertainment by Apsarases and Gandharvas 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- hindu
- Celestial performance entrancing human guests 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- hindu
- changeling substitution and recovery 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- Child adopted by a being inside water 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american plains
- child invited to a hidden or spirit household 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american southeast
- Child stolen by wood spirits and recovered in a tree 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- Child taken by wood spirits and recovered in a tree 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
- claimed supernatural abduction during sleep 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- persian
- cloud-hall dwelling 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american southwest
- Companion abandoned after yielding to Otherworld allurements 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
Each motif link opens its evidence page: every tagged passage with its quote, and a path into the book where the passage lives.