Motif family
Sacred Vessel and Container
The sacred container # cauldron, grail, ark, pot, sealed jar # that holds life, death, wisdom, or transformative power. Includes vessels of resurrection, vessels of preservation, and vessels that must not be opened.
39 traditions
190 occurrences
184 mapped motifs
11 sub-families
- afro caribbean
- akan
- amazonian
- arctic inuit
- arthurian
- australian aboriginal
- buddhist
- celtic irish
- celtic welsh
- christian apocrypha
- comparative
- egyptian
- estonian
- finnish karelian
- germanic
- gnostic
- greek
- greek roman
- hawaiian
- hindu
- indigenous australian
- inuit
- islamic
- islamicate folklore
- japanese
- jewish christian
- native american california
- native american northwest coast
- native american plains
- native american southeast
- native american southwest
- navajo
- norse
- persian
- roman
- romanian
- shan
- slavic
- sufi
Conserved neighbors: flood and renewal · death and transformation · sacred knowledge
Sub-families · the next landing down
Caves and Hidden Refuges
3 motifs
- Cave refuge during pursuit 2 occurrences · 2 traditions
- celtic irish
- islamic
- cave or hidden refuge for the fearful 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamic
- cave refuge from pursuers 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamic
Sealed Containers Releasing Winds and Evils
8 motifs
- contained winds released by curiosity causing storm 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- roman
- container of human afflictions 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek roman
- dangerous container opened from impatience or greed 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- japanese
- forbidden opening of a guarded container releases destructive forces 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek roman
- Forbidden or mistaken opening of a container holding winds 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- roman
- instant aging after release from a sealed object 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- japanese
- Release of evils from a sealed container 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
- Wind enclosed and released from knots or containers 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- comparative
Sealed Containers of Beings and Dangerous Contents
6 motifs
- dangerous trophy kept in a sealed container 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- japanese
- powerful being confined in a sealed vessel 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamicate folklore
- rescuer threatened by the one he frees 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamicate folklore
- Sealed mysterious container from the water 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamicate folklore
- sealed spirit vessel 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamicate folklore
- sealed vessel containing spirits 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- sufi
Nourishing, Healing, and Renewing Vessels
9 motifs
- inexhaustible food and drink vessels 2 occurrences · 2 traditions
- celtic irish
- japanese
- Restorative enchanted cup 2 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- Healing or restoring cup in an enemy stronghold 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- magical cauldron of renewal 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- roman
- magical cooking vessel requiring no fuel 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- japanese
- sacred cauldron 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- Self-replenishing vessel signals divine presence 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- roman
- severed horn becomes sacred abundance vessel 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- roman
- vessel that provides nourishment and releases destructive water 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- buddhist
Constructed and Moving Magical Vessels
5 motifs
- Magic vessel moved by command or will 2 occurrences · 1 traditions
- finnish karelian
- giant helper launches divine vessel 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- magic vessel made from chosen tree 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- finnish karelian
- magical vessel made from humble materials 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- Tide-dependent magical container 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
Speaking and Personified Vessels
5 motifs
- Personified lamenting vessel awaiting release 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- finnish karelian
- personified vessels longing for war 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- finnish karelian
- speaking vessel questions maker and owner 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- sufi
- speaking vessel questions maker's responsibility 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- sufi
- speaking vessels in a potter's workshop 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- sufi
Cosmic and Celestial Vessels
3 motifs
- Cosmos as inverted vessel 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- sufi
- cosmos as vessel 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- sufi
- heroic vessel consecrated and placed among the stars 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek roman
Memorial and Destinal Cups
2 motifs
- empty cup marking absence or remembrance 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- sufi
- Universal cup of destiny or death 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- sufi
Flawed, Insatiable, and Trapping Vessels
5 motifs
- fatal flawed vessel 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- japanese
- Inexhaustible or unfillable vessel used as trap 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic welsh
- leaky vessel of insatiable desire 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
- Unfillable container as trap 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic welsh
- vessel fitted to one body excludes another 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
Ritual Vessels, Sanctuaries, and Desecration
4 motifs
- Cauldron brought from a lake by a giant stranger 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic welsh
- fire assault on sacred or protected vessels 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- roman
- portable sanctuary 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- jewish christian
- Quest for a ritual feast vessel 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
Not yet placed in a sub-family
130 motifs, showing the 60 most attested
- inexhaustible food vessel 2 occurrences · 2 traditions
- hindu
- native american california
- Dangerous old woman with a powerful vessel 2 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american plains
- Ancestral royal vessel in heroic feasting or care 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
- animal people provide rescue by box 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american northwest coast
- animated hungry vessel requiring feeding 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american northwest coast
- Animated speaking vessels 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- sufi
- Anthropomorphic speaking vessels 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- sufi
- Army emerging from a small container 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- slavic
- beating a captive supernatural being through a container 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- estonian
- Broken horn transformed into an abundance vessel 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- roman
- Cauldron from a lake transferred between courts 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic welsh
- cave refuge threatened by superior force 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- hindu
- cave refuge through the night 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamicate folklore
- children trapped by a magically closing rock 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- arctic inuit
- children trapped inside closing rocks 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- inuit
- concealed bodily remains in a monastic vessel 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- buddhist
- concealment inside animal or egg enclosure 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- germanic
- Cup of forgetfulness 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- gnostic
- cup of oblivion 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- gnostic
- Dangerous opening of a protected container 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- japanese
- dangerous wind confined in a container 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- australian aboriginal
- demons confined in a portable container 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- germanic
- Divine gifts enclosed in a vessel 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
- Divinely made vessel carrying a heroic company 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
- enchanted cup restores strength and appearance 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- enchanted dwelling compressed into portable object 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- slavic
- enchanted vessel obeys hero and defeats supernatural attackers 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- entrusted sealed container with hidden treasure 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamicate folklore
- ever-simmering household food pot 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- amazonian
- Evils released from a sealed container while Hope remains 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
- Flight to hidden refuge 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamic
- Forbidden opening of a container during return from the dead 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american southeast
- forcible seizure of a refused cauldron 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic welsh
- Found golden key to hidden locked chest 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- germanic
- Fragile egg enclosure 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- afro caribbean
- fugitive finds refuge in a wilderness cave 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
- Fugitive hidden in containers over water 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- Glass enclosure containing a miniature estate 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- germanic
- Graal as central sacred subject of an Arthurian story 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- arthurian
- Guarded monster body part recovered from sealed container 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- japanese
- hidden children inside a sacred object 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american plains
- Hidden person inside container betrayed by speech 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- afro caribbean
- Hidden protective dwelling for endangered woman 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- Hidden refuge inside cave or rock chambers 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american southwest
- hidden rock opening as refuge 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american southwest
- Hidden silent knight enclosed in a vessel 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- arthurian
- Hunters disappear and are returned as dust to a ritual container 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american plains
- Impossible container or paradoxical object 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- afro caribbean
- Imprisoned disease spirits released from a rock-dungeon 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- finnish karelian
- Inaccessible refuge with removable entrance 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- Inexhaustible container of sacred food 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- Inexhaustible magical vessel of drink 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- slavic
- insatiable leaky vessel 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
- Inverted container releases hidden beings 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american plains
- itinerant sacred relic vessel 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- buddhist
- lone survival by floating deerskin bundle 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- inuit
- magic bag that produces castles 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- slavic
- magic container that summons armed forces 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- slavic
- magic portable container or bag 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- estonian
- Magic vessel made from a chosen oak 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- finnish karelian
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