Motif
Aetiology of pearls and bird plumage from a hero's tears
aetiology_of_pearls_and_bird_plumage_from_a_hero_s_tears
A motif of the Lament, Mourning, and Tragic Recognition family, within the sub-family Tears, Transformation, and Memorialization. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.
1 occurrences
1 traditions
finnish karelian
-
Kalevala: The Epic Poem of Finland JOHN MARTIN CRAWFORD. / THE KALEVALA. / PROEM / BOOK II; lines 21100-21292 confidence: high
Wainamoinen's tears flow from his eyes down his face, beard, breast, girdle, clothing, and shoes; they go partly to earth and partly to water and form streamlets into the blue mere and crystal waters.
The duck retrieves Wainamoinen's tears from the sea bottom; the passage explicitly states this is the origin of sea-pearls and the blue-duck's beautiful plumage.
read in the book →