Ancient Wisdom Atlas

Motif

conflicting attempts at transformation

conflicting_attempts_at_transformation

A motif of the Shapeshifter and Transformation family, within the sub-family Transformative Magic and Enchantment Reversal. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.

1 occurrences

1 traditions


greek

  • Aesop's Fables; a new translation THE TRAVELLERS AND THE PLANE-TREE / THE FLEA AND THE OX / THE BIRDS, THE BEASTS, AND THE BAT / THE MAN AND HIS TWO SWEETHEARTS; lines 3518-3528 confidence: high

    The older sweetheart dislikes having a lover who looks younger than herself and pulls out his dark hairs to make him look old.

    Each sweetheart tries to alter the man's appearance in a different direction, and the cumulative effect defeats both aims.

    read in the book