Motif
Deceptive doubles of the beloved
deceptive_doubles_of_the_beloved
A motif of the Sacred Love and Longing family, within the sub-family Reunion, Messengers, and Tokens. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.
2 occurrences
1 traditions
celtic irish
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Gods and Fighting Men CHAPTER IV. THE MORRIGU / CHAPTER V. AINE / CHAPTER VI. AOIBHELL / CHAPTER VII. MIDHIR AND ETAIN; lines 3701-3785 confidence: high
Eochaid attacks Bri Leith and besieges it for nine years; as his people dig into the hill, Midhir sends sixty beautiful women all appearing as Etain, Eochaid first chooses Esa, then recognizes Etain when she calls and brings her home.
Midhir sends three times twenty beautiful women, all with Etain's appearance, to make Eochaid choose the true Etain from among them.
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Heroic Romances of Ireland THE COURTSHIP OF ETAIN / EGERTON VERSION / THE COURTSHIP OF ETAIN / LEABHAR NA H-UIDHRI VERSION; lines 1917-1992 confidence: high
The bracketed continuation says Mider and his host oppose Eochaid; trenches are repeatedly destroyed, the struggle lasts nine years according to some, and Mider sends sixty women all shaped like Etain, causing Eochaid to choose Messbuachalla, or Esa in another account.
Mider sends sixty women in Etain's shape, indistinguishable from the queen, causing Eochaid to choose the wrong woman.
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