Motif
lifespan tied to a combustible object
lifespan_tied_to_a_combustible_object
A motif of the External Soul and Life-Token family, within the sub-family Fatal Attacks on External Life-Tokens and Life-Sites. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.
1 occurrences
1 traditions
comparative
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The Golden Bough: A Study in Comparative Religion (Vol. 2 of 2) The Golden Bough: A Study in Comparative Religion (Vol. 2 of 2) / CONTENTS; lines 6928-6980 confidence: high
In an Icelandic parallel to Meleager, spae-wives foretell Gestr’s destiny; one says he will live no longer than a candle burns, the chief sybil extinguishes and preserves it, and Gestr dies after lighting it three hundred years later.
Gestr’s life is foretold to last only as long as a particular candle burns; the candle is extinguished, preserved, and later relit at his death.
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