Motif
otherworld food prevents return
otherworld_food_prevents_return
A motif of the Otherworld and Enchanted Realm family. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.
2 occurrences
2 traditions
inuit (1) · native american southeast (1)
inuit
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Eskimo Folk-Tales THE TWO FRIENDS WHO SET OFF TO TRAVEL ROUND THE WORLD / THE COMING OF MEN, A LONG, LONG WHILE AGO / QUJAVARSSUK / KUNIGSEQ; lines 1415-1481 confidence: high
Kunigseq meets his mother; the helping spirit blocks her kiss, says Kunigseq is only visiting, and warns him not to eat her berries if he wants to return.
Kunigseq's mother offers berries in the underworld, and the helping spirit warns that eating them would mean he will never return.
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native american southeast
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Myths of the Cherokee SECOND VERSION / SECOND VERSION / WAHNENAUHI VERSION / VI--NOTES AND PARALLELS TO MYTHS; lines 23841-23927 confidence: high
The notes describe a widespread belief, with European fairy-lore parallels, that eating food of spirit people or supernaturals prevents return to human life unless treatment restores the person's human nature.
The passage states that eating food of spirit people or supernaturals prevents a person from returning to human society and living unless treated; the Yankton example repeats the rule with water-deity food.
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