Motif
Ritual prevention of soul escape
ritual_prevention_of_soul_escape
A motif of the Soul Loss and Restoration family. 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. 1 of 2) CHAPTER I. THE KING OF THE WOOD. / MACAULAY. / CHAPTER II. THE PERILS OF THE SOUL. / HEINE.; lines 3112-3185 confidence: high
The soul is said to escape through natural openings, especially mouth and nostrils; examples include Celebes fish-hooks, a Haida hollow bone, Marquesan holding of mouth and nose, Hindu thumb snapping at yawns, and Itonama sealing of openings.
Many listed practices aim to stop, catch, bottle, or seal in the soul during sickness, dying, yawning, or childbirth.
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