M17B. Wife deceives blind man. .35.36.39.41.-.43.46.49.68.

A wife points a blind man's arrow at game, lies that he missed, and eats the meat herself.

Nenets (Yamal), Nganasans, Eastern Khanty, Evens, Forest Yukaghirs, Kuchin, Tanayna, Tanana, Upper Tanana, Atna, Tagish, Kaska, Taltan, Hea, Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Bellakula, Uvikino, Kwakiutl, Quarry, Chilcotin, Kerdalen, Sarsi, Arapaho, Ute, Parese.

Western Siberia. Tundra Nenets (Yamal) [every time an old man goes out for the whole day to collect firewood, but brings back only an armful of willow; the old woman watches: the old man puts his eyes on a branch, hides behind a tree, and the eyes follow him; the old woman quietly takes the eyes away, hids them in a bag for women's shoes; the old man stumbles back, says that he has lost his eyes; the old woman: two reindeer have come; the old man asks to aim his bow; the old woman lies that the old man has missed; she eats boiled meat herself; one day the old man rummages under the upper cross-poles of the tent, finds meat; he hears his eyes at the entrance to the tent: cuckoo! he found them, put them in, saw that there is a lot of meat on the food sled]: Laptander, Razdymakha 2021: 143-145; Nganasans [when going out to hunt wild deer, the old man did not hunt, but took out the eyes, dropped them on the ground, they ran away, he shouted "Eyes, ku-u-u!", the eyes responded "Old man, ku-u-!", the old man went to look for them by ear, the eyes hid; that's how they amused themselves; the old woman entered the tent, grabbed the eyes, hid them in a bag; scolded the old man, fed him rancid yukola; a wild deer came, the old man aimed the old man's bow, lied that he missed, ate the meat herself; once she went out to get some willow, the old man called for his eyes, they responded, he found them, punished his wife]: Simchenko 1996(1): 71; Eastern Khanty (west Lukina, Yugan River) [the hunter returns without prey; the wife watches, sees him pull out his eyes, says, Samlek rem-rem-rem ; she quietly grabs and takes away the eyes; the blind husband gets home; the wife orders to shoot the elk, lies that the husband missed, cooks the meat herself; the husband digs an underground passage to the neighboring house where his brother lives; when the brother is not there, he crawls there, makes a fire; the wife comes and thinks that the husband's brother is in the house, tells him that she hid her husband's eyes in a chest, that she eats meat, hiding it from her husband; the husband crawls back, finds the eyes; scolds his wife (it is not known how it ended)]: Lukina 1990, No. 68: 189-191.

Eastern Siberia. Evens (Sakkyryrsky district, northern Yakutia) [a hunter has grown old and blind; his wife says there is a deer nearby; he shoots and kills him; his wife lies that he missed, eats meat with her son, does not feed her husband; the son admits that they have meat; the old man asks him to find an anthill; he ties up his wife, leaves her on the anthill, the ants eat her; the old man and his son go to the people in the village]: Novikova 1958: 72-73 (=1987: 76-77).

NE Asia. Forest Yukaghirs (Nelemnoye village, Verkhnekolymsky district): Kurilov 2005, no. 47 [the husband has gone blind; the wife asks him to shoot a deer, lies that he missed; feeds him only roots; the old man's sight returns; the son says that they have meat; the old man ties up his wife, leaves her on an anthill; her relatives agree that she deserved it (=Zhukov, Chernetsov 1994: 66-68)]: 383-387; Nikolaeva et al. 1989(2), no. 48 [the husband has gone blind; asks his wife to take him to a clearing where there are wild deer; he shoots, the wife lies that he missed; eats the meat, gives the old man only roots; the child tells his father that his mother gives him meat; old man asks child to find anthill, ties up wife, leaves her on anthill; her parents approve of her murder]: 29-33.

Subarctic. People generously share food with the wife of a blind man; she does not share with her husband, eats it all herself with her son; abandons her husband in the forest; the loon puts him on her back, dives into the lake with him, he regains his sight; leaves his wife, the son goes with him; the woman is left alone, despised by everyone. Kuchin [the wife aims her blind husband's arrow at a caribou; lies that he missed, eats the meat herself; he comes to the lake; the loon dives with him, restores his sight; he rewards the loon by giving her his necklace of dentalium shells; the wife thinks her husband is blind, gives him poisoned water; he kills her]: Petitot 1886: 84; tanaina : Kalifornsky 1991 [people share food with the wife of a blind old man, she hides what she received from her husband; takes him into the forest, makes a fire, tells him to shoot caribou, lies that her husband missed, roasts the meat, tells her husband that the smell is from fatty stones that fell into the fire; the next time she leaves her husband in the forest, taking the bow; the husband follows the voice of the Loon, she dives with him three times, restoring his sight; he comes home, gouges out his wife's eyes, tells her son that he loved his mother more than him, let him stay with her; he himself goes to the village, tells the people that he rewarded the Loon with a necklace of dentalium shells (spots on the neck)]: 145-149 (=Ruppert, Bernet 2001: 323-324); Vaudrin 1969 [people share food with the wife of a blind old man, she hides what she received from her husband; abandons him in the forest; he tries to find water; The loon dives with him three times, restores his sight, tells him to take his son, leave his wife; at home his wife gives him water with beetles; he offers her to drink it herself, she understands that he has regained his sight; he leaves his wife, lives well with his son, but his wife is in poverty]: 15-18; tanana [approximately as among Upper Tanana and Tanaina; no details]: Smelcer 1992: 113; 1993: 57; Upper Tanana : Brean 1975 [people generously share food with the wife of a blinded hunter, she eats it all herself; aims her husband's arrow at an elk, lies that he missed; abandons him in the forest; he hears the cry of the loon; the loon dives with him twice, he regains his sight; comes to his wife, she gives him dirty water with beetles; taking his young son, leaves his wife for other people]: 29-35; Smelcer 1992 [wife aims husband's arrow at moose, lies that he missed]: 113-114; atna: Billum 1979 [a man's wife is an ant; made him blind (not specified how); aimed an arrow at a moose, lied that he missed; eats meat herself, gives her husband rotten wood and wormy water; he hears the voice of a loon, which tells him to put his head under her wing, dives with him, the man regains his sight; comes to his wife, cuts her in two places with an axe, drives her up a tree; this is why ants have thin constrictions on their bodies; the man has eaten his fill]: 51-53; Smelcer 1997 [a wife aims her blind husband's arrow at a moose; lies that he missed, tells him to shoot again so that this time he will hear the arrow hit the ground; washes the arrowhead, lets her husband smell it, but he smells blood; the wife eats meat alone; the husband hears the voice of a loon; she orders him to sit on her back, dives twice, each time making two circles around the lake; the man regains his sight; promises not to hunt loons; shoves his wife's head into a boiling pot]: 37-39; hea [the wife aims the blind husband's arrow at a caribou; lies that he missed, eats the meat herself; he comes to the lake; the loon dives with him, restores his sight; he rewards her by giving her a necklace of dentalium shells; the wife thinks her husband is blind, gives him dirty water; he kills her]: Petitot 1886, no. 32: 226-229; tagish [the blind hunter's wife abandons him; the loon dives with him in the lake four times, restoring his sight; he comes to his wife, who says she was just about to follow him]: McClelland 2007, no. 92: 421-422; kaska [husband goes blind, has a wife, son, and two daughters; husband asks wife to aim his arrow at caribou; wife lies that he missed; gives meat to children but not to husband; in the morning goes with children to caribou carcass; husband hears voice of loon, comes to the lake; Loon puts him on its back, dives; after the second dive man's sight is completely restored; he ties a multi-colored scarf around Loon's neck; kills wife, beats children to death with a club; wife's brothers come to kill him, but do not, frightened by hissing of fat, which he was frying]: Moore 1999: 310-329; taltan [1) wife aims arrow of blind old husband; lies that he missed, eats the caribou he killed herself; leaves her husband; he crawls to the water; the loon puts him on her back, dives with him until he completely regains his sight; the husband cuts off his wife's leg, kills her with this leg; 2) a man goes blind; his wife finds a caribou in a trap; eats the meat herself with her children, leaves her husband; then as in option 1; the loon gives the husband a knife, he kills his wife and children with it]: Teit 1921a, no. 34: 226-228.

NW Coast. Eyak [young man's wife aims his arrow; lies about not killing moose; eats all the meat herself; loon puts him on her back, dives into lake, he regains his sight; puts wife's head into boiling pot; becomes a good hunter]: Krauss 1982: 88-89 (=Johnson 1978: 102-103); Smelcer 1993: 57-60; Tlingit : De Laguna 1972 [woman asks blind husband to shoot moose; lies about missing, shares meat with blood relatives; "big duck like loon" tells hunter to sit on her back, dives with him until his sight returns; (informant forgets end of story)]: 888-889; Swanton 1909, #84 [a girl, whom a young man loves unrequitedly, bids him tear out his hair, throw away his clothes and jewelry, leaves him in the forest; a loon takes him on her back, dives into the sea with him, returns him to his former form; he marries Stil's daughter; returns with his wife to his native village; when his former sweetheart speaks to him, his wife goes to her father; he follows her through the sea, she drowns him]: 243-245; Haida (Masset) [wife lies to blind husband that he missed shooting a grizzly; leaves him, eats grizzly meat; husband crawls to the lake; a loon dives with him, he regains his sight; a loon advises the husband to wish that the grizzly's head would bite his wife when she begins to eat her; wife dies; husband gives out grizzly meat at party, tells story; Raven comes, is not given candlefish, turns everyone to stone]: Swanton 1908a, no. 3: 353-362; Tsimshian [young son aims blind father's arrow, he kills grizzly; wife lies that he missed; son secretly gives father meat, tells truth; father asks him to take him to lake; there Loon takes trash out of his eyes, making him see; blood flows, wife finds it, thinks husband is dead; he won't let her in house; she freezes to death, turns into an owl; husband dies]: Boas 1916, no. 37: 246-250, 825-826 [abstract]; bellacula [wife aims blind husband's arrow at bear, lies that he missed; eats meat herself; creature rubs husband's eyes with its hands; he regains sight; puts wife's head into boiling cauldron; cuts her into pieces, they turn into lynxes]: McIlwraith 1948(1): 661-662; uvikino[the wife of the blind Haənthikvənas aims his arrow at a black bear, lies that he missed, eats the meat herself; his son hides some meat for his father; the father asked his son to bring him to the lake, sent him away; the Loon put H. on its back, dived four times, H. regained his sight; shot his wife; came to the girl whose father had previously threatened her that if she refused suitors, she would marry H. (meaning that he was blind); H. marries, they have a child; H. kills mountain goats coming out of a cave, pushing them into the abyss; a lot of meat; the wife's brothers (apparently and out of envy) suggest hunting sea lions, leave H. on an island; the Mouse brings him to the dwelling of the Sea Lions; they send him home in the stomach of a sea lion, accompanied by a Seagull; he kills his wife's brothers with arrows]: Hilton, Rath 1982: 100-134; Kwakiutl [wife leaves blind husband; forbids children to give him fish, eats everything herself; children point father's arrows at bear, deer, mountain sheep; wife lies each time that he missed; eats fat, then drinks water, turns into a pile of fat, then into stone; Loon puts blind man on his back, dives with him, he regains sight; revives wife, turns first into a deer, then returns her to human form; she runs into the forest, lives there ever since, she is a forest woman]: Boas 1910, no. 33: 447-452.

Coast - Plateau. Chilcotin [wife aims blind husband's arrow, lies about him missing, eats caribou herself; Loon puts blind man on her back, dives with him, he regains his sight; in return he gives her a shell necklace; kills wife, burns with caribou]: Farrand 1900, no. 21: 35-36; quarry [blind man wets his arrows with spit so they hit caribou; wife lies about him missing, eats the meat herself; throws him away; Loon puts him on her back, dives with him, he regains his sight; rewards her with shell necklace, she still has it]: Morice in Boas 1916: 827; kerdalen [Coyote comes to house where Pheasant's children are baking berries; asks what their parents' names are; the answer is an obscene and threatening pun (meaning that his father will frighten him by suddenly swooping down on him from behind, and his mother will frighten him between the legs); Coyote kills them; The pheasants suddenly take off while Coyote is walking along a cliff, he falls; The pheasants revive their children; Coyote breaks his leg, eats his own bone marrow, stuffs the hollow bone with chewed willow branches; to prevent two children from saying that Coyote is eating himself, he distorts their mouths, they turn into crossbills (Loxia curvirostra); Coyote sees a man tossing his eyes, they return to their sockets; Coyote says his grandfather knew that trick too, tosses his own, the man grabs them, runs away; Coyote bumps into someone, takes his eyes for himself, throws them off a cliff, the man turns into a Catbird (cliff wren?); sees a woman sitting, she reacts only when he stings her with nettles, says that she will go with him; he sees people dancing, puts out the fire, but the bladders with fat turn out to be stone; he lights a fire, no one is there, rocks surround him, he is in a stone bag; birds fly to peck at the stone, Woodpecker pecks a hole up to Coyote's eye, flies away; Coyote sees Vulture, calls him names; Vulture pecks out his eye; Coyote looks differently, Vulture pecks it out too; the woman who went with Coyote broke the rock with her belt; aims blind Coyote's arrow at a deer, it hits the target, but the woman lies, as if the arrow hit a tree; leads Coyote in circles, as if they went far away; cooks venison ; confesses that he killed the deer; having filled the intestine with fat, orders to put it to the eyes; Coyote begins to see, but then eats the fat, goes blind again; makes himself eyes out of resin; they are weak, the resin melts every now and then from the heat; Coyote comes to a blind woman; today she will come to the dancers, there she will insert Coyote's eyes; Coyote kills her, puts on her clothes, scratches his eye; explains to her four granddaughters (these are the Nightjar and three other species of birds) that she has become hoarse, and a sunflower seed got into her eye; the granddaughters carry the imaginary grandmother in turn; they sit her in front of Coyote's eyes; the imaginary old woman orders to put out the fire, dance in the dark; inserts her eyes into herself, runs away, leaving saliva to answer for itself; those gathered understand that "the leader has taken his eyes"]: Reichard 1947, no. 7: 89-95.

Plains. Sarsi [a blind husband asks his wife to aim his bow at approaching buffalo, kills the buffalo, but the wife lies that he missed, cooks the meat herself, does not give any to her husband or young son; the blind man goes to a lake, bumping into trees and asking the name of each one; when he comes to the willows, he realizes that he has reached water; a bird, then three others, say that a swan will cure him; the swan holds the blind man on its back, dives with him four times, his sight is completely restored; the husband makes his wife eat the meat until she dies; leaving the corpse on the ground, leaves with their son]: Dzana-gu 1921, no. 35: 43-44; Arapaho [the wife aims the blind husband's arrow; lies that he missed, herself eats the buffalo he killed; The Owl makes him see when he looks into the Owl's eyes; he kills his wife]: Dorsey, Kroeber 1903, #125 [kills with an arrow], 126 [makes her eat meat until she dies], 127 [kind of death not specified; man accuses his children of also eating meat; leaves them tied to a tree; see motif K43]: 282-287.

Great Basin. Southern Ute [wife aims blind husband's arrow; lies that he missed, eats the buffalo she killed, gives him some plant she boiled; he pounds a rock, applies powder to his eyes, regains his sight; kills wife with arrow, eats meat to his heart's content]: Lowie 1924, no. 49: 78; Uintah Ute [blind Coyote kills buffalo; wife says he missed, eats meat herself; he rubs medicine into his eyes, regains his sight, kills wife]: Mason 1910, no. 4: 301.

Southern Amazonia. Paresi [a blind man's three wives ask him to shoot a tapir; they lie that he missed, they eat the meat; his nephews tell him the truth; he causes cold and rain; the wives die, turn into long-eared owls]: Pereira 1987, no. 163: 662-663.