Religious motifs : Overview. Search. About religious motifs
See also Prophet, prophecy
Keywords:
Augury, omen, portent, sign
Description of this motif: Signs, portents and omens are numerous in Andersen's fairy tales and stories. There are two main types of omens: omens evoked by experiments, socalled divination (asking the God(s) by, for example, tossing dice. Cf. Picturebook Without Pictures's First Evening), and omens that come unexpectedly, e.g. in a dream.
Example :
But even in this sleep he had a dream or something like that (...)
Now he sprang quickly out of bed and read his geography book, and at once he knew the whole lesson!
And the old washerwoman put her head in the door and nodded good morning to him.
"Many thinks (NB! = thanks) for your help yesterday, dear child," she said. "May the Lord make all your dreams come true!"
Little Tuck didn't know anything that he had dreamed, but you see-our Lord knew it!
Comment on this quote: As a reward for his good deed, helping the old washerwoman, she comes to little Tuck in his dream, helps him with his homework and predicts him a bright future.
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