ABSTRACT
The main motif is listed as A1333, Confusion of tongues. Originally all men speak same language. The golden age when all peoples could communicate freely with each other and live in peace was succeeded by the babble of tongues and strife among nations. In addition to Jewish myth, the Motif-Index lists the confusion of tongues motif as being found in India, Ireland, Indochina, North America, and Central America. There are also versions of the confusion of tongues motif without the secondary motif of the tower-building. The god Sa caused this confusion of tongues because Alatangana eloped with Sa's daughter without his permission. From the Crow, a Plains Indians group, we have the story of Little Coyote, a trickster double of the creator Old Man Coyote. Little Coyote suggests to Old Man that he give the people different languages so that they will misunderstand each other and use their weapons in wars.
