Turning to stone
In short: A motif in which a living being or object becomes stone or rock.
Motif
How does it work in the tale?
In two recorded Mauritian accounts of Muriya Pahaar, the cause changes. One person reveals a secret and in the other account fairies take offence at a boast. At Kaieteur in Guyana, two rocks below the falls recall a canoe and a basket.
What remains in the landscape after the change?
In the wedding version of Muriya Pahaar in Mauritius’s inventory, the bridegroom becomes a mountain and the wedding party becomes a mountain range. The transformation stops one person and leaves a shape made by the whole party’s journey. Look for which feature in the landscape corresponds to each character or object in the story.