History Main / SacredHospitality

[[ValuesDissonance Less popular in modern times]] with the rise in hostels and hotels and forms of transport that mean twenty miles is not a day's journey, and decreasing odds that you will have to fight someone who's a stranger, but OlderThanFeudalism and of vast historical importance when you are travelling a long distance through WildWilderness on a dirt trail. In the middle ages, in remote areas, an isolated house might be your only refuge from storms, blizzards, wolves, and bandits. For them to not offer you hospitality could be life or death. Because it's less important nowadays (with [[NoTellMotel cheap motels]] in even the smallest towns, the extreme punishments dealt out to people who abuse or refuse hospitality in classic tales in PeriodPiece films

Hospitality is sacred. The God's will that if a stranger comes knocking, the host must offer them fresh clothing, food and lodging. The host cannot ask the stranger about their identity until after the host's duties of hospitality had been fulfilled. When the guest leaves, the host gives gifts and breaks a die, which makes a sacred family connection. The host must not harm the guest, the guest must not harm the host, and not offering hospitality is a serious affront.

In Ancient Greek, hospitality was called ''xenia'' and was sacred; Zeus was called Zeus Xenios in his function as god and guarantor of hospitality and protectors of guests. This comes from the word for "stranger"; so, for that matter, does "hospitality". Another word from that root is "hostile", which helps explain why the rules are so severe.

[[ValuesDissonance Less popular in modern times]] with the rise in hostels and hotels and forms of transport that mean twenty miles is not a day's journey, and decreasing odds that you will have to fight someone who's a stranger, but OlderThanFeudalism and of vast historical importance. Because it's less important nowadays, the extreme punishments dealt out to people who abuse or refuse hospitality in classic tales [[DisproportionateRetribution appear disproportionate]].

Hospitality is sacred. The host must not harm the guest, the guest must not harm the host, and not offering in the first place is a serious affront. In Ancient Greek, hospitality was called ''xenia'' and was sacred; Zeus was called Zeus Xenios in his function as god and guarantor of hospitality and protectors of guests. This comes from the word for "stranger"; so, for that matter, does "hospitality". Another word from that root is "hostile", which helps explain why the rules are so severe.

[[ValuesDissonance Less popular in modern times]] with the rise in hotels and forms of transport that mean twenty miles is not a day's journey, and decreasing odds that you will have to fight someone who's a stranger, but OlderThanFeudalism and of vast historical importance. Because it's less important nowadays, the extreme punishments dealt out to people who abuse or refuse hospitality in classic tales [[DisproportionateRetribution appear disproportionate]].

** King Diomedes of Thrace violated hospitality by attacking any travelers who encountered his kingdom and feeding them to his man-eating mares. Eventually, Heracles defeated him and [[KarmicDeath fed him to his own mares]].

* The story ''Literature/TheCatsOfUlthar'' concerns a rather nasty old couple who trap the cats owned by their neighbors and kill them. When a tribe of nomads stops for the night in Ulthar, the old couple break hospitality by kidnapping and murdering the pet kitten of one young boy. He makes a prayer to certain gods, and all the cats in Ulthar disappear for one day. They come back the next day, significantly fatter and unwilling to eat for several days. When the people of Ulthar realize they haven't seen the old couple in a while, they check on them... [[LaserGuidedKarma and find nothing but gnawed skeletons]].
* Malbecco from ''Literature/TheFaerieQueene'' is portrayed as a horrid, shrewd villain for refusing to let random knights into his home and even our heroic Britomart is okay with threatening to burn the man's manor down in retaliation for forcing them to find shelter in a pig's pen.
* ''Literature/SirGawainAndTheGreenKnight'':
** A green giant shows up in King Arthur's court and proclaims that he will let any knight cut off his head if he then pledges to have the same done to him in a year. Naturally, no one takes him up on the offer, so the giant calls them cowards, prompting Gawain to agree. Once the giant is decapitated, he picks up his head and rides off, telling Gawain he'll see him in a year.
** After Gawain sets off to honor the contract, he finds lodgings in a lord's house, where he and the lord make an agreement: the lord will go out hunting for the next three days, and they will exchange everything they obtained that day.
** The next morning, the lord's wife starts coming on to Gawain, but he refuses to accept anything but a kiss on the cheek, which he dutifully gives to the lord that evening. The same thing happens the next day, but the third day, the wife also gives him a magic belt, which he doesn't hand over.
** When Gawain goes to face the giant, he goes for Gawain's neck twice without hurting him, then gives him a nick on the third try, because of the belt he 'forgot' to mention. The giant is then revealed to be the lord and the whole thing a SecretTestOfCharacter for Gawain.
* This trope appears to be in strong effect in ''Literature/KinosJourney'', in which nearly every country welcomes any travelers from the outside world as guests of honour and gives them free food, lodgings and guided tours at the drop of a hat. Apparently, travelers in this world are so rare that this doesn't unduly tax their resources, but it's still amazing how many countries maintain luxurious hotels ready just in case a traveller comes along every few years and needs a place to stay.
* ''Literature/LesVoyageursSansSouci'': As travelling across the countryside, Sébastien and Agathe start feeling tired and hungry. Both kids land near a cottage and walk towards an old farmer, who readily asks that pair of stranger and strangely-dressed kids if they are starving. Sébastien and Agathe nod, and the old woman is happy to feed them and give them directions.

%%* Invoked in the ''Series/{{JAG}}'' episode "Gypsy Eyes".

* ''Series/{{Ozark}}'': Darlene Snell executes a high-ranking member of a Mexican cartel in her living room, causing her hillbilly husband to object... because he was their guest.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'': Nykteras, a type of fey, take hospitality extremely seriously. They will not deny aid and rest to anyone who needs them, even bitter foes; however, if their hospitality is betrayed, the nyktera will fly into a rage and savagely attack the perpetrator, and it and its family will try to mete out an appropriate punishment if they can't avenge themselves then and there.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Traveller}}'': Both Aslan and Vilani have their own hospitality codes. Some variations of the Aslan code come even before kin ties. One Aslan was praised for killing his brother in battle rather than turn against his host.

* In the ''TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness'':
** In ''TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening'' Of the Great Rights of MagicalSociety, the Right of Hospitality requires a mage to be given sanctuary and protection upon request, usually in the wake of an attack or [[MagicMisfire paradox]], or because the mage is far from home. Most protocols regarding this Right require the mage to keep them for at least a week, protect them from any possible threat, provide them with shelter and enough food to survive off of, and tend to any serious wounds; most mages are likely to go beyond these limited requirements. Failure to properly honor Hospitality is often regarded as extreme enough to act as a preface to declaring war.
** In ''TabletopGame/ChangelingTheLost'', granting hospitality and sanctuary to any Changeling who enters your dwelling for twenty-four hours is mandatory. Unlike most mandatory things in Changeling, however, this one can be denied- it's not magically enforced, but it's plain bad form not to. After all, you're all on the same side. Most of the time.
* ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}: Literature/ArabianNights'' has the disadvantage "Code of Honor: Arabian," which has as its main departure from other Codes of Honor the emphasis on Sacred Hospitality; a character with the disadvantage must conduct himself properly as a guest and shelter others the best he can when they need it.

** In ''Scion: Ragnarok'' we're told the Aesir hold this to be true as well. Even the Titans Jord and Ran threw a feast for the Aesir where the only trouble came from (surprise surprise) [[JerkAss Loki]]. A scion of the Aesir is expected to provide hospitality for his family and can in turn expect the same in their parent's home. Of course, their divine hosts might imply that a good guest wouldn't mind helping his host out with a ''little'' problem (read: very dangerous quest)

* The Al-Qadim setting for ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', which is based on the Literature/ArabianNights, mentions the Arabic examples from under Mythology and Literature while discussing the salt code, and encourages Zakhayan characters to be equally diligent in following it.
* In the solo adventure module "A Bad Batch of Brownies" (from ''Magazine/{{Dungeon}} #58''), the reason the brownies are acting "bad" (tattooing themselves, wearing leather jackets, trying to sound and act "tough", and making the forest a complete and utter mess) is because they're trying to emulate an unusual guest. "Wild Jack" is a street tough from a biker gang who came through a Well of Many Worlds from an Alternate Prime Material Plane [[FromBeyondTheFourthWall (as in, ours)]], and while he's not the most cordial or polite of guests, the brownies insist he not be killed or abused, as he's a guest. Not to mention it was ''their'' fault he's here, as they were misusing the Well of Many Worlds and now have no idea how to help him get home. The player's goal is finding a way to do that.
* In ''{{TabletopGame/Exalted}}'', the Autocthonian city of Kamak takes this very seriously. Kamak is located in a very cold region, where exposure to the elements may mean death. Therefore, a Kamaki is expected to share her home and food with whoever asks. (This law does have limits, though. A person who abuses the hospitality rule to invade the home of an enemy is [[FateWorseThanDeath severely punished.]])
* In ''TabletopGame/HousesOfTheBlooded'', hospitality has a special meaning. Normally in ven society, politics and backstabbing are just part of the fun - but if you request hospitality, and it's granted, what you're agreeing to is "no games." Your host won't plot against you, poison you, or look for ways to screw you over, you won't go prying into parts of the house where you shouldn't be in or otherwise screwing your host, and both sides are supposed to ''mean it''. Ordinary social occasions are not hospitality.
* ''TabletopGame/DiscworldRolePlayingGame'': As in the source material, the Klatchian and D’reg’s Codes of Honour are serious about hospitality: “If you take in a guest or ''are'' a guest, treat the hospitality as sacred for exactly 72 hours.” Conversely, the Dark Lord’s Code puts a twisted spin on the idea: “Provide visiting heroes who aren't yet scheduled for the death-trap with comfortable lodgings, submissive servants, and a change of clothes.”
* In the French rpg Rêve de Dragon, young people are expected to travel - some a few days or weeks in their life until te nearest town and then settle down, some ( like the [=PCs=]) become permanent travellers. Every village has a House of the Travellers where they're received free for a week or so in return for entertaining the locals with tales of their travels.
* A fairly standard variant of this is practiced by the Rjurik in ''{{TabletopGame/Birthright}}''. During the bitterly cold winter months, no Rjurik may turn away another seeking shelter but, similarly, no Rjurik seeking shelter from another may attack, insult, or steal from their host. These are considered some of their most sacred laws and failing to honour them is considered an extremely serious crime. Accordingly, the Rjurik sometimes find themselves under extremely odd conditions where two sworn enemies wind up awkwardly sharing a meal under one roof until weather conditions improve.

* In ''Theatre/DieWalkuere'', Hunding finds his wife Sieglinde sheltering a man he's been pursuing, and, presumably having learned from the mistakes in Mythology above, lets him stay freely before trying to kill him in the morning, stating "''Heilig ist mein Herd, heilig sei mir mein Gast''" ("My hearth is holy, let my guest be holy to me too"). The man, Siegmund, then betrays Hunding's hospitality by running off with Sieglinde (who also was Siegmund's long-lost sister). Wotan is cool with the incest, not to mention that Siegmund and Sieglinde are his illegitimate children, but his wife Fricka (who is ''not'' the twins' mom) is the protector of marriage and so she demands that Wotan punish Siegmund with death. [[spoiler:He does allow Hunding to kill Siegmund in combat, and even punishes the titular Walkuere (Brünnhilde) when she tries to stop the duel, but then he kills Hunding himself.]]

* ''Theatre/AsYouLikeIt'': While in Arden, a starving Orlando ends up holding up Duke Senior and his retinue a knifepoint for some of their food. Duke Senior is more than happy to invite Orlando to share dinner with him, which confuses Orlando at first.
* Raina believes in the idea of a guest being sacred in ''Theatre/ArmsAndTheMan'', leading her to protect an enemy soldier who climbs in her window to escape from her countrymen.
* In Creator/DorothyLSayers' ''Theatre/TheEmperorConstantine'', Maximian praises Helena's hospitality.
* In Creator/JohnMilton's ''Theatre/{{Comus}}'', the sister praises this among the poor.
* Invoked in ''Theatre/LesMiserables'': the Bishop offers Valjean a place to sleep when no one else would due to the latter's status as an ex-con. To repay him, Valjean steals the Bishop's silver. The guards who catch him and return him to the Bishop make a point that the Bishop was an honest man and that Valjean was in fact his ''guest''.
* {{Inverted|Trope}} and PlayedForLaughs in ''Theatre/TheMusicMan'' by the townsfolk of River City. They positively revel in how shoddily they treat outsiders.
--> But what the heck, you're welcome, join us at the picnic\\
You can eat your fill of all the food you bring yourself
* In Creator/{{Euripides}}' ''Hecuba'', [[EvenEvilHasStandards even war criminal Agamemnon is incensed]] to learn that Polymestor, to whom the late King Priam of Troy had entrusted care of his youngest son before the war, has murdered the prince. Despite Polymestor's attempts to frame what he did as a service to the Greeks, Agamemnon tells Polymestor to take as his just due the dreadful vengeance taken on him by Priam's now childless widow Hecuba.
* ''Theatre/ComeFromAway'' could easily be called ''Sacred Hospitality: The Musical'', considering how the Newfoundland residents pull out all the stops to make over 7000 plane passengers stranded by the closure of U.S. airspace in the wake of the terrorist attacks on 9/11/2001 feel welcome.
** A notable example involves Ali, an Egyptian who found himself harassed by some of the other plane people, who suspected that he was either working with the terrorists or at least supported them because he was Muslem. The locals on the other hand were nothing but friendly toward him. When he offers to help some people who were cooking for the plane people, Beulah insisted that he was a guest. When Ali then told her he wanted to help cook because he wanted to stay busy, and he also was a master chef in New York, Buelah happily directed him to the kitchen.

* Regarding [[{{Muggles}} normal humans]] in Gensokyo, the setting of ''Franchise/TouhouProject'', according to Akyuu, the number one rule in regards to meeting someone you don't know is ''be polite.'' Because they just might be one of the incredibly powerful {{Youkai}} that live there. (Even [[AxCrazy Yuuka]] is stated to go easy on people who are polite.)

* In keeping with her honorable nature, Undyne of ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' takes Sacred Hospitality ''very'' seriously. She's been taught her whole life that humans are the enemy, and she's hunting you specifically because your SOUL could free the monsters, but if you're a guest at her house, she'll treat you with the full (if grudging) respect that merits. She won't even let you get up to get a drink, violently insisting that it's the ''host's'' duty to provide such to a guest. She goes as far as cleaving her own dining table in two with a spear if you try to get up to pick a drink. That said, it can also be {{defied|Trope}} if you're on good terms with her--a [[EpicFail sufficiently catastrophic cooking lesson]] will lead her to challenge you in her own home to maintain her dignity.

* In ''VideoGame/TheWitcher3WildHunt'' it's mentioned that Toussaint has an ancient custom that obliges people to give food and drink to hungry guests and is said to bring misfortune to those who neglect it. A century before the events of the game, the heiress of the Trastamara estate [[OldBeggarTest turned away a beggar who then placed a curse on her]], transforming her into [[OurWightsAreDifferent a spotted wight]]. After Geralt lifts the curse on her in the modern day, [[spoiler:the background music heavily implies that the "beggar" was actually [[SatanicArchetype Gaunter O'Dimm]] in disguise]].
* In ''VideoGame/Pathologic2'', a gang of starving orphans offer TheHero the last scraps of food that they have. If he objects, they insist that feeding strangers will bring them luck, and they need luck more than food right now. (Given that AllMythsAreTrue in this setting, they may have a point.) Refusing or accepting is the player's choice.
** It is a SecretTestOfCharacter, but not in the way tropers might expect. Townsfolk believe that giving/receiving gifts, or even just bartering generously, unites them as a people. Refusing to entangle yourself in a social interaction is ''not'' kindness, but a signal that you don't consider yourself part of the Town...so the best option is to take what the kids offer (some toast and a bottle of milk) and return the next day with a piece of toast. They will take it, praising Artemy for not forgetting his heritage ''and'' caring that they get fed. This nets you not just the milk, but a much-needed reputation boost.

* {{Invoked|Trope}} in ''Webcomic/RumorsOfWar'': in Chapter 6, Elysia is taken to meet the father of a young woman she's been helping and when the scene gets tense the two trade insults. Meteon, the father, balks at Elysia's rudeness and she points out that they're not in his house. It goes downhill from there. In a later chapter, we find out that Elysia is a priest of Hestia, so for her, Sacred Hospitality is [[SeriousBusiness Serious]] [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment Business]].
* ''Webcomic/TheDreamlandChronicles'': [[https://web.archive.org/web/20100703162101/http://www.thedreamlandchronicles.com/the-dreamland-chronicles/chapter-06/page-389/ from the mermaids]]
* ''Webcomic/SparklingGenerationValkyrieYuuki'' has Norse gods Thor, Loki, and Hermod asking to stay at Yuuki's house for an indefinite period. Valkyries Otsana and Shebi use this as justification for barging into some random Japanese guy's apartment. All five resort to terror when the hosts try to turn them down.
* In ''Webcomic/NoRestForTheWicked'', [[http://www.forthewicked.net/archive/03-04.html November asks why Red looks on edge since it's more than the obvious lack of hospitality would inspire]]. Turns out that's the first of the village's flaws.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Erstwhile}}'', [[https://web.archive.org/web/20130207224516/https://erstwhiletales.com/snow-white-and-rose-red-07/ the mother obviously believes in this -- even for bears.]]

* In ''Webcomic/{{Punderworld}}'', Zeus invokes the Rules of Xenia - the idea that a host will offer food and care to a guest if the guest does not act like a burden - to get Hades to stop bothering him with work in the middle of a party.

* In Creator/JimButcher's ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', even vampires can be taken seriously with hospitality. Of course, they tend to aim for PlausibleDeniability instead of just not harming their guests.[[note]]If ''everyone's'' drinks are poisoned, then it isn't their fault if you happen to be not immune to it[[/note]] It's all down to the most powerful members of the supernatural community being a few hundred years behind the times and having an Old World mentality. The various supernatural groups also have a treaty detailing diplomacy and hospitality and various other aspects of supernaturals dealing with each other. Also, hospitality ''means'' something. Any being's home has a magical barrier at the door referred to as the threshold. Crossing the threshold without [[MustBeInvited being invited in]] means leaving a chunk of your power at the door if they can enter at all. How much power they lose is determined by how much the dwelling is a home. Dresden's basement bachelor apartment, inhabited for not much more than ten years, doesn't have much stopping power, but a friend's home, inhabited by the same family for about a hundred years, has a hell of a kick.
** Upon fleeing from two [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Red Court Vampire assassins]] and their pet GiantMook; Harry runs through an unexplored region of the [[EldritchLocation NeverNever]] and they all drop into the freaking throne room of the [[TheFairFolk Lord]] of TheWildHunt. Right as said near-godly being is about to execute them all, the Erl-King ironically refers to them as guests. Harry immediately grabs at that, and [[PolitenessJudo thanks the Fey-Lord for granting them his hospitality]]. The Erl-King is amused [[WorthyOpponent and impressed]] by his quick thinking, despite the LoopholeAbuse. He accepts Harry as a "guest", saying that he can hunt him another day.
*** Of course, being a guest of TheFairFolk has its own dangers. The Erl-King points out that, as a host, it would be within his right as a host to keep Harry as a guest for a few centuries. And since the Red Court contingent claim Harry brought them there on purpose for the Erl-king to kill them for Harry while Harry said it was an accident, the Erl-king decides the best way to deal with these conflicting claims is let the sword decide and make them battle a duel. Winner will receive the hospitality, the loser will be treated as an invader to his land. Erl-king notes that if Harry wins and the Red Court tried to save their people, it would be an insult that would draw ''all the Fae'' (Winter, Summer, and Wylde) into attacking the Red Court.
** And in the event a Fae enters a home ''uninvited'' they are still bound by the laws of hospitality. They cannot leave the home in a worse place than when they arrived, hence the [[spoiler:brownies]] being able to enter and clean Harry's home, provided he never speak of them. Even if the host attacks the Fae, the Fae cannot respond with hostile action. Most would simply leave the home and when the person is not inside the home any longer, respond for the previous action.
** Also, certain entities, like the inhabitants of Faerie are essentially bound by their language and betrayal of the Laws of Hospitality border on conceptually impossible for them. Getting them to promise their hospitality, however...
*** The Laws strictly bind the Faerie and all members of their Courts. We see a key instance of what happens if someone tries to break the Laws in ''Literature/ColdDays''. Also, even when the hospitality is granted, ExactWords very heavily come into play (The Fae follow their rules at any cost, and are [[CannotTellALie magically compelled to never lie]], but that means there are ''no'' better {{Rules Lawyer}}s and {{Loophole Abuse}}rs. In fact, one of those rules ''is'' “there is no spirit of the law, only its letter.” As such, beware harming or insulting one, or trapping one into actions they’d ''really'' be against taking - you’re not safe just because ''here and now'' they find themselves forbidden to vaporize you with a magic blast. The moment you’re no longer covered under hospitality, or have angered them enough to make you suffer in every way the rules and/or their promises don’t explicitly prohibit, expect your life to get considerably worse and considerably shorter.)
** In ''Literature/TurnCoat'', Harry is hiding [[spoiler:Morgan]] at his house. Pretty much every time he leaves the man there alone, Harry comes back to find [[spoiler:Morgan]] about to kill someone because of some misunderstanding. Harry manages to shame him by pointing out that he would not only expect more courteous behavior from a Demon, but he would also get it as well.
** Things get tricky for Harry in ''Literature/SkinGame'' when he finds himself in the hospitality of [[spoiler:Hades, Lord of the Underworld. This happens as Harry is there, with others, to steal from one of Hades' vaults]]. However, things aren't as they appear as [[spoiler:Hades knew Harry and crew were coming and believes any who can bypass his three gates defending the vault have earned some treasure. That said, he won't stop the security system if a fight breaks out. It isn't his place to intervene]]. So, in the end, Harry [[spoiler:has a nice chat and glass of wine with the Lord of the Underworld, discussing a range of topics, and Harry nearly violating hospitality anyway by commenting on the dickish behavior of Hades' kin. Hades warns him against making further comments, no matter how justified they are]].
** [[spoiler:Despite his mentor Ebenezar's passionate hatred of vampires, Harry is able to get him to back down from attacking Thomas by bringing up that they are guests in his house in ''Literature/PeaceTalks''. Ebenezar reluctantly backs down.]]
** When Harry does jobs for [[BigfootSasquatchAndYeti Strength of a River in His Shoulders]] he normally meets him in a forest since River Shoulders doesn't like coming into the city (for obvious reasons). Even though they meet around a campfire it's ''Harry's'' campfire and as such he's obligated to serve as a host and share food, drink and tobacco. Harry notes that this isn't actually necessary since they get on well but even so going through the motions of Sacred Hospitality makes both of them more comfortable.
* In the Literature/{{Dragaera}} series, the Dragonlord traditions of hospitality are like this. It's a significant plot point in ''Literature/{{Jhereg}}'', where an absconding crime lord gets himself invited to stay at the home of a powerful Dragonlord, knowing that his host is honor-bound to protect him for enough time for his ploy to come to fruition. [[spoiler:Fortunately, the protagonists are able to maneuver him into violating his own honor as a guest, which makes him fair game.]]
* At the beginning of ''Literature/{{Ivanhoe}}'', Cedric the Saxon orders an old Jew admitted to his hall over the protests of his (only slightly more welcome Norman) guests, using very nearly the exact words from the Abraham example. On the other hand, none of his retainers make room for the old man to sit down.
* In Creator/RobertEHoward's "Literature/ShadowsInZamboula," Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian is warned about the InnOfNoReturn by someone with whom he had stayed for many months.

* In L. Jagi Lamplighter's ''[[Literature/ProsperosDaughter Prospero Lost]]'', Father Christmas insists on the elf queen not evicting Mephisto from the table because he is his guest. Indeed, such is his hospitality that Miranda accepts [[ItWasAGift a gift]] from one of TheFairFolk, knowing that Father Christmas would not allow it to be baneful under his roof.
* In the first SPQR series novel "The King's Gambit", the murderer's violation of sacred hospitality provides Decius with the clue he needs to understand the entire underlying conspiracy.
* In the ''Literature/{{Wayfairers}}'' book series, the alien race called the Harmagians have a culture heavily based on the rules of sacred hospitality, with rudeness to or from a guest being considered the greatest insult imaginable.
* In Creator/JaneAusten's ''Literature/NorthangerAbbey'', General Tilney invites the protagonist in his house because he wants her to marry his son. One day, he suddenly throws her out with a lame excuse and sends her away in a public coach with no attending servant. (This doesn't sound so horrible today, but back then it meant deliberate insult.) The reason for all that was, he found out she wasn't as rich as he thought. His violation of Sacred Hospitality is how the reader fully sees his true colors.
* ''Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms'':
** How do we know that Cao Cao is a villainous individual? He violates Sacred Hospitality quite badly. His paranoia has him murder his hosts after he overhears them planning to kill something despite having been put up as an honoured guest. The thing in question? Their pig to provide meat for the table. His justification upon discovering his error speaks volumes about his character. "Better I betray the world than it betray me!"
** Later, Cao Cao's father was murdered by underlings of Tao Qian, the governor of Xuzhou while they were supposed to be keeping said father safe from brigands.
** Lu Bu takes over Xuzhou from Liu Bei while being his guest.
** Liu Bei once sought sanctuary with a man named Liu An, who took Sacred Hospitality so seriously that he murdered his own wife and used her flesh to make a meal when there was otherwise nothing to eat.
* In Creator/EdgarRiceBurroughs's ''[[Literature/JohnCarterOfMars Thuvia, Maid of Mars]]'', Thuvia refuses to let Cathoris defend her honor after Asok's behavior on the grounds he is her father's guest.
* Referenced in ''Literature/TheNameOfTheWind'': Bast threatens the scribe, saying "You have eaten at my table," implying that this created a magical obligation between them. Since Bast is [[spoiler:a fairy]], he probably means this literally.
* In Creator/PoulAnderson's ''Literature/TimePatrol'', two agents claim to be Woden and Thundor and to watch over the family henceforth as they leave -- in an obvious nod to the many myths.
* In Creator/JaneAusten's ''Literature/LoveAndFreindship'', Laura, Sophia, and their husbands abuse hospitality freely.
** A rude return to Edward's aunt's invitation.
--->''We returned a suitable answer to this affectionate Note, and after thanking her for her kind invitation, assured her that we would certainly avail ourselves of it, whenever we might have no other place to go to. Tho' certainly nothing could, to any reasonable Being, have appeared more satisfactory than so grateful a reply to her invitation, yet I know not how it was, but she was certainly capricious enough to be displeased with our behavior''
** At [=MacDonald's=], they persuade his daughter to run off with a fortune hunter and then rob him.
* In Creator/RobertAHeinlein's ''Literature/GloryRoad'', Oscar is shocked to find his host's wife and daughter waiting in his bed. He politely turns them down and sends them away, not wanting to betray his host. The next morning, his party is rudely ejected from the home. When he tells Star about what happened, she is horrified. Custom in the land they are traveling is that it is ''insulting'' to refuse the sexual favors of the women of the household. Their host had been insulted that Oscar would refuse his women when they offered themselves to him.
* In the ChivalricRomance ''Guy of Warwick'', Guy is an earl's guest when it is revealed that the earl's son died in a quarrel with a stranger -- Guy. The earl, breaching hospitality, attacks him, but in his escape, Guy gives the dismounted earl his horse in return for his dinner.
* In Creator/PGWodehouse's ''Literature/JeevesAndWooster'' story "The Ordeal of Young Tuppy", Tuppy maintains that he wishes to give an Irish water spaniel to his host's daughter merely out of gratitude for their hospitality.
* In Creator/SandyMitchell's Literature/CiaphasCain novel ''The Greater Good'', Cain notes the poor hospitality of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Subverted in that to their cybernetic hosts their treatment is quite respectful.
* Creator/MercedesLackey's ''[[Literature/FirebirdLackey Firebird]]'' features the Bannik, spirit of the steam bath house, who react favorably to humble and respectful guests, so long as the "third bath turn is given to him".
* ''Literature/SpocksWorld'', a Franchise/StarTrekExpandedUniverse novel, holds that this is one of the tenets of Vulcan society, with such rules as allowing a guest to be refreshed with water before any conversation takes place. However, such rules do not extend to neighbors (as they are seen to be competition for the scarce resources).
* In Creator/PatriciaAMcKillip's ''Literature/TheRiddleMasterOfHed'', Morgan recalls the tale of Ingris, who refused Har hospitality and was {{curse}}d for it.
* In Creator/PoulAnderson's "Literature/{{Eutopia}}}", Iason tells the Voivode that Ottar's anger led him to attack Iason, in violation of sacred hospitality. To be sure, he doesn't tell what he had done to provoke anger.
* In Creator/AndreNorton's ''Literature/{{Catseye|1961}}'', Troy is welcomed to a shelter in the Wild with a set formula clearly designed to formally convey hospitality.
* In Creator/AndreNorton's ''Literature/OrdealInOtherwhere'', the Wyverns make Charis welcome and offer her a place to sleep.
** Later in ''Literature/ForerunnerForay'', Turan tells his household to provide for the guards who brought them back safely.
* In Creator/JulieKagawa's ''Literature/TheIronDaughter'', the Leanan Sidhe invokes this to assure Meghan and her friends that the food is not enchanted. Not that the rest of the fairies seem to care.
* In Creator/BernardCornwell's ''Literature/{{Sharpe}}'s Triumph'', [=McCandless=] and Sharpe are put up by Pohlmann after they escort Simone there. When [=McCandless=] is shot and his horses stolen, he reminds Pohlmann they were his guests. Pohlmann is apologetic and has the man killed.
* ''Literature/NeroWolfe'':
** He may be an unrepentant misanthropic recluse, but Wolfe's code of honor means that he will be in every way the impeccable host if someone calls upon his hospitality. Over the course of the series, he's hosted murder suspects, witnesses, and clients for dinner, invited them to view his orchids, and even given them a room to sleep in overnight should they need it. As well as a matter of honour, however, it also serves a double purpose in that it enables him to keep someone who has every reason to want to run as far as they can get (such as someone suspected of or guilty of murder) right where a close eye can be kept on them.
** He also upholds the duty of the ''guest'' on the few times that he's obliged to leave his own home. In one novel, when he discovers that one of the other guests of the family he's staying with is the murderer he's looking for, he arranges spurious reasons for all of the family members to leave the house and then tells the murderer that he's onto them. The murderer flees, right into a police roadblock that Wolfe set up ahead of time. This is all so that his hosts are neither discomfited by having the murderer arrested in their home nor are put in the position of having to violate Sacred Hospitality by turning him over to the police themselves. It also serves to thwart a particularly obnoxious ObstructiveBureaucrat by embarrassing him when he shows up to arrest the murderer at the house, unprepared for Wolfe's shenanigans. In another novel, he makes a point of apologising to a character for engaging in a commission to investigate a murder (from a hated rival no less) after having previously accepted the man's hospitality as his guest.
** In keeping with all this, it's generally not a good idea to try murdering someone who is enjoying Wolfe's hospitality or has come to him seeking help, especially while they're in Wolfe's house, as he will take this as a personal insult and stop at nothing to expose and ruin you in response.
* Given that the universe of Creator/MercedesLackey's ''Literature/TalesOfTheFiveHundredKingdoms'' runs off the TheoryOfNarrativeCausality in the form of the Tradition, it should come as no surprise that Sacred Hospitality and the loopholes associated with it are more or less natural laws.
* The Uplands have an idiosyncratic version in ''[[Literature/AnnalsOfTheWesternShore Gifts]]''. Guests are to be given useful work to do so that they don't feel like bums. But when you get an invite, you have to accept it at some point or give ''major'' offense, and if you're dealing with a family that has a particularly nasty gift, giving offense is a very bad idea.
* In the UrbanFantasy setting of ''Literature/{{Pact}}'', ancient laws of hospitality are enforced upon practitioners by the animist nature of the setting--if a spirit (and there are always spirits) sees a practitioner violate hospitality (attacking a guest, or attacking someone that is your host, usually), they'll exact a toll and spread word to other spirits, which influence the world subtly against that practitioner and generally gives them bad Karma. Blake uses this to protect himself by inviting all his enemies over, preventing them from simply raiding his apartment.
* In the ''Literature/SpiralArm'' series, the Terran Brotherhood follows the custom of granting sacred hospitality with bread and salt; once it has been given, they will offer a guest no violence. The Fudir notes, however, that it's still not a good idea to anger them even after they've granted hospitality. They might allow you to leave unharmed, but they aren't above sending assassins in pursuit immediately afterwards.

* In Creator/DavidGemmell's ''Legend'', the Nadir tradition prohibits killing a guest at your own campfire. This is used twice during the siege as a form of parley: Ulric sets up a campfire to have a chat with Druss early on, and after [[spoiler:Druss's]] death most of the remaining protagonist figures visit the Nadir during their celebrations and are, after a few false starts, treated as friends, even though the next morning they'll be trying to kill each other again.
* In ''Literature/TheLegendOfTheWanderingKing'', which is written in the style of an Arabian folktale, the homeless protagonist is given food and shelter by a merchant. Only after about ''five months'' have passed in this fashion does the merchant even begin to suggest he stop mooching. (Luckily, in keeping with narrative tradition, the merchant is eventually rewarded for his generosity.)
* In the ''Literature/DreambloodDuology'', Guest right in shunha households (and one can assume sonha households) ensures that a guest be treated as an honorary member of the family for the duration of their stay.
* The poem ''The Christmas Guest'' follows a cobbler named Conrad who is told by an angel that the Lord (or Jesus, depending on which version you're reading) will be his guest for Christmas. Conrad makes his home ready but is interrupted three times: the first by a man with tattered shoes, who Conrad gives a new pair of shoes. The second is a beggar woman, who Conrad invites in to have a hot meal. The third is a lost child, who Conrad invites in, feeds, and then helps find their home. When the sun sets and Jesus has yet to appear, he despairs, only for the Lord to appear and say that he was the shoeless man, the beggar, and the lost child.
* ''Literature/TheWanderingInn'': The Faeries, who basically live for annoying and tricking people, stop their mischievousness altogether while bound by rules of hospitality.
* This is present in ''Literature/{{Victoria}}''. While the Nazi emissary Halsing visits Rumford, he is treated as his personal guest and reciprocates appropriately. It is only after he is formally turned over to the authorities that he becomes a prisoner in the usual sense-- and consequently, also only then that he begins to work on effecting his escape.
* In ''Literature/CookingWithWildGame'', the heroine's EstablishingCharacterMoment is that she invites a lost boy into her home, despite him being foreign, seemingly crazy, and having nothing with which to repay her. It shows both her compassion and [[PlanetOfHats her tribe's culture]]: they've lost '''a lot''' of lives to the Forest surrounding their village, so they have [[ItsPersonal no intention]] of losing another one. Even if he is a total stranger.
* ''Literature/RaiKirah'' has a variant: among the Derzhi {{Proud Warrior Race|Guy}}, debts of honour between a host and guest are forgiven when the guest accepts the host's food and drink. Prince Aleksander {{exploit|edTrope}}s this by secretly executing a man for treason minutes before his entire clan attends Aleksander's feast, so the clan unknowingly forfeits its right to seek retribution.
* ''Literature/{{Temeraire}}'': Kaneko [[IGaveMyWord swore an oath]] to host any lost traveler he meets as though they were a member of his family. This proves a MortonsFork when he finds Will Laurence unconscious by the road: he's bound by duty to give Laurence up for arrest and probable execution, but bound by his vow to protect him. While he's stalling for time, Laurence escapes.
* ''Literature/{{Sandokan}}'': Subverted by lord Guillonk: when he learns that the guest he had healed was actually Sandokan he kicked him out of his house and prepared an ambush against him. Sandokan seems to play it straight: while never tested on it he knows well the code and took offense on the ambush (only the ambush: as a pirate, he ''was'' Guillonk's enemy, and having fully recovered he admitted he was fair game for being kicked out).

* Used in ''Manga/ABridesStory'', befitting the setting. A messenger with letters for Smith came all the way from Macedonia and the villagers bicker over each other as to who he will stay with until Akunbek declares him his guest.

* ''ComicBook/WonderWomanTheHiketeia'' deals with Diana offering protection to a runaway girl from Gotham City. This is before the runaway is revealed as a murderer (the people she killed needed to go, though.) Eventually, ComicBook/{{Batman}} shows up to arrest her, but not only did Wonder Woman promise her guest protection and hospitality, the guest also invoked the titular Hiketeia, a ritual that requires that Wonder Woman does not discharge her guest without the guest's consent, on pain of death from the Erinyes, who will kill her if she does so. Since Wonder Woman's life is forfeit if she surrenders the girl and Batman (unaware of this deal) is not just going to let the girl get away with murder, [[LetsYouAndHimFight Wonder Woman and Batman end up fighting over the situation and their conflicting morals.]] The girl decides to leap [[DrivenToSuicide off a bridge.]] Batman himself tries to invoke the Hiketeia so that Wondy wouldn't be able to stop him without breaking her oath, but she informs him that she has the right to refuse it if she chooses. It only applies once she accepts it in the first place, as she did with the girl.
* ''ComicBook/{{Lucifer}}'': The main character visits the pantheon of the Japanese Underworld. Its gods plot extensively to make him break the code of sacred hospitality, giving them an excuse to kill him. He [[PolitenessJudo smoothly dodges every attempt]].

* ''ComicBook/AgeOfBronze'': Taking Helen, with or without her consent, Menelaus' son by her, and the valuables of the palace is a massive breach of the hospitality that the Achaeans believe in. It's not just a breach of manners and trust, it's a breach of the gods' laws.
* ''ComicBook/{{Necrophim}}'': Lord Lucifer violates it by killing an emissary of King Jotunheim with full knowledge that he will take it as an insult and a violation of guest rights. However, as Uriel points out, she did herself no favors by making her presence known by decapitating the first guard who approached her to demand an audience with the Morningstar.
* In ''ComicBook/IHateFairyland'', the protagonist Gert is [[TrappedInAnotherWorld a child who has been stuck in the titular Fairyland for close to three decades]] and has subsequently become a menace to society. Despite this, her status as a "Guest" of Fairyland means that the rulers of Fairyland cannot personally harm her and she is openly immune to their magic... Unless another child comes to Fairyland and completes their quest, at which point Gert will become a true resident of Fairyland and all bets are off.

* In ''Literature/TheCatOnTheDovrefell'': When the traveler knocks on the cottage's door and asks if he and his bear could get a room, Halvor warns his family is being driven out by trolls. The traveler begs to stay and is given one room, nonetheless.

* In Creator/AndrewLang's "Literature/TheAdventuresOfCovanTheBrownHaired" ([[http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/lfb/or/orfb27.htm link]]), Covan gets the gratitude and help of a dog, an otter, and a falcon by accepting their hospitality for a night -- neither mistrusting them nor scorning it as simple.

* In "Literature/MollyWhuppie", three sisters turned out of their house take shelter with a giant and his wife. During the night, the giant attempts to murder them, making us feel anything but sorry when the title character tricks him into killing his own daughters instead and then plunders him on three more missions.
* In "Literature/TheDevilWithTheThreeGoldenHairs", the main character sets out to the city, but he gets lost and seeks shelter in a cabin in a nearby forest. An old woman answers the door and warns him he is seeking shelter in a den of thieves, and he will surely be killed. Nonetheless, he is allowed to spend the night, and he is not disturbed by the returning thieves, either.

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* In ''Film/{{Troll 2}}'', the father stresses the wonders of "typical country hospitality". It turns out that the country folk are actually evil goblins who want to eat our heroes.
* Played for laughs in Creator/BusterKeaton's silent comedy ''Film/OurHospitality''. His character accepts an invitation to dine with the family of a young woman he's met on a train, and discovers that they're involved in an ongoing [[FeudingFamilies blood feud]] with his own family (and thus him). Her father and brothers are unable to kill him while he's in their home so, as a title card wryly notes, Keaton attempts to become a "permanent guest" of theirs.

* ''Film/MaryadaRamanna'', the 2010 Telugu remake of ''Our Hospitality'', a houseguest discovers that his hosts are part of a rival faction.
* In ''Film/StrawDogs'', David finally takes a stand against a group of local toughs when they try to invade his home to abduct a man he's taken in. David fights off the invaders to protect the man, even though he knows that the man is probably a murderer.

* Referenced in ''Film/NinthCompany''. During their training, the Soviet soldiers are taught about the Pashtun concept of hospitality and how the locals will see nothing contradictory about hosting you in their villages and fighting you in the mountains. Later on, one of the soldiers comes across an Afghan man while looking for supplies and the man takes him to a nearby village. Despite being on his own, no harm comes to him.
* ''Film/TheBeastOfWar'' is another movie about the UsefulNotes/SovietInvasionOfAfghanistan that invokes the trope. The Pashtun rebels spare the life of the protagonist (a Soviet tank driver) when he appeals to their traditional code of Pashtunwali, which requires even an enemy to be given sanctuary if he asks. Though some of the rebels argue that the rules shouldn't apply to DirtyCommunists who've learnt a single word of their language (''nanawatai'' = sanctuary), the fact that he'd been left for dead by his comrades (and is willing to repair an RPG in order to blow them up in payback) is a significant factor in his defence.

* In ''Film/{{Cinderella 2015}}'', when Cinderella is at her lowest, she's still ready to find a bowl of milk for the poor beggar-woman who turns up at her garden gate. That beggar turns out to be her fairy godmother.

* In the ''Franchise/JohnWick'' films, one of the rules of the Continental is "no business on Continental grounds." This provides a safe environment for criminals and assassins to rest, eat, drink, meet, and get their weapons and equipment without having to worry about getting attacked. Of course, this rule gets violated as a plot point. In the first film, [[spoiler:Perkins]] tries to kill John in his hotel room, and in response, [[spoiler:Winston has her executed at the end of the film]]. In ''Film/JohnWickChapter2'', it's [[spoiler:John himself]] who breaks the rule, [[spoiler:killing Santino in the Continental when he goes there to hide.]] As a result, Winston declares [[spoiler:John]] "excommunicado" and that any assassin now has the okay to kill him for his actions; the long friendship and deep respect Winston holds for him only earn the man in question [[MercyLead a one-hour head start]].
* In ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom'', Indy and his friends are invited to an Indian village and given more food than the rest of the village sees for a week. Willie, the newcomer, refuses to eat at first and tries to return it. Indy points out that her actions are merely insulting them and embarrassing him in the process.
* ''Film/ItCouldHappenToYou'': after Muriel wins her suit against Charlie and Yvonne, forcing them to return their share of the lottery winnings, Charlie and Yvonne meet in her diner, where they see a homeless man outside. Despite their losing the case and facing poverty as a result, they invite the homeless man in and feed him. The homeless man turns out to be [[MeaningfulName Angel Dupree]], a New York Post reporter (and {{narrator}} of the movie), who writes about his experience with Charlie and Yvonne in the Post, which inspires hundreds of New Yorkers to raise funds to help the couple.
* ''Film/GatesOfParis'': Why does [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep the Artist]] continue to hide Barbier, a murderer and wanted fugitive, after finding Barbier hiding in his basement? "Because you're in my home."
* ''Film/OnHerMajestysSecretService'': Tracy is upset that her father is negotiating to marry her off to Film/JamesBond in exchange for supplying James with information regarding the whereabouts of Blofeld. Tracy confronts her father, insisting that he uphold his duties as James' host; "You always taught me a good host supplies his guest's needs. And without obligation."
* ''Film/StealingHeaven'': One reason why the affair between Abelard and Héloïse is illicit stems from this. Abelard is a guest of her uncle, living in his house. So "ruining" her is a serious breach of this.
* In ''Film/SodomAndGomorrah'', Hebrew leader Lot insists that any escaped slave from the title cities who sets foot in a Hebrew dwelling must be accepted as one of their own and given sanctuary, preventing the Sodomites from re-capturing them. The biggest sign that Sodom is corrupting the Hebrews rather than being redeemed by their presence comes when Ishmael tries to lead a slave revolt and find sanctuary in his fellow Hebrews' houses, only for them to bolt their doors ''en masse''.

* Appears among the Taghreb & Soninke cultures of the Dread Empire in ''Literature/APracticalGuideToEvil'': people sharing a fire under the sacred law of hospitality may not harm each other until morning. It's probably only due to Sacred Hospitality that their nation can function at all, with everyone in it being Evil
* Referenced in ''Literature/DragonBones'': Ward says something like "Welcome, traveler, to the hearth of Hurog" to an escaped slave, which he knows is an ancient phrase with which he acknowledges her guest-status, which binds him to treat her like a guest, and, implicitly, also protect her from those who wish to re-enslave her. She reacts kind of rudely, apparently ignorant of the implications of his words.
* In ''Literature/TheLodger'', even as Mr. Sleuth starts to look more and more suspiciously likely as a suspect, his landlady is a gracious host.

* In Creator/StephenHunt's ''The Court of the Air'', the commodore welcomes Molly to the hospitality of their house.
* In Creator/JRRTolkien's ''Literature/TheHobbit'', when the dwarves first show up, Bilbo is afraid that he doesn't have enough food, because he knows his duty: if there's not enough to go around, it's the host who must go short. This is despite the fact that the dwarves weren't invited to Bilbo's home. To the dwarves' credit, they thought they ''were'' invited thanks to Gandalf's manipulations. When they found they weren't, the dwarves did the dishes after the meal. At the end of the story, after Bilbo has left the dwarves -- both sides have assured each other that hospitality will be extended in the future -- he gives the elf king a gift because Bilbo had eaten the king's food while skulking about his halls.
-->''Then the dwarves bowed low before their Gate, but words stuck in their throats. "Good-bye and good luck, wherever you fare!" said Balin at last. "If ever you visit us again, when our halls are made fair once more, then the feast shall indeed be splendid!"\\
"If ever you are passing my way," said Bilbo, "don't wait to knock! Tea is at four; but any of you are welcome at any time!"''
* Referenced in ''Literature/TheCountOfMonteCristo'', where the Count is noticeably unwilling to dine at Albert's home. While he gives other excuses, the explanation is to the effect that he's familiar with the importance of hospitality in Arab tradition, and knows that it wouldn't be right to revenge himself on them if he shared their food. It's how Mercedes gets her first hint that the Count doesn't have her husband's best interests at heart, since he refuses food she herself gives him.
** This is also one of the reasons why he gives extravagant gifts (as well as being part of his persona and to ingratiate himself with people) -- he wants to be in nobody's debt. Whenever someone tries to give him a gift, he gives them a more valuable one to even things out.
** Caderousse's MoralEventHorizon is taking advantage of this trope to murder and rob a wealthy stranger staying (at Caderousse's own insistence) the night in his house. Compounding the crime's seriousness is the fact that said stranger had actually travelled there to trade with him -- Caderousse is simply driven by {{Greed}}.
* Creator/MarcoPolo wrote that during his travels he came across the district of Kamul. When strangers arrived, the male head of a household would leave his own house and allow the stranger to live there as if it were his own, and as if all the females of the household were his own wives. The people of Kamul felt so strongly about this custom that when the Khan banned it, they sent a delegation to ask him to reverse his decision, which he did. Pretty lousy for the wives, though...
* In Creator/CSLewis's ''Literature/PrinceCaspian'', Trufflehunter, Trumpkin, and Nikabrik take in Caspian when they find him unconscious outside their home. When he wakes up and they find out he's King Miraz's nephew, Nikabrik wants to kill him, but the others say that if they were going to do that they should have done it first thing; now, it would be murdering a guest.
* In one novel by Creator/AlanFurst, an UsefulNotes/{{OSS}} agent in the Balkans is sheltered by a fishing village. Sometime later the villagers discover that left on the shore for them is a feast (smuggled in by the OSS of course) with a note left to them thanking them. The villagers thereupon wonder what [[NobleFugitive fabulously rich refugee]] they had obtained the gratitude of.

* In ''Beauty'', the Beast's offense was breaking sacred hospitality by not offering shelter. However, he has learned his lesson and treats the eponymous beauty's father as a good host should. What takes him into the prisoner bit is when the father steals a rose. He had promised to try and get one for Beauty, y'see...
* This is why Talon Karrde wouldn't turn in Han Solo and Lando Calrissian when the Empire came by in ''Literature/HeirToTheEmpire''; Lando and Han had "sat at our table and eaten our food". [[spoiler:When it's eventually found out, Thrawn is less than understanding, and his retaliation ends up alienating Karrde and his allies from their previous neutrality toward the Empire.]] Karrde actually takes it a few steps further: Han and Lando were dropping by because they'd helped one of Karrde's associates avoid local law enforcement, that associate considered himself in their debt, and to Karrde, an associate's debt is the organization's debt. [[spoiler:Karrde also states this trope does not apply to Luke Skywalker, who Karrde is [[ItMakesSenseInContext accidentally holding captive]], since Karrde never wanted (and indeed, attempted to avoid) Skywalker being his "guest" in the first place.]]

* In the ''Literature/Wayfairers'' book series, the alien race called the Harmagians have a culture heavily based on the rules of sacred hospitality, with rudeness to or from a guest being considered the greatest insult imaginable.

* In ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies'' Damian Tenma is very sorry he cannot offer his guests proper refreshments...because he is in jail on suspicion of murder which said "guests" are trying to defend him from.

-->''We returned a suitable answer to this affectionate Note, and after thanking her for her kind invitation, assured her that we would certainly avail ourselves of it, whenever we might have no other place to go to. Tho' certainly nothing could, to any reasonable Being, have appeared more satisfactory than so grateful a reply to her invitation, yet I know not how it was, but she was certainly capricious enough to be displeased with our behavior''

* In Creator/PoulAnderson's "Eutopia", Iason tells the Voivode that Ottar's anger led him to attack Iason, in violation of sacred hospitality. To be sure, he doesn't tell what he had done to provoke anger.

* ''Literature/SirGawainAndTheGreenKnight'': A green giant shows up in King Arthur's court and proclaims that he will let any knight cut off his head if he then pledges to have the same done to him in a year. Naturally, no one takes him up on the offer, so the giant calls them cowards, prompting Gawain to agree. Once the giant is decapitated, he picks up his head and rides off, telling Gawain he'll see him in a year.\\
After Gawain sets off to honor the contract, he finds lodgings in a lord's house, where he and the lord make an agreement: the lord will go out hunting for the next three days, and they will exchange everything they obtained that day.\\
The next morning, the lord's wife starts coming on to Gawain, but he refuses to accept anything but a kiss on the cheek, which he dutifully gives to the lord that evening. The same thing happens the next day, but the third day, the wife also gives him a magic belt, which he doesn't hand over.\\
When Gawain goes to face the giant, he goes for Gawain's neck twice without hurting him, then gives him a nick on the third try, because of the belt he 'forgot' to mention. The giant is then revealed to be the lord and the whole thing a SecretTestOfCharacter for Gawain.

* Literature/NeroWolfe:
** He may be an unrepentant misanthropic recluse, but his code of honor means that he will be in every way the impeccable host if someone calls upon his hospitality. Over the course of the series, he's hosted murder suspects, witnesses, and clients for dinner, invited them to view his orchids, and even given them a room to sleep in overnight should they need it. As well as a matter of honour, however, it also serves a double purpose in that it enables him to keep someone who has every reason to want to run as far as they can get (such as someone suspected of or guilty of murder) right where a close eye can be kept on them.

* ''[[Series/BlakesSeven Blake's 7]]'': In the episode [[http://www.hermit.org/Blakes7/Episodes/Reviews/DeathWatch1.html Death Watch]] it is stated that the [[http://www.hermit.org/Blakes7/SevenCyc/T.html Teal-Vandor Convention]] will protect guests from external enemies as long as the guest obeys the local laws.
* ''Series/{{Cadfael}}''

* ''Series/TheWheelOfTime'': Tua'than consider any person who shares their food and fires to be their people, defending them peacefully if they must.
* This trope appears to be in strong effect in ''Literature/KinosJourney'', where nearly every country welcomes any travellers from the outside world as guests of honour and gives them free food, lodgings and guided tours at the drop of a hat. Apparently, travellers in this world are so rare that this doesn't unduly tax their resources, but it's still amazing how many countries maintain luxurious hotels ready just in case a traveller comes along every few years and needs a place to stay.

* Flora Macdonald, the Scottish Noblewoman who rescued Bonnie Prince Charlie.

** Similar slights featured in later Mongol conquests, including that of China by his grandsons Möngke Khan and Kublai Khan.

* This trope appears to be in strong effect in ''LightNovel/KinosJourney'', where nearly every country welcomes any travellers from the outside world as guests of honour and gives them free food, lodgings and guided tours at the drop of a hat. Apparently, travellers in this world are so rare that this doesn't unduly tax their resources, but it's still amazing how many countries maintain luxurious hotels ready just in case a traveller comes along every few years and needs a place to stay.

* In ''LightNovel/CookingWithWildGame'', the heroine's EstablishingCharacterMoment is that she invites a lost boy into her home, despite him being foreign, seemingly crazy, and having nothing with which to repay her. It shows both her compassion and [[PlanetOfHats her tribe's culture]]: they've lost '''a lot''' of lives to the Forest surrounding their village, so they have [[ItsPersonal no intention]] of losing another one. Even if he is a total stranger.

** The Incident at Gibeah: a Levite, his concubine, and his servant stop for the night in Gibeah. One man welcomes them into his home, then the rest of the townsmen form a mob and demand to rape the Levite, who throws them his concubine instead. The men of Gibeah rape her to death, and this pits the rest of the tribes against the tribe of Benjamin. The author of Judges deliberately mirrors the story of Sodom and Gomorrah to say that the violation of sacred hospitality wasn't just a Canaanite problem.

[[folder:Anime]]

* ''ComicBook/WonderWomanTheHiketeia'' deals with Diana offering protection to a runaway girl from Gotham City. This is before the runaway is revealed as a murderer (the people she killed [[KickTheSonOfABitch needed to go, though.]]) Eventually, ComicBook/{{Batman}} shows up to arrest her, but not only did Wonder Woman promise her guest protection and hospitality, the guest also invoked the titular Hiketeia, a ritual that requires that Wonder Woman does not discharge her guest without the guest's consent, on pain of death from the Erinyes, who will kill her if she does so. Since Wonder Woman's life is forfeit if she surrenders the girl and Batman (unaware of this deal) is not just going to let the girl get away with murder, [[LetsYouAndHimFight Wonder Woman and Batman end up fighting to the death over the situation and their conflicting morals.]] The girl [[TakeAThirdOption Takes A Third Option]] and leaps [[DrivenToSuicide off a bridge.]] Notably, Batman himself tries to invoke the Hiketeia so that Wondy wouldn't be able to stop him without breaking her oath, but she informs him that she has the right to refuse it if she chooses. It only applies once she accepts it in the first place, as she did with the girl.
* [[{{Satan}} Lucifer]] in [[ComicBook/{{Lucifer}} his own comic]] visits the pantheon of the Japanese Underworld. Its gods plot extensively to make him break the code of Sacred Hospitality, giving them an excuse to kill him. He [[PolitenessJudo smoothly dodges every attempt]].
* Sacred Hospitality is important between mythological creatures in ''ComicBook/TheSandman1989'': When Morpheus offers hospitality to his guests in ''Season of Mists'' he is physically incapable of breaking it or allowing harm to any of his guests (whether he was aware they were his guests when he offered it or not), unless they reject or violate it first. Notably, hospitality has to be offered first: Lucifer nearly kills Morpheus in the first volume after having not offered any hospitality or safety to him, but when the two later meet in ''Season of Mists'' Morpheus is willing to trust Lucifer when he does give his word that no harm will befall Morpheus within the boundaries of Hell.

* During ''ComicBook/TheCloneSaga'', Ben Reilly (who was Spider-Man at the time) helped the injured mobster Jimmy 6 get medical attention after it was clear there was a contract on his head, and later said he'd help later if he needed it. Unfortunately for Ben, Jimmy (who was the son of up-and-coming crime lord Fortunado, and trying to lay low from his father for a while) took him up on that offer when he needed a place to stay; despite the fact that Jimmy was ''not'' the most pleasant roommate, Ben kept his word. (And Ben was able to prevent a crisis later when Fortunado did make his move because of it; plus, Jimmy remembered it, and was an occasional ally of Peter, who took over again as Spidey after Ben's death at the hands of ComicBook/NormanOsborn.)

* In ''Comicbook/IHateFairyland'', the protagonist Gert is [[TrappedInAnotherWorld a child who has been stuck in the titular Fairyland for close to three decades]] and has subsequently become a menace to society. Despite this, her status as a "Guest" of Fairyland means that the rulers of Fairyland cannot personally harm her and she is openly immune to their magic... Unless another child comes to Fairyland and completes their quest, at which point Gert will become a true resident of Fairyland and all bets are off.

* In ''Literature/TheCatOnTheDovrefell'', the people beg off this, on the grounds they are being driven out of their own home, and can't offer him it. He still takes a bed there. The trolls, however, are terrible guests and bring their own fate on themselves.

* In ''[[http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/lfb/or/orfb27.htm The Adventures of Covan the Brown-Haired]]'' (included by Creator/AndrewLang in ''The Orange Fairy Book''), Covan gets the gratitude and help of a dog, an otter, and a falcon by accepting their hospitality for a night -- neither mistrusting them nor scorning it as simple.

* In ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom'', Indy and his friends are invited to an Indian village and given more food than the rest of the village sees for a week. Willie, the newcomer and TheChick, refuses to eat at first and tries to return it. Indy points out that her actions are merely insulting them and embarrassing him in the process.

** He also upholds the duty of the ''guest'' on the few times that he's obliged to leave his own home. In one novel, when he discovers that one of the other guests of the family he's staying with is the murderer he's looking for, he arranges spurious reasons for all of the family members to leave the house and then tells the murderer that he's onto them. The murderer flees, right into a police roadblock that Wolfe set up ahead of time. This is all so that his hosts are neither discomfited by having the murderer arrested in their home nor are put in the position of having to violate Sacred Hospitality by turning him over to the police themselves. It also serves to thwart a particularly obnoxious ObstructiveBureaucrat by embarrassing him when he shows up to arrest the murderer at the house, unprepared for Wolfe's shenanigans.

* [[AntiHero Kyril]] of ''Fanfic/TheNightUnfurls'' [[GoodIsNotNice may not be a nice person to hang out with]], nor does he give a crap about honour, but he is surely a hospitable host, as shown from his interactions in the [[PocketDimension Hunter's Dream]] with his guests, Celestine and Olga. This is despite that both have them have entered his abode without his permission, albeit unwittingly, due to them peeping in Kyril's journal.

* Creator/GeorgeMacDonaldFraser related a Scottish legend that came down through the generations as part of his Highland family's folklore, with the strong hint this actually happened to distant ancestors. One day, the Head of the Clan Gordon was waylaid and foully slain by his sworn enemies, the [=MacGregors=]. The [=MacGregors=] then went to the Gordon castle and sought hospitality, which the wife of the Gordon was bound to provide, even for sworn enemies. Once inside and seated at table, the [=MacGregor=] clan head then grinned, brought out the head of the Gordon from a bag, and said "set a place, your master is home." His wife did not move a muscle in her face, but set a place at the head of the table, setting her husband's head there in pride of place that he might see. And during dinner, she said not a word out of place nor displayed emotion. After much whiskey, she called her steward. And a servant, with a dirk, came up behind each [=MacGregor=], and stabbed them, leaving none living. Afterwards, she was asked how she had kept a set face in such trial.
__>''The day a woman of the Gordons cannot keep her countenance is not a day you shall ever see.'

* Creator/GeorgeMacDonaldFraser related a Scottish legend that came down through the generations as part of his Highland family's folklore, with the strong hint this actually happened to distant ancestors. One day, the Head of the Clan Gordon was waylaid and foully slain by his sworn enemies, the MacGregors. The MacGregors then went to the Gordon castle and sought hospitality, which the wife of the Gordon was bound to provide, even for sworn enemies. Once inside and seated at table, the MacGregor clan head then grinned, brought out the head of the Gordon from a bag, and said "set a place, your master is home." His wife did not move a muscle in her face, but set a place at the head of the table, setting her husband's head there in pride of place that he might see. And during dinner, she said not a word out of place nor displayed emotion. After much whiskey, she called her steward. And a servant, with a dirk, came up behind each MacGregor, and stabbed them, leaving none living. Afterwards, she was asked how she had kept a set face in such trial.

* In ''Film/{{Troll 2}}'', the father stresses the wonders of "typical country hospitality". It turns out that the [[CorruptHick country folk]] are actually evil goblins who want to eat our heroes.