Masai



Tradition title rus: 
Масаи
Areal ID: 
1.4.3.5
Tradition analysis result motif count all: 
66.00
Tradition analysis result motif count cosmo: 
35.00
Motifs: 

Motif

a3


Name_eng: 
Male sun and female moon
Description: 

The Moon is female or bisexual, the Sun is male




Motif

a4a


Name_eng: 
The Sun dazzles eyes
Description: 

Modest Sun-woman dazzles (usually pricks with needles, i.e. the sun rays) eyes of those who look at her




Motif

a11b


Name_eng: 
One-eyed luminaries
Description: 

The Sun or the Moon is one-eyed (usually another eye was knocked or sucked out but sometimes this defect is not explained




Motif

a35


Name_eng: 
Spots on the lunar disc
Description: 

Dark spots on the lunar disc are dirt, blood, paint, traces of beating, burning, scratching, etc. on the Moon person's body or face (Kiliwa: spots on the Sun) and do not form any particular figure




Motif

a36


Name_eng: 
The immortal Moon
Description: 

The Moon, unlike people, revives or rejuvenates every month; or those who live in the Moon are immortal; or the Moon makes decision if people should die forever or regularly revive




Motif

b2a


Name_eng: 
The female earth
Description: 

The earth is a female person (alone or together with a male person); she is female being or associated with a woman




Motif

b2d


Name_eng: 
Marriage of the sky and the earth
Description: 

The male Sky (the Sun, the Thunder, the creator of the sky) marries the female Earth (or its female creator) or the female Sky marries the male Earth




Motif

e5a


Name_eng: 
Mankind ascends from the underworld
Description: 

The first people (or only the first men or the first women) are not created but come to earth from the underworld (from a cave) or from a small enclosure under the earth or on its surface (tree trunk, rock, gourd, etc.). Many people of both sexes and of different ages or people and different species of animals come out together




Motif

e5c


Name_eng: 
People from the sky
Description: 

The first people or first anthropomorphic divine beings descend to earth from the sky.




Motif

f2


Name_eng: 
Pregnant limb
Description: 

Child is born from a tumor or swelling on person's body (on thigh, knee, finger, etc.) or is temporarily placed there or child grows from blood that flew out from a cut




Motif

h1a


Name_eng: 
The originator of death the first sufferer
Description: 

One person wants man to live forever, another wants man to be mortal. When somebody dear to the latter one dies, he or she is eager to accept the suggestion of his or her opponent but the original decision cannot be changed




Motif

h1b


Name_eng: 
Death of a neighbor’s child
Description: 

Person does something that makes death inevitable because the death of a child or a woman beloved by another person is indifferent or desirable for him or her




Motif

h18b


Name_eng: 
Cattle returns into water
Description: 

After getting domestic animals from supernaturals a person immediately loses the animals or most of them (usually because of a broken taboo like to look, to speak in a loud voice, etc.; the animals disappear in water, remain in the sky, scatter in various directions, etc.)




Motif

i46


Name_eng: 
Rainbow belt
Description: 

Rainbow is the ornamented part of the clothes, its decoration, a belt




Motif

i51a


Name_eng: 
Bull the earth-holder
Description: 

Big mammal supports the earth




Motif

i72


Name_eng: 
Stars are people
Description: 

Stars are people, ghosts, anthropomorphic beings (interpretations of unique star objects like Venus or Polaris as persons not considered)




Motif

i119


Name_eng: 
The dead shake the earth
Description: 

The earthquakes are produced by the dead who are in the underworld or during the earthquakes the inhabitants of the lower world try to come out; try to understand are there still living beings on earth




Motif

j42


Name_eng: 
Waters split apart
Description: 

When person comes to the water body, waters are split apart so the person reaches the other bank walking on the dry ground




Motif

j54b


Name_eng: 
Enemy of his mother, friend of his brother
Description: 

Son of the antagonist and the hero have the same father or mother (or they are nephew and uncle). When the antagonist conspires against the hero his (her) son becomes friend and companion of the hero




Motif

k73


Name_eng: 
Children of the youngest wife
Description: 

A young woman promises to bear a wonderful children (wonderful son). In her husband's absence other people (co-wives, mother-in-law, etc.) try to kill the mother and/or the child, usually slandering the young woman




Motif

k78


Name_eng: 
Extracted from finger
Description: 

An ogre (an ogress) swallows people, is killed but the people are not found in his or her belly or are found dead. Only when the ogre's finger is cut off, the hero finds a remedy to revive the people or the swallowed up (the swallowed hero himself) come out alive from the finger of the ogre




Motif

l19b


Name_eng: 
Beings with odd number of heads
Description: 

Being (any besides birds) with more than ten heads or with odd (but more than one) number of heads are described in tales or represented in art. If beings with ever more number of heads are named, the row ends with a being that has odd (or more than ten) number of heads




Motif

l53


Name_eng: 
Stones into the maw
Description: 

A monstrous being is killed or neutralized by (burning hot) stones (pieces of metal, heavy fruits, etc.) thrown into its maw or anus or the being retreats when they menace to throw a stone into its maw




Motif

l85


Name_eng: 
One-sided people
Description: 

One-sided people have one leg and/or also one arm, one half of a head, etc. The second leg is not cut or burned off, preserved as a stump but is absent completely




Motif

l108


Name_eng: 
The wolf and the kids
Description: 

An (animal) person gives a signal (special song, etc.) to his relative or friend who lets him or her in. Antagonist imitates the person's voice or guise and the relative lets him in




Motif

l108b


Name_eng: 
The thin voice
Description: 

To make himself unrecognizable by the victim, a predator or ogre modifies his throat or tongue mechanically (oils or burns it, asks blacksmith to remake it, etc.)




Motif

l110


Name_eng: 
The devourer
Description: 

A demonic being swallows a multitude of people and animals. When it is killed and cut open, the swallowed ones come out alive or are revived




Motif

m29g


Name_eng: 
Trickster-hare or rabbit
Description: 

In episodes related to deception, absurd, obscene or anti-social behavior the protagonist is hare or rabbit




Motif

m29x


Name_eng: 
The hyena is a failure
Description: 

Because of its stupidity and unsocial behavior, the hyena suffers a reverse, is injured or dies




Motif

m118


Name_eng: 
Source of values is destroyed imprudently
Description: 

Person or animal gets access to values that are inside an animal, a tree, a rock or other enclosure. Later he himself or more often somebody else tries to do the same but destroys source of values, blocks access to it or makes it too dangerous




Motif

m129


Name_eng: 
Lost primogeniture
Description: 

Father or mother is going to give primogeniture to the son he or she has chosen. Another son comes in disguise of the chosen one, receives primogeniture




Motif

m131


Name_eng: 
Biting tree-root
Description: 

A stronger (animal)-person gets to seize a leg or tail of a weaker one. To get free the weaker one pretends that his pursuer got hold of a tree root, and the pursuer lets his enemy free




Motif

m140


Name_eng: 
The theft of fish
Description: 

Trickster pretends to be dead, sick or weak and is picked up by those who carry something edible in a cart (sledge, boat, bag, etc.). The trickster secretly eats the food, often after throwing it out of the cart (sledge, etc.)




Motif

m179a


Name_eng: 
The owner driven out of his house
Description: 

Using a trick the intruder occupies other person’s house and refuses to let the owner in




Motif

l7a


Name_eng: 
Sticking demon: first to person and then to animal
Description: 

A demon who sticks to other creatures and refuses to get down sticks first to a person and then to an animal or first to an animal and then to a bird




Motif

b77


Name_eng: 
Primeval sky close to earth
Description: 

Originally the sky was close to the earth, then it has risen up




Motif

h18


Name_eng: 
Hoarded game released
Description: 

Game animals were concentrated in one single place. Certain person lets them disperse in the world




Motif

j15


Name_eng: 
Woman gets to dangerous creatures
Description: 

Walking in search of her husband, boyfriend, kinsmen, shelter woman or girl gets to the house of dangerous creatures where she is injured or killed




Motif

k33b


Name_eng: 
Friends abandon a pretty girl
Description: 

A girl goes with her friends to a river, into a forest, etc. Other girls return home but the heroine has to remain or to go back to the forest, etc. She has a narrow escape from a dangerous creature. marries a supernatural being or a chief, or dies but is avenged




Motif

k60a


Name_eng: 
How strong are these bonds?
Description: 

Person lets be firmly tied up when another one say that it's only a joke (e.g. a test to see can the first one break bonds)




Motif

k102


Name_eng: 
Woman associated with the hero conspires in favor of his enemy
Description: 

A woman who initially is friendly to the hero (his mother, sister, more rare his wife, sexual partner) begins to cooperate with his enemy. For this she provokes the hero to do something that is mortally dangerous for him




Motif

l17b


Name_eng: 
Two faces
Description: 

Person or creature has another face (another mouth) on the back of his (her, its) head




Motif

l113


Name_eng: 
The ogre bridegroom
Description: 

A girl (rejects suitors for a long time but at last) falls in love with a handsome man who proves to be a demon or animal. Usually she eventually escapes from him




Motif

m104


Name_eng: 
Make believe killing of kinsfolk
Description: 

Person conceals his or her close relatives (children, mother, brothers) and tells another that he or she has killed them. Another believes and agrees to kill his or her own children, mother, etc.




Motif

m105


Name_eng: 
Make believe killing of mother
Description: 

Person conceals his mother or (rare) wife or mother-in-law, tells another that he has killed or sold her, another really kills or sells his mother (wife, mother-in-law)




Motif

m127


Name_eng: 
Lost tail of the fox
Description: 

After losing his tail (ear) an (animal) person tries to trick other animals of his species or other people of his group to lose their tails (ears) too




Motif

m157


Name_eng: 
The impossible giving birth
Description: 

Person claims that a man or a male animal had given birth (or is menstruating) or that a female gave birth to a young of another species or that a woman gave birth to an animal




Motif

j26


Name_eng: 
Babies come out of the water
Description: 

Baby heroes, embryos or objects from which they emerge are found in a river or lake or come to people out of the water




Motif

m29g1


Name_eng: 
Hare or rabbit as the main trickster
Description: 

In most of the episodes related to deception, absurd, obscene or anti-social behavior the protagonist is hare or rabbit. Not considered are traditions in which 1) trickster hare/rabbit is rare while other trickster (usually fox/jackal/coyote) typical; 2) Mesoamerican traditions in which episodes with trickster rabbit are not many and could be borrowed in post-Columbian time being of African origin




Motif

m171


Name_eng: 
The profitable exchange: from a pea to a horse
Description: 

Person or animal stays for a night and the next morning declares that his possessions (which value is none or negligible) are lost. Or other persons whom the trickster meets really use or spoil objects that the trickster gives them. Every time he receives in compensation objects or animals with ever bigger value, the last acquisition usually being a costly animal or a girl. (All texts with motifs M171A and M171C contain also the motif M171)




Motif

i41


Name_eng: 
Rainbow serpent
Description: 

Rainbow is a reptile (usually a snake) or (more rare) a fish, or it is related to snake, to its tongue, breath, or to scorpion's tail




Motif

l42h


Name_eng: 
Ogres who come to a feast devour the host
Description: 

An ogre brings the hero to his house to feast on him together with other ogres. When the guests get to know that the hero has escaped, they devour the host




Motif

m29w3


Name_eng: 
The lion is a failure
Description: 

Because of its stupidity and unsocial behavior, the lion suffers a reverse, is injured or dies




Motif

m120


Name_eng: 
Cannibal baby-sitter
Description: 

Animal person promises to take care of another animal's children but do not fulfill obligations and usually eats the young ones




Motif

b41


Name_eng: 
The talking dog
Description: 

Because the dog was spreading some information, altercated with its masters, was talking in a wrong time, etc. it lost the ability to speak




Motif

h16a


Name_eng: 
Rivers of blood
Description: 

Rivers (lakes) of blood (also of puss, bones, sweat or water used for washing of corpses) are mentioned in narratives (in different context)




Motif

h16b


Name_eng: 
The basin of milk
Description: 

A river (wave, lake, basin) of milk that exists on earth (and not among the stars) is mentioned in narratives (in different context)




Motif

l19a


Name_eng: 
Beings with even number of heads
Description: 

Beings (any besides birds) with even but not more than ten number of heads are described in tales or represented in art. Beings that with even number of heads named in a row with other multi-headed beings and the highest number is even or bigger than ten are not considered




Motif

l19b2


Name_eng: 
The nine-headed monster
Description: 

A monster with nine heads is mentioned either alone or at the end of the row of creatures with ever bigger number of heads




Motif

a14a


Name_eng: 
The conflict between the Sun and the Moon
Description: 

The Sun and the Moon are or were enemies, either permanently or in particular situations




Motif

h34d


Name_eng: 
Piece of sky bitten off
Description: 

Animal person climbs (or attempts to climb) to the sky or to the Moon to bite off a piece of it




Motif

m134


Name_eng: 
A tower of wolves
Description: 

Animals, demons or people stand one on another making a tower. The lowest one jumps off (bends, jerks), all the rest fall to the ground




Motif

b86a


Name_eng: 
To get to the sky climbing oт each other’s back
Description: 

To reach the sky, animals (rare: people) climb on each other’s back. When the lower one twitch or jumps off, all of the others fall




Motif

j4a


Name_eng: 
Revenge for the death of the mother
Description: 

A woman is murdered. Her son or children (rare: grandchildren, nephews) revenge for her death




Motif

j6


Name_eng: 
Children of murdered woman grow up with her murderers
Description: 

Pregnant woman is killed (and eaten up). Twins are cut off from her womb. They should be eaten too but survive, live (unrecognized) in the house of the antagonists and revenge on them




Motif

j1


Name_eng: 
The vengeful heroes
Description: 

Persons avenge the death of their father, mother or other relatives who are one (rare two) generations older than they





Similar traditions based on Cosmology and Etiology motifs:
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition: Bashkirs
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Portuguese
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Lepcha
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Old and New Testament
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Rwanda (incl Hutu, Tutsi, Kiga), Rundi, (Ma)Shi, Banyabungu; Rega
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Central Tibetans (Yu Tsang, incl. Sikkim Tibetans, Tichurong of NW Nepal)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Northeastern Yakuts (Sakha): Yana, Indigirka and Kolyma Basins
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Kiowa
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Ute
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Pomo

Similar traditions based on Adventures and Tricks motifs:
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Hausa
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Kikuyu, Chuka, Embu, Emberre, Mwimbe
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Kuki, Chiru, Falam (Hallam), Chin (Meitei =Manipuri, Khami, =Kumi), Lakher, Mizo (Lushei), Anal, Pawi (Lai), Purum, Koireng, Milhiem, Kolhen, Mru
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Tiv, Bamum (Bamun), Mungaka (Mgaka, Bali), Beba, Anaguta, Bete (Mbete, Karang), Ekoi, Nyang, Vute (Wute), Jukun, Chamba, Bamileke, Kwotto, Kirri; Denya (Nyang)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Kalmyk
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Khoekhoe (=Hottentot; incl Nama, Korana); Damara
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Kalenjin; including Sabaot, Nandi (Nande), Arusha, Kipsigis, Pokot (Suk), Keiyo (Elgeiyo), Marakwet, Sebeei
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Ganda, (Ba)Nyoro, Nyankole, Masaba (Gisu), Luia (=Luyia, Haya, Luhya, Bantu Kawirondo; incl. Vugusu, Maragoli)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Malagasy
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Dargin (Dargwa), incl. Müregin, Khürkilin, Kubachi