Linked Motifs

Motif	Name	Description
a14	Eclipses: relations between the Sun and the Moon	Coming together of the Sun and the Moon is the reason of their eclipses
a3	Male sun and female moon	The Moon is female or bisexual, the Sun is male
a38	The Sun caught in snare	Person prepares a snare, loop, noose, etc. to catch the Sun and/or the Sun is caught in a snare, tied by a rope, etc.
b18	Light in container	Day light (also warmth, the sun, the moon) is kept as a particular object in a container, under a cover, etc.
b5b	The universal mother	Woman (alone or with her companion) gives birth to or creates not only people but also different creatures and objects
b86	Babylonian tower	To reach the sky (the Sun, Moon, particular star), people build a ladder or tower that consists of separate modules (bricks, logs, sticks, etc.). This construction collapses
c19	Acquisition of the sun	The Sun (the day light) that was absent, stolen or hidden appears (again)
d13hh	Not to laugh visiting the dead	Person who visits the other world should not laugh or demonstrate his surprise seeing strange and funny things
d4a	Theft of fire	Fire is stolen from its original owner or brought back to the people from somebody who had stolen it before
d4e1	The dog and the fire	Dog obtains fire, daylight or the Sun or steals them
e5c	People from the sky	The first people or first anthropomorphic divine beings descend to earth from the sky.
f2	Pregnant limb	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
f40b	A man in a village of women	A man gets into the village of women. Usually he has to satisfy every woman against his will or every woman claims him for herself
f45	The Amazons	There are (or were) women who live apart from men in their own village or villages
f8	Women and men come together	Initially women and men live apart from each other. Later they meet each other and become to live together
f9g	Brunhilde	A strong woman overcomes and kills suitors. Hero or his helper tames her (usually whips in the wedding night). The hero marries her
h11	The call of God	People become mortal because they do not hear or answer a call of a being who promises them immortality (or do not pronounce his name) or answer a call (pronouns the name) of a being who brings death
h18	Hoarded game released	Game animals were concentrated in one single place. Certain person lets them disperse in the world
h1a	The originator of death the first sufferer	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
h24	Container opened too early	Container with valuables or with dangerous creatures is opened (before time). Its content goes out of control or disappear
h7	The personified Death	Death (also Old Age, Disease, etc.) is a particular person not identical with the Master of the Dead. He kills people usually carrying away their souls
i117	Spider ferries from one world to another	Spider person raises the hero to the sky, helps him or her to return back to earth or otherwise helps to overcome the borderlines between worlds
i41	Rainbow serpent	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
i5	Thunder is an animal	Thunder looks like a quadruped mammal (pig, buffalo, camel, anteater, tapir, dog, cat, leopard, monkey, etc.)
i72	Stars are people	Stars are people, ghosts, anthropomorphic beings (interpretations of unique star objects like Venus or Polaris as persons not considered)
j1	The vengeful heroes	Persons avenge the death of their father, mother or other relatives who are one (rare two) generations older than they
j4	Revenge for the death of the male relatives	Heroes avenge the murder or captivity of the male relatives: (grand)father, uncles, or the elder relatives in general, the loss of the males being the most traumatic
j56	Father tests his sons	Twin heroes (or one boy) come to their divine father. He puts them under trials to get know if they are really his children and possess supernatural power
k25	Magic wife	A man consciously marries a woman related to the non-human world
k28	Father or uncle is rival and enemy	Maternal uncle or father (or grandfather if he replaces father who is not mentioned) of the young man is his rival or enemy and tries to kill him
k61b	To get know names	To get know names of strangers, person finds or creates situations when the strangers call each other by name
l106	Lost object claimed back	An antagonist makes a demand to the hero which is correct in form but really is unjustified. The hero fulfills the claims or is punished. Now antagonist takes an object or animal possessed by the hero, is unable to give it back and is punished
l106a	Stomach cut open	An antagonist makes a demand to the hero which is correct in form but really is unjustified. The hero fulfills the claims or is punished. Now antagonist takes an object or animal possessed by the hero, is unable to give it back and is punished
l110	The devourer	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
l117	Unwanted companion	When a man goes to marry, an evil spirit joins him, helps him in the village of his bride, etc. but then claims at least half of the bride for himself. (In Gola story a man gets a wife for a spirit and claims a half of her)
l121	Demonic woman marries hunter to kill him	A wild animal, ogress or ogre turns into woman and marries a hunter with a special aim to kill him. Usually she goes with the hunter to the forest and acquires there her real guise
l15a	Vulnerable place on the body	The only vulnerable spot is near the surface of person’s or creature’s body and not in his inner organs
l15a1	Achilles' heel	Vulnerable place on the body of a person or creature is on his or her foot (toe, heel, sole, ankle)
l19b	Beings with odd number of heads	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
l65b	Dogs save their master	A demonic woman or (rare) her paramour or a monster is going to kill a man usually after driving him up a tree. At the last moment the man's dogs or other animals or birds who are the man's pets come and kill the demon
l65b3	The escape on the tree	Persons climbs a tree and thanks to this escapes from a demon (who usually tries to fell the tree)
m112	Animals dig a well	An animal person refuses to dig or clean a source of drinking water together with other animals or birds but takes advantage of the results of the work
m119	Demonstrated many times	Trickster suggests to be a nurse or a shepherd, kills and eats children or animals, demonstrates to the parent (the owner) one and the same child or animal as many times as was their number in the beginning
m171	The profitable exchange: from a pea to a horse	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)
m181	Two companions go to a feast	Two animal persons are invited to a feast. Both along the way and at the place of destination one deceives another
m29k	The turtle (tortoise, toad, frog) wins thanks to his smartness	Being smart and persistent, the turtle (toad, frog) overcomes strong adversaries
m29v	The duiker (mouse-deer) wins thanks to his smartness	Being smart and witty, a small ungulate overcomes strong adversaries. The hero is a duiker, a mouse-deer or other small even-toed ungulates that are not very close biologically but look similar. In some publications on African folklore it is difficult to say what species is meant in particular case

Similar traditions based on Cosmology and Etiology motifs:
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 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): 4 Tradition: Dusun, Murut, Kelabit, Tombonuwo, Bajau, Tidong, Rungus
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition: Kete, Luba-Kasai, Bena (Bene) Lulua; (Bena-)Kanioka
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition: Yana
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition: Maidu, Nisenan, Konkov
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition: Bemba (Wemba, Babemba; incl Ambo, Lala, Lamba, Bisa), Holoholo, Kaonde
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition: Pomo
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition: Wintu, Patwin, Nomlaki
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition: Sakata
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition: Wailaki, Mattole, Lassik, Sinkyone, Cahto

Similar traditions based on Adventures and Tricks motifs:
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 6 Tradition: Congo (Koongo, Bacongo; incl Vili, Fioti, (Ma)Yombe, MuKunyi), Ndombo, Luango (Loango), Zombo (Sambo), Laadi (Laari), (Ba)Fioti, Woyo (Kiwoyo)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 6 Tradition: Shone (Shona, =Mashona, =Karanga), Makoni (Shoni dialect), Remba (=Hungwe, Wahungwe); Zezuru, Rozwi, Ndau (Vandau)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 6 Tradition: Hausa
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 5 Tradition: Gogo, Kaguru, Luguru, Zigula, Taveta, Shambala (Šambala), Bondei, Taeta, Dabida; Zaramo
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 5 Tradition: Akan, Ashanti, Akwapim; Ga (Accra), Kra, Twi (Chwi, Chi)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 5 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): 5 Tradition: Swahili, Midjikenda (incl Giryama), Nyika, Duruma; Ngindo, Kiluguru and other Islamic groups of the Eastern Coast of Africa
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 5 Tradition: Mandingo (Manden, incl San, Samo), Kagoro, Bambara (Bamana), Malinke, Kassonke, Diula
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 5 Tradition: Luchasi (Ngangela), Chokwe (Konwe); Mbukushu
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition: Rwanda (incl Hutu, Tutsi, Kiga), Rundi, (Ma)Shi, Banyabungu; Rega