Melanesians and Papuans of Bismark Archipelago: New Britain (Tolai, Lakalai, Kuni, Sulka, Baining, Gazelle peninsula), New Ireland (Patpatar =Pala), St Matthias Group, Mioko (Melanesians between New Britain and New Ireland)



Tradition title rus: 
Меланезийцы и папуа архипелага Бисмарка: п-ов Газель (СВ Новой Британии; на побережье – толай (Tolai) и сулка (Sulka), во внутренних районах - байнинг), о-ва Батом (рядом с Новой Британией), лакалай (сев побережье Нов Британии, видимо, папуа), Новая Ирландия (патпатар - близки толай), о-ва Сент-Маттайас (к СЗ от Новой Ирландии), остров Миоко (меланезийцы между Новой Британией и Новой Ирландией)
Areal ID: 
7.1.5.4
Tradition analysis result motif count all: 
69.00
Tradition analysis result motif count cosmo: 
59.00
Motifs: 

Motif

a3


Name_eng: 
Male sun and female moon
Description: 

The Moon is female or bisexual, the Sun is male




Motif

a5


Name_eng: 
The Sun and the Moon are males
Description: 

The Moon is male, the Sun is also male or (much more rare) asexual




Motif

a14


Name_eng: 
Eclipses: relations between the Sun and the Moon
Description: 

Coming together of the Sun and the Moon is the reason of their eclipses




Motif

a17


Name_eng: 
The Sun’s relax at the midday
Description: 

After passing half of the its way across the sky (in the day time) or in the underworld (in the night time), the Sun stops to have a rest




Motif

a32d


Name_eng: 
Man in the Moon
Description: 

Human being or imprint of human being is seen in the moon




Motif

a38


Name_eng: 
The Sun caught in snare
Description: 

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.




Motif

b3a


Name_eng: 
Primeval waters
Description: 

Water is the original element, the dry earth appears later




Motif

b3b


Name_eng: 
Earth grows big
Description: 

Original earth was small and later increased in size or the fertile soil grew from a small amount of original substance




Motif

b3e


Name_eng: 
Earth falls on waters
Description: 

In the beginning there are only air and water. 1) Person descends from the sky, creates the dry land or a hard support created for her or him grows into the earth. 2) The earth is sent or dropped from the sky, put on the surface of the water. 3) The earth is brought from somewhere (not from the underworld) and put on the water




Motif

b4


Name_eng: 
The fished out earth
Description: 

Islands or continent are fished out of the ocean or pulled to their present place by rope




Motif

b9


Name_eng: 
Water in the tree trunk
Description: 

There is enormous amount of water inside a trunk of a tree or a tree turns into water




Motif

b10


Name_eng: 
Drunk out water
Description: 

Person drinks a lake or all the water in the world or all the water is originally inside person's belly. When a hole is made in it, the water pours out




Motif

b17


Name_eng: 
Night in container
Description: 

Darkness is a particular object that can be carried (usually brought from its original owner in a container)




Motif

b29


Name_eng: 
Eschatological feast
Description: 

People turn into animals, birds or stones at a feast, after the feast, after performing a ritual or after a victory over dangerous enemy




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

b53


Name_eng: 
Creatures or objects from cut off genitals
Description: 

Supernaturally big genitals are cut off and turn into snakes or other creatures and objects




Motif

b86


Name_eng: 
Babylonian tower
Description: 

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




Motif

d4a


Name_eng: 
Theft of fire
Description: 

Fire is stolen from its original owner or brought back to the people from somebody who had stolen it before




Motif

d4e1


Name_eng: 
The dog and the fire
Description: 

Dog obtains fire, daylight or the Sun or steals them




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

e5b


Name_eng: 
First couple from the underworld
Description: 

First man (a group of brothers) or first human couple come out from the underworld (a cave) or from a small enclosure on its surface (tussock, reed, tree, rock, gourd)




Motif

e5c


Name_eng: 
People from the sky
Description: 

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




Motif

e8a


Name_eng: 
People from the fruits
Description: 

Women or people in general come out of the fruits (orten the coconuts) or (more rare) leaves of the cocos palm spontaneously turn into women




Motif

e9


Name_eng: 
The mysterious housekeeper
Description: 

Person observes traces of some activity that takes place in his (rare: her) house in his (her) absence and then takes by surprise the responsible one




Motif

e32


Name_eng: 
People born from trees
Description: 

First people are born by trees or come out of a tree, flower, reed




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

f7


Name_eng: 
The water-maiden
Description: 

Man takes or attempts to take a wife who is connected with the underwater world (fish, crab, snake, water animal and the like)




Motif

f39


Name_eng: 
The time of women
Description: 

The women dominated over the men in the past or in a far away land, were the active part in marriage relations, practiced activities which now are reserved of the men only. Or the women could obtained supremacy but failed to do it for some reason




Motif

f40b


Name_eng: 
A man in a village of women
Description: 

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




Motif

f43c


Name_eng: 
Bat-husbands
Description: 

Marriage partners of the primeval women, the amazons or a solitary woman are small animals (usually flying foxes)




Motif

f45


Name_eng: 
The Amazons
Description: 

There are (or were) women who live apart from men in their own village or villages




Motif

g18


Name_eng: 
Person wants to be sacrificed
Description: 

A person asks people to abandon him or her in the forest, to burn or drag him or her around the future garden plot, to burn her in her house, etc. People fulfill the person's wish and find cultivated plants growing on the place




Motif

h4


Name_eng: 
The shed skin
Description: 

Those who change their skin become young again




Motif

h4a


Name_eng: 
Process of rejuvenation is broken
Description: 

People do not become young (usually do not shed their skin) anymore because certain person was bothered during rejuvenation or was not recognized by his family in his new guise




Motif

h5


Name_eng: 
People and snakes
Description: 

Reptiles or invertebrates possess the medicine of immortality; are contrasted with men as immortal with mortals and/or are responsible for originating of death; or a snake's bite inflicts the first death




Motif

h9


Name_eng: 
Strong and weak
Description: 

People are mortal because they have been likened to something subject to decay and easy destruction (e.g. to the soft wood and not to the stone)




Motif

h11


Name_eng: 
The call of God
Description: 

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




Motif

h12


Name_eng: 
The alive person comes to the land of the dead after somebody’s death
Description: 

The alive person comes to the land of the dead to bring back somebody who has recently died (besides stories about shamans who journey to the other world to bring back the soul of a sick person) or, having no particular aim, goes there in company of somebody who had recently died or following his or her tracks




Motif

h30


Name_eng: 
A wrong choice
Description: 

Seeing two women who have come together or in succession, man has to choose one of them. Usually he takes the one who is less pretty and smart or more dangerous inflicting troubles on himself and humanity




Motif

h36


Name_eng: 
The muddled message
Description: 

Person is sent by god to bring instructions or certain objects but distorts, forgets or replaces them. This has fatal consequences for humans or for a certain species of animals. (Lithuanian case can be a mistification)




Motif

h36a


Name_eng: 
Origin of death from the falsified message
Description: 

Person distorts instructions that he must pass to others, intentionally lies, forgets or replaces certain objects that must be given to others. Because of this human beings become mortal (do not revive after death)




Motif

i14


Name_eng: 
No-anus people
Description: 

Person or creature has no anus opening




Motif

i27


Name_eng: 
Chthonic canine
Description: 

A dog is the lord, guard or guide of/to the land of the dead; or dogs live on the way to the land of the dead




Motif

i31


Name_eng: 
Master and mistress of the dead
Description: 

In the Beyond, two mythological personages, one male and another female, meet the newcomers, or the same person meet the women in the female and the men in the male guise




Motif

i62


Name_eng: 
Milky Way is a river
Description: 

Milky Way is a sky river, water body, chain of beings that swim




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

j23


Name_eng: 
A late son kills monsters
Description: 

People (elder brothers, elder siblings, elder sister) disappear (one by one). A lonely woman has a baby or finds a baby or she becomes pregnant magically and gives birth to a boy or twins. The boy grows up, exterminates the antagonists, usually revives and releases those who had disappeared




Motif

j25a


Name_eng: 
Son of the grave
Description: 

Mother dies or is killed. Her (still unborn) baby-son is buried with her. He comes out of the grace, meets people, then returns to the grave but ultimately agrees to remain with the people




Motif

k1c


Name_eng: 
One who comes to look at adversary’s bones dies himself
Description: 

A man is marooned on an islet, a rock but survives thanks to helpful birds and animals. The next time the hero and the antagonist exchange roles. Usually the antagonist comes to the islet to see the bones of the abandoned man but the man takes the canoe of the antagonist and paddles away. The antagonist dies




Motif

k1e


Name_eng: 
Marooned on an islet
Description: 

Person is marooned on an islet or on another side of a sea or wide river




Motif

k8a


Name_eng: 
Jonah: swallowed by monster
Description: 

Person gets into the belly of water being or into the belly of giant creature which appearance and living place remain vague. He kills the monster from the inside and/or returns to earth by himself (i.e. not extracted by other people)




Motif

k8d


Name_eng: 
Jonah: swallowed by anthropomorphic being
Description: 

Person (often an animal-person) gets into the belly of anthropomorphic being. He kills it from the inside and/or returns to earth by himself (i.e. not extracted by other people)




Motif

k26


Name_eng: 
A hole in the firmament
Description: 

Finding a hole in the ground or making it, person gets to see below another world. Usually the earth is seen from the sky




Motif

l40


Name_eng: 
Reflection and shadow
Description: 

Person discovers (rare:still fails to discover) another getting to see his or her shadow or reflection in water




Motif

l64


Name_eng: 
Removable head
Description: 

Person removes part of his or her body (head, scalp, lungs) and then puts it back




Motif

h7g1


Name_eng: 
Death is more fair and rich than God
Description: 

Person (who is usually in search of the godgather for the newborn child) rejects God (saints) and devil but accepts Death who is more fair (or rich)




Motif

m29w


Name_eng: 
Jaguar (ocelote, puma) is a failure
Description: 

Because of its stupidity and unsocial behavior, the jaguar (ocelote, puma) suffers a reverse, is injured or dies




Motif

e27


Name_eng: 
People from drops of blood
Description: 

People emerge from drops of blood that fall from the sky




Motif

b7b


Name_eng: 
Waters from broken pot
Description: 

Sea, river, waters of flood flow out of a small receptacle




Motif

h12c


Name_eng: 
Orpheus: to return the dead wife
Description: 

Husband follows his dead wife to the other world but is unable to bring her back or succeeds to do it but loses her once again




Motif

i45b


Name_eng: 
Not to point at the rainbow
Description: 

It to point at the rainbow, pointing finger or entire arm will rot, wither or become crooked




Motif

a1


Name_eng: 
The old sun
Description: 

Another sun, usually less benevolent and/or powerful, existed before the present one




Motif

b1f


Name_eng: 
Two brothers: a winner and a failure
Description: 

Two brothers (companions) live In the epoch of the creation. One of them is smart and selfconfident, another is weak and makes mistakes. They are not enemies and demonstrate their qualities in two or more episodes




Motif

a28


Name_eng: 
The smart Sun and the unwise Moon
Description: 

The Sun and the Moon are men. The unwise Moon tries to repeat dangerous tricks of the Sun but fails to do it successfully




Motif

a2a


Name_eng: 
The sun is a source of distructive heat
Description: 

The world was or will be (almost) burned when several suns had (will) appear(ed) simultaneously; or the only sun was too hot (or bright)




Motif

m11


Name_eng: 
The unclean food
Description: 

Person feeds others a food that is extracted from his, hers or somebody else’ body or is polluted by body extractions not informing about the source of the food




Motif

k25


Name_eng: 
Magic wife
Description: 

A man consciously marries a woman related to the non-human world




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

j23d


Name_eng: 
Young twins kill monsters
Description: 

People (elder brothers, elder siblings, elder sister) disappear (one by one). A lonely woman has baby twins (or more children) who grow up, exterminates the antagonists, usually revives and releases those who had disappeared





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Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
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Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
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Carrier
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Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
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Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
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