Simeulue, Nias



Tradition title rus: 
Сималур, Ниас
Areal ID: 
6.4.3.6
Tradition analysis result motif count all: 
73.00
Tradition analysis result motif count cosmo: 
45.00
Motifs: 

Motif

a46


Name_eng: 
The Sun and Moon emerge from the eyes of a being
Description: 

The Sun and Moon (Rig-Veda: the Sun only) appear from eyes of an anthropomorphic being




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

b42n


Name_eng: 
Orion is one person
Description: 

Constellation of Orion or the Belt of Orion is identified with only one male person, usually with a warrior or hunter




Motif

b77


Name_eng: 
Primeval sky close to earth
Description: 

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




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

d5


Name_eng: 
Woman as the owner of the fire
Description: 

Female person is the owner or inventor (but not the personification) of the fire




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

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

e35


Name_eng: 
Webbed fingers
Description: 

First people or people made by Creator's rival were imperfect, not completely anthropomorphic (often: had webbed fingers)




Motif

g6


Name_eng: 
Primeval tree
Description: 

One of the trees is the principal, original one (emerged before all the other; ancestor of wild or cultivated plants; ocean or rivers inside it; world axis; higher than all the others; overshadows sky)




Motif

g21


Name_eng: 
Coconut palm from a human head
Description: 

Coconut palm grows out of the human head




Motif

h4


Name_eng: 
The shed skin
Description: 

Those who change their skin become young again




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

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

h42


Name_eng: 
Creator goes away for a while
Description: 

After creating the bodies of the first people or after getting a conception how to do it the Creator goes away for a while. During his absence another person, because of his or her ignorance or intentionally, spoils the creation or makes himself or herself what the Creator would make in a better way. Usually because of this people are mortal and subject to diseases




Motif

h43


Name_eng: 
One creates the body, another the soul
Description: 

One supernatural creates the body of the first people, another revives them




Motif

i8g


Name_eng: 
Atlas
Description: 

One giant supports the earth or the sky




Motif

i40


Name_eng: 
Rainbow bow
Description: 

Rainbow is a bow




Motif

i43a


Name_eng: 
The celestial monster
Description: 

Giant reptilian monster (serpent, more rare fish, chain of fish) extends in the sky and/or supports the sky being associated with Milky Way or the rainbow




Motif

i43b


Name_eng: 
Milky Way is a serpent or fish
Description: 

Milky Way is a reptile, fish, or chain of fish




Motif

i44


Name_eng: 
Chthonic serpent
Description: 

Giant serpent lies on the perimeter of the earth or supports the earth




Motif

i81a


Name_eng: 
The chthonic crab
Description: 

A giant crab produces earthquakes or floods, stops or can stop flow of the waters into the chasm or on the contrary prevents waters from being dammed.




Motif

i100a


Name_eng: 
The Pleiades are mother with children
Description: 

The Pleiades are a woman with her children




Motif

i100b


Name_eng: 
The Pleiades are a group of people
Description: 

The Pleiades are any people (of any ages and sex, combined data of i99-i100a)




Motif

i102


Name_eng: 
Milky Way is a tree
Description: 

Milky Way is a tree or a trace of a tree




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

k12


Name_eng: 
Woman is lost and returned
Description: 

By trick or by force, a rival or adversary kidnaps hero's wife or bride. The man gets her back




Motif

k25


Name_eng: 
Magic wife
Description: 

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




Motif

k75


Name_eng: 
The youngest daughter is willing (The loathsome bridegroom)
Description: 

A girl (usually the youngest of several sisters) does not reject but marries a poor, sick, dirty, old, too young, non-human, etc. man who later demonstrates his supernatural qualities




Motif

k76


Name_eng: 
A strange son
Description: 

A boy born into a family or found by his adoptive parents has a strange guise (ball of meat, nut, bag, half of a man, an animal). He possesses magic power, becomes a handsome man and usually marries a girl of high social status. The magic spouse of a princess originally has a non-human or monstrous appearance




Motif

l13


Name_eng: 
The reared up monster
Description: 

A small creature is reared up by people. When it is grown up, it becomes harmful and dangerous




Motif

l14


Name_eng: 
Reared up serpent
Description: 

A small creature (often a worm or a reptile) is brought home and reared up or it becomes to live by itself in an artificial body of water. When big, it goes out of human control or becomes something huge and/or dangerous. Cf. motif L13A (The reared up monster attacks people)




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

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

l85a


Name_eng: 
One-sided child
Description: 

Person is born as half of a child or loses his or her half in an accident. The person does not belong to any category of supernatural beings and usually turns into normal girl or young man




Motif

l111


Name_eng: 
Hook from the sky
Description: 

The sky dwellers fish human beings who live on earth with a line and a hook




Motif

l112


Name_eng: 
Complete body obtained
Description: 

A boy is born having only half of a body or only a head. Ultimately he obtains normal body




Motif

m5a


Name_eng: 
Passengers of the sinking canoe
Description: 

Small animals ride a canoe, it sinks, all try to save their lives in their own way




Motif

m29v


Name_eng: 
The duiker (mouse-deer) wins thanks to his smartness
Description: 

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




Motif

m45a


Name_eng: 
Old man and animals
Description: 

A man falls asleep or pretends to be sleeping or dead. Animals take him for dead: mourn, carry to bury, are going to eat up, etc. The man kills a lot of animals or obtain valuables otherwise




Motif

m83


Name_eng: 
Who is older?
Description: 

Somebody claims that he has been born before present world came into being. His opponent claims the same, and they argue who of them is the older




Motif

m91c2


Name_eng: 
Put into the bag
Description: 

Person is put into a bag (a cage, tied up, etc.) to be drowned, burned, etc. He pretends to be in this situation by his own will or because he refuses to marry a princess, to become a chief and the like. Another person is willing to take his place and is killed




Motif

m182


Name_eng: 
The tarbaby
Description: 

The (animal) person threatens another to beat him and sticks to him with all his limbs in succession. Usually it is a figure smeared with some sticky substance that the person takes for somebody alive




Motif

m183


Name_eng: 
A race: one against many
Description: 

Many animals of one species that all look identical together fulfill the task that would be impossible for any of them if he were alone; the competitors believe that the task was fulfilled by only one animal. Usually a slow and a fast animals agree to race. The slow one puts other animals of his species at the finish or along the distance, each one answering the fast one that he is ahead of him. The fast one accepts his loss




Motif

a12


Name_eng: 
Eclipses: monster’s attack
Description: 

Some creature or creatures regularly (sunrise and sunset, summer and winter, lunar phases) or irregularly (solar and lunar eclipses, eschatological events) attack the luminaries or shade their light




Motif

h34d1


Name_eng: 
Edible sky
Description: 

Sky or sky objects were edible but later this source of food became inaccessible or used only by the inhabitants of the distant land where the sky and the earth meet




Motif

b33


Name_eng: 
Mother of wind
Description: 

Female person is incarnation of wind, mother of winds, etc.




Motif

e11


Name_eng: 
The burned skin
Description: 

Magic person reveals his true nature and/or remains with the real people after the object responsible for preserving the non-human appearance (usually an animal skin) is destroyed (usually burned)




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

k144


Name_eng: 
The predestined death because of an animal
Description: 

A certain animal or (rare) man is predicted to become a cause of death of a certain person. When this animal (man) is already dead himself or itself or is faraway, its (his) remains or image becomes the cause of the person’s death




Motif

m91b


Name_eng: 
The sold ashes
Description: 

Using trick, a man sells or exchanges for treasure ashes. Another person tries to sell ashes and is ridiculed




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

m156


Name_eng: 
The ungrateful one returned to captivity
Description: 

An (animal) person saves a dangerous animal from a snare or the like. The saved one is going to kill his savior but the third person saves the second (usually tricks the first one to captivity again)




Motif

m187


Name_eng: 
Snail is a participant of the race
Description: 

A snail (other mollusk, trepang, etc.) participates in the race and wins




Motif

m157a1


Name_eng: 
Father is giving birth
Description: 

Person proves the absurdity of the claims of another person saying that his or her father (or other man or a male animal) had given or is giving birth or is menstruating




Motif

k47a


Name_eng: 
A woman and a dog
Description: 

After having sexual contact with a dog, a woman gives birth to his children. The puppies turn into humans and usually become ancestors of particular groups of people




Motif

n10


Name_eng: 
The transparent body
Description: 

A woman (rare: a man) with transparent body is described. This transparence is an evidence of the beauty




Motif

n10b


Name_eng: 
The transparent neck
Description: 

A girl (rare: a youth) with transparent neck is described, food or drinks swallowed by her or him are seen. Such a neck is an evidence of the beauty




Motif

l15i


Name_eng: 
Life in hairs
Description: 

A man dies or loses his strength (or pretends that it is so) if (some) hair on his head is cut off




Motif

m39e1


Name_eng: 
The eaten up iron and the kidnapped child
Description: 

A man steals money or property. The owner gets his property back after he or his helper puts the theft in such a position when the best choice for him becomes to return what he has stolen (usually the first man kidnaps a child of the second one)




Motif

m39e1a


Name_eng: 
The iron-eating mice
Description: 

Person claims that iron or gold disappeared being eaten by mice




Motif

k14e


Name_eng: 
The pretended inheritance
Description: 

Sons of a man neglect their father (daughters-in-law neglect their father-in-law). He pretends to be hiding something (counts money conspicuously, etc.). The sons believe that their father has considerable inheritance and become to look after him carefully. When the father finally dies they find nothing valuable in his chest




Motif

m29o1


Name_eng: 
The monkey is a failure
Description: 

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




Motif

i41c


Name_eng: 
Sky object is a reflection of a snake
Description: 

The rainbow of the Milky Way is a reflection of a snake (fish) that is on the earth or in the sea




Motif

k176


Name_eng: 
A man in search of the woman
Description: 

A (young) man sets off to find or to return his bride or his wife




Motif

l19b1


Name_eng: 
The seven-headed monster
Description: 

Описывается или изображается чудовище (обычно змей) о семи головах. При перечисления существ по мере возрастания у них числа голов ряд заканчивается на семи




Motif

m156a


Name_eng: 
Objects that give the answers
Description: 

Dangerous animal seeks to kill a person or other animal who rescued it from captivity. The dangerous animal and its victim agree to ask somebody else if a good deed should be repayed with a bad one. Inanimate objects are among those who answer to this question




Motif

m5d


Name_eng: 
The squirrel the creeping fish
Description: 

The squirrel and the creeping fish are smart and get medicines for each other




Motif

a46a


Name_eng: 
The Sun and Moon are eyes of a deity
Description: 

The Sun and Moon (Rig-Veda: the Sun only) are associated with eyes of an anthropomorphic being (the motif of their emergence, creation from his eyes is not obligatory)





Similar traditions based on Cosmology and Etiology motifs:
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition: Malay; Temuan (incl Mantra or Mentra), Jakun (Moken)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Bali, Lombok
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:
Gilbert Islands (Kiribati), Nauru, Banaba (Ocean island)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Trans-New Guinea and unclassified Papuan groups of Irian Jaya: Mejprat, Arandai-Bintuni, Inanwatan-Berau, Papua of Gelvink (Cenderawasih) Bay, Kamoró, Marind Anim, Sawi, Mafore; Korowai; Kwerba; Momina, Eipo, Yale, Awyu, Muyu
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Bondo, Didayi (Gata')
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Southern Cook Islands: Mangaia, Rarotonga, Atiu, Iatutakim Pukapuka, Tubuai (=Austral Islands, incl Rapa)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Kalmyk
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Meo (Hmong) of Thailand, Laos and Northern Vietnam
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Semang, Senoi

Similar traditions based on Adventures and Tricks motifs:
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 5 Tradition:
Indian literary tradition (Vedic, Brahman, Purana, Indian Buddhism, Hinduism, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Panchtantra, Jatakas); iconography of Hindu temples
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 5 Tradition:
Ot Danum, Ngaju, Maanyan (Ma'anyan)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Persians
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Punjabi, Seraiki (Multani)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Anatolia Turks
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Telugu (incl. Yanadi, Chenchu)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Central Yakuts (Sakha)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Numfoor, Warope, Wamesa (Wandamen, Windesi)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Turkmen
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Northern Halmahera Papuans: Galela, Loda, Pagu, Modole, Tabaru (Tobaru), Tobelo, Tidore, Ternate