Kashubians, Poles of Polish Pomorie



Tradition title rus: 
Кашубы, поляки польского Поморья
Areal ID: 
4.1.1.2
Tradition analysis result motif count all: 
102.00
Tradition analysis result motif count cosmo: 
33.00
Motifs: 

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

b42q


Name_eng: 
Ursa major is a carriage
Description: 

Ursa major is identified with a carriage, a cart




Motif

b87


Name_eng: 
Alcor
Description: 

Alcor (a weak star near the second star of the handle of the Big Dipper) is selected as a particular sky object




Motif

i58


Name_eng: 
Milky Way is the way of birds
Description: 

Milky Way is the path of migratory birds (especially wild geese)




Motif

i100


Name_eng: 
The Pleiades are girls
Description: 

The Pleiades are a group of girls or women (with children)




Motif

i103


Name_eng: 
The dog star
Description: 

Sirius is associated with a dog or a wolf




Motif

i110b


Name_eng: 
Orion is mowers
Description: 

(Belt of) Orion is (three) mowers or agricultural tools related to mowing and harvesting




Motif

k64


Name_eng: 
Escape from Polyphemos’ cave
Description: 

Person gets into dwelling of master of animals or monstrous shepherd. The host can kill him. The hero escapes sticking to hair of one of the animals who are going out




Motif

k119a


Name_eng: 
The ungrateful master
Description: 

An animal saves a man or helps him but the ungrateful man humiliates the animal, kills or tries to kill it




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

l93a


Name_eng: 
Helpful fox
Description: 

Cunning fox, jackal or coyote saves particular person or many people, helps them




Motif

m29b


Name_eng: 
Trickster-fox, jackal or coyote
Description: 

In episodes related to deception, absurd, obscene or anti-social behavior the protagonist is fox, jackal or coyote




Motif

l72


Name_eng: 
The obstacle flight
Description: 

Running away from a dangerous being, person throws small objects behind him or her which turn into mighty obstacles on the way of the pursuer




Motif

l72a


Name_eng: 
Comb becomes a thicket
Description: 

Running away from a dangerous being, person throws a comb (a brush) that turns into mighty obstacle (usually a thicket) on the way of the pursuer. (In South America the motif is probably of European origin)




Motif

m57a


Name_eng: 
Beads discharged from the body
Description: 

Instead of common body discharges a man or a woman urinates, spits, etc. beads, flowers, gold and other valuables; valuables are produced by the very presence of particular person




Motif

m114d


Name_eng: 
The boiled eggs: eaten last year
Description: 

Person eats a meal of eggs and leaves without paying. Some years later when he returns to pay his debt, the innkeeper claims the value of all chickens that would have hatched from the eggs in the meantime. On the day of the trial another person pretends to have cooked seeds for planting and the judge agrees that chicken could not be hatched from the boiled eggs




Motif

b33d


Name_eng: 
The old woman of winter
Description: 

Old woman is incarnation of winter, is associated with snow, or there are several cold days between winter and spring (or fall) associated with a certain old woman




Motif

i86a


Name_eng: 
Down turns into snow
Description: 

Snow is created from bird's down when certain bird in the sky shakes itself or certain person shakes his or her clothes made of bird down




Motif

i82f


Name_eng: 
Venus is the Wolf star
Description: 

(Evening) Venus is associated with a predator animal, usually with a she-wolf




Motif

i20


Name_eng: 
The undeground dwarfs
Description: 

Race of dwarfs lives under the ground (deep under the earth or in hills and rocks) or at the horizon where the earth and the sky meet




Motif

l94


Name_eng: 
Child promised to demon
Description: 

A demon helps a man or a woman or lets him or her free. As a reward, the person is forced to promise to give the demon his child




Motif

b87c


Name_eng: 
Alcor is a rider
Description: 

Alcor (a weak star near Mizar, the second star of the Big Dipper’s handle) is a rider, a driver




Motif

m157a5


Name_eng: 
The golden mortar
Description: 

A man finds a mortar (rare a bell, etc.) of gold (rare: of marble, etc.) and brings it to a powerful person. The latter is not thankful at all but orders the man to bring a pestle too (the bell’s clapper, etc.)




Motif

k27 (motif is not in the correlation table)


Name_eng: 
Competitions and difficult tasks
Description: 

Person is suggested to fulfill tasks that are mortally dangerous or cannot be fulfilled without supernatural helpers or capacities. The person fulfills the tasks and remains alive. A contest between persons has form of a competition or game in which the loser is deprived of his status or life




Motif

k27e


Name_eng: 
Eating or drinking contest
Description: 

Person or animal must eat (drink) enormous quantity of food (beverage) or eat or drink poisonous beverage or food




Motif

k27n


Name_eng: 
Difficult tasks of the in-laws
Description: 

A man must fulfill difficult tasks (to win competition) to receive the permission for a marriage




Motif

k27n1


Name_eng: 
Task-giver is a king or a chief
Description: 

Person who gives difficult tasks to the hero and/or person who demands the fulfillment of certain conditions from those who want to marry his daughter is a prominent figure in social hierarchy. He is a head of the socio-political unit of community or super-community level and is neither a member of the hero’s household nor a mythical being




Motif

k29a


Name_eng: 
Surviving in a fire
Description: 

Hero demonstrates his supernatural abilities remaining alive in a burning hot chamber, stove, bonfire, among burning vegetation




Motif

k66


Name_eng: 
Extraordinary companions
Description: 

Several companions have extraordinary abilities (one who runs fast, one who eats great quantities, one who produces or can withstand severe frost, etc.); a hero comes across and takes for companions several men, each of them being involved into a special and unusual activity




Motif

n8


Name_eng: 
Storyteller instead of a cannonball
Description: 

Closing formula of the folktale: characters put the storyteller into a cannon or rifle and made the shot or he jumped onto a cannonball that has been shot from a cannon and so arrived at the place of performance




Motif

m57c


Name_eng: 
Gold producing animal
Description: 

An animal (ass, cow, horse, goat, bear, leopard) extracts gold or food from its body or person makes others believe that it is so




Motif

m57d


Name_eng: 
Beat, cudgel!
Description: 

Person gets one by one magic objects that bring food or treasure. Other people replace them with common objects or take them away by force. The person takes his property back (usually beating the thieves with magic cudgel or whip)




Motif

m153


Name_eng: 
Letter on the hoof
Description: 

The wolf (lion, etc.) is going to eat a horse (mule, etc.). The horse asks him to look at his hoof (for different reasons) or eat him from his hindquarters forward; then he kicks him




Motif

n14


Name_eng: 
Storyteller on the wedding
Description: 

Closing formula of the folktale: the teller represents himself as being present at the wedding and/or feast, which were organized by characters of the tale




Motif

n17


Name_eng: 
The paper clothes
Description: 

Closing formula of the folktale: the teller met characters of the tale and had clothes made of paper, glass, butter, etc.




Motif

m135b


Name_eng: 
Wolf regrets for being so stupid
Description: 

Wolf (rare: jackal, fox) comes to different domestic animals (rare: only to one animal) to eat them but agrees to fulfill their demands. As a result he remains hungry and usually beaten and accuses himself that his ways were so stupid (“Am I a mollah to read?”)




Motif

f73b


Name_eng: 
The bear beliefs that vulva is a wound
Description: 

The bear (wolf, lion, dragon) beliefes that vulva is a wound.




Motif

m29b1


Name_eng: 
The wolf is a failure
Description: 

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




Motif

k66a


Name_eng: 
The land and water ship
Description: 

The man who is able to build (to get) a ship which can fly (travel on land) marries the princess (inherits property)




Motif

l103b


Name_eng: 
Animals carry hero away from a demon
Description: 

A girl or a boy gets to demonic person. Sitting on the back of domestic animal (usually a calf, a bull) the girl (boy) escapes from the demon who pursues her (him). Usually several different animals in succession try to carry the girl away but the demon overtakes them and only the last animal brings her home




Motif

n22


Name_eng: 
If they are not dead, they are still alive
Description: 

Closing formula of the folktale: the teller says that the characters are still alive if they are not already dead




Motif

i41b


Name_eng: 
Rainbow drinks water
Description: 

Rainbow drinks (soaks up) water




Motif

i110


Name_eng: 
Night sky agriculturalists
Description: 

Constellation are interpreted as agricultural tools or people occupied with agricultural works (mostly ploughing and haymaking)




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

l108d


Name_eng: 
Stones sewed up in the belly
Description: 

Person who swallowed his prey alive falls asleep and does not feel anything when his belly is cut and the prey is replaced with stones




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

k75c


Name_eng: 
Seven years without washing
Description: 

Devil is ready to make a man rich if he would not wash (and comb) himself for a long time. The man is willing, both fulfill their promise




Motif

a32


Name_eng: 
Figure on lunar disc
Description: 

A figure or an imprint of some being or object are seen in the Moon. (For statistical analysis motifs A32A – A32J are also included into A32)




Motif

a32d


Name_eng: 
Man in the Moon
Description: 

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




Motif

i37d1


Name_eng: 
Mushrooms from St. Peter’s spittle
Description: 

St. Peter eats bread (cake) secretly. When Chist talks to him he tries to hide what he ei eating and spits it out. Afterwards mushrooms grow from crumbs




Motif

k93b1


Name_eng: 
Conception from eaten fish
Description: 

After eating a fish, the sterile woman gives birth to a son or twins




Motif

k93b4


Name_eng: 
Woman, mare, and bitch birth give birth to human boys
Description: 

When a woman gives birth to a boy (twins), a mare (a bitch and/or other domestic animals) also gives birth to human boys. When the boys come of age. they leave for a journey




Motif

l129


Name_eng: 
Why so big teeth? (Little Red Riding Hood)
Description: 

Person or animal is asked why his or her body parts or tools are such as they are. He or she gives the answers (or one who is asking answers for him). Ultimately one of them kills or badly injures the other




Motif

l129a


Name_eng: 
A person asks, the wolf gives explanations
Description: 

Wolf or demon is asked why his body parts do look like they are. Every time the wolf gives the explanation




Motif

g6a


Name_eng: 
Tree of the year
Description: 

Year is described as a tree with the number of branches, twigs, leaves etc. corresponding to the number of seasons, months, days, etc.




Motif

i138


Name_eng: 
The glass mountain
Description: 

A glass mountain (tower, bridge) is mentioned as a an unusual (difficult to be reache) place




Motif

j32a


Name_eng: 
To guard father’s grave
Description: 

Before passing away a man asks his sons to guard his grave for a certain time or to bring something to his grave. The youngest son goes and obtains valuables




Motif

j32d


Name_eng: 
Princess in a tower (The glass mountain)
Description: 

The girl will marry a man who (riding on a horse or otherwise) would quickly reach a place that is almost inaccessible (the top of a tower, a mountain, the upper floor of a palace, the top of a staircase, bridge, the bottom of a deep cavity, etc.). Usually the girl herself is in the corresponding place




Motif

k38e3


Name_eng: 
The diamond kingdom
Description: 

In a series of three (rare: four) loci or objects that have high but different value the highest value is related to the precious stone (usually a diamond; crystal, glass)




Motif

k38e


Name_eng: 
Of copper, of silver, of gold
Description: 

Loci or objects of three (rare – four) different materials are mentioned in such a way that all of them have positive connotations though unequal value (copper, silver and gold; silver, gold and diamonds, etc.)




Motif

k100d


Name_eng: 
Helpful animal becomes a prince
Description: 

At the end of the tale helpful animal (horse, lion, etc.) turns himself or herself into a prince (princess)




Motif

k113


Name_eng: 
The animal bride
Description: 

Several young men (usually three brothers) decide to choose wives (usually shooting arrows or throwing objects on the off-chance). The wife of the youngest initially is ugly or non-human (a frog, a snake) but proves to be beautiful enchantress. She and her husband triumph. Or girls choose their husbands and the youngest one gets a youth who has guise of a snake




Motif

m199g1


Name_eng: 
Carrying a tree with an ogre
Description: 

An ogre (devil, a strong animal, etc.) and a man (a weaker animal) carry a tree. The man tricks the ogre who carries the heavy bottom-end while the man sits on a branch or walks pretending to carry his burden




Motif

m38c


Name_eng: 
Superb blacksmith
Description: 

A blacksmith is (seems to be) able make people young, cure maimed people and animals




Motif

m38c


Name_eng: 
Superb blacksmith
Description: 

A blacksmith is (seems to be) able make people young, cure maimed people and animals




Motif

k100


Name_eng: 
A faithful servant
Description: 

A man gets to know about dangers that threaten another man (and often about turning into stone of anybody who would warn about these dangers). He helps the man to escape the dangers though his behavior seems strange or hostile




Motif

k100b


Name_eng: 
A grateful dead
Description: 

A young man helps to bury a man (pays the debts of the dead man, honors a saint). When the young man sets off for a journey, the grateful dead (the saint) in guise of a stranger becomes his protector




Motif

k118a


Name_eng: 
A portrait of an unknown beauty
Description: 

After seeing a portrait of an unknown beauty, a man is eager to meet her




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

l37b


Name_eng: 
Secrets accidentally overheard
Description: 

Person accidentally overhears secrets of animals or demons and thus gets to know the causes of his and other people's misfortunes




Motif

m38c


Name_eng: 
Superb blacksmith
Description: 

A blacksmith is (seems to be) able make people young, cure maimed people and animals




Motif

m38c1


Name_eng: 
Old people forged into young ones: unhappy imitation
Description: 

Person changes (forges, boils, cuts into pieces and joins them back) old (sick, dead) people into the young (healthy, alive) ones or pretends to do so. Another one unsuccessfully tries to imitate him




Motif

k27x5


Name_eng: 
Helpful persons of different age
Description: 

Setting off for a search of a woman or magic objects, a man comes across several (usually three) supernatural (often demonic) persons who help him. All the persons are similar but usually every next one is older (younger) than another




Motif

k27x7


Name_eng: 
Master of animals calls them together to question them
Description: 

Person in search of the remote and inaccessible place comes to the master (mistress) of animals (birds, fish) or demons who summon all of them and asks about the way to this place. Only (the last) one knows the way




Motif

k29b


Name_eng: 
Posthole murder
Description: 

Hero is asked to climb into a hole or pit. When he does it, they fill it with soil or throw down a post, a stone, etc. The hero demonstrates his magic capacities coming back uninjured




Motif

k33h


Name_eng: 
The cat, the dog and the magic object
Description: 

A man obtains an object that fulfills his wishes. The object is stolen but brought back by the animals (which had been saved by the man before)




Motif

k61d


Name_eng: 
Hard work made her ugly
Description: 

Young woman’s bridegroom or husband gets to believe that she is extraordinarily industrious. To conceal the deception, she herself or somebody else makes the man believe that because of hard work women become ugly or change into animals. The man prohibits his wife to work anymore




Motif

k67b


Name_eng: 
Bargain not to become angry
Description: 

Person of a low social position (a man) makes an agreement with a person of high social position (an ogre) that the master must never become angry with the servant. The servant abuses the master until the latter erupts in anger and has to be severely punished or to pay a great fee




Motif

k83


Name_eng: 
The sons on a quest for a wonderful remedy for their father
Description: 

To cure a sick person or to make him (rare: her) young again it is necessary to bring a remedy from a distant country. The medicine is brought and the sick person is cured (becomes young)




Motif

k118


Name_eng: 
The prohibited room
Description: 

Master of the house allows person to feel himself (herself) free bit not to look into particular place. The person breaks prohibition




Motif

k73b1


Name_eng: 
Mother and child in a barrel
Description: 

A woman with her new-born child (or a woman pregnant with a boy) or a young girl and a young boy is put into a barrel (box, skin bag, boat) and thrown into the sea (river)




Motif

k101b1


Name_eng: 
Black girl becomes white
Description: 

The enchanted person (a palace where he or she is) changes his (her, its) appearance gradually as far as the spells dissolve: becomes more human, turns white from black, beautiful from ugly, etc.




Motif

m38


Name_eng: 
Stupid imitation (all versions)
Description: 

Person sees how others act using magic or according to their animal nature. He or she imitates their actions and gets into trouble. Actions are not heroic deeds, competitions or tests and refer to everyday activity, mostly to providing and cooking food




Motif

i20c1


Name_eng: 
Dwarfes live in hills and rocks
Description: 

Dwarfs live not deep under the earth but in hills and rocks, usually come from there to the earth




Motif

m135a


Name_eng: 
The wolf's reverses
Description: 

Wolf (more rare other predator animal) comes to different (more than two species) domestic animals (animals and people) to eat them but agrees to fulfill their requests and remains without his meal and usually becomes beaten (killed)




Motif

k67e


Name_eng: 
The woman as cuckoo in the tree
Description: 

The bargain between two persons is to end when a bird whose call is related to particular time of a temporal cycle will be heard. In order to hasten the contract’s end, another person imitates the bird. The first one recognizes the trick




Motif

l73c


Name_eng: 
A towel opens or blocks the pass
Description: 

Waving a piece of cloth (throwing it on the ground, putting on water, etc.) person creates obstacles (on the way of the pursuer) or a means to overcome them (bridge, dry path between waters, etc.)




Motif

k38


Name_eng: 
Hero helps the nestlings
Description: 

For helping its children, their powerful mother or father who is a giant bird or (rare) other flying being helps the hero




Motif

m136a


Name_eng: 
Sunlight carried in a bag
Description: 

Fools carry sunlight (darkness, smoke) in bags, sieves, etc. and carry it into the room or out of it




Motif

k38f


Name_eng: 
The dragon-slayer
Description: 

A reptile monster demands humans (usually virgins) as a sacrifice or abducts a girl or closes sources of water. Hero kills him. Monster’s victims do not play an active part in the plot




Motif

k39


Name_eng: 
Man feeds his own flesh to a creature who helps him
Description: 

Person has to feed powerful creature (usually a giant bird) giving it regularly pieces of meat. When meat supply is exhausted, he cuts off a piece of his own flesh




Motif

k74


Name_eng: 
Hero, his companions and a dwarf
Description: 

The hero and his companion or companions live together. Every morning one stays at home while another or others go to hunt, etc. A demonic person comes, eats up all the food and beats the cook. Or the man who remained at home comes to the demon himself in search of fire and is maltreated by him. The hero kills or neutralizes the demon




Motif

k74a


Name_eng: 
Only the hero gets to overcome the demon whose track he then follows
Description: 

Every time a demon commits an outrage upon one of the men who remains at home. When it is the hero’s turn, he overcomes the demon and follows his track to his world




Motif

m187c


Name_eng: 
A crab is a participant of the race
Description: 

A crab participates in the race and wins




Motif

m185


Name_eng: 
On the tail of the fast one (animals)
Description: 

A slow and a fast animals (or not flying bird) agree to race. The slow one imperceptibly sticks to the fast one’s body (or to a vehicle) and getting to the finish pretends to come there simultaneously with the fast one or before him




Motif

m185a


Name_eng: 
On the tail of the winner (all versions)
Description: 

Birds, animals or fish compete as about who is the fastest or can fly higher than others. A weak one imperceptible sticks to the body of the fastest or strongest and wins




Motif

m57a3


Name_eng: 
Female person is the producer of valuables
Description: 

Instead of common body discharges a a woman urinates, spits, etc. beads, flowers, gold and other valuables; valuables are produced by the very presence of particular female person. See motif m57a




Motif

i136


Name_eng: 
The demonic wheel
Description: 

The rolling wheel (and a person who is riding it) is hostile to the hero (to the people) or a weapon used by such a person




Motif

h6c3


Name_eng: 
The stock and the otherworld
Description: 

Big migratory birds who fly like a wedge (stocks, cranes, swans, geese; Zugvögel in German) are connected with the world beyond (bring babies from there, carry children away to the unhuman loci, possess the water of life and death, etc.)




Motif

k22aa


Name_eng: 
Humans in the south, birds in the north
Description: 

Inhabitants of the far away country are those migratory birds who live with us in summer but turn into humans after returning to their land




Motif

i139


Name_eng: 
Strong men throw an axe to each other
Description: 

Two (rare: three) men or women regularly throw or give somthing to each other despite a significant distance between them. It is a sign of their strength, big size and dexterity




Motif

k67h


Name_eng: 
The bear in the cattle-shed
Description: 

When the farmhand is sent to the place where he is expected to be killed by wild beasts, he subdues them, brings home and lets into the cattle-shed (stable), and the beasts destroy the master’s cattle (pigs, horse)





Similar traditions based on Cosmology and Etiology motifs:
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 9 Tradition: Poles
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 8 Tradition:
Germans: Northwest (Low- and Central German dialects): Schleswig-Holstein, Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony, incl. East Frisia and Oldenburg), Nordrhein-Westfalen, Hessen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Thüringen, Saxony-Anhalt, Sachsen
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 6 Tradition:
Czech
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 5 Tradition:
Sorbians (Luzhitsa Serbs)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 5 Tradition:
Komi (Zyrians and Permyaks)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 5 Tradition:
Bulgarians
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 5 Tradition:
Romanians, Moldavians, Aromanians
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 5 Tradition:
Germans: Northeast (Brandenburg, Meklenburg, Rügen, Pommern, Silesia, Posen)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 5 Tradition:
Lithuanians
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Byelarusians

Similar traditions based on Adventures and Tricks motifs:
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 6 Tradition:
Hungarians
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Byelarusians
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Germans: Northeast (Brandenburg, Meklenburg, Rügen, Pommern, Silesia, Posen)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Ukrainians: Eastern dialects
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Latvians
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Lithuanians
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Poles
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Germans: Northwest (Low- and Central German dialects): Schleswig-Holstein, Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony, incl. East Frisia and Oldenburg), Nordrhein-Westfalen, Hessen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Thüringen, Saxony-Anhalt, Sachsen
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Italians: Northern (Mentona, Ticino, Valle-d’Aosta, Piemont, Liguria, Lombardia, Southern Tirol, Emilia–Romagna, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino–Alto Adige)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Ukrainians: Western dialects to the East of Carpathians