Kara Kalpak



Tradition title rus: 
Каракалпаки
Areal ID: 
5.5.1.2
Language: 
Tradition analysis result motif count all: 
202.00
Tradition analysis result motif count cosmo: 
43.00
Motifs: 

Motif

e31a


Name_eng: 
Creators and rescuers of a girl
Description: 

Several men take part in rescuing, creation or reanimation of a girl (rare: a bird) or several women take part in the reanimation of a dead man or they differetly express their grief. It is asked whose role was crucial (who behavior more noble) and/or who should be the spouse of the reanimated person. Or three men make something valuable and it is asked whose role in the corresponding enterprise was more important




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

f45


Name_eng: 
The Amazons
Description: 

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




Motif

f70


Name_eng: 
Potiphar's wife: false accusation of sexual abuse
Description: 

Woman makes vain overtures to young man and/or falsely accuses him of sexual abuse. Her husband believes that the young man is guilty, kills or tries to kill him




Motif

f70a


Name_eng: 
Disordered clothes as evidence against innocent man
Description: 

To accuse a man or boy of (sexual) abbuse, a woman tears her clothes, smears or scratches her body pretending to be attacked




Motif

f70b


Name_eng: 
Revenge of a rejected woman
Description: 

A woman revenges on a man who rejected her love but necessary not pretends to be an object of sexual harassment from his part




Motif

i6


Name_eng: 
Weather birds
Description: 

A man meets a giant bird that brings with it clouds, rain, hail, thunderstorm, etc.




Motif

i58


Name_eng: 
Milky Way is the way of birds
Description: 

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




Motif

i85


Name_eng: 
Polaris is a pole, a nail
Description: 

Polaris is a (tethering) pole or a nail




Motif

i87a


Name_eng: 
Series of creatures ever greater in size
Description: 

Personage of gigantic dimensions in respect to normal humans and animals proves to be tiny dwarf in respect to another personage




Motif

i87aa


Name_eng: 
The big bull
Description: 

Huge bull (rare: horse) is described: its head is in one field, its tail in another; a bathhouse on its tale, a lake on its back; person who is near the head walks a long time till he meets another neat the tail; etc. Usually the bull is killed and eaten (by people in Baltic Finnish traditions and in Russian bylina from Olonets area; by bird in most of southern traditions)




Motif

j17


Name_eng: 
Frogs in hair
Description: 

Instead of lice, there are other (bigger or dangerous) creatures in the hair of some persons or he or she pretends that his or her hair is infested with them




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

j32


Name_eng: 
To identify the night thief
Description: 

Some valuables (foals, hay, apples, etc.) are regularly stolen. Nobody (the elder brothers) is able to catch the thief and only the hero (the younger brother) finds who it is




Motif

k14


Name_eng: 
Precious advices
Description: 

A man gives his last money for simple advices. Each of them saves his life or helps to achieve success or he does not follow the advices and gets into trouble




Motif

k14a


Name_eng: 
Thrown into the oven himself
Description: 

An antagonist orders to kill the first one who will come in the morning to a certain place. The hero becomes late by chance, the antagonist or his wife or son come and are thrown into the fire




Motif

k24


Name_eng: 
Stolen clothes of supernatural woman
Description: 

Women who possess supernatural power and usually come from a non-human world (from sky, from under the water, they are winged beings, bird- or animal-persons) take off their clothes (feather skins and the like) or part of it. Because a man hides the clothes (of one of them), their owner(s) have (has) to marry him or help him




Motif

k25


Name_eng: 
Magic wife
Description: 

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




Motif

k27f


Name_eng: 
The task: to get a woman
Description: 

A task-giver asks the hero to get for him a particular woman




Motif

k27hh


Name_eng: 
To sort grain
Description: 

A task: to sort a large amount or small particles of different kind (usually seeds of different plants) mixed in container or to count such particles or to pick up the spilled grains




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

k27r


Name_eng: 
To visit the world of the dead
Description: 

A task: to bring object or news from the land of the dead




Motif

k27s


Name_eng: 
Contest: a race
Description: 

Contest: a race




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

k32g


Name_eng: 
Punishment: torn apart by horses
Description: 

To punish an antagonist, he or she is tied to a horse (camel, bull) and dragged or he or she is torn apart (usually by horses)




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

k38b


Name_eng: 
The nestlings and the aggressive snake
Description: 

A serpent or water monster regularly devours or injures children of a bird or other flying creature (almost always nestlings of giant bird). The hero kills the serpent (monster)




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

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

k72


Name_eng: 
Three maidens
Description: 

Powerful person listens in conversation of three (rare: two or four) women. Each of them tells what she would do if the person marries her. One promises to bear his son (children) who would have wonderful qualities, two others promise to practice some kind of work or (more rare) marry people of lower status




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

k73a4


Name_eng: 
Baby child substituted with a pup
Description: 

Hostile women substitute baby of the newly made mother with a pup (inform the baby’s father that his wife has given birth to a pup)




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

k75a


Name_eng: 
Thrown apple hits the chosen one
Description: 

Boy or girl selects one person among many throwing an object (usually an apple) into him or her. This way a girl makes a choice of a husband, a young man of a bride, a boy identifies his father




Motif

k99


Name_eng: 
Prophecy of future sovereiniy
Description: 

A young man or (rare) a girl has a (day-)dream that predicts his or her future triumph. The dreamer either conceals or reports its contest to his family and in both cases is punished for too high opinion of himself. In the beginning the dreamer sometimes sells his dream to another young man, who becomes the protagonist of the tale. Adventures that follow explain the contest of the dream. The youth becomes rich and happy (e.g. marries heiresses of two kingdoms, that in the dream were symbolized by two suns or a sun and a moon), the girl marries king's son




Motif

k100a


Name_eng: 
Tobias
Description: 

A young man lets free a fish or an animal that was caught or he or his father renders a help to somebody. When the young man sets off for a journey, the grateful creature or person in guise of a stranger or animal becomes his companion and protector




Motif

k100c


Name_eng: 
Girl’s bridegrooms are bitten by a snake
Description: 

. The hero or his companion eliminate the source of danger




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

k135


Name_eng: 
Seven with one stroke
Description: 

A weak and timid man or boy overcomes accidentally powerful enemies and gets high esteem




Motif

k137


Name_eng: 
Sister tricks women to come and revive her brother
Description: 

When her brother is killed, a girl puts on his clothes and in a guise of a man wins competitions and gets women who are able to revive the dead. She puts the clothes back on her brother and the women come and revive him taking him for their husband. Or a sister is killed and her brother after winning wives tricks them to revive her




Motif

l15d


Name_eng: 
The external soul
Description: 

Life of a person or creature is preserved outside of his (her, its) body. Person or creature dies after the corresponding object is destroyed




Motif

l44


Name_eng: 
Show me your head!
Description: 

A man hides in a shelter. An ogre wants him to demonstrate certain parts of his body. The man demonstrates or parts of the body of an animal or some objects. The ogre believes that his adversary is a powerful creature




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

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

l96


Name_eng: 
Sold in animal’s guise and comes back
Description: 

Person can transform himself or herself into an animal or an object. Being sold in this guise, he or she achieves his or her aims and becomes a human again




Motif

l104


Name_eng: 
Fugitive and pursuer change guises
Description: 

A fugitive turns in succession into different animals or objects. A pursuer does the same, every time becoming an animal or a person who is dangerous for the fugitive in his given guise




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

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

m91


Name_eng: 
The killed corpse
Description: 

Person pretends that a person (often his or her mother, spouse or lover) who recently died is alive, claims that the death of the false alive resulted from negligence of others and gets a reward




Motif

m91c1


Name_eng: 
Herd from the river bottom
Description: 

Person gets other person’s possessions by trick (or pretends to get it; usually another person is drowned instead of him) and then demonstrates his possessions (usually a herd) and explains that he had received everything at the river bottom. His enemies believe him




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

m127a


Name_eng: 
The quail makes the fox laugh
Description: 

Trickster animal asks a bird to make him laugh. The bird sits on the head of a woman (child, cow, etc.), other person tries to kill the bird, hits the wife (breaks cow's horn, etc.). Or the bird distracts person attention to let the trickster steal the person’s food




Motif

m145


Name_eng: 
The lion in a well
Description: 

A weak (animal) person demonstrates a strong one his reflection in water. The latter believes that an animal like he contests his supremacy, invites him for a visit, etc., usually jumps in and drowns




Motif

m148


Name_eng: 
Animal agrees to be eaten up
Description: 

One animal person persuades another to agree to be eaten up, usually promising a reward after the resurrection. The fool agrees and is eaten up




Motif

m152a


Name_eng: 
Animal tied to another for safety
Description: 

A stronger and a weaker predator animals (ogre and an animal) tie together for safety. When the stronger one runs away, he drags the weaker one along with him




Motif

m152b


Name_eng: 
Brave donkey and cowardly lion
Description: 

Getting to see a donkey (horse, deer) for the first time, a strong predator thinks that this animal is dangerous. His further interpretation of the herbivorous’ behavior supports this impression




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

m153b


Name_eng: 
Wolf rides a horse
Description: 

Wolf is killed or injured when he accepts a suggestion of the horse (donkey, etc.) to ride it




Motif

m162


Name_eng: 
Eating his own innards
Description: 

Person pretends to eat his own innards or flesh and persuades the other to do the same. Other believes and kills themselves




Motif

m163


Name_eng: 
The precious cat
Description: 

Person gets to a country where rats or mice are a plague and receives a fortune selling a cat




Motif

m166


Name_eng: 
Piece among animals
Description: 

To lure his potential victim down from a tree, a predator pretends not to be dangerous (usually announces that it has been decreed that all animals are united in piece). The victim is dubious and usually asks the predator to announce the same news to the dogs. The predator runs away




Motif

m177


Name_eng: 
But he had no heart at all
Description: 

A weak predator eats part of a body of a killed animal and explain to the strong one that this animal did not have such a part at all




Motif

b46


Name_eng: 
Big Dipper is seven men
Description: 

Every one of the seven main stars of the Ursa mayor is a an adult man




Motif

l125


Name_eng: 
Demonic wife recognized
Description: 

A man marries a beauty but catches her in a situation when her not human nature is revealed. After this their marriage breaks down




Motif

m154a


Name_eng: 
A donkey induces overworked ox to feign sickness
Description: 

One of domestic animals (usually the donkey) induces another who is overworked to feign sickness. When the next day he must do the work of the “sick” one, he tells that the master has decided to slaughter the one who is unable to work and persuades him to stop being ill




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

k27x3


Name_eng: 
The man persecuted because of his beautiful bride
Description: 

A powerful person coverts a beautiful bride or wife of a man and gives him impossible tasks to get rid of him




Motif

k99b


Name_eng: 
Eloping with the wrong man
Description: 

At night a girl’s lover has to carry her away but falls asleep or is late. She is carried away by another man who happened to be on the place




Motif

f9f1


Name_eng: 
Snake inside woman
Description: 

Poisonous snake (snakes, scorpions) comes out of the mouth of a woman {Motif F9f1 and K100c are almost identical but F9f1 links to a cluster of etiological/cosmological motifs related to the idea of a dangerous woman while K100c is related to adventures}




Motif

j46


Name_eng: 
Enemy drowns
Description: 

Antagonist perishes falling into the water or trying to cross a water body




Motif

k27z1


Name_eng: 
Bird, horse and princess
Description: 

Helpful animal instructs the hero how to steal an object he needs to get but not to take anything else (bird, but not cage, horse but not bridle, etc.) The hero breaks prohibition, is caught but released on condition that he brings another wonderful object. Situation is repeated and the last task is to bring a girl. Ultimately the hero gets both the girl and all the objects




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

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

k27x4


Name_eng: 
Climb a tree with a full glass in hand
Description: 

Person must climb a tree (pole, rock) with a full open vessel in hand and not a drop should be spilled




Motif

l42g


Name_eng: 
Hansel and Gretel
Description: 

Step mother or more often father (persuaded by his wife) abandons children in a desolate place. Getting to the ogre or ogress, children (or at least one of them) survive and ultimately achieve success




Motif

m39a6a


Name_eng: 
Clever daughter-in-law of the imprisoned khan
Description: 

After an extensive search powerful man finds a smart wife for his son. Being caught by his enemies he sends some a message to his daughter-in-law, the messengers being chosen among the enemies. The young woman understands the real meaning of the received text, destroys the enemies and releases her father-in-law. (In Malagasy version the youngest wife is insyead of the daughter-in-law)




Motif

k27nn


Name_eng: 
Envious minister
Description: 

Not the powerful person himself but his official or adviser tries to get rid of the hero and suggests that the person should give the hero difficult tasks




Motif

m39a6f


Name_eng: 
To sell a sheep and to bring the sheep and the money
Description: 

Father tells his son to sell a sheep (goat) and to bring back both the sheep and the money. Usually a girl teaches the boy to sell the wool




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

i82h


Name_eng: 
Venus’ name is Čolpan
Description: 

The name of the Venus is like Čolpan, Čolbon, Tsulmon, etc.




Motif

m39a6d


Name_eng: 
A coded message
Description: 

A person sends to his or her kinsmen or spouse through other persons a text or an object. Only the receiver understands the real meaning of words or of the object, saves the sender and/or destroys his enemies




Motif

b46a1


Name_eng: 
Stars of Big Dipper are robbers
Description: 

Stars of Big Dipper are thieves robbers




Motif

m39c


Name_eng: 
Pumpkin sold as a donkey’s egg
Description: 

A numskull finds or buys an unknown fruit (pumpkin, melon, etc.). He mistakes it for an egg of a donkey (mare. camel, etc.). When he drops it or throws it off he scares a hidden hare (rabbit, fox, mouse, etc.). The fool thinks the fugitive is a young animal hatched from the egg




Motif

m39e


Name_eng: 
What sort of a tree?
Description: 

Asking about minor details of the case, a judge demonstrates that the plaintiff (or the defendant) lies because he does (not) know about them




Motif

m157c


Name_eng: 
You are hens and I am the cock
Description: 

To put a person into an awkward position, others demonstrate chicken eggs that they prepared beforehand. Having no egg with him, the person says that he is the only cock while all the others are hens




Motif

m199a


Name_eng: 
Extracting brain from the earth
Description: 

A man buries something half-liquid and soft (animal bowels, eggs, etc.). He stamps (shoots an arrow) at this place and claims that got to extract brains (bowels, etc.) from the earth




Motif

k99a2


Name_eng: 
The sold dream
Description: 

Person has a dream, another person buys it and acquires the fortune that the dream promised




Motif

m91b1


Name_eng: 
The sold skin
Description: 

A man goes to sell a skin of domestic animal and on his way, by trick or thanks to chance, gets a big sum of money. Usually coming back he explains that this was the price of the skin but when other people kill their animals they cannot sell skins for such a sum. (In India the hero sometimes pretends to sold cow meat to brahmins for whom it is forbidden)




Motif

k100f


Name_eng: 
Youth lets the fish go
Description: 

When an unusual fish (rare: bird or some water being) is caught, the (young) man lets it go. His father (the king) drives him away or the man goes away by his own initiative. The saved fish (bird) helps him




Motif

k117a


Name_eng: 
To make a mute woman speak
Description: 

A girl who keeps silence is promised to one who would make her speak; a man with much difficulty makes his magic wife speak




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

m165


Name_eng: 
Fur coat for the wolf
Description: 

One animal person promises to sew a fur coat (or boots) for another and asks to bring him ever more sheep. He eats the meat and sews nothing




Motif

m146


Name_eng: 
The fox gets bait from trap by luring wolf into it
Description: 

An animal knows that food is in a trap or poisoned and tricks another to take it




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

m29w2


Name_eng: 
The tiger is a failure
Description: 

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




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

e31c


Name_eng: 
Rescuers of an abducted girl
Description: 

Every one of several men had learned a unique skill thanks to which they save a girl abducted by demon or animal




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

k123b


Name_eng: 
A broken distaff
Description: 

A youth spoils an elder woman’s distaff or yarn. This episode is a trigger for the narrative




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

k27f1


Name_eng: 
To build a bridge
Description: 

Person builds a bridge (usually of gold etc.) during a very short time




Motif

k27u2


Name_eng: 
News from the tumbleweed
Description: 

Powerful person asks the hero to get know where the tumbleweed goes or what are its news




Motif

k33


Name_eng: 
Drowned woman remains alive
Description: 

A young woman is transformed into an animal, pushed into the water, into the underworld or she herself has to plunge into water (acquire animal form). Her connection with the human world is not completely lost, however, and usually she is helped to return to the people




Motif

k33a


Name_eng: 
Younger brother transformed into animal
Description: 

Siblings (most often younger brother and elder sister) leave their home. One of them (most often the brother, most rare several brothers) turn into animal (usually an ungulate) or (rare) a bird but (in the most cases) ultimately acquires his or her human form again




Motif

k33a1


Name_eng: 
Children born in a well
Description: 

A woman is thrown into a well (pond, hole, etc.) or transformed into a water bird. Being in water, she gives birth to a son (children) or she had been thrown together with her baby. Ultimately she and her children are saved




Motif

k36


Name_eng: 
Bewitched into animal
Description: 

Person is temporary transformed into animal (usually into a dog or coyote or into donkey, ox, etc.). When he acquires his human guise again, the antagonist suffers similar transformation. In some texts only the hero or only the antagonist is transformed




Motif

k121


Name_eng: 
Wanderer at a crossroad
Description: 

It is written at a crossroad that following one of the paths person will safely return and following another it will not return (there is often a third path following which person either returns or not). Hero follows the dangerous path




Motif

k136a


Name_eng: 
Girl’s hair picked up from a river
Description: 

A man finds the woman’s hair that was carried by water and decides to marry its owner




Motif

l81b


Name_eng: 
Hero’s legs are cut off
Description: 

Hero’s companions cut off his legs and abandon him (usually they put a sword in front of his tent and when the hero runs out in a hurry, he is wounded by the blade)




Motif

m109


Name_eng: 
The tail-fisher
Description: 

Animal person puts his tail (penis) down and waits in hope to get something edible. The tail (penis) is torn or cut off, the person escapes or dies




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

m174


Name_eng: 
Eats from behind
Description: 

A week animal person immobilizing a strong one becomes to eat him from behind and refuses to come to the head where the stronger one can still bite him; or is waiting till the strong animal dies




Motif

m29k1 Not used in statistics


Name_eng: 
The turtle (toad, frog) is a tricky failure
Description: 

A turtle (tortoise, toad, frog) behaves foolishly creating serious problems for himself




Motif

m30


Name_eng: 
Trickster falls down
Description: 

Person or creature who has no wings or is unable to fly on a long distance attempts to ascend to the sky or to fly far away but falls down or, deprived of his wings, remains in a place from which he is unable to return




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

m171a


Name_eng: 
The profitable exchange: getting a girl
Description: 

Person or animal gets to exchange less valuable goods for ever more valuable. The last or the next to last one is a girl




Motif

m171b


Name_eng: 
Shoulder-blade with no meat
Description: 

Person pretends that he has not a bare should-blade but a good piece of meat, asks people to cook it and then blames them for stealing the meat




Motif

m152


Name_eng: 
Why only one wolf?
Description: 

When a weak animal or a person gets to see a predator animal or an ogre, he says in a loud voice (or asks to say his wife or children) something that frightens the predator (ogre): why the predator (ogre) brought to him is lean (small; only one instead of several), or it is good that more food gets to his house, etc. The predator (ogre) runs away




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

m91d


Name_eng: 
The drowned shaman
Description: 

Person deceives the other (giving out a corpse for alive person, accusing incent people of murder, etc.). When a shaman (almost) gets to know the truth, the trickster kills her or him and gets to avoid any punishment




Motif

n20


Name_eng: 
They attained their desires
Description: 

Closing formula of the folktale: the teller says that the characters attained their desires, goals and/or happiness or that God satisfied their desires




Motif

k159


Name_eng: 
Peas poured under the feet
Description: 

When two persons are fighting, somebody wants one of them fall (while another be firm on his feet) and for this throws something under his feet




Motif

i87a1


Name_eng: 
Small or big? A dialogue
Description: 

Two persons engaged into dialogue describe a series of objects and creatures as simultaneously giant and small




Motif

m30d


Name_eng: 
The tortoise lets itself be carried by birds
Description: 

An animal (usually a tortoise) is carried up into the air by two birds who hold onto a stick which the tortoise holds in its mouth




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

k90


Name_eng: 
The black and the red ones
Description: 

A man gets to see two fighting monsters or animals (usually of contrasted colors like red and black, black and white). He helps one of them and/or one of them helps him




Motif

k157


Name_eng: 
Robbers killed one by one
Description: 

Person tricks his enemies to leave their enclosure one by one and cuts off their head as soon as the next one appears before him. In rare cases the multi-headed enemy thrusts his heads on by one and the hero cuts them off




Motif

m99a


Name_eng: 
Palace of birds bones
Description: 

Person is going to build a palace (tower, etc.) made of bird bones




Motif

n24


Name_eng: 
Like another Moon
Description: 

Light is seen that looks like the second Moon or the second Sun. It’s source is a beautiful woman




Motif

l72g


Name_eng: 
Obstacle flight: the thrown salt
Description: 

Running away from a dangerous being, person throws salt creating an obstacle on the way of the pursuer




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

m100b


Name_eng: 
Jump from a cliff
Description: 

An animal-person provokes another to jump from of a bluff or cliff (tree) because his father (grandfather, etc.) could do it. The one yielded to provocation jumps and dies or is caught by the provoker




Motif

k73a


Name_eng: 
Baby child substituted with object or animal
Description: 

Hostile women substitute baby of the newly made mother with an animal or an object (inform the baby’s father that his wife has given birth to an animal or an object)




Motif

k73a5


Name_eng: 
Baby child substituted with a kitten
Description: 

Hostile women substitute baby of the newly made mother with a kitten (inform the baby’s father that his wife has given birth to a kitten)




Motif

k172


Name_eng: 
Deaf bride without hands and feet
Description: 

When a potential bridegroom comes to a man, the latter tells that his daughter is a deformed cripple. The bride proves to be a beauty




Motif

l81c


Name_eng: 
Feetless, handless and blind
Description: 

A man whose feet were cut off lives with two others, one of whom lost his hands and another eyes (or with one of them). Acting in cooperation, they become health again




Motif

c29


Name_eng: 
A listened in secret
Description: 

People or God get know a secret thanks to listening in its possessor when he speaks aloud with himself or with his relations. The received knowledge is related to cosmogony or acquisition of cultural values




Motif

k166


Name_eng: 
Forty girls
Description: 

A group of girls forms a community or an armed contingent and acts independently from the men




Motif

m202


Name_eng: 
Thorn removed from lion’s paw
Description: 

Person removes a thorn from the paw (bone from the throat) of a strong and dangerous animal or a demon, the animal (demon) is grateful




Motif

m27


Name_eng: 
Coming back from the sky
Description: 

A tree or a chain of reeds by which people have ascended to the sky is destroyed. On their way back they fall to the ground. Some of them remain in the sky for ever or longer than others




Motif

n27


Name_eng: 
The milk of birds
Description: 

Bird’s (hen’s) milk is mentioned in fairy tales, riddles and proverbs as something very rare and difficult to obtain




Motif

k25e


Name_eng: 
Magic wife is an ancestor
Description: 

All humans, members of a particular ethnic or social group or a ruling dynasty are believed to descend from a mortal man and a woman of supernatural origin




Motif

n27c


Name_eng: 
The bird has no milk
Description: 

It is claimed that the bird has no milk and/or breasts




Motif

n28g


Name_eng: 
Horse has no gall
Description: 

In a list of things that do not exist in the world, a gall of horse or ass is mentioned




Motif

b46c


Name_eng: 
Big Dipper is seven persons or animals
Description: 

Every main star of the Big Dipper is interpreted as a particular person or animal




Motif

i35a


Name_eng: 
Old woman’s thunder
Description: 

Thunder is produced by an old woman who lives in the sky




Motif

a4


Name_eng: 
Female sun
Description: 

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




Motif

a6


Name_eng: 
The Sun and the Moon are females
Description: 

Both the Sun and the Moon are considered to be females (incl. cases when the gender is not directly specified but both emerge from parts of the body of a female person)




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

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

i85a


Name_eng: 
Animals walk around Polaris
Description: 

Hoofed animals are walking around Polaris or the movement of stars is compared with the movement of animals around a post




Motif

c6


Name_eng: 
Valuables brought from the lower world
Description: 

Persons or animals dive or otherwise decend to the lower world to get a desired object and to bring it to earth (besides episodes in the fairytales, cf. motif k27x9)




Motif

c6c


Name_eng: 
The diver is a bird
Description: 

An aquatic bird dives and brings the desired object from the bottom




Motif

c6d


Name_eng: 
The aquisition of the earth from the lower world
Description: 

The dry land (the earth) grows from a small amount of solid substance (sand, clay, dirt and the like) brought from the lower world (usually from the bottom of the ocean)




Motif

k103b


Name_eng: 
Cow the spinner
Description: 

A cow (goat) magically spins or weaves: eats the yarn and extracts the thread, suggests to wind the yarn over its horns, etc.




Motif

k103


Name_eng: 
Helpful cow
Description: 

Cow (ox, bull) helps an orphan child or a young woman who got into trouble




Motif

l125


Name_eng: 
Demonic wife recognized
Description: 

A man marries a beauty but catches her in a situation when her not human nature is revealed. After this their marriage breaks down




Motif

k27r1


Name_eng: 
The burnt person proves to be unharmed
Description: 

The antagonist believes that the hero was burned but returned from the other world alive and prosperous therefore he asks burn him (her) or his representatives




Motif

b46a


Name_eng: 
Stolen star of the Pleiades
Description: 

One of the stars of the Pleiades was separated from others (usually abducted) by stars of Big Dipper and now is seen among them)




Motif

b46c


Name_eng: 
Big Dipper is seven persons or animals
Description: 

Every main star of the Big Dipper is interpreted as a particular person or animal




Motif

k154


Name_eng: 
A skull with an inscription
Description: 

A man picks up a skull with an enigmatic and ominous inscription on it. Later its meaning becomes clear




Motif

k154a


Name_eng: 
Men in the harem
Description: 

Solving a riddle, a boy or youth unmasks a daughter (wife, minister) of a powerful person: house-maids (or some of them) are men, the minister plans to kill his master)




Motif

a35c


Name_eng: 
Scars and wounds on the Moon’s face
Description: 

Dark spots on the Moon are scars and wounds on her face




Motif

i89


Name_eng: 
The lost caravan
Description: 

There is an evil star or constellation that brings death and misfortune; usually travelers mistake at night some star for Morning Star, set off, take a wrong direction and perish or get into trouble




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

k56ab


Name_eng: 
Girl sheds her shirts, snake sheds his skins
Description: 

A girl marries monster and challenges him to shed (one of) his skin(s) every time she takes off (one of) her shirt(s). The girl remains alive and the monster turns into handsome man (usually because she has more shirts than he has skins)




Motif

k107


Name_eng: 
Lost husband found
Description: 

A woman is abandoned by her magic husband. She finds him and becomes his wife again




Motif

k32


Name_eng: 
The false wife
Description: 

An ugly, old, lazy, etc. woman or (in Chaco) a male trickster comes to man under disguise of his wife or bride who is driven out, confined to the underworld, killed, etc.




Motif

k120a


Name_eng: 
The averted incest (sister and brother)
Description: 

A man is going to marry his sister (often puts certain condition on his future marriage, only his sister complies with them). The girl gets to escape




Motif

m75c


Name_eng: 
Treasure on mountain top
Description: 

A man sends another one to top of a mountain or a tree to obtain treasure for him. To go back is impossible but the man survives




Motif

l37b2


Name_eng: 
The overheard secret: a snake inside a person
Description: 

Overhearing conversation of two snakes or raven, person gets to know the cause of a sickness of another person: a snake has crawled into him. He snake out and the person regains his health




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

k78a


Name_eng: 
To cure a person, demon swallows him
Description: 

The demon swallows and vomits maimed and disfigured persons that makes them healthy and handsome




Motif

l81


Name_eng: 
Demon’s fire
Description: 

Person sets off in search of fire and finds it in the house of a demon. The demon makes harm to the person




Motif

l81a2


Name_eng: 
Demon comes to drink blood of a girl
Description: 

While the men of the household are not at home, a demonic person comes to drink blood of a girl or young woman. Initially the men do not understand why the girl becomes thin




Motif

m136d


Name_eng: 
The air castles
Description: 

A person plans to turn his (future) possessions into a great wealth (milk, eggs, small money, animal to be killed, etc.) but imagining this wealth, he destroys what he already has (eggs are broken, the animal runs away, etc.). Or two persons are involved into quarrel about possessions that they do not yet have




Motif

k33c


Name_eng: 
Girl from a fruit
Description: 

Young man gets a girl who is inside of a fruit or (rare) a flower or an egg




Motif

k33f


Name_eng: 
Basin of honey and basin of oil
Description: 

Two or more different kinds of valuable edible liquids like oil, honey, milk, etc. are available or imaginable. Cf. motif n34




Motif

k123


Name_eng: 
Old woman’s curse
Description: 

A youth or (rare) girl offends an elder woman. Her words make him or her to be overcome by desire to undertake something dangerous (usually to get a particular marriage partner)




Motif

k177


Name_eng: 
The travelling heroine
Description: 

A girl or young woman sets off to find or return her fience or her husband or she escapes from a fanger and ultimately marries happily




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

k75a1


Name_eng: 
The youngest son-in-law should live in the stable
Description: 

The sovereign orders his youngest daughter (together with a man chosen by her) to live in conditions that do not correspond to her high status. Her father does not know that her chosen one is not a poor wretch as he seems to be but a prince




Motif

n34


Name_eng: 
Honey and oil
Description: 

Streams of honey and oil (oil and milk, milk and blood) instead of streams of water are mentioned as a sign of generosity and prosperity. Cf. motif K33F




Motif

k99a3


Name_eng: 
The happy dream: Sun, Moon and stars
Description: 

A young man has a dream: he sees the Sun, the Moon and a star (all of them or some of these luminaries). When the narrative come to the end, the man understands the meaning of the dream: these are people who love or adore him




Motif

k76b


Name_eng: 
Snake son and snake husband
Description: 

An (adoptive) son is a snake who turns into handsome man. The snake is the magic spouse of princess, lost and returned




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

k27o1


Name_eng: 
Head used as ball
Description: 

Severed human heads are compared with balls or used as balls




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

k155c


Name_eng: 
The virgin on the scales
Description: 

Father regularly puts his daughter on the scales and understands that she is pregnant because she is heavier than before




Motif

j59c


Name_eng: 
To revive the dead with a whiplash
Description: 

Person revives the dead beating the bones of corpse with the whip




Motif

k137a


Name_eng: 
A girl in her brother’s guise gets a wife for him
Description: 

A young man is killed. His sister puts on his clothes and pretending she is a man gets a wife for him. This woman beliefs that the girl’s brother from the very beginning was a man whom she married




Motif

e9i1


Name_eng: 
Swan-wife
Description: 

A man marries supernatural woman who is a swan




Motif

i141


Name_eng: 
The magic stick
Description: 

A stick is a tool to initiate processes which results have no rational explanation




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

k73a8


Name_eng: 
The wonderful children: brother and sister
Description: 

Woman gives birth to wonderful boy and girl. Being substituted with animals or objects and thrown away, they survive and triumph over their enemies




Motif

l44a1


Name_eng: 
The louse-tortoise
Description: 

A man and a demonic person agree to compare their lice. When the man demonstrates a tortoise (a frog), the demon believes that the man is the strongest of them




Motif

k135a


Name_eng: 
Coward expelled from his home
Description: 

A coward or lazy-bones irritates his household so much they expel him home. He travels and overcomes mighty enemies thanks to his ingenuity or good luck




Motif

k33c2


Name_eng: 
Girl from the pomegranate
Description: 

Young man gets a girl who is inside a fruit of the pomegranate




Motif

k33c6


Name_eng: 
Only one girl is preserved
Description: 

Young man obtains several (usually three) fruits (eggs, pieces of reed). When he opens the first one, a girl who comes out from it immediately disappears because something was wrong (usually the drinking water for her is not available). Only the girl who has come out of the last fruit remains with the man. Cf. motif k33c7




Motif

m30c


Name_eng: 
Flying person falls down after breaking taboo
Description: 

Person flies across the air but falls down when, despite warning, looks down to earth, flies above villages, becomes to talk, etc.





Similar traditions based on Cosmology and Etiology motifs:
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 10 Tradition: Kara Kalpak
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 8 Tradition:
Nogai
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 6 Tradition:
Kirghiz
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 5 Tradition:
Cherkassians, Adyghe, Kabardin
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Kalmyk
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Khakas
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Mongols (Khalkha)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Bulgarians
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Kumyk, Terekemen
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Bashkirs

Similar traditions based on Adventures and Tricks motifs:
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Buryats: Western (cis Baikal)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Tuvinians of Tuva
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Southern Altai: Altai proper (Altai-Kiji), Telengit
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Kirghiz
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Stavropol Turkmen (recent migrants from Mangyshlak Peninsular)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Kazakh
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Buryats: Eastern (trans Baikal), i.e. Khori
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Abkhaz
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Tajik
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Bashkirs