Udeghe



Tradition title rus: 
Удэгейцы
Areal ID: 
9.10.1.3
Tradition analysis result motif count all: 
212.00
Tradition analysis result motif count cosmo: 
107.00
Motifs: 

Motif

a2a


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

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




Motif

a2b


Name_eng: 
Extra suns and moons annihilated
Description: 

Other suns or moons besides present ones had been in the sky and were later annihilated




Motif

a4


Name_eng: 
Female sun
Description: 

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




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

a12a


Name_eng: 
Eclipses: a predator animal
Description: 

During an eclipse or at other circumstances the Sun or the Moon are attacked by a predator animal (a bear, a feline, a canine, a racoon)




Motif

a14


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

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




Motif

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

a32e


Name_eng: 
Person with an object in hands
Description: 

Person who holds some object in his or her hands is seen in the moon (rare: in the sun)




Motif

a32f


Name_eng: 
Water-carrier in the Moon
Description: 

Person who went to fetch water and/or holds in hands a container for liquid is seen in the moon




Motif

a37


Name_eng: 
The Sun is attacked with weapons
Description: 

Person intentionally and with special equipment (usually shooting arrows) attacks the Sun (or several suns if they were many)




Motif

a44


Name_eng: 
Moon the protector
Description: 

A person pursued by an enemy or tyrannized by others asks the Moon to take her or him to the sky. The request is granted and the person is now seen in the Moon




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

b3a


Name_eng: 
Primeval waters
Description: 

Water is the original element, the dry earth appears later




Motif

b3b


Name_eng: 
Earth grows big
Description: 

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




Motif

b3e


Name_eng: 
Earth falls on waters
Description: 

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




Motif

b33


Name_eng: 
Mother of wind
Description: 

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




Motif

b42


Name_eng: 
Cosmic hunt
Description: 

Certain stars or constellations are interpreted as hunters, their dogs and game that the hunters pursue




Motif

b70


Name_eng: 
Ears of the hare
Description: 

Person beats hares, foxes or other medium size animals who became helpless (usually closed in his house). Tale explains why tips of the animals' ears or tails have a particular color




Motif

b77


Name_eng: 
Primeval sky close to earth
Description: 

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




Motif

b78


Name_eng: 
Shaking bed makes snowfall
Description: 

When person or creature shakes himself or itself, shakes his or her bed, clothes, plucks birds, etc., snow falls down to earth




Motif

b79a


Name_eng: 
A bird laid an egg
Description: 

In the beginning of time a bird flies, lays an egg or eggs, different objects and creatures emerge from them or a bird drops some solid substance on the waters and the dry land or an island appear




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

b87a


Name_eng: 
Alcor is a dog
Description: 

A weak star near the second star of the handle of the Big Dipper (the Tibetans: Small Dipper) is interpreted as a dog




Motif

c8


Name_eng: 
The couple of close relations originates the mankind
Description: 

In the beginning of time or after the natural disaster brother and sister, mother and son, or father and daughters are the only human beings. They marry and the present day people are their descendents




Motif

c8a


Name_eng: 
Grinding stones match
Description: 

Being alone and having no other marriage partners, brother and sister agree to marry each other if a highly improbable event or a series of events will take place. Among the events that take place (alternatively or one after the other) are 1) the siblings let two grinding stones roll from two mountains, the brother's stone falls on the sister's one; 2) brother and sister throw two swords from two mountains, both swords get into one sheath; 3) they throw some objects up, the objects get together; 4) they kindle two fires, columns of smoke get together; 5) they put to grow two stems of bamboo, tops of the stems get together




Motif

c26


Name_eng: 
Guardian at the border of the non-human world
Description: 

Monsters or ghosts try to invade our world. Powerful person or creature is on guard and prevents the invasion




Motif

d1b


Name_eng: 
Male spirit of fire
Description: 

The fire is personified as an elder man (alone or with his wife, mistress of fire)




Motif

d13d


Name_eng: 
To make hidden woman laugh
Description: 

To find a person who is hiding somewhere inside the house, another one tries to make her or him laugh




Motif

d13g


Name_eng: 
Meet seen on teeth
Description: 

When person laughs, people see his or her monstrous mouth (many teeth, human meat on teeth). They kill the monster or escape from it




Motif

d13i


Name_eng: 
Broken tooth
Description: 

Person knows that the deceiver and trickster has one of his teeth broken. To identify him, person makes others laugh and thus open their mouths




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

e9d


Name_eng: 
Dog-wife
Description: 

Man marries a girl who initially has guise of a dog




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

e15


Name_eng: 
Ducks and canoes
Description: 

People learn from aquatic birds how to make canoes or how to paddle; or the first canoe is a transformed bird or is made of bird bones




Motif

e32


Name_eng: 
People born from trees
Description: 

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




Motif

e39


Name_eng: 
Pig ancestor
Description: 

A pig is an ancestor of a particular group of people




Motif

f2


Name_eng: 
Pregnant limb
Description: 

Child is born from a tumor or swelling on person's body (on thigh, knee, finger, etc.) or is temporarily placed there or child grows from blood that flew out from a cut




Motif

f7


Name_eng: 
The water-maiden
Description: 

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




Motif

f9


Name_eng: 
A dangerous woman
Description: 

For different reasons, sexual contact with a woman is deadly dangerous for a man




Motif

f9a


Name_eng: 
Vagina dentata
Description: 

There are teeth, blades or sharp stones in woman’s genitals, vagina is the biting mouth. (Only texts that are believed to correspond to reality are considered but not anecdotes and jokes)




Motif

f10


Name_eng: 
Vaginal teeth knocked out
Description: 

Woman has another toothed mouth (usually in vagina) or biting animals in vagina. Man inserts there a stone, bone, stick, etc. breaking or knocking out the teeth or extracting from there dangerous animals




Motif

f34


Name_eng: 
Land animal paramour
Description: 

Certain woman or a group of women takes for a paramour a big land animal. Husbands, brothers or (adoptive) children kill or maim paramour and (sometimes) the woman




Motif

f64b


Name_eng: 
Incestuous woman
Description: 

A woman pretends to be a stranger to have sexual relations with her (grand)son, daughter or brother




Motif

f66


Name_eng: 
The false house
Description: 

Person’s father, grandson, brother, or sister pretends to be a stranger to commit incest (accordingly with the daughter, grandmother, sister, or brother), or a husband shams to be his wife’s brother because he wants to be taken by her as her blood relative. To realize his or her stratagem, the hero imperceptibly runs to another house where the object of his or her interest later comes and takes him or her for a stranger




Motif

f86


Name_eng: 
Conditional signal
Description: 

Person summons with a certain signal a non-human being (usually his or her sexual partner or his or her protégé). Another person spies, uses the same signal or pronounces the same words and kills the being who comes to him (or uses this being sexually himself)




Motif

f89


Name_eng: 
A smart sister
Description: 

Sister and brother live alone. The brother rejects the incest. The sister makes him take her for unknown girl, marries him




Motif

f90


Name_eng: 
A tragic incest
Description: 

Brother and sister marry each other. When their children get to know about the incest, they kill their parents, or father kills children, or parents suicide, or wife/sister suicides when her husband/brother has died




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

g23


Name_eng: 
Alive being turns into many objects
Description: 

Person or creature is transformed. Separate parts of its (his, her) body give origin to different objects or creatures (only etiological narratives are considered)




Motif

g23b


Name_eng: 
Alive being turns into nations
Description: 

Different body parts of a being turn into people of different ethnic affiliation or such people receive their names and characteristics according to body parts that they got




Motif

g29


Name_eng: 
Demon made of artifacts
Description: 

Demonic person turns into or consists of different household objects or tools (and into elements of a landscape)




Motif

h6b


Name_eng: 
The life-medicine spilled on plants
Description: 

The life-medicine is accidentally spilled not on men but on plants which become evergreen, capable for regeneration or producing fruits




Motif

h6c


Name_eng: 
The immortal raven
Description: 

Raven is associated with death or contrasted with people as an immortal with mortals (is sent to the medicine of immortality; drinks itself water of immortality; gives instructions concerning funeral rites; etc.)




Motif

h28


Name_eng: 
Plagues from the body of a person or creature
Description: 

Killed and destroyed (often burned) person or creature (usually ogre, fierce animal, powerful shaman) turns into a multitude of biting insects or into other small molesting creatures




Motif

h34e


Name_eng: 
The edible snow
Description: 

Snow was edible or something edible was falling from the sky instead of the snow




Motif

h34f


Name_eng: 
Walking baskets
Description: 

Baskets carried loads by themselves




Motif

h45


Name_eng: 
The abused bread
Description: 

A woman or child demonstrate no respect for bread soiling it with excrements. For this God punishes all the humanity




Motif

i1


Name_eng: 
The thunderbirds
Description: 

Creatures that produce rain and/or thunderstorms are birds or anthropomorphic beings with wings; or (rare) some or all birds are connected with thunder, lightning or rain though Thunder is not a bird




Motif

i3


Name_eng: 
Weapon of Thunder
Description: 

The lightning (and thunder) is (produced with) an object (axe, sword, mirror, belt, stones, skin, etc.) in hands of anthropomorphic being




Motif

i7


Name_eng: 
The cloud serpent
Description: 

A flying reptile produces rain, thunderstorm




Motif

i12


Name_eng: 
The world axis
Description: 

A tree or post pierces and unites different layers of the universe




Motif

i13a


Name_eng: 
The horned serpent
Description: 

Giant water-chthonic or sky serpent or dragon has horns or antlers on its head




Motif

i22


Name_eng: 
Objects in permanent movement
Description: 

There are objects which remaining on the same place are moving permanently or periodically (meet and part. rise and fall down, shut and open, rotate)




Motif

i22a


Name_eng: 
Rising and falling sky
Description: 

The sky is constantly moving up and down in respect to earth




Motif

i24


Name_eng: 
A snake bridge
Description: 

Snake, lizard or worm is a bridge or a rope over the river




Motif

i27


Name_eng: 
Chthonic canine
Description: 

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




Motif

i32


Name_eng: 
Tree of the babies
Description: 

There is (or was) a tree on which souls of still unborn babies grow, which leaves transform into people, or which trunk is covered with female breasts or flowers that innumerable babies are sucking




Motif

i51b


Name_eng: 
The earth is an animal
Description: 

The earth or the sky are identified with a big quadruped mammal or are made of parts of its body




Motif

i52


Name_eng: 
Fish the earth-holder
Description: 

World is supported by fish or fish-like monster or the earth itself is such a monster




Motif

i57


Name_eng: 
Thunder pursues his enemy
Description: 

Thunder's enemies are evil spirits, reptiles, animals living in burrows. They hide from him in different objects, Thunder destroys these objects




Motif

i72


Name_eng: 
Stars are people
Description: 

Stars are people, ghosts, anthropomorphic beings (interpretations of unique star objects like Venus or Polaris as persons not considered)




Motif

i74


Name_eng: 
Stars are stones
Description: 

Stars are shining stones, spangles, beads




Motif

i81


Name_eng: 
Waters rush down into the underworld
Description: 

Waters of all rivers on earth run to the precipice where they rush down into the underworld




Motif

i84


Name_eng: 
Milky Way is a snow-shoes track
Description: 

Milky Way is a path of a person who was walking on snow-shoes




Motif

i88


Name_eng: 
Animal with many tails
Description: 

There is a zoomorphic being with many tails




Motif

i99


Name_eng: 
The Pleiades are boys or men
Description: 

The Pleiades are a group of boys or men, or a group of different people but predominantly males




Motif

i100


Name_eng: 
The Pleiades are girls
Description: 

The Pleiades are a group of girls or women (with 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

i101


Name_eng: 
Big Dipper is poles, a nailed skin
Description: 

Several bright stars of Big Dipper or other constellation are poles which support or stretch an object like skin, shelter, etc.




Motif

i111


Name_eng: 
The earth is a reptile
Description: 

The earth is the body of a crocodile or a dragon




Motif

i132


Name_eng: 
Climbing a deer antlers up to the sky
Description: 

A giant deer’s or deer-like creature’s antlers reach the upper world, a person climbs them to get there. Or person gets to the sky when he touches the deer’s antler




Motif

j4


Name_eng: 
Revenge for the death of the male relatives
Description: 

Heroes avenge the murder or captivity of the male relatives: (grand)father, uncles, or the elder relatives in general, the loss of the males being the most traumatic




Motif

j12


Name_eng: 
Travelling girl walks across suitors
Description: 

A girl (or two sisters) travel, usually in search of a proper marriage partner who lives far away or who has gone away. On her way or after reaching the place of destination the girl gets to some unpleasant suitors




Motif

j13


Name_eng: 
Two sisters
Description: 

Two sisters (if more, only two play a significant role in the plot) travel and meet an unpleasant suitor or get to an ogre




Motif

j23


Name_eng: 
A late son kills monsters
Description: 

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




Motif

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

j44


Name_eng: 
The broken bridge
Description: 

Person or his helper draws his enemies on the unstable bridge and destroys it. The enemies fall into water, into a precipice




Motif

j46


Name_eng: 
Enemy drowns
Description: 

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




Motif

j58


Name_eng: 
The arrow ladder
Description: 

Persons shoot arrows (darts) which hit each other’s end forming a chain (rope, ladder). Persons climb by this chain to the sky or (rare) across an obstacle




Motif

j59


Name_eng: 
Following arrow to get to the sky
Description: 

To climb to the sky, person must first to shoot an arrow that reaches the sky and sticks to it




Motif

j66


Name_eng: 
The gnawed through bow-strings
Description: 

Hero or his helpers cut or gnaw through bow- and other strings of the enemies, make holes in their canoes in order to forestall pursuit




Motif

k4


Name_eng: 
The bird nester
Description: 

Person climbs up a tree or rock or descends to a cave to get eggs or nestlings from the bird's nest. Another person remains on the ground. They get into conflict and/or the first person is unable to get back to the ground




Motif

k8c


Name_eng: 
Jonah: swallowed by terrestrial animal
Description: 

Person gets into the belly of ground animal or bird. He kills it from the inside and/or returns to earth by himself (i.e. not extracted by other people)




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

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

k27c


Name_eng: 
Ordeal: knives and thorns
Description: 

An ordeal: to remain alive after contact with sharp points or blades




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

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

k27m


Name_eng: 
To get an animal of unusual color
Description: 

The hero must kill and bring an animal of special (often unusual) color or form




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

k27w


Name_eng: 
Monster brought by the hero kills the task-giver
Description: 

Task-giver asks to bring him dangerous being or object possessed by a moster or deity. Hero fulfills the task. The beast, monster, deity or the object itself kills the task-giver




Motif

k28


Name_eng: 
Father or uncle is rival and enemy
Description: 

Maternal uncle or father (or grandfather if he replaces father who is not mentioned) of the young man is his rival or enemy and tries to kill him




Motif

k30


Name_eng: 
Flying enemy abducts woman
Description: 

Flying person or creature abducts a woman but is ultimately killed or the woman escapes from him




Motif

k37


Name_eng: 
Recognition-test
Description: 

To return or to get his or her son, wife, husband, domestic animal or (rare) object, person must recognize her, him or it among several identical persons, animals or objects




Motif

k37a


Name_eng: 
To recognize a man
Description: 

Person must recognize her (or his) son or husband among several identical persons or animals




Motif

k40


Name_eng: 
One will be eaten today and another tomorrow
Description: 

Two (rare more) persons or creatures think that they are doomed but one whose death is slightly delayed is happy while one who will be killed earlier is in grief




Motif

k56b


Name_eng: 
The worthy man is rewarded, the unworthy punished
Description: 

First one, then another man meets a powerful person or persons. The first man is worthy and rewarded with treasure, prestige or the like. The second man (or two men) follows him, behaves in a wrong way and is punished




Motif

k59


Name_eng: 
Box for Osiris
Description: 

One man puts another into a box, closes the lid (or ties him to a board, to canoe, etc.) and puts the box adrift. It floats to another land, man is released there, returns home, revenges on his enemy




Motif

k60b


Name_eng: 
Invitation to coffin
Description: 

Person is lured into a trap being invited to lie in a box or a hole to measure it. Being unable to liberate himself from the box etc., the person remains in power of his enemies




Motif

k70


Name_eng: 
Two sisters-in-law: the girl and the frog
Description: 

One brother marries a girl, another a frog or toad, both bring them to their parents, or one man takes two wives, a woman and a frog. Both wives have to pass a test. Values of the girl are highly assessed, the frog’s poor qualities are revealed




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

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

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

k77a


Name_eng: 
Small objects and animals defeat the ogre
Description: 

Small objects and animals (rare: animals alone but including those who really are harmless) revenge on a powerful enemy making attack on him in succession (usually they hide in his or her house); the enemy is badly injured, runs away or dies




Motif

k77c


Name_eng: 
Ones who hide in a house frighten dangerous enemy
Description: 

Objects and/or domestic animals live in a house. When dangerous enemy comes, they attack him, he dies or escapes (all texts with K77A and K77B included)




Motif

k89


Name_eng: 
A girl and a witch: presents of kinsfolk
Description: 

A girl and her rival (a witch, a frog) marry two brothers. Both daughters-in-law have to bring presents from their kinsfolk. The girl finds her brother, brothers or sister who were lost or died in the beginning of the tale and they give her valuables. Presents brought by the rival are worthless




Motif

k89b


Name_eng: 
Brother abandoned in a tree
Description: 

A girl becomes separated with her brothers (or brother) who die, remain in a tree, on a hill, ascend to the sky, etc. Usually after being happily married, the girl once again meets her brothers who have acquired a non-human nature




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

k125


Name_eng: 
House utensil betrays its master
Description: 

An enemy asks house utensils or personal objects where their master hid himself or herself or what direction he or she ran away. One of the objects, not treated by the master in a proper way, betrays him or her




Motif

l1c1


Name_eng: 
An escape to the sky
Description: 

To escape from a demonic person, a group of men who are relations of a girl ascend to the sky and remain there




Motif

l1c2


Name_eng: 
Hidden under the hearth
Description: 

Pursued by a demon, persons hide their younger brother or sister or children in a pit under the hearth




Motif

l5f


Name_eng: 
Helpful skull
Description: 

A bodiless head, face, or skull is a woman's husband, suitor or son. He is not dangerous but a good provider, saves people from hunger, etc.




Motif

l15a


Name_eng: 
Vulnerable place on the body
Description: 

The only vulnerable spot is near the surface of person’s or creature’s body and not in his inner organs




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

l15e


Name_eng: 
Hero’s life in his sword
Description: 

Hero's life is in certain object, usually in his weapon. When antagonist steals the object, the hero dies but revives after his friends or brothers find the object and bring it back




Motif

l41


Name_eng: 
Hero escapes on the way
Description: 

An ogre or ogress catches a person and carries his or her prey home but the person escapes on the way or immediately after reaching the ogre's house




Motif

l56


Name_eng: 
Fire in monster’s belly
Description: 

A monster or a big animal dies when fire is kindled in its belly




Motif

l58


Name_eng: 
Avaricious man
Description: 

A man does not share food with his wife or kinsfolk. He or his food is transformed (turns into a bird, into worms, etc.) in punishment




Motif

l65


Name_eng: 
Demonic baby
Description: 

A baby or small child proves to be a demon, devours or injures people




Motif

l65c


Name_eng: 
Cannibal elder sister
Description: 

The eldest of three or more sisters becomes a cannibal and devours her sisters and other people




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

l72b


Name_eng: 
Whetstone becomes a mountain
Description: 

Running away from a dangerous being, person throws objects that turn into mighty obstacles on the way of the pursuer. One of the thrown objects is a whetstone which turns into a mountain




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

l110


Name_eng: 
The devourer
Description: 

A demonic being swallows a multitude of people and animals. When it is killed and cut open, the swallowed ones come out alive or are revived




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

m3


Name_eng: 
Chain of animals
Description: 

Person crosses a water or air space along the chain of many animals, birds or fish




Motif

m3a


Name_eng: 
Counting water animals
Description: 

Animal who does not swim well suggests animals who live in water to count their number. For this, they should make a chain and he would run along it. It is but a trick to cross a body of water




Motif

m12


Name_eng: 
The unlucky hunter
Description: 

Not to return home empty-handed, a hunter or (rare) a fisherman cuts off a piece of flesh from his body (usually from his calf) or (more rare) extracts his blood or entrails. Usually he brings his flesh or blood to other people pretending that is a good game or fish; or a woman cuts off a piece of flesh from her calf to feed her husband




Motif

m21


Name_eng: 
A protector hides fugitives
Description: 

Person pursued by an enemy asks somebody whom he meets to help him. The helper hides him




Motif

m29a


Name_eng: 
Trickster-raven
Description: 

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




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

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

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

m46d


Name_eng: 
Child cries for a toy
Description: 

A small child cries and becomes satisfied only when he gets a particular object to play with. This object is of high value and is hidden in the house. As soon as the object is given to him, the child or a person related to him carry it away




Motif

m49


Name_eng: 
Man in a skin of another
Description: 

Hero comes across a (animal-)person from an enemy group and takes his or her appearance, usually dressing himself in a skin of his victim; after this he penetrates the enemy camp




Motif

m50


Name_eng: 
Man follows stars
Description: 

A man tries to join a group of persons who are or become stars (usually the Pleiades) but suffers a reverse; or he pursues the stars to have sexual contact or to be reintegrated with members of his family




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

m60


Name_eng: 
Sham doctor: finished off enemy
Description: 

Hero wounds dangerous enemy (a monster, a robber) and then, in guise of a doctor, comes to him and kills his patient instead of curing him




Motif

m60a


Name_eng: 
A hunter comes to one whom he wounded
Description: 

An animal or a supernatural creature is wounded but escapes. Local doctors are helpless. The hero or his companion, masked as a doctor, comes to the wounded one and either cures or kills him.




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

m94


Name_eng: 
Sliding downhill
Description: 

One person or animal suggests another to slide downhill to kill or harm him or her




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

m116


Name_eng: 
Wisdom of hidden old man saves kingdom
Description: 

People are ordered to kill their fathers or (rare) mothers (the Nyoro: to deprive them of power and property; the Baluch: not to take them setting off for the journey). An old man concealed by his son helps to resolve difficult problem




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

b42l


Name_eng: 
Animal is the dipper, hunters are the handle
Description: 

Stars of the handle of the Big Dipper are identified with the hunters, the dipper itself with the game (bear or elk) or a neat-barn ravaged by bear




Motif

k25a1


Name_eng: 
Magic wife finds her clothes
Description: 

Magic wife abandons her mortal husband when she finds her clothes (often, her feathers if she is a bird-woman), makes herself the new clothes, receives them from her kin or her husband gives her her clothing believing that she will not abandon him. (Versions with magic wife abandoning her husband because she feels herself offended is not alternative to the “found clothes but in most of the texts these motifs are not combined)




Motif

l65d


Name_eng: 
Younger sister of cannibal woman
Description: 

When the elder sister becomes a cannibal, the younger one (temporarily) escapes. Cf. motifs L1B, L65C




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

a32c


Name_eng: 
A man and a dog in the Moon
Description: 

A human being and a dog together are seen in the moon




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

b42g


Name_eng: 
Ursa major is a game animal(s)
Description: 

Ursus major (seven stars or only four stars of a dipper) is identified with the game animal or anmials (usually pursued by the hunter)




Motif

k27n3b


Name_eng: 
Task-giver lives in the sky but is not the Sun, Moon, Thunder or Wind
Description: 

Person who gives difficult tasks or tests to the hero or heroine lives in the sky but is not associated with the Sun, Moon, Thunder or Wind




Motif

m85


Name_eng: 
The fox bluffs
Description: 

An animal person (usually a fox or a jackal) threatens to cut down a tree on which mother bird (squirrel) made its nest unless she will throw down one of her nestlings (squirrel children) or eggs. Another bird lets the mother bird know that the predator is unable to realize his threat




Motif

f51d


Name_eng: 
The ginseng-child
Description: 

The ginseng roots are boys or girls who help the hero




Motif

b115


Name_eng: 
Evergreen trees
Description: 

Coniferous or some other trees or shrubs (subshrubs) became evergree when the life elixir was spilled on them by chance




Motif

k25a5


Name_eng: 
Two brothers and the swan-maidens
Description: 

The elder brother is a hunter, the younger brother (rare: sister) stays at home. When the elder gets to know that the bird-maidens visit the younger, he instructs him what he should do to catch one of the girls. The elder brother marries her but she finds her feathered clothes and flies away (in many versions the younger brother is a simpleton and tells his sister-in-law where her clothes are hidden). The elder brother goes away in search of his lost wife




Motif

m38a


Name_eng: 
The bungling host
Description: 

Being on a visit to other people or (more often) animals, an (animal)-person sees them act using magic or according to their animal nature. Back at home, he imitates their actions and gets in trouble. Actions are not heroic deeds, competitions or tests and mostly refer to providing and cooking food




Motif

d13i1


Name_eng: 
Showing his teeth, person betrays himself
Description: 

Person’s (demonic) nature becomes clear when he or she laughs and shows his or her teeth




Motif

m29b2


Name_eng: 
The bear is a failure/enemy
Description: 

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




Motif

k89d


Name_eng: 
Person hides turning into a needle
Description: 

Person who remained alone in a house or got into the house of dangerous creatures hides turning into a needle or other weaving or spinning tool




Motif

b79a1


Name_eng: 
A bird dropped hard substance on water
Description: 

In the beginning of time, a bird flies and drops some solid substance on the waters and the dry land or an island appear. Sometimes the precise nature of the substratum on which the solid piece falls is not defined




Motif

c8a1


Name_eng: 
Thread should enter the needle’s eye
Description: 

Being alone and having no other marriage partners, brother and sister agree to marry each other if a highly improbable event will take place: a thread that is far from a needle has to enter the needle’s eye.




Motif

j41c


Name_eng: 
Trials before confrontation with the antagonist
Description: 

A man sets off for a confrontation with dangerous adversary. On his way, he is suggested to fulfill difficult tasks and does it successfully. Usually the same tasks had been suggested before to another man who failed to fulfill them and was killed or imprisoned by the adversary




Motif

m94a1


Name_eng: 
Sliding downhill: animal tricksters
Description: 

Being irresponsible and light-minded, animal person slides downhill and dies or gets into trouble (falls on sharp pole, into the water, etc.)




Motif

h1e


Name_eng: 
The first dead opens the road
Description: 

After the first death the road to the realm of death remains open; certain person makes a road to the realm of death; the first person who had died becomes the ruler of the guard of the realm of death




Motif

b12


Name_eng: 
Rivers and snakes
Description: 

The river bed follows the way of a snake, fish, dragon or crab; pieces of the snake’s body turn into rivers; a river is a snake




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

h16a


Name_eng: 
Rivers of blood
Description: 

Rivers (lakes) of blood (also of puss, bones, sweat or water used for washing of corpses) are mentioned in narratives (in different context)




Motif

l19a


Name_eng: 
Beings with even number of heads
Description: 

Beings (any besides birds) with even but not more than ten number of heads are described in tales or represented in art. Beings that with even number of heads named in a row with other multi-headed beings and the highest number is even or bigger than ten are not considered




Motif

k10


Name_eng: 
Fight with the monstrous bird
Description: 

Monstrous bird (giant bat) predates on humans. Heroes fight with it




Motif

j19c


Name_eng: 
The pulled out tongue
Description: 

An evil spirit kills a woman burning her belly through




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

m29k


Name_eng: 
The turtle (tortoise, toad, frog) wins thanks to his smartness
Description: 

Being smart and persistent, the turtle (toad, frog) overcomes strong adversaries




Motif

n30


Name_eng: 
Crying while looking in one direction and laughing while looking in another
Description: 

The formula that describes the confusion of feelings: when a person looks in one direction, he or she cries, when in another – begins to laugh or smile; or one eye of a person laughs and another laughs; or person laughs looking at one object and weeps looking at another; or one of two persons who share the same fate laughs and another smiles, etc.




Motif

k27x9


Name_eng: 
To bring an object from the sea bottom
Description: 

The hero must bring a small object (often a finger ring) from the bottom of a deep waterbody (often the sea)




Motif

a2a1


Name_eng: 
The Moon was as bright as the Sun
Description: 

Initially, the Moon was as bright and hot as the Sun




Motif

i48a


Name_eng: 
Falling down into the underworld
Description: 

At the terminal part of the narrative the antagonist of the hero descends into the underworld




Motif

a2


Name_eng: 
Several suns
Description: 

In a certain time in the past three or more suns were on the sky simultaneously




Motif

b85


Name_eng: 
Wind pacified
Description: 

Wind is too strong, hero makes it to blow more calmly




Motif

m90a


Name_eng: 
To marry a man who would give a correct answer
Description: 

A girl is promised to a man who would know her name or whose finger would fit her ring, or who would guess a material from which certain object is made or grown. Person finds a correct answer by deception




Motif

m90a1


Name_eng: 
The louse skin
Description: 

It should be guessed the nature of a big animal or its skin, the content of a box. The correct answer is that the animal is a louse (or a flea), a louse is in the box




Motif

k25a7


Name_eng: 
Two brothers and the winged maiden
Description: 

The elder brother is a hunter, the younger one is a housekeeper. When the elder brother gets to catch the winged maiden, the younger foolishly gives her winged back and she flies away. The elder brother sets off to return his wife




Motif

l57a


Name_eng: 
Hero's body part is returned by his companion
Description: 

The antagonists acquire person’s organ or body part (his remains) . Another person gets back what has been stolen and the first one revives (becomes strong again)




Motif

e9i2


Name_eng: 
Duck-wife
Description: 

A man marries supernatural woman who is a duck




Motif

l102a


Name_eng: 
Escape from the sea-gull husband
Description: 

The sea-gull abducts a girl or a woman but she gets to return to the people




Motif

k66c


Name_eng: 
The bear takes human spouse
Description: 

The bear (lion) takes a woman for sexual partner or the she-bear takes a man. They have children who look like humans or bear cubs. More rare the woman gives birth to her son in the bear den because being abducted by the bear she was pregnant




Motif

k87


Name_eng: 
Marriage with an animal creates problems
Description: 

A woman becomes the wife of an animal (rare: other non-human being). Her husband cares for her but ultimately the animal, the woman, her children or her relations are killed, she turns into an animal herself, animals and humans become enemies, etc.




Motif

f34b


Name_eng: 
The paramour is not a human being
Description: 

A girl (a woman, a group of women) intentionally takes a penis-being, a snake, an eel, a lizard, a worm, a big water animal or water monster or a big terrestrial mammal for paramour. People kill or maim the paramour, the woman and/or her progeny or she is transformed herself into an animal. She is blamed for her behavior




Motif

f35a


Name_eng: 
Feeding with the kin’s meat
Description: 

Person does not know that he or she eats or cooks the meat of the member of his or her household (blood relation, more rare a spouse or servant) or serves it to his or her friends, or uses her or his bones for everyday needs, or slowly kills him ort her




Motif

l65b3


Name_eng: 
The escape on the tree
Description: 

Persons climbs a tree and thanks to this escapes from a demon (who usually tries to fell the tree)




Motif

j23c


Name_eng: 
Youngest brother kills monsters
Description: 

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




Motif

j1


Name_eng: 
The vengeful heroes
Description: 

Persons avenge the death of their father, mother or other relatives who are one (rare two) generations older than they




Motif

b37


Name_eng: 
Creatures are made appear as they are now
Description: 

Person decorates different birds (rare: fish), share fat between anomals. Since then, the corresponding species acquire present characteristics




Motif

b42u


Name_eng: 
Big Dipper’s handle are three persons
Description: 

Three stars of Big Dipper’s handle are three persons. Four stars of the Dipper itself are objects of animals (one or several)




Motif

c8aa


Name_eng: 
Brother and sister beget the people
Description: 

In the beginning of time or after the natural disaster brother and sister are the only human beings. They marry and the present day people are their descendents




Motif

l15h4


Name_eng: 
Person’s soul is in a needle
Description: 

An object that contains certain person’s soul / death is inside other object, the latter is in the third one (etc.). The last receptacle of the life is a needle, the hero breaks it





Similar traditions based on Cosmology and Etiology motifs:
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition: Oroch
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Karok
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Chukchi
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Manchu
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Wintu, Patwin, Nomlaki
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Nanai
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Nivkh
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Chuvans, Russian-speaking Creols of Markovo
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang Chinese; Manchuria Chinese (data not specified on particular provinces)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Tundra (Lower Kolyma) Yukaghir (Waduls)

Similar traditions based on Adventures and Tricks motifs:
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 8 Tradition:
Nanai
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 7 Tradition:
Oroch
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 5 Tradition:
Negidal
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Evens (Lamuts)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Tundra (Lower Kolyma) Yukaghir (Waduls)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Baikal RegionTungus/Evenki
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Uilta (Orok)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Central Yakuts (Sakha)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Northern Selkups
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Dolgans