St. Lawrence Island Yupik



Tradition title rus: 
Юпик острова Св Лаврентия
Areal ID: 
11.2.1.2
Language: 
Tradition analysis result motif count all: 
58.00
Tradition analysis result motif count cosmo: 
20.00

Linked Motifs

MotifNameDescription
a3Male sun and female moonThe Moon is female or bisexual, the Sun is male
b3aPrimeval watersWater is the original element, the dry earth appears later
b3bEarth grows bigOriginal earth was small and later increased in size or the fertile soil grew from a small amount of original substance
b42fUrsa major is an ungulateUrsa major (seven stars or only four stars of a dipper) is identified with an ungulate (elk, deer, mountain sheep, etc.)
b42tUrsa major is a big mammalSeven main stars of Ursa major are interpreted as a figure of a mammal: bear, deer, mountain sheep, camel, dog
c6dThe aquisition of the earth from the lower worldThe 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)
e9mBear-wifeMan marries a polar bear or grizzly who becomes a woman or a woman who becomes a bear
g23Alive being turns into many objectsPerson or creature is transformed. Separate parts of its (his, her) body give origin to different objects or creatures (only etiological narratives are considered)
g29Demon made of artifactsDemonic person turns into or consists of different household objects or tools (and into elements of a landscape)
h12The alive person comes to the land of the dead after somebody’s deathThe alive person comes to the land of the dead to bring back somebody who has recently died (besides stories about shamans who journey to the other world to bring back the soul of a sick person) or, having no particular aim, goes there in company of somebody who had recently died or following his or her tracks
h13Dead person is returned and revivesPerson comes to the land of the dead and brings back somebody who has recently died or brings his remains. The dead one becomes alive and lives normal life (for some time)
i22Objects in permanent movementThere are objects which remaining on the same place are moving permanently or periodically (meet and part. rise and fall down, shut and open, rotate)
i22cA plank from the stern of ArgoPerson succeeds in getting through the opening which is going to bang shut but the stern of his boat, the tail of an animal or a bird, the body of his horse, or his own heel is flatterned, torn off, etc.
i22gClapping rocksThere are mountains or rocks which permanently collide and separate again from each other or a crack (jaws) in a vertical cliff which is opening and closing
i37fFungi are earsFungi or mushrooms are named “ears”
i69Star dungShining sky objects or atmospheric phenomena are excrements of sky dwellers
i84Milky Way is a snow-shoes trackMilky Way is a path of a person who was walking on snow-shoes
i85c1The rain stored in the skyIn the sky there is a special container (vessel, skin, box, etc.) for storing the rain
j17Frogs in hairInstead 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
j38Talons got stuckA mighty bird thrust its talons into a big fish, whale, water monster, etc. Talons get stuck, the bird is either pulled down under the water or makes itself free with great difficulty
k25Magic wifeA man consciously marries a woman related to the non-human world
k26A hole in the firmamentFinding a hole in the ground or making it, person gets to see below another world. Usually the earth is seen from the sky
k26aSky opening covered with a stoneOpening in the firmament is covered with a flat stone. When person puts the stone aside, he or she gets to see the earth
k27 (motif is not in the correlation table)Competitions and difficult tasksPerson 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
k27nDifficult tasks of the in-lawsA man must fulfill difficult tasks (to win competition) to receive the permission for a marriage
k27n3cTask-giver is a zoomorphic beingPerson who gives difficult tasks to the hero is associated with an animal, a bird or a fish
k27n3c1Hero’s adversaries are polar bearsInhabitants of the village of the polar bears who are relations of the hero’s wife give him difficult tasks and tests
k27oBall gameA contest: ball game
k27o2To play with a dangerous ballTo kill the hero, his enemies involve him into a game with a dangerous ball (or ice, stone, bone, iron, a walrus head, a biting skull, etc.)
k29aSurviving in a fireHero demonstrates his supernatural abilities remaining alive in a burning hot chamber, stove, bonfire, among burning vegetation
k29bPosthole murderHero is asked to climb into a hole or pit. When he does it, they fill it with soil or throw down a post, a stone, etc. The hero demonstrates his magic capacities coming back uninjured
k32The false wifeAn 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.
k32aTravelling man leaves his wife or daughter for a short timeA man travels with his wife or daughter. Another woman or a demonic person replaces her when the man goes away for a short time or (rare) falls asleep
k32kThe false wife is a bug or a grubThe false wife who acquired guise and place of the real one is a smelling bug or a grub
k41Thunder against a serpent Thunder or giant bird fights against a reptile, big water animal or other big and strong creature who lives in water or under the earth
k51aWoman pushes her rival into the boiling potA woman comes to her rival and kills her pushing her head into boiling liquid or pouring it into her ear
k51bThe killed ones smileBodies of the killed ones are put in such a position as if they are in a good mood (smile, laugh, dance)
k56The kind and the unkind girlsOne of (step)sisters, co-spouses or young female neighbors meets a being that is able to reward and to punish. She behaves herself properly and is rewarded. Another (other) girl comes to the same being but behaves in a wrong way and is punished (not rewarded).
k56a8An animal is taken for a bridegroom by mistakeA girl marries an animal (brings it with her), it turns into a handsome man. Another girl tries to do the same but perishes or suffers a reverse
k56a8aKind girl returns with a handsome manA girl goes to the other world, acts correctly and brings back an animal or a box with a handsome man inside. Usually another girl acts wrongly and suffers a reverse
k8aJonah: swallowed by monsterPerson gets into the belly of water being or into the belly of giant creature which appearance and living place remain vague. He kills the monster from the inside and/or returns to earth by himself (i.e. not extracted by other people)
l101Pieces of clothes thrown to pursuerPursued by demonic creature (usually a whale or walrus), people throw behind piece by piece children’s or woman’s clothes. These attract the pursuer’s attention, he loses time, the runaways escape
l102Escape from animal husbandSeriously of for fun, a girl or a woman names an animal or remains of an animal as her husband or steps on the animal’s bones. The animal (revives and) carries her away. Her human husband or brother comes after her and they run away. The animal husband pursues them but abandons the chase or dies
l103Obstacle flight (Atalanta type)Treasure, or the like, is thrown back to tempt pursuer to delay
l41cChildren caught when sliding down a slopeOgre catches children when they play sliding down a slope
l42Hero carried to ogre’s homeAn ogre or ogress catches a person and brings him to his or her home where he or she plans to cook and eat him. The hero escapes
l42jTree bends down (mice in the ogre’s bag)An ogre puts children (usually they are mice) into his bag, tell a tree (post, etc.) to bend down, hangs the bag on the tree and tells the tree to straighten itself back. Another animal person (usually the fox) releases the children
l5fHelpful skullA 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.
l72The obstacle flightRunning away from a dangerous being, person throws small objects behind him or her which turn into mighty obstacles on the way of the pursuer
l72bWhetstone becomes a mountainRunning 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
l73Ogre tries to drink a river dry and burstsThe antagonist tries to drink a river or sea and bursts
l73bDrawing a line on the groundPerson draws a line on the ground creating an obstacle that the pursuer is unable to cross
l93aHelpful foxCunning fox, jackal or coyote saves particular person or many people, helps them
m42Eyes: taken out of orbits and lostPerson loses his eyes because of his playfulness or negligence. He makes new eyes of some substance or/and takes eyes of another person
m42aEyes of berriesPerson (usually after losing his own eyes), makes new eyes of berries and is able to see again
m49Man in a skin of anotherHero 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
m49aThe substituted medicine-womanThe hero has to come unrecognized to the meeting place of his enemies. He meets an old woman (usually a shaman, a medicine-woman) who goes there, puts on her skin and acquires her appearance
m93Body part as a guardBefore falling asleep, person tells his eyes (which he extracts and puts aside) or his anus to awake him in case of danger. Eyes or anus do not make an alarm or person himself does not react to it. As a result he suffers a damage


Similar traditions based on Cosmology and Etiology motifs:
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 8 Tradition: Asiatic Eskimo (Sirenek, Naukan, Chaplino)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 6 Tradition:
North Alaskan Inupiat
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 5 Tradition:
Iglulik
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Central Yupik
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Chukchi
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Northern Khanty (Ostyaks)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Oroch
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Baikal RegionTungus/Evenki
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Kodiak
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Bering Strait Inupiat (incl. King Island)

Similar traditions based on Adventures and Tricks motifs:
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 7 Tradition:
Asiatic Eskimo (Sirenek, Naukan, Chaplino)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
North Alaskan Inupiat
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Chukchi
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Athna
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Koyukon
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Chugach
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Maritime Koryak (Alyutor)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Kamchadal
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Central Yupik
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Caribou