Netsilik



Tradition title rus: 
Нетсилик
Areal ID: 
11.2.3.3
Tradition analysis result motif count all: 
95.00
Tradition analysis result motif count cosmo: 
65.00
Motifs: 

Motif

a4


Name_eng: 
Female sun
Description: 

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




Motif

a31


Name_eng: 
The incestuous Moon
Description: 

As a result of some intimate contacts and/or love affair, the Moon acquires its present appearance (often, the stains on his face) and/or ascends to the sky




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

b27


Name_eng: 
Variants of transformations
Description: 

Persons ponders over what object, feature, or creature it would be appropriate for him or her to turn into. When the choice is made, the persons transforms himself or herself




Motif

b31


Name_eng: 
Women turn into water mammal
Description: 

A woman (usually after a conflict with a man or remaining alone) or a man and a woman (married couple, lovers, brother and sister) turn into water mammals




Motif

b38


Name_eng: 
The ruined painting
Description: 

Person paints birds or animals or they paint each other. Some of them are not satisfied with the result




Motif

b38a


Name_eng: 
Two birds decorate each other
Description: 

Two birds decorate each other, one becomes worse than it was before




Motif

b38c


Name_eng: 
Raven and loon paint each other
Description: 

Raven and loon paint each other




Motif

b42


Name_eng: 
Cosmic hunt
Description: 

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




Motif

b42c


Name_eng: 
Sky hunters pursue a bear
Description: 

In the cosmic hunt tale the game pursued by the hunters is a bear




Motif

b42f


Name_eng: 
Ursa major is an ungulate
Description: 

Ursa major (seven stars or only four stars of a dipper) is identified with an ungulate (elk, deer, mountain sheep, etc.)




Motif

b42k


Name_eng: 
Cosmic hunt and the Pleiades
Description: 

In the cosmic hunt tale either hunters or game is identified with the Pleiades




Motif

b42n


Name_eng: 
Orion is one person
Description: 

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




Motif

b42t


Name_eng: 
Ursa major is a big mammal
Description: 

Seven main stars of Ursa major are interpreted as a figure of a mammal: bear, deer, mountain sheep, camel, dog




Motif

b44a


Name_eng: 
Council on seasons: units of time
Description: 

Animals (Melanesia: persons) discuss the number of discrete units of time that should be in a certain calendar period or in the night




Motif

b44c


Name_eng: 
Should warmth and light exist?
Description: 

It is discussed if darkness or light, cold or warm periods should exist




Motif

b44e


Name_eng: 
Dispute of ancestors
Description: 

The primeval ancestors (usually birds and animals) participate in discussion concerning the desired predominance or wamth/light or cold/darkness, number of the units of time in a tempoi cycle, etc.




Motif

b48


Name_eng: 
Predators become herbivorous
Description: 

Weak or herbivorous animals were dangerous predators but have been transformed




Motif

b54


Name_eng: 
Chips turn into fish
Description: 

Chips of wood, branches or pieces of bark thrown or fallen into the water turn into fish and/or aquatic animals




Motif

b71


Name_eng: 
Aurora borealis
Description: 

Aurora borealis is spirits (of the dead) who run holding burning torches, play or fight with each other




Motif

b75a


Name_eng: 
Sounds of the time of creation: voice of a person
Description: 

Voice of a person who lived in the bygone times is still heard (most often it is an echo)




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

b82


Name_eng: 
The white raven
Description: 

Raven or other carrion-eating bird of dark color and a similar size was originally white




Motif

b85b


Name_eng: 
Bag of winds
Description: 

Wind was or is in a particular enclosure (bag, cave, etc.). It was released from it or comes out from time to time




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

d13h


Name_eng: 
The dead should not laugh
Description: 

Person should not laugh in the world of the dead




Motif

e5aa


Name_eng: 
People grew like a grass
Description: 

The first people grew or crawled out of the earth like a grass, mushrooms, worms, etc.




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

e9a


Name_eng: 
Fox-wife
Description: 

Man maries fox-woman




Motif

e9aa


Name_eng: 
Fox-wife in animals’ den
Description: 

In search of his lost fox-wife man comes to a den. Different animal- or bird-women come out and ask him if he would mary them. He refuses and they let him in




Motif

f1


Name_eng: 
First woman is a transformed man
Description: 

Woman, female supernatural or animal females are created by changing the sex of a man (or male animals)




Motif

f45


Name_eng: 
The Amazons
Description: 

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




Motif

f49


Name_eng: 
The abnormal birth
Description: 

Cesarean operation upon a woman at childbirth as a custom




Motif

f51


Name_eng: 
The clandestine lover
Description: 

Person who conceals his or her identity comes to his or her lover (at night). Next time, the lover puts a mark on the stranger's face, body or clothes doing this intentionally (to recognize him or her) or by chance (that leads to the identification)




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

h29


Name_eng: 
Origin of foreigners
Description: 

A woman is impregnated by an animal, usually by a snake. People of hostile nation originate or receive their culture from her progeny or from her paramour's relatives




Motif

i14


Name_eng: 
No-anus people
Description: 

Person or creature has no anus opening




Motif

i17


Name_eng: 
Body anomalies of inhabitants of a distant land
Description: 

Beings without mouth, anus, genitals, whose women do not know how to give birth live in the underworld, in the sky, or in a far-away land




Motif

i18


Name_eng: 
A spouse or husband without anus or mouth
Description: 

Person visits people who have no anus or mouth. He or his sister marries or tries to marry a local dweller




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

i23


Name_eng: 
Snapping door
Description: 

The door of a house is opening and closing by itself crashing persons who attempt to come in or out




Motif

i28


Name_eng: 
Animals in the underworld
Description: 

Game animals live inside a mountain, in a cave or in the underworld where they often look like humans and have a master




Motif

i35


Name_eng: 
Dragging a hide produces thunder
Description: 

Thunder is produced by dragging behind a dry animal skin or (rare) a person (rare) or by shaking clothes




Motif

i36


Name_eng: 
Thunder and lightning are relatives, spouses or in-laws
Description: 

Thunder and lightning (two thunders, two lightings) are close relatives, spouses or in-laws




Motif

i55


Name_eng: 
Stars are openings
Description: 

Stars are openings in the firmament; holes in dwelling's covering are thought to be stars




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

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

i123


Name_eng: 
Altair is the Sun’s messenger
Description: 

Altair or Vega with a weak nearby star are believed to appear on the sky immediately after winter solstice though really it is not so




Motif

k8a


Name_eng: 
Jonah: swallowed by monster
Description: 

Person 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)




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

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

k27x


Name_eng: 
Former husband of magic wife
Description: 

A man marries a non-human woman. In her world, she has another husband or suitor. She returns to her world, human husband follows her. He stands tests and/or fights with local inhabitants, gets his wife back




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

k32b1


Name_eng: 
Mother substitutes her daughter
Description: 

Mother-in-law of a man takes the appearance of her daughter to replace her




Motif

k45


Name_eng: 
Sedna (fingers cut off)
Description: 

A man rides away from a woman or girl in a boat (on raft, sledge). When she tries to snatch a border of the boat (raft, sledge), he cuts her fingers off




Motif

k54


Name_eng: 
Two giants
Description: 

A man meets a dangerous giant (or serpent) who proves to be friendly to him. When another giant fights with the first one, the man helps his friend




Motif

k54a


Name_eng: 
Cut tendons
Description: 

A man and a friendly giant live together. The friendly giant fights with another one and asks the man for help. This help proves to be crucial because the man badly injures a foot of another giant




Motif

l42


Name_eng: 
Hero carried to ogre’s home
Description: 

An 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




Motif

l42a


Name_eng: 
Ogre steals corpses
Description: 

An ogre steals fresh corpses from graves and devours them




Motif

l73


Name_eng: 
Ogre tries to drink a river dry and bursts
Description: 

The antagonist tries to drink a river or sea and bursts




Motif

m16


Name_eng: 
Ugly or sick one becomes healthy and handsome
Description: 

A kinfolk (often his mother) or wife (bride) of a sick (ugly, old) man or boy do not care for him. He becomes healthy (and handsome), punishes and/or abandons those who were evil with him




Motif

m16a


Name_eng: 
Diving bird’s medicine
Description: 

A supernatural helper (usually a loon) makes a blind man to regain his eyesight diving with him into water




Motif

m17


Name_eng: 
Woman lies that man missed
Description: 

A blind man or lad kills an animal. His wife or (grand)mother lies that he has missed, cooks and eats all the meat alone




Motif

m29a


Name_eng: 
Trickster-raven
Description: 

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




Motif

m29i


Name_eng: 
Trickster-hawk
Description: 

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




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

m53a


Name_eng: 
Raven and seals
Description: 

Raven tricks seals or other water mammals to gather around him and kills them by deception




Motif

m87


Name_eng: 
Invisible ghosts
Description: 

Person enters a seemingly empty house and attempts to take certain things. Invisible beings prevent him from doing it or objects themselves hurt him




Motif

m123


Name_eng: 
Raven marries goose
Description: 

A bird of prey or a carrion-eater (raven, owl, hawk; coyote) marries or tries to marry goose-person or other water bird. This marriage is not realized or is a short one




Motif

m123c


Name_eng: 
Unlucky flight with migratory birds
Description: 

A bird-person who usually does not fly away in the autumn makes attempt to fly with migratory birds but is unable to reach destination




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

k25a3


Name_eng: 
The picked up feathers
Description: 

Magic bird-wife flies away after she had picked up many feathers and made of them her new bird-clothes




Motif

a7a


Name_eng: 
Torches in hands of celestial bodies
Description: 

Light of the Sun (Moon, Venus) is a torch in hands of the celestial body




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

m29b3


Name_eng: 
The fox (jackal, coyote) is a failure
Description: 

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




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

e9i3


Name_eng: 
Goose-wife
Description: 

A man marries supernatural woman who is a goose




Motif

i22g


Name_eng: 
Clapping rocks
Description: 

There 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




Motif

b27a


Name_eng: 
Transformation into thunder and lightning
Description: 

Persons ponders over what object, feature, or creature it would be appropriate for them to turn. When the choice is made, persons turn into thunder and/or lightning




Motif

m17a


Name_eng: 
(Grand-)mother deceives her blind (grand-)son
Description: 

(Grand-)mother of a blind man or boy secretly eats meat or fish (usually acquired by her son or grandson) but tells him that there is no food in their house




Motif

k45a


Name_eng: 
Fingers turn into water animals
Description: 

A man rides away from a woman or girl in a boat (on raft). When she tries to snatch a border of the boat (raft), he cuts her fingers off. The fingers turn into water animals




Motif

k45b


Name_eng: 
Woman turns into water animal
Description: 

A man and a woman of different generations (the father and the daughter, the son and the mother) get into conflict which results in the woman's transformation into the sea mammal. the sovereign of the sea mammals or into the frog (toad)




Motif

a7


Name_eng: 
The sun pursues the moon
Description: 

The Sun and the Moon are two persons one of which is pursuing another in the sky or pursued him or her when they were rising to the sky from the earth




Motif

a20


Name_eng: 
Childhood and youth of the Sun and Moon
Description: 

The Sun and the Moon (rare: the Sun and a star, the Moon and a star) are two siblings who live on earth and then ascend to the sky being still young persons




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

l135


Name_eng: 
The Traveller
Description: 

Male person leaves his home and gets to unfamiliar places. On his way, he comes across different strange creatures. After all, he returns home or leaves the earth for the other world. (Rather often a long string of episodes breaks off or the story lacks the beginning and does not explain why the hero is travelling)




Motif

h54


Name_eng: 
The eyelids of Viy
Description: 

Eyelids (eyelashes, eyebrows) of personage hang long down over his eyes. To make the eyes widely opened, the eyelids (eyelashes, eyebrows) should be propped up with poles, folks, sticks, etc. (rare: cut off)




Motif

b125


Name_eng: 
Animals exchange their organs
Description: 

During the time of creation particular species of animals (rare: plants) exchanged certain organs or traits or one animal borrowed an organ from another one but never brought it back. Thence the characteristics of these animals now. In rare cases the back exchange and restoring of the initial situation or the passing of certain organ from one animal to another without compensation are described




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

l101


Name_eng: 
Pieces of clothes thrown to pursuer
Description: 

Pursued 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




Motif

l102


Name_eng: 
Escape from animal husband
Description: 

Seriously 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




Motif

l103


Name_eng: 
Obstacle flight (Atalanta type)
Description: 

Treasure, or the like, is thrown back to tempt pursuer to delay




Motif

m29a1


Name_eng: 
Raven (crow) is the main trickster
Description: 

In three or more different episodes related to deception, absurd, obscene or anti-social behavior the protagonist is raven (crow)




Motif

b36a


Name_eng: 
Two creatures decorate each other
Description: 

Two zoomorphic personages decorates each other or somebody decorates each of them





Similar traditions based on Cosmology and Etiology motifs:
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 8 Tradition: Iglulik
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 6 Tradition:
West Greenland
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 6 Tradition:
Caribou
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 6 Tradition:
Baffin Land Inuit
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 5 Tradition:
Polar Inuit
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 5 Tradition:
Labrador Inuit (Koksoagmiut)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Chukchi
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
North Alaskan Inupiat
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Kuna; XVI century data on Eastern Panama
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 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:
Polar Inuit
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 7 Tradition:
Iglulik
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 5 Tradition:
Caribou
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 5 Tradition:
Baffin Land Inuit
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 5 Tradition:
North Alaskan Inupiat
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 5 Tradition:
West Greenland
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Labrador Inuit (Koksoagmiut)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Chipewyan (Dëne Sųłıné)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Haida
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Upper Tanana (Nebesna)