Sayula Popoluca (=Veracruz Mixe), Sierra Popoluca, Veracruz Zoque



Tradition title rus: 
Саюла пополука (=михе Веракруса), сьерра пополука; соке Веракруса
Areal ID: 
14.1.3.3
Tradition analysis result motif count all: 
83.00
Tradition analysis result motif count cosmo: 
56.00

Linked Motifs

MotifNameDescription
a12Eclipses: monster’s attackSome 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
a14Eclipses: relations between the Sun and the MoonComing together of the Sun and the Moon is the reason of their eclipses
a14aThe conflict between the Sun and the MoonThe Sun and the Moon are or were enemies, either permanently or in particular situations
a24The first sunriseIn the beginning it is dark. When the Sun first appears on the sky, primeval beings or part of them perish or turn into animals, spirits, stones
a3Male sun and female moonThe Moon is female or bisexual, the Sun is male
a32Figure on lunar discA 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)
a32aThe Moon rabbitRabbit or hare are seen in the moon
a47The Sun is born from an eggThe Sun is born or created from an egg
a5The Sun and the Moon are malesThe Moon is male, the Sun is also male or (much more rare) asexual
b23Prohibited fire and smokeGod prohibits making fire for cooking and punishes breakers of this taboo
b39Narrow waist of an insectInsect-person knows the source of food (cultivated plants) and water but does not share his knowledge. To make him speak, ancestors tie a rope around his waist and pull it till the waist becomes narrow (origin of narrow place between breast and belly of insects)
b40Rabbit as deer’s proxyHare or rabbit is a false deer or it was deer in the past or a close kin of the deer or had horns or antlers or missed opportunity to get them, its ears are the false horns
b40aMissed opportunity to have hornsAnimal who has no horns now had them before or missed opportunity to get them
b41aAnimal reveals master’s secretsThe dog or other domestic animal speaks aloud about those details of its masters' life that they would prefer to conceal. He is punished by depriving his ability to speak
c12bPeople descend from a dogIn the beginning of time or after the flood man marries a bitch. Present people descend from them.
c5aBird-scoutsBirds or humans later changed to birds are sent to explore the earth (is it dry, are any survivals, to investigate why smoke rises to the sky, etc.) or to bring some soil to make the land that would be good for living
c9Warning about the coming floodGod, animal, some person warns one of the people about the catastrophy (usuallly the flood) that will become soon and in which most of the people must perish
e9The mysterious housekeeperPerson 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
e9dDog-wifeMan marries a girl who initially has guise of a dog
f35Feeding with the paramour’s meatPerson feeds another with the meat of his or her sexual partner who cooks or eats it without knowing whose meat it is
f40bA man in a village of womenA man gets into the village of women. Usually he has to satisfy every woman against his will or every woman claims him for herself
f45The AmazonsThere are (or were) women who live apart from men in their own village or villages
g12aPlants from drops of bloodCultivated plants emerge from drops of blood or spill from cuts on the body of a person or animal
g16Ants find cultivated plantsAnts are the first who find cultivated plants (corn or manioc) which are concealed from the others in particular place
g4A food mountainCultivated plants are found above or inside a mountain
g9Restored forestPeople fell trees to make a garden. In the morning, the forest is intact again
g9bAbandon your work, flood is comingA man fells trees to clear ground for a garden or breaks ground. Certain person or animal revives vegetation, makes the soil virgin again. He or she explains that the flood is coming, there is no sense to work and advices to prepare a floating device
h16Rivers of tearsRivers of tears exist in the other world. Tears shed on earth fill there big containers
h16aRivers of bloodRivers (lakes) of blood (also of puss, bones, sweat or water used for washing of corpses) are mentioned in narratives (in different context)
h24Container opened too earlyContainer with valuables or with dangerous creatures is opened (before time). Its content goes out of control or disappear
h26Mosquitoes had to be drownedThe right way to dispose of container with stinging insects would be to throw it into the river or sea or bury in a far away place, but it was not done
h27Mosquitoes let loseStinging insects (rare diseases) had been inside a container or some enclosure. They escaped to the world when the container or enclosure was foolishly opened
h28Plagues from the body of a person or creatureKilled 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
h28aMosquitoes from sparks and smokeA burned person or creature immediately turns into a multitude of mosquitoes or biting flies
h36The muddled messagePerson is sent by god to bring instructions or certain objects but distorts, forgets or replaces them. This has fatal consequences for humans or for a certain species of animals. (Lithuanian case can be a mistification)
h36aOrigin of death from the falsified messagePerson distorts instructions that he must pass to others, intentionally lies, forgets or replaces certain objects that must be given to others. Because of this human beings become mortal (do not revive after death)
h47Offended sky or earthThe sky (or the earth) is offended by people’s behavior in respect to it and reacts accordingly (e.g. rises higher than it was before)
i13aThe horned serpentGiant water-chthonic or sky serpent or dragon has horns or antlers on its head
i20The undeground dwarfsRace of dwarfs lives under the ground (deep under the earth or in hills and rocks) or at the horizon where the earth and the sky meet
i20cDwarfs live in the underworldDwarfs live in the underworld that somewhat reminds the world of humans. If the dwarfs and the humans meet, it is deep under the earther
i28Animals in the underworldGame animals live inside a mountain, in a cave or in the underworld where they often look like humans and have a master
i3Weapon of ThunderThe lightning (and thunder) is (produced with) an object (axe, sword, mirror, belt, stones, skin, etc.) in hands of anthropomorphic being
i41Rainbow serpentRainbow is a reptile (usually a snake) or (more rare) a fish, or it is related to snake, to its tongue, breath, or to scorpion's tail
i42Rainbow is a pair of creaturesRainbow is two creatures or persons, usually a male and a female
i43aThe celestial monsterGiant reptilian monster (serpent, more rare fish, chain of fish) extends in the sky and/or supports the sky being associated with Milky Way or the rainbow
i43bMilky Way is a serpent or fishMilky Way is a reptile, fish, or chain of fish
i45aNot to point at the Moon or a starPerson who points at the Moon or a star or looks intently at them will get sick or die or his pointing finger will rot or wither
i45bNot to point at the rainbowIt to point at the rainbow, pointing finger or entire arm will rot, wither or become crooked
i69Star dungShining sky objects or atmospheric phenomena are excrements of sky dwellers
i77The lame thunderPowerful person connected with thunder and rain is lame (usually after falling down from the sky)
i80Thunder’s apprenticePerson who got into the place of a deity responsible for atmospheric phenomena breaks certain taboo or instructions producing excessive thunderstorm, rain, snowfall or wind
i80aThe youngest ThunderMan meets Thunders and becomes one of them
i82aVenus is maleMorning and/or Evening Star is a male personage
i8e1Four supports of the worldThe sky or the earth rests upon four or five (cardinal points and the center) supports of any kind (poles, mountains, giants)
i9Colors of the cardinal directionsFour cardinal directions and/or some objects associated with them are associated with different colors
i9aZenith and nadirThe zenith and/or nadir are described together with four cardinal directions as the fifth (and the sixth) ones
j1The vengeful heroesPersons avenge the death of their father, mother or other relatives who are one (rare two) generations older than they
j21Birth from eggsGods, first people or founders of the royal lineages are born from eggs
j24Grounded to powderHero is grounded to powder but resuscitates
j26Babies come out of the waterBaby heroes, embryos or objects from which they emerge are found in a river or lake or come to people out of the water
j4Revenge for the death of the male relativesHeroes 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
j43Bait for antagonistsTo kill his antagonists, hero lures them with an attractive object which is delicious to eat and is usually on the other side of a body of water or a canyon
j44The broken bridgePerson or his helper draws his enemies on the unstable bridge and destroys it. The enemies fall into water, into a precipice
j46Enemy drownsAntagonist perishes falling into the water or trying to cross a water body
j50An attempt to revive the victimTwin heroes' parent dies or is killed, an attempt to revive him or her fails
k24Stolen clothes of supernatural womanWomen (rare: men) 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; rare: a girl of higher social status than the hero) take off their clothes (feather skins and the like) or part of it. Because a person hides the clothes (of one of them), their owner(s) have (has) to marry him or help him (rare: her)
k25Magic wifeA man consciously marries a woman related to the non-human world
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
k27cOrdeal: knives and thornsAn ordeal: to remain alive after contact with sharp points or blades
k27dOrdeal: chamber with dangerous beingsAn ordeal: to remain alive in a closed room full of beasts of prey, poisonous or other dangerous creatures
k34Fatal swingPerson kills others inviting them to sit on a swing and launching them into water, on rocks, etc.
l11Turtle-benchIn a non-human world objects of everyday life have appearance of animals and monsters, mainly fish, amphibians and reptiles
l32Gluttonous stoneStone swallows, bites or transforms people
l39Hero is compelled to descend from a treeWhen a person climbs a tree, a demon comes to it and carries the person away, or the person follows the demon to his world by his own will
l40Reflection and shadowPerson discovers (rare:still fails to discover) another getting to see his or her shadow or reflection in water
l48Demons devour their comradesA man kills (usually in a tree, on a rock, at the edge of a well, of a precipice) and/or throws down one of his enemies. The other enemies do not recognize their comrade and think that their prey is falling down
l53Stones into the mawA monstrous being is killed or neutralized by (burning hot) stones (pieces of metal, heavy fruits, etc.) thrown into its maw or anus or the being retreats when they menace to throw a stone into its maw
l55Monster killed with hot liquidTo kill a dangerous animal or monster, acrid or hot liquid (boiling water, resin, soup, etc.) is poured into one of his body orifices
l70Fruit falls and killsPerson or animal is killed or injured with a heavy object dropped from a tree (or rock, etc.). The person or the animal knows that the objects will fall but has falls ideas about its character and weight
m151aHolding up the rock(Animal) person pretends to hold up a rock, tree etc. and explains that otherwise it will fall
m3Chain of animalsPerson crosses a water or air space along the chain of many animals, birds or fish
m47Head put to bottomsPunishing a person or animal or restoring his or its body after its disin­teg­ration, a powerful being intentionally or by chance puts head to bottoms
m8bBirds break an obstacle to get waterBirds or (rare) animals work hard to break a rock or a cane and get water or honey concealed inside


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