Mende, Loma, Gbunde (Gbandi, Bandi)



Tradition title rus: 
Менде (Сьерра-Леоне) , гбунде (гбанди, банди, кимбузи; Либерия), лома (Либерия)
Areal ID: 
1.3.5.10
Tradition analysis result motif count all: 
63.00
Tradition analysis result motif count cosmo: 
32.00
Motifs: 

Motif

a4


Name_eng: 
Female sun
Description: 

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




Motif

b3


Name_eng: 
A primeval swamp
Description: 

Initially the earth is a swamp, water and dry land are not separated from each other




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

b42r


Name_eng: 
The Belt of Orion: one runs after another
Description: 

Three stars of the Belt of Orion are three persons or animals who pursue each other




Motif

c19


Name_eng: 
Acquisition of the sun
Description: 

The Sun (the day light) that was absent, stolen or hidden appears (again)




Motif

e5c


Name_eng: 
People from the sky
Description: 

The first people or first anthropomorphic divine beings descend to earth from the sky.




Motif

h4


Name_eng: 
The shed skin
Description: 

Those who change their skin become young again




Motif

h5


Name_eng: 
People and snakes
Description: 

Reptiles or invertebrates possess the medicine of immortality; are contrasted with men as immortal with mortals and/or are responsible for originating of death; or a snake's bite inflicts the first death




Motif

h6bb


Name_eng: 
The lost objects
Description: 

Animal person is sent to pass to the people certain objects or substance but loses or replaces them. Because of this people miss possibility to become immortal or their life becomes difficult




Motif

h34g


Name_eng: 
One grain porridge
Description: 

One cereal grain (cob, etc.) is enough to prepare a meal




Motif

h36


Name_eng: 
The muddled message
Description: 

Person 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)




Motif

h36h


Name_eng: 
The unhappy jump
Description: 

Some beings, frog and toad among them, have to overcome an obstacle. This is realized not the way it was planned and as a consequence, people become mortal




Motif

h36hh


Name_eng: 
Death and the frog
Description: 

Frog or toad is responsible for introduction of permanent death




Motif

h41


Name_eng: 
Death and the dog
Description: 

Dog is responsible for people being mortal or imperfect. Usually the antagonist bribes dog with a warm fur and the dog lets him spoil the half-ready human figures




Motif

i11


Name_eng: 
Cosmic turtle or toad
Description: 

A turtle, toad, or frog supports the earth (sky) or is its embodiment




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

i41


Name_eng: 
Rainbow serpent
Description: 

Rainbow 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




Motif

i51a


Name_eng: 
Bull the earth-holder
Description: 

Big mammal supports the earth




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

i74a


Name_eng: 
Stars are fire-flies
Description: 

Stars are fire-flies, glow-worms




Motif

i82b


Name_eng: 
Venus is female
Description: 

Morning and/or Evening Star is a female personage




Motif

i82c


Name_eng: 
Venus is the Moon’s wife
Description: 

Venus or some other bright star seen near the eastern or western horizon is female and wife of the Moon




Motif

i98a


Name_eng: 
The Pleiades are a hen with its chickens
Description: 

The Pleiades are a brooding hen, hen with its chickens, chickens




Motif

i116


Name_eng: 
Milky Way is the border between the seasons
Description: 

The Milky Way is the border-line between seasons of the year or parts of the universe (the wet and the dry seasons, the sky and the earth, etc.)




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

j42


Name_eng: 
Waters split apart
Description: 

When person comes to the water body, waters are split apart so the person reaches the other bank walking on the dry ground




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

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

k73


Name_eng: 
Children of the youngest wife
Description: 

A young woman promises to bear a wonderful children (wonderful son). In her husband's absence other people (co-wives, mother-in-law, etc.) try to kill the mother and/or the child, usually slandering the young woman




Motif

k73a4


Name_eng: 
Baby child substituted with a pup
Description: 

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




Motif

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

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

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

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

l106b


Name_eng: 
Journey to the other world in search of the lost object
Description: 

In search of a lost object, usually carried away by water or wind, a girl or (rare) a boy comes to a powerful person, gets the object back and/or is rewarded. The object is related to the everyday life, it has no ritual significance and is not a weapon




Motif

l113


Name_eng: 
The ogre bridegroom
Description: 

A girl (rejects suitors for a long time but at last) falls in love with a handsome man who proves to be a demon or animal. Usually she eventually escapes from him




Motif

l114


Name_eng: 
The youngest one saves siblings from demon
Description: 

A group of young people comes to a demon. The youngest brother of sister or a person whom others take for a sick, unpleasant, invalid one and who often accompanies the others against their wish saves them all




Motif

l114a


Name_eng: 
A child who stays awake
Description: 

A member (usually the youngest) of a group of boys or girls gets with them to a cannibal. The cannibal plans to kill people when they fall asleep. The youngest boy or girl every time answers the cannibal why he or she is still awake and forces him or her to be engaged into different activities instead of killing the sleeping people. Brothers (sisters) run away and return home




Motif

m29p


Name_eng: 
Trickster is a spider
Description: 

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




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

m83


Name_eng: 
Who is older?
Description: 

Somebody claims that he has been born before present world came into being. His opponent claims the same, and they argue who of them is the older




Motif

m112


Name_eng: 
Animals dig a well
Description: 

An animal person refuses to dig or clean a source of drinking water together with other animals or birds but takes advantage of the results of the work




Motif

m118


Name_eng: 
Source of values is destroyed imprudently
Description: 

Person or animal gets access to values that are inside an animal, a tree, a rock or other enclosure. Later he himself or more often somebody else tries to do the same but destroys source of values, blocks access to it or makes it too dangerous




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

a2c


Name_eng: 
Extra suns are children of the present one
Description: 

Extra suns who almost burned or could burn the world are children of the present one




Motif

a5


Name_eng: 
The Sun and the Moon are males
Description: 

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




Motif

m104


Name_eng: 
Make believe killing of kinsfolk
Description: 

Person conceals his or her close relatives (children, mother, brothers) and tells another that he or she has killed them. Another believes and agrees to kill his or her own children, mother, etc.




Motif

m105


Name_eng: 
Make believe killing of mother
Description: 

Person conceals his mother or (rare) wife or mother-in-law, tells another that he has killed or sold her, another really kills or sells his mother (wife, mother-in-law)




Motif

m23


Name_eng: 
Mock plea
Description: 

Person or creature pretends to be afraid of a particular sort of treatment that really cannot do him any harm




Motif

e31a


Name_eng: 
Creators and rescuers of a girl
Description: 

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




Motif

e31b


Name_eng: 
Rescuers of a man
Description: 

Several women take part in the reanimation of a dead man. They argue whose role was crucial and/or who of them should be the spouse of the reanimated person




Motif

j54a


Name_eng: 
The calf and the tiger cub
Description: 

Two women (usually female animal persons) live together, both have children, one of them kills and devours another or wants to do it. The son of the murderer kills his mother and becomes a companion of the victim's son, or the victim’s and the murderer’s children escape together




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

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

k73a


Name_eng: 
Baby child substituted with object or animal
Description: 

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




Motif

k73a5


Name_eng: 
Baby child substituted with a kitten
Description: 

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




Motif

i72a


Name_eng: 
Stars are children of the Sun and the Moon
Description: 

Stars are children of the Moon and/or the Sun




Motif

l72e


Name_eng: 
Pursuer goes back to take his axe
Description: 

The pursuer cannot break with his hands obstacles created by heroes and must return home after the needed tools




Motif

k32h3


Name_eng: 
Punishment: burned alive
Description: 

To punish an antagonist, he or she is burned alive. (Episodes in which the burning of the dangerous being is not a punishment but an effective way to get rid of him or her are not considered)




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

i98c


Name_eng: 
The Pleiades is a flock of birds
Description: 

The Pleiades is a flock of birds (in flight)




Motif

i41b2


Name_eng: 
Rainbow from the animal’s mouth
Description: 

Rainbow comes out of the mouth of a reptile, amphidian or in vertebrate animal





Similar traditions based on Cosmology and Etiology motifs:
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition: Dan (=Gio), Guro (=Kweni, incl Gagu, Neio), Toura, Mano, Ngere, Beng, Guro
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Kru: Kru proper, Sapo (Sapã), Grebo, Kran (Krahn, Guere-Krahn; incl. Putu, Tchien), Bete, Neyo, Wobe, Devoin (Dey), Belle (Kuwaa), Bassa, Sikon
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Limba
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Ancient Greece
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Batak (Toba, Dairi)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Tiv, Bamum (Bamun), Mungaka (Mgaka, Bali), Beba, Anaguta, Bete (Mbete, Karang), Ekoi, Nyang, Vute (Wute), Jukun, Chamba, Bamileke, Kwotto, Kirri; Denya (Nyang)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Ewe
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Hausa
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Bhils (incl Barela-Bhilala), Pardhi, Kokna, Parwa
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 2 Tradition:
Krache (Kraci); Ga; Adele

Similar traditions based on Adventures and Tricks motifs:
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 5 Tradition:
Arabs of Levant (Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan); Bedouins of Sinai
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Russians: Southern part of ethnic territory as in A.D. 1500 (Belgorod, Voronezh, Tambov, Penza, Lipetsk, Orel, Kursk, Bryansk provinces; in case of absence in other areas also Russians in Samara, Simbirsk and Saratov provinces)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Danes
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
French (northern France)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Italians: Southern (Abruzzo, Campania, Molise, Basilicata, Apulia, Calabria)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Spain
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Lithuanians
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 4 Tradition:
Germans: Northeast (Brandenburg, Meklenburg, Rügen, Pommern, Silesia, Posen)
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Byelarusians
Shared motifs (from a list of 10 less used): 3 Tradition:
Setu