Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

A32M — Gypsy sun.

12 Myths, legends and folktales
12 Unique narratives for motif A32M
8 Cultures & traditions where A32M is told
19 Sub-motifs of motif A32M
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Source data for narratives and traditions is drawn from Berezkin’s Analytical Catalogue. If you use this data, please acknowledge and link to it: Ю.Е. Березкин, Е.Н. Дувакин. Тематическая классификация и распределение фольклорно-мифологических мотивов по ареалам. Аналитический каталог.

Summary of motif

Overview

The moon is called the "Gypsy sun".

Berezkin category: The Sun and Moon

This is of motif type Cosmology and etiology and is part of group 1, Sun and Moon.

A32 has 19 other sub-motifs

Related

A32.  A figure or imprint of some creature or object is visible on the lunar disc. Statistical calculations also include motifs A32A – A32J (a rabbit, frog, predatory animal, human, tree, etc. are visible on the moon).
A32a.  The figure or imprint of a rabbit or hare is visible on the lunar disc.
A32b.  The figure or imprint of a toad or frog is visible on the lunar disc; the moon is associated with this animal.
A32b1.  A woman sits (jumps) on the face (back) of the Moon Man and is now visible in the silhouette of the moon spots.
A32c.  The figures of a man and a dog are visible (or should have been visible) on the lunar disc.
A32c1.  The figure or imprint of a predatory mammal (fox, wolf, dog, coyote, jaguar, lion) is visible on the lunar disc. Either this animal is associated with the moon, belongs to it. See motif A34.
A32d.  The figure or imprint of an anthropomorphic creature is visible on the lunar disc.
A32d1.  Cain and Abel are associated with the moon, usually distinguishable (both or only Cain) in the silhouette of lunar spots.
A32d2.  A man with a pitchfork in his hands can be seen in the silhouette of the moon's spots.
A32dd.  The lunar disc shows the figure or imprint of an anthropomorphic character carrying a bundle of wood or brushwood.
A32de.  A headless man is visible on the lunar disc.
A32e.  On the lunar (rarely: solar) disc, a character holding an object or animal is visible. See motif A32D.
A32f.  On the lunar disc, a character is visible who has gone to fetch water and/or is holding a vessel for liquid in his hands. See motif A32D.
A32g.  On the lunar disc, a character can be seen holding onto a tree or bush and ending up on the moon with them. See motif A32D.
A32h.  A tree, bush, branch, snag, etc. are visible on the lunar disc. See motif A32G.
A32i.  A shepherd (shepherd and girl, shepherd and his flock, dogs) can be seen on the lunar disc.
A32j.  A shaman with a tambourine ascends to the moon and remains there, visible in the silhouette of the lunar spots.
A32k.  A character, discernible in the silhouette of the moon's spots, first headed for the sun and only then reached the moon, or the Sun and the Moon argued over who he should belong to.
A32l.  The silhouette of a certain character is visible on the solar disc. Or it is said that the character fell into the sun and remained there.
A32m.  The moon is called the "Gypsy sun".

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of A32’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny
MotifSimilarityMotif summary
A35B100.00%The character tries to cover the moon with resin (so that it shines less brightly).
B123100.00%A fly lands on the chest of the crucified Jesus. His persecutors, who intended to drive a nail into his heart, do not do so, believing that the nail has already been driven in.
B124100.00%Ever since a piece of flesh was torn from a person's foot, a hollow has formed between the toe and the heel.
B49B100.00%In the past, cows had more teats on their udders than they do now.
C32100.00%Demonic characters will make a ship out of nail clippings.
F101100.00%With the help of magic, a rival or the spouse's mother tries to prevent a woman from giving birth.
F57100.00%A girl or her father (rarely: mother) picks a plant (usually a flower) and as a result encounters a character with a non-human appearance and/or inhabiting the underworld. The girl becomes the character's wife. In some cases, the picked plant is the character's hair, but more often there is no direct association of this kind.
F87B100.00%A snake crawls onto the clothes of a bathing girl, climbs down in exchange for a promise to marry him, and takes her to the underwater world. She is happy there and gives birth to children. Together with them, she visits her relatives. They call the snake out of the water and kill it. After that, the wife transforms her children and/or herself into plants.
H52A100.00%Returning from the land of immortality, a person must not touch the ground. However, he dismounts from his horse to help an old man (old woman). Death, who has taken the form of an old man, immediately kills him. Rarely: at the last moment, the hero decides not to perform actions that are fatal for him.
I42G3100.00%In the forest person comes across a house that is made, completely or partly, of edible matter

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

8 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 8 traditions: Catalan, Lithuanians, Latvians, Western Ukrainians, Byelarusians, Belarusians, Eastern Ukrainians, Northern Ukrainians, Russian Federation

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