Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

B116C — The Lost Book.

112 Myths, legends and folktales

112 Unique narratives for motif B116C

53 Cultures & traditions where B116C is told

2 Sub-motifs of motif B116C

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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

In the past, the people possessed writing and knowledge, but these were lost, or the people missed the opportunity to acquire them.

Berezkin category: The Origins of the Characteristics of the environment

This is of motif type Cosmology and etiology and is part of group 6, Origin and interpretation of culture elements, in particular related to agriculture, inadequate forms of subsistence and economic activity before the establishment of the present norms.

B11 has 2 other sub-motifs

B11.  A river (rarely: a chain of lakes, a narrow strait) or its current course is created by humans or animals. See motifs B12, B13. This section covers other variants of the motif.
B11a.  The mammoth, represented as an underground fish-like creature, creates rugged terrain on wet ground and digs river beds.
B11B.  At the beginning of time or during the flood, the mammoth drowned or sank into the ground, and since then it has not been seen on earth.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of B11’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
B1C	99.55%	Two creators agree that the older of them (the main creator) will be the one whose object is in a certain state (usually: whose tree or flower grows or blooms earlier). While one was asleep or absent, the other switched the objects and deceitfully achieved primacy.
E31A2	99.33%	The girl must be given to one of several men. She herself or someone else explains that one of the suitors can be called her father, another her brother (etc.), and only one can be her husband.
C6I	99.31%	A zoomorphic character returns from the underworld covered in mud. He shakes himself off, or the mud is scraped off him, and earth emerges from it.
M78A	99.29%	A tiny little man emerges from the severed tail of a goat or sheep.
A37B	98.77%	A small animal (marmot, rabbit, mole, frog) or a person who turns into such an animal tries to hit a target in the sky (a celestial body or a bird) with arrows and as a result loses their thumbs.
K56A8B	98.77%	A virtuous girl (usually the daughter of a dog) wants to kill herself and puts her hand in a snake's hole. The snake does not bite her, but rewards her.
L90D	98.77%	The hero attaches the upper lip (jaw) of the monster to the sky, and the lower lip to the earth.
H43A	98.40%	Having created the human body, the creator leaves. At this time, another character tries to break the figure, which has not yet come to life.
I132	98.38%	A deer props its antlers against the sky, and a person climbs them to reach the upper world. Alternatively, a person finds themselves in the sky when they touch the deer's antlers.
K101C	98.38%	The bride stipulates that she will only be with her husband during the day. The husband discovers that at night she meets with heavenly maidens (and usually flies away to dance in the sky). He follows her and in the end she stays with him on earth.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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🌐 Open as Airocean (Dymaxion) map ↗

Traditions

53 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 53 traditions: Torricelli family: Valman, Samap, Arapesh (Upper, Coastal), Monumbo, Lilau, Ngaimbom; Moando (Banara); Menya, Olo, Bidayuh (incl. Maloh), Iban (Sea Dayak), Sakarram; Brunei, Ami, Karen, Pa-O, Padaung, Kayah, Thai of Vietnam, Tai Lue, Khao (Kho, Tai Don, White Tai), Tai Dam (Black Tai), Nung; Zhuang, Buyi; Shui, Shan, Ahom, Khampti, Tjam, Ede, Jörai (Jarai), Stieng, Chrau, Sre (Koho), Maa, Mnong, Katu (Ködu); Bru (incl. Van Kieu, Khua), Mon, Wa (incl Kawa), Bulang, Palaung (De Ang, Deang), Khmu (Kammu), Puoc, Eastern Arunachal Pradesh: Abor (incl Minyong, Shimong, Padam, Pasi, Panggi), Apa Tani (Apatani), Bori, Bugun, Dafla (=Nyishi, Nisi, Nishing, incl Tagin), Gallong (=Galo, Adi), Mishmi, Chin-Naga: Ao, Mao, Sema, Zeme, Kolren, Kom, Lhota, Rengma, Angami, Kabui, Tangkhul, Koirenf, Northern Naga: Konyak, Lungshang, Wancho, Nokte, Moclum, Lunshan, Chang, Maring, Naga of Myanmar, Garo (Atchik), Kachari (Bodo, incl. Lalung), Dimasa, Tripuri, Riang (of Tripura), Khami, Riga, Mori, Kuki, Chiru, Falam (Hallam), Chin (Meitei =Manipuri, Khami, =Kumi), Lakher, Mizo (Lushei), Anal, Pawi (Lai), Purum, Koireng, Milhiem, Kolhen, Mru, Kachin (Singpho), Chak, Miao (Hmong) and Yao of Southern China, Lahu, Kucong, Nosu, Nisu, Nusu, Sani, Jino, Kirati (Kiranti): Rai (incl Thulung), Limbu, Newar, Abkhaz, Abkhazians, Ossetians, Tats, Mingrelians (Megrelians), Laz, Kalmyk, Anatolia Turks, Kazakh, Turkmen, Kazan (Middle Volga) Tatars, Mari (Cheremis), Mordvins, Chuvash, Udmurt, Mansi, Eastern Khanty (Ostyaks), Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Oirats (incl Torgouts, Derbets, Oilots), Mongols (Khalkha), Daur (Daghur), Khakas, Southern Altai: Altai proper (Altai-Kiji), Telengit, Altaians, Northern Altai: Chelkan, Kumanda, Tubalar, Altaians, Central Yakuts (Sakha), Ainu, Nivkh, Lisu, Lolo (incl. Bai), Achang, Yi, Axi, Nasu, Jino, Taungyo, Chechens, Southern Altai: Teleut, Gurung; Kaike, Buryats: Eastern (trans Baikal), i.e. Khori, China

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