Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

B98A — The bat becomes an outcast, ATU 222A.

90 Myths, legends and folktales

90 Unique narratives for motif B98A

69 Cultures & traditions where B98A is told

3 Sub-motifs of motif B98A

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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 bat becomes an outcast among other creatures (usually after trying to join either the animals or the birds).

Berezkin category: The Origins of the Characteristics of the environment

This is of motif type Cosmology and etiology and is part of group 7, Etiology of plants and animals and of their peculiar features, particular animals as protagonists of cosmological stories, metamorphoses, weather and calendar.

B98 has 3 other sub-motifs

B98.  The bat (rarely: ostrich) tries to join either the beasts or the birds, or finds itself excluded from both.
B98a.  The bat becomes an outcast among other creatures (usually after trying to join either the animals or the birds).
B98b.  The Bat comes into conflict with other creatures in connection with someone's death or funeral.
B98c.  The heavenly deity could have healed the bat's mother or child, but did not do so, and they died.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of B98’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
M185	96.95%	A fast-footed animal (a flightless bird) and a slow character agree to compete in running or jumping. The slow character secretly clings to the fast-footed one (or to a vehicle) and at the finish line pretends that he has run at the same time as him (jumped just as far) or before him.
M185A	96.92%	Birds, animals and fish compete to see which of them can run or swim fastest or climb highest. A weak character secretly clings to the winner and wins. There are 3 key versions: A. Birds argue about which of them will fly higher or arrive first. The winner is the one whose victory seemed unlikely, ATU 221A. See motif A23C.B. A fast and a slow animal (insect) agree to compete in speed or long jump. The slow one secretly clings to the fast one, ATU 275B. See motif M185.C. Two fish (fish and whale, dolphin, squid and dolphin, etc.) agree to race each other. The weaker one secretly clings to the tail (fin) of the stronger one and wins, ATU 250. See motif M186A.
M124	96.79%	The character buries the tail (head, ears) of a domestic animal, claiming that it has fallen into the ground. Usually, he asks others to pull on the tail (head), and when it "breaks off," he accuses others of stealing the animal.
B89	96.31%	The eagle owl (owl) was the chief among birds, claimed this position or behaved badly when choosing the head of the birds; now he avoids other birds and/or other birds chase him.
M106	94.96%	The character calls himself by a fictitious name, which others understand not as a proper name, but as a common noun with a specific meaning.
B98	94.95%	The bat (rarely: ostrich) tries to join either the beasts or the birds, or finds itself excluded from both.
F28A3	94.83%	A girl (woman) possesses an object that is pleasant (useful). Once in the hands of others, it becomes harmful (dangerous).
K56	94.45%	One of the girls, young women or young girls (wives of one man) meets a character who is able to reward and punish. She behaves correctly and receives a reward. Another (others) tries to repeat everything, but behaves incorrectly and is punished (rarely: not rewarded).
K33D	94.30%	A man discovers that a beautiful girl is hiding under the guise of an ugly hag or under the skin of an animal.
F28A2	94.22%	The owner of the field, either intentionally or having misheard the question, replies that he grows penises. After that, penises grow in the field instead of crops.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

69 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 69 traditions: Algeria Arabs, Tunisia Arabs, Amhara; Zay, Harari; Silte, Gogot, Tonga, Gogo, Kaguru, Luguru, Zigula, Taveta, Shambala (Sambala), Bondei, Taeta, Dabida; Zaramo, Songe (Kisonge), Bena-Matembo, Sakata, Congo (Koongo, Bacongo; incl Vili, Fioti, (Ma)Yombe, MuKunyi), Ndombo, Luango (Loango), Zombo (Sambo), Laadi (Laari), (Ba)Fioti, Woyo (Kiwoyo), Ronga, Boa, Komo, (Ba)Nyanga, Mbole, Fang (Pangwe), Eton, Bafia, Batanga, Benga, Bube (Bubi), Buheba, Yaunde (Ewondo), Yebekolo, Koko, Bulu, Beti (Beti-Bulu), Sekiani, Eghap, Hausa, Igbo (Ibo); Isoko, Urhobo, Yoruba; incl Ife), Nupe, Bini (Edo), Engenni, Chamba, Dakka, Kukuruku, Kru: Kru proper, Sapo (Sapã), Grebo, Kran (Krahn, Guere-Krahn; incl. Putu, Tchien), Bete, Neyo, Wobe, Devoin (Dey), Belle (Kuwaa), Bassa, Sikon, Kposso, "Togo-Restvölker" (Adele, Akebu, Akposso, Bowiri/Bowili, Santrokofi, Lelemi, Borada Akrade, Teteman, Baakwa, Bowiri), Akan, Ashanti, Akwapim; Ga (Accra), Kra, Twi (Chwi, Chi), Niue, Burmese, Intha, Mon, Viet, Muong, Nicobarese, Rawang, Dulong; Anong, Drung, Kachin (Singpho), Chak, Lepcha, Spain, Spaniards, Portuguese, Portugal, Maltese, Ancient Italy: Latins, Etruscans, Magna Graecia, France, Dutch, Flemish, Germans: North (Low- and Central German dialects): Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg, Pommern, Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony, incl East Frisia and Oldenburg), Nordrhein-Westfalen, Hessen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Thüringen, Saxony-Anhalt, Sachsen, Brandenburg, Rügen, Czech, Czechs, Hungarians, Ancient Greece, Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, Finns, Vepsians, Abkhaz, Abkhazians, Tats, Georgians, Kalmyk, Azeris (Azerbaijanis), Kazakh, Kazan (Middle Volga) Tatars, Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Oirats (incl Torgouts, Derbets, Oilots), Mongols (Khalkha), Tuvinians of Tuva, Tuvans, Khakas, Southern Altai: Altai proper (Altai-Kiji), Telengit, Altaians, Northern Altai: Chelkan, Kumanda, Tubalar, Altaians, Tlingit, Sauk (Sak, Mesquakie), Fox, Kickapoo, Yuchi, Coos, Klamath, Modoc, Cherokee, Western Keres (Acoma, Laguna), Eastern Keres (Cochiti, Sia, San Felipe, Santo Domingo, Santa Ana, Paguate, Seama), Shuar, Achuar (Shiwiar), Arabs (literary tradition; incl. One Thousand and One Nights), Prussians, Early Russian written sources, Buryats: Eastern (trans Baikal), i.e. Khori, Congo, China, Japan

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