D4L — Fire from the sky.

The first fire is brought down to earth from the sky; the first ancestors go to the sky and bring back fire or warmth. See motif D4A.

Berezkin category: Fire and Laughter

This is of motif type Cosmology and etiology and is part of group 3, Cosmogony, the earth and the sky, etiology of the elements, natural and biological phenomena (fire, water, soil, thunderstorms, dream, etc.), cataclysms and cosmic threats, spirits of nature.

D4a.  Fire is stolen from its original owner, returned to people by the thief, or (the motif of theft is not expressed) brought with difficulty from a distant place.
D4a1.  A certain character possesses fire or steals it. His attention is attracted or distracted by singing, music, dancing, unusual gifts, indecent or strange behaviour, offers of sex, food and/or alcohol.
D4aa.  Moths try to steal the fire that humans possess.
D4b.  Those who stole or asked for fire and/or those who received fire are punished by the deity.
D4c.  Characters obtain the warm season from its original owners.
D4c1.  Animal-people come to steal summer from its owners. One of them, in the guise of an elk or caribou, distracts the owners' attention or floats a log or stump down the river, which the owners of summer mistake for an elk and rush after.
D4d.  The opossum obtains fire for humans. See motif D4A.
D4e.  The thief or giver of fire, light or sun is a coyote or fox (indicated in square brackets). See motif 4A.
D4e1.  The thief or giver of fire, light or sun is the dog. See motif 4A.
D4f.  Once in the fire, the beaver (in North America) or fish (in South America) scatters and/or carries the fire away from its original owners. See motif D4A.
D4g.  Hummingbird steals, finds or spreads fire. See motif D4A.
D4h.  The swallow obtains fire for people. See motif D4A.
D4h1.  A small songbird (redstart, robin, wren) obtains fire for humans.
D4i.  The beaver obtains fire for humans. See motif D4A.
D4j.  The thief, the thief's assistant, or the owner of fire is a rabbit, a hare, or (ofaye) a guinea pig. See motif D4A.
D4k.  The deer obtains fire for humans. See motif D4A.
D4l.  The first fire is brought down to earth from the sky; the first ancestors go to the sky and bring back fire or warmth. See motif D4A.
D4m.  The thief comes to the owners of fire or light. They feast or dance. He joins them and steals their valuables when the moment is right. See motif D4A.
D4n.  A boy or (among the Kutené) a woman cries, demanding the absent elements - summer, fire, rain. See motif D4A (demand for summer).
D4o.  In order to steal fire from its owner, the character pretends to be wet and cold, and after receiving permission to dry off, runs away, bringing fire to the people.
D4p.  The parrot obtains fire for humans. See motif D4A. Australian data is not taken into account, as the common origin of the motif in America and Australia is excluded.
D4q.  The fly rubs its legs together and produces fire.
D4q1.  The bat participates in obtaining fire.

This motif has been recorded in 61 traditions: Nuba, Dinka, Atuot, Nuer, Shone (Shona, =Mashona, =Karanga), Makoni (Shoni dialect), Remba (=Hungwe, Wahungwe); Zezuru, Rozwi, Ndau (Vandau), Tonga, Ila (Baila), Gogo, Kaguru, Luguru, Zigula, Taveta, Shambala (Sambala), Bondei, Taeta, Dabida; Zaramo, Rwanda (incl Hutu, Tutsi, Kiga), Rundi, (Ma)Shi, Banyabungu; Rega, Congo (Koongo, Bacongo; incl Vili, Fioti, (Ma)Yombe, MuKunyi), Ndombo, Luango (Loango), Zombo (Sambo), Laadi (Laari), (Ba)Fioti, Woyo (Kiwoyo), Ronga, Lingala, (Ba)Ngala, Ntomba, Kioque, (Ki)Bangi, Bolia, Balolo, Boloki, (Ba)Akwa, (U)Poto, Fang (Pangwe), Eton, Bafia, Batanga, Benga, Bube (Bubi), Buheba, Yaunde (Ewondo), Yebekolo, Koko, Bulu, Beti (Beti-Bulu), Sekiani, Eghap, Tiv, Bamum (Bamun), Mungaka (Mgaka, Bali), Beba, Anaguta, Bete (Mbete, Karang), Ekoi, Nyang, Vute (Wute), Jukun, Chamba, Bamileke, Kwotto, Kirri; Denya (Nyang), Yoruba; incl Ife), Nupe, Bini (Edo), Engenni, Chamba, Dakka, Kukuruku, Dogon, Akan, Ashanti, Akwapim; Ga (Accra), Kra, Twi (Chwi, Chi), Tasmania, Queensland: Mungkan (Wikmunkan), Wiknatara, Bloomfield River, Cape Bedford, Cape Grafton, Kokowara (Koko-Warra), Koko-yalunyu (Kokokulunggur), Bunya Bunya, Waka-Waka (Wakawaka), Kabikabi, Chepara, Southern Solomons: southern part of Santa Ysabel (Bughotu), Guadalcanal, San Cristobal, Malaita, Ulawa, Tikopia, Bellona, Rennell, partly Aneytium, Futuna (=Erronan, not to be mixed with Futuna in Western Polynesia), Vaeaka-Taumato, incl Matema, Nifeloli, Nukapu, Nupani, Pileni, Maori, Moriori (Chatam Islands), Timor: Amarasi, Tetum, Meto, Atoni (incl Mollo), Kedang (Lomblen island), Leti Islands (Leti, Moa, Lakor), Mon, Wa (incl Kawa), Bulang, Andamanese, Indian literary tradition (Vedic, Brahman, Purana, Indian Buddhism, Hinduism, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Panchtantra, Jatakas); iconography of Hindu temples, Sinhalese; Vedda, France, Dutch, Flemish, Lithuanians, Finns, Western Ukrainians, Ingush, Avar, Andi, Akhvakh, Mingrelians (Megrelians), Laz, Georgians, Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Mongols (Khalkha), Evens (Lamuts), Manchu, Chipewyan, Bella Coola (Nuxalk), Lushootseed (Puget Sound: Puyallup, Nisqualmi, Snuqualmi, Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Snohomish, Skagit), Western Sahaptin (Upper Cowlitz, Klikitat, Tenino, Umatilla, Yakima, Wallawalla), Nez Perce, Quileute, Chemakum (Hoh), Quinault, Oregon Athabaskans: Lower Umpqua, Tututni (incl Joshua), Upper Coquille, Galice, Tolowa, Okanagon, Sanpoil, Yurok, Makiritare (Yecuana), Harákmbet (=Mashco), Cayapo (incl. Kubenkranken, Pau d’Arco, Shikrin or Xikrin), Upper Chinook: Wasco, Wishram, Clackamas, Kathlamet, Evens (Lamuts) of Kamchatka, Kissi, Yellowknife, Wallons, Picardie, Eastern Ukrainians, Northern Ukrainians, Congo, Greece, China