Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

I108 — The Pleiades – a single character.

109 Myths, legends and folktales

109 Unique narratives for motif I108

75 Cultures & traditions where I108 is told

1 Sub-motifs of motif I108

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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 Pleiades are a single character, not a group of people.

Berezkin category: Supernatural objects, objects and creatures

This is of motif type Cosmology and etiology and is part of group 2, Moon spots, stars, constellations.

I10 has 1 other sub-motifs

I10a. Individual layers or categories of the sky or clouds differ in colour.
I10b. Individual layers or categories of earth differ in colour (and other characteristics).

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of I10’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
L14	96.95%	People bring a small creature (usually a worm or reptile) into their home and raise it, or it settles into a man-made dwelling on its own. The creature turns into something terrifying or magnificent. See motif L13 (raised monster attacks people).
J47	96.76%	A character climbs up to the sky using a rope, ladder, etc., or climbs a tree or rock, or descends from the sky to the ground, or rises to the ground from the underworld. Another character climbs after them, but the rope or ladder breaks or is cut, and the character falls.
H5	96.18%	Reptiles or invertebrates possess a life-giving agent; they are contrasted with humans as immortal mortals and/or responsible for the fact that humans die and are not reborn; the dead turn into snakes. See motif H4. (The first death comes from a snake bite (centipede), but snakes are not opposed to humans as immortals to mortals.)
G23	95.12%	The origin of various (more than two) creatures or objects is explained by the metamorphosis of a living creature or part of its body. {Only texts of an aetiological nature are taken into account. For statistical purposes, all texts with motifs G23A and G23B are also included in motif G23}.
F45	94.08%	There are or were settlements where only women lived or live (cf. motifs F8, F45C).
F7	93.91%	A man catches, grabs, meets, or receives a woman associated with the aquatic-chthonic world (a fish, mermaid, snake, crab, seal, etc.) and takes her as his wife. Cf. motifs E26 and K25.
I72	93.69%	Stars – anthropomorphic beings. See motif K19 (marriage to a star). Cases where the Star is a unique object, e.g. Venus, rather than one of many Star-people, are not included.
L13	93.45%	People feed a dangerous creature, or it grows on its own in a man-made enclosure. Once it becomes big and strong, it starts to destroy people.
F16	93.15%	Men possessed biological characteristics that are now characteristic of women, or vice versa (beards, menstruation, breasts, childbearing).
M21	92.59%	The character runs away from his pursuer. The person, animal or object that the character asks for help hides him (and kills the pursuer).

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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🌐 Open as Airocean (Dymaxion) map ↗

Traditions

75 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 75 traditions: Yemen, Shilluk, Anuak, Kalenjin; including Sabaot, Nandi (Nande), Arusha, Kipsigis, Pokot (Suk), Keiyo (Elgeiyo), Marakwet, Sebeei, Ganda, (Ba)Nyoro, Nyankole, Masaba (Gisu), Luia (=Luyia, Haya, Luhya, Bantu Kawirondo; incl. Vugusu, Maragoli), Luba (Baluba, Luba-Katanga, Shaba), (Ba)Holoholo, Tumbwe, Bena-Piana, Tabwa, Benabena-Mitumba, Zela, Bene-Marungu, Mongo (Mongo-Nkundu), Nkundu, Ngelima, Ngombe, (Ba)Tetela), Pende, Wu(Kusu), (Ba)Mbala (incl Saie, Kwilu), Tuareg, Trans-New Guinea and unclassified Papuan groups of Irian Jaya: Mejprat, Arandai-Bintuni, Inanwatan-Berau, Papua of Gelvink (Cenderawasih) Bay, Kamoró, Marind Anim, Sawi, Mafore; Korowai; Kwerba; Momina, Eipo, Yale, Awyu, Melanesians of the northern coast New Guinea, nearest off-shore islands and Huon Gulf (Morobe district): Watut, Bilbil (Bilibili), Jabim (incl Kai), Tami, Bukawac, Wogeo, Tumleo, Yakamul, Manam, Sissano, Sio, Melanesians of the islands of Massim District ( =Milke Bay Province) to the east of New Guinea: Dobu, Rossel, Fergusson, Goodenough, Murua (Woodlark), Trobrian Islands, d'Entrecasteau Islands, Central Vanuatu: Espiritu Santo, Araki, Aore, Maewo, Malekula, Vao, Efate (Vate), Nguna, Mae, Ambrim, Pentecost, Oba (=Aoba, East Ambae, Lepers'), Omba, Rotuma, Maori, Moriori (Chatam Islands), Hawaii, Gilbert Islands, Nauru, Banaba (Ocean island), Marshall Islands, incl Ailinglapalap, Arno, Jaluit, Kili, Lae, Maloelap, Majuro, Ratak, Wotho, Ujae, Jaluit (=Jalooj), Namdrik, Toraja (Toradja), To Mori, Baree (=Eastern Toraja), Batak (Toba, Dairi), Southern Taiwan: Rukai, Paiwan, Puyuma, Saaroa, Ketangalan, Ami, Oraon (Kurukh), Greeks (modern), Balkarians, Serbs, Monte Negro, Balkarians, Western Sami, Eastern Sami (including Skolts), Danes, Danish, Western Ukrainians, Kalmyk, Kazakh, Oirats (incl Torgouts, Derbets, Oilots), Mongols (Khalkha), Central Yakuts (Sakha), Western Ojibwa (Chippewa), Eastern Ojibwa (Missisauga, Timagami and other groups in eastern Ontario), Northern Ojibwa (=Severn Ojibwa, Sandy Lake Cree), Yuchi, Osage, Kiowa, Plains Ojibwa, Lkungen (Straits; including Samish, Songish, Sooke, Lummi), Klallam, Yurok, Yuki (Yuki proper, Coastal Yuki, Huchnob), Sierra Miwok, Lake Miwok, Plains Miwok, Coastal Miwok, Yana, Hopi, Kogi (Cagaba), Sanha, Creols of Aritama Valley, Guajiro, Makiritare (Yecuana), Panare (Eñape), Pemon: Arekuna (incl. Kamarakoto), Taulipang (Taurepan), Akawai, Locono, Orinoco Kariña, Yaruri, Tamanak, Napo (Quijo), Kanelo (“Jungle Kechua”), Chayahuita , Desana, Siriano; Tatuyo, Bara, Tuyuca, Baniwa (incl. Wakuenai), Bare, Piapoco, Curripaco, Siusi, Guarikena , Tariana, Anambe, Urubu (Urubu-Kaapor), Amuesha, Shipibo, Conibo, Setebo, Tupari, Makurap, Sakirap, Ajuru (Wayoro), Mehinaku, Waura, Yaulapiti, Mocovi; Kechua of Santiago del Estero with probable Guaikuruan substratum; Abipon, Ayoreo, Toba (incl Pilagá), Caduveo, Mbaya, Eastern Ukrainians, Northern Ukrainians, Egypt, Yemen, China

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