Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif
I82E — The star that sold its mother.
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
OverviewIt is said that Venus or another star sold her mother or father in order to adorn herself luxuriously and dress up.
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.
I82 has 10 other sub-motifs
RelatedI82a. The Morning and/or Evening Star β a male character.
I82b. The Morning and/or Evening Star β a female character.
I82c. Venus or an unidentified star in the eastern and/or western sky β the wife of the Moon. See motif I82b.
I82c1. The Moon has two wives (usually the Morning Star and the Evening Star). With the caring one, he grows fat, with the other, he starves and grows thin.
I82d. The Morning and Evening Stars are contrasted as man and woman. See motifs I82a, I82b.
I82e. It is said that Venus or another star sold her mother or father in order to adorn herself luxuriously and dress up.
I82f. (Evening) Venus is associated with a predatory beast, usually a she-wolf.
I82g. Venus or another star (Arcturus, Sirius, etc.) is called the Shepherd's Star (the star of the Shepherd, Sheepherder, Cowherd, Swineherd, etc.).
I82h. The name of Venus sounds like Cholpan, Cholbon, Tsolmon, etc. (Δol- 'to sparkle, to shine' [VΓ‘mbΓ©ri 1879: 155]).
I82i. The name of the object in the night sky (usually Venus) sounds like Zukhra, Zahra, Zura, etc.
I82j. Venus-man or another star is the husband of the Moon-woman. See motif I82a.
Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns
Phylogeny| Motif | Similarity | Motif summary |
|---|---|---|
| K14B | 100.00% | A man is advised not to do anything until he is expressly asked to do so. He unwisely offers to let someone use his knife and is subsequently accused of a crime. |
| M168B | 100.00% | A bird or a person who becomes a bird is given the task of bringing a stick that is neither straight nor crooked. This bird is still searching for it. |
| N25 | 100.00% | said that characters spend a long time (days, weeks, months, years) on the road, but end up walking a journey as long as a grain, needle, or other small object. |
| K35A2 | 99.00% | A man kills an animal with glowing fur. Upon learning of this, an authoritative figure gives him difficult tasks. |
| N28E | 99.00% | In a list of things that do not exist in the world, a bridge across the sea, ocean or lake is mentioned |
| K27X4 | 98.45% | The character is told to climb a tree (pole, mountain, etc.) while holding a full open vessel in his hand and not spilling a drop from it. |
| M198B3 | 98.38% | A supposed fortune teller accidentally finds the missing items, is rewarded and brought close to the ruler. One day, for some reason, he rudely pushes him (or people in general) out of the room. Immediately afterwards, the roof of the building collapses. Since then, no one has doubted the fortune teller's abilities. |
| F70F | 98.27% | Finding themselves in a deserted place, people accidentally change their gender. |
| K133 | 97.92% | A man notices that his horse (donkey) looks tired and learns that an animal or demonic creature is riding it. Cf. motif M182a. |
| I95A | 97.42% | Orion (probably always Orion's Belt) is Libra. |
See the 100 most similar distributions →
Map of motif dispersal
DistributionDrag the map to pan, use the scroll wheel to zoom — choose a texture or projection below
Traditions
2 recordedThis motif has been recorded in 2 traditions: Cherkassians, Adyghe, Kabardin, Karachays, Balkar
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