Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

J17 — Frogs in the hair.

81 Myths, legends and folktales

81 Unique narratives for motif J17

57 Cultures & traditions where J17 is told

0 Sub-motifs of motif J17

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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

Instead of lice in the character's hair, there are other creatures, or he pretends that such creatures live in his hair.

Berezkin category: Avenger heroes: The amerinday cycle

This is of motif type Cosmology and etiology and is part of group 8, Queer and monstrous beings, creatures, objects and loci, folk beliefs related to particular phenomena and objects.

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
L15A	93.07%	The character's vulnerable spot is located on the surface of the body, but not in vital internal organs.
I1	92.38%	Creatures that cause or embody rain and/or thunderstorms are birds or winged anthropomorphic characters. {Traditions in which birds are associated with thunderstorms and rain, but Thunder itself is not a bird, are marked with an asterisk (*).
J46	92.09%	Antagonists perish by falling into water or attempting to cross a water barrier. See motifs J42, J44.
L41	92.03%	After catching a person, the cannibal carries his prey home, but the captive escapes on the road or at the cannibal's house. See motif L38 (a person falls into a demon's trap).
B3B	91.67%	Initially, the earth or the world as a whole was small in size, then it grew; fertile soil grew from a small amount of initial substance. See motif B3A (the earth grows from a piece of solid substance thrown onto the surface of the water).
I22	91.10%	There are objects that, while remaining in place, move constantly or periodically (collide and diverge, fall and rise, open and close, rotate).
F74	90.86%	Upon seeing a dangerous character, a man or woman undresses and pretends to be dead (or the character undresses the woman). Examining and sniffing the supposed corpse, the character finds what he takes to be a wound or signs of decay and leaves.
C16	90.63%	Contrary to human desire, processed skins, tools, and (meat) food (again) turn into (those) animals (from whose body parts they were made). Cf. motif M84.
K27O3	90.06%	Two groups of characters compete in overcoming trials or play a game, divided into two teams (at least two episodes with different characters on both sides). The participants are either anthropomorphic but possess different unusual abilities, or they are different animals (natural phenomena, elements, etc.). Cf. motif K27xy (Characters with different properties in opposing camps).
M49	89.97%	The hero meets a character from the enemy camp and, taking on his form, penetrates enemies. Usually, the hero kills the person he meets and puts on his skin.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

57 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 57 traditions: Dusun, Murut, Kelabit, Tombonuwo, Bajau, Tidong, Northern Luzon: Apayao, Bontoc, Nabaloi (Ibaloi), Ifugao, Igorot (highland people, not specified), Ilocan, Ilongot, Isneg, Kalinga, Kankanay, Tingian (Tinggian, Bilongan Itneg); Ibanag, Kasiguran Agta, Keley-i Kallahan, Mindanao and Sulu: Blaan (Bilaan), Bagobo, Bukidnon, Cotabato, Hiligáynon, Binukid, Magindaan (=Magindanao: main Muslim population), Mandaya, Mansaka, Manobo (Agusan, Ata, Dibabawon, Sarangani, Ilianen), Maranao, Samal, Subanon (=Subanun), Subanen, Tboli, Karen, Pa-O, Padaung, Kayah, Kuki, Chiru, Falam (Hallam), Chin (Meitei =Manipuri, Khami, =Kumi), Lakher, Mizo (Lushei), Anal, Pawi (Lai), Purum, Koireng, Milhiem, Kolhen, Mru, 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, Serbs, Monte Negro, Balkarians, Tajik, Persians, Tabasaran, Aghul, Georgians, Azeris (Azerbaijanis), Kara Kalpak, Chuvash, Southern Altai: Altai proper (Altai-Kiji), Telengit, Altaians, Northern Altai: Chelkan, Kumanda, Tubalar, Altaians, Nenets, Southern Selkups, Northern Selkups, Oroch, Forest (Upper Kolyma) Yukaghir, Chukchi, Central Yupik, Koyukon, Bering Strait Inupiat (incl. King Island), North Alaskan Inupiat, Haida, Bella Coola (Nuxalk), Malecite, Passamaquoddy, Western Ojibwa (Chippewa), Eastern Ojibwa (Missisauga, Timagami and other groups in eastern Ontario), Northern Ojibwa (=Severn Ojibwa, Sandy Lake Cree), Menominee, Blackfoot, Arapaho, Gros Ventre, Plains Ojibwa, Comox, Pentlatch, Lower Chehalis, Upper Chehalis, (Lower) Cowlitz, Western Sahaptin (Upper Cowlitz, Klikitat, Tenino, Umatilla, Yakima, Wallawalla), Nez Perce, Tillamook, Pomo, Ohlone (Costanoan), Tewa (San Juan, Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, Tesuque, Nambe; Hano), Tiwa (Taos, Picuris; Sandia, Isleta), Towa (Jemez), Napo (Quijo), Kanelo (“Jungle Kechua”), Amuesha, Machiguenga, Piro (Yine), Yuracare, Chacobo, Nambikwara, Botocudo, Kodiak, Upper Chinook: Wasco, Wishram, Clackamas, Kathlamet, Italians: Central (Toscana, Umbria, Marche, Lazio), Japan

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How to cite: Fielder-White, J. (2026). The Folklore Database. https://folkloredatabase.com

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