Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

K47A — Woman and dog: the origin of humans.

182 Myths, legends and folktales

182 Unique narratives for motif K47A

97 Cultures & traditions where K47A is told

3 Sub-motifs of motif K47A

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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

A woman mates with a dog. Her children grow up to be humans and usually become the ancestors of certain ethnic groups.

Berezkin category: Adventures: Acts of heroes

This is of motif type Cosmology and etiology and is part of group 5, Origin of human beings, ethnic groups, etiology of human anatomy, strange body configuration, ways of behavior, marriages before the establishment of the present norms.

K47 has 3 other sub-motifs

K47a.  A woman mates with a dog. Her children grow up to be humans and usually become the ancestors of certain ethnic groups.
K47b.  A woman marries a man who originally had the appearance of a dog. The birth of children from a dog is not essential to the plot.
K47c.  The marriage of a woman and a dog gave rise to dogs – friends and helpers of humans.
K47d.  A girl gives herself to a dog because it fulfils the condition of marriage set by her or her father for her future husband. See motif K47A.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of K47’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
M84B1	94.84%	A person enters a country from where fish come to people (and comes back).
L105	91.68%	A wounded animal, fish or anthropomorphic character runs or swims away – usually with a hook, harpoon, arrow or other hunting or fishing implement stuck in its body; local healers cannot cure the wounded creature (usually because they cannot see the object that caused the wound); a person comes to the wounded person's village and successfully treats them (usually by removing the object that caused the wound). Cf. motif M60A.
I106	91.31%	The Great Bear is one anthropomorphic character, not a group of people.
B85	91.13%	The wind blows too strongly, it is forced to calm down.
I23	90.32%	The door of the house opens and slams shut by itself, crushing those entering or leaving. See motif I22.
B82	90.27%	The raven (less often another bird of prey, or another black bird the size of a raven) was first white, and then turned black.
K34	90.12%	The character puts others on the swing and, after swinging them, throws them (or threatens to throw them) into the water, onto rocks, etc.
D10	90.08%	A couple of people serve as the embodiment of a tool for obtaining fire.
F11	89.98%	The penis burns, bites, eats food.
C16A	89.39%	The offended mistress of animals or fish takes them and food supplies away. See motif H32A.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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🌐 Open as Airocean (Dymaxion) map ↗

Traditions

97 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 97 traditions: Yao, Makua, Bemba (Wemba, Babemba; incl Ambo, Lala, Lamba, Bisa), Holoholo, Kaonde, Tiv, Bamum (Bamun), Mungaka (Mgaka, Bali), Beba, Anaguta, Bete (Mbete, Karang), Ekoi, Nyang, Vute (Wute), Jukun, Chamba, Bamileke, Kwotto, Kirri; Denya (Nyang), Torricelli family: Valman, Samap, Arapesh (Upper, Coastal), Monumbo, Lilau, Ngaimbom; Moando (Banara); Menya, Olo, 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, Bugi, Macassar, Yavanese, Kalang, Madura, Bali, Lombok, Aceh (Acheh), Malay; Temuan (incl Mantra or Mentra), Jakun (Moken), Mentawai, 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, Southern Taiwan: Rukai, Paiwan, Puyuma, Saaroa, Ketangalan, Northern Taiwan: Atayal (Tayal; Taruko (Toda, Taokas, Torok, Taroko), Pazeh, Sedeq (Sediq, Seedeq, Sazek), Saisiyat (Saixia), Tjam, Ede, Jörai (Jarai), Bahnar, Bana, Sedang, Por, Stieng, Chrau, Sre (Koho), Maa, Mnong, Katu (Ködu); Bru (incl. Van Kieu, Khua), Viet, Muong, Eastern Arunachal Pradesh: Abor (incl Minyong, Shimong, Padam, Pasi, Panggi), Apa Tani (Apatani), Bori, Bugun, Dafla (=Nyishi, Nisi, Nishing, incl Tagin), Gallong (=Galo, Adi), Mishmi, Chin-Naga: Ao, Mao, Sema, Zeme, Kolren, Kom, Lhota, Rengma, Angami, Kabui, Tangkhul, Koirenf, Kuki, Chiru, Falam (Hallam), Chin (Meitei =Manipuri, Khami, =Kumi), Lakher, Mizo (Lushei), Anal, Pawi (Lai), Purum, Koireng, Milhiem, Kolhen, Mru, Toda, Kota, Kuruba (Kurumba), Badaga, Maravar, Pulaya, Kadar, Miao (Hmong) and Yao of Southern China, Li , Bulgarians, Balkarians, Kara Kalpak, Kirghiz, Uyghur, Bashkirs, Komi (Zyrians and Permyaks), Mongols (Khalkha), Ainu, Southern and Central; Ryukyu Islands: Yaeyama, Miyako, Okinawa, Manchu, Chukchi, Central Yupik, Nunivak Island, Chugach, Chipewyan, Dogrib, Slavey, Tagish, Inland Tlingit, Tahltan, Tsetsaut, Kaska, Bering Strait Inupiat (incl. King Island), Mackenzie Delta, Copper, Netsilik, Caribou, Iglulik, Polar Inuit, Baffin Land Inuit, East Greenland (Angmassalik, Kulusuk), Labrador Inuit (Koksoagmiut), Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Heiltsuk (Bellabella), Oowekeeno, Kwakiutl (Kwakwaka'wakw), Nootka (Nu-chah-nulth), Makah, Bella Coola (Nuxalk), Western Ojibwa (Chippewa), Eastern Ojibwa (Missisauga, Timagami and other groups in eastern Ontario), Northern Ojibwa (=Severn Ojibwa, Sandy Lake Cree), Naskapi, Blackfoot, Sarsee (Tsuu T'ina), Cheyenne, Arapaho, Mandan, Arikara, Plains Ojibwa, Thompson (Nlaka'pamux), Lillooet, Lkungen (Straits; including Samish, Songish, Sooke, Lummi), Klallam, Comox, Pentlatch, Lushootseed (Puget Sound: Puyallup, Nisqualmi, Snuqualmi, Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Snohomish, Skagit), Lower Chehalis, Upper Chehalis, (Lower) Cowlitz, Western Sahaptin (Upper Cowlitz, Klikitat, Tenino, Umatilla, Yakima, Wallawalla), Quileute, Chemakum (Hoh), Quinault, Tillamook, Kalapuya, Coos, Tzotzil, Mundurucu, Curuaia, Central Tibetans (Yu Tsang, incl. Sikkim Tibetans, Tichurong of NW Nepal), Kodiak, Upper Chinook: Wasco, Wishram, Clackamas, Kathlamet, Sundanese, Greenland, China, Japan, Halkomelem (Snaymuk)

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