Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif
L103B — Animals carry away from the demon, (ATU 314A*).
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
OverviewA girl (boy, children) falls into the hands of a demonic creature. An animal or bird offers to carry her away and runs off. Usually, animals of different species do this, but only the last one manages to escape pursuit.
Berezkin category: Adventures: Monsters and evil spirits
This is of motif type Adventures and tricks and is part of group 10, Adventures.
L10 has 1 other sub-motifs
RelatedL10. The character has a sharp (biting) tail or a protrusion on its back. See motif L9, cf. motif L9C.
L10a. A demonic character approaches a man's campfire. The man leaves a log in his place and hides. The character throws himself on the log, mistaking it for a sleeping man; usually, the hunter kills or wounds the demon.
Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns
Phylogeny| Motif | Similarity | Motif summary |
|---|---|---|
| M120A | 99.77% | The character pretends to be a mourner and eats (treats the body disrespectfully) the deceased. |
| I139 | 99.77% | Two (rarely three) men or women are at a distance from each other, but regularly throw or pass something to each other. This is a sign of their unusual size, strength, and agility. |
| L37C1 | 99.74% | The happiness (misfortune, hardship, etc.) of each person is represented by specific characters with whom they interact. |
| I120B | 99.73% | The character takes food, clothing, and other valuables from the ear of an animal (most often a horse or cow). |
| M91C4 | 99.66% | A person removes the pot from the fire, its contents continue to boil, or the person prepares food in advance, puts it in a pot or pit. Another believes that the pot cooks without fire or incredibly fast (or that a stick, if it hits the ground or the pot, creates food), buys a pot (stick). |
| I87A2 | 99.59% | The antagonist names numbers from one to 7, 12, etc., the hero answers what each number corresponds to, and the antagonist is unable to refute him. |
| M38D2 | 99.55% | Several characters (usually three), which are small objects, go traveling and must cross the river. This fails. |
| K38F7 | 99.48% | The character acquires wild animals (at least two different species) that serve him like dogs. |
| L120 | 99.38% | After overhearing a conversation between demonic characters who are planning to turn themselves into something edible, attractive, and safe, and to destroy anyone who touches them, the hero neutralises the demons. |
| K38E | 99.27% | Locations or objects made of three (rarely four) materials of varying degrees of value, but all valued positively (copper, silver, gold; silver, gold, diamonds, etc.) are mentioned. |
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
19 recordedThis motif has been recorded in 19 traditions: Kashubians, Finns, Karelians, Vepsians, Western Ukrainians, Uzbek, Tajik, Kumyk, Terekemen, Gagauz, Mari (Cheremis), Udmurt, Komi (Zyrians and Permyaks), Tundra Nenets, Mongols (Khalkha), Central Yakuts (Sakha), Salars, Eastern Ukrainians, Northern Ukrainians, Russian Federation
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