Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif
L24 — Suffocating demons with smoke.
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
OverviewDemons (or one of them) attack people and then hide. People destroy the demons' lair and kill all or most of them by spreading a smoky fire around the demons' refuge.
Berezkin category: Adventures: Monsters and evil spirits
This is of motif type Adventures and tricks and is part of group 10, Adventures.
Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns
Phylogeny| Motif | Similarity | Motif summary |
|---|---|---|
| J43 | 98.89% | To destroy his antagonists, the hero creates edible bait for them, usually a fruit tree on the other side of the river. |
| M107 | 98.89% | A small character kills or maims a large four-legged animal by clinging to its genitals. |
| A27 | 98.86% | The light and/or heat of the sun and/or moon is contained in their crowns, necklaces or clothing (made of feathers or animal teeth). |
| F18B | 98.37% | After intercourse with a forbidden partner (incest, intercourse with an animal or spirit), a man's penis becomes so long that he is forced to carry it in a basket, etc. |
| K13A | 98.33% | The character's leg (rarely: both legs) is cut off, bitten off, torn off, or damaged. The character ascends to the sky: to the moon; becomes the moon; turns into a star or constellation; becomes the sun; blood flowing from the leg colours the sky. |
| F40A | 98.32% | A male character, androgynous, with a monstrous penis, single-handedly possesses all women, rules over them or leads away the first women. |
| L22 | 98.30% | Having broken some taboo, seen an unusual object or a strange character, people fall into a deep sleep; at night, while asleep, they are killed or maimed. |
| L7 | 97.69% | While chasing a person, spirit, monster or beast, mistakenly chases after a large two-legged object passing by, usually an animal. |
| G13 | 97.69% | Before the advent of cultivated plants, people ate rotten or soft wood (ceiba – Ceiba L., balsa – Ochroma (Bombax) Sw.); some people eat rotten wood. |
| H30 | 97.60% | When meeting two women (together or one after the other), the hero must or may choose one. Usually, he chooses either the less beautiful or the dangerous one, bringing trouble or misfortune upon himself or upon people in general. |
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
54 recordedThis motif has been recorded in 54 traditions: Bari (incl Fajulu), Kakwa, Papua-NewGuinea Highland Papuans:Trans New Guinea & unclassified:Chimbu,Gimi,KaugelHuli,Gadsup,Kuman,Kutubu,Foi (Foe),Kyaka,Kamano (Kafe),Mawatta,Kukukuku (=Anga,=Sambia;Manki,Nauti,Ejuti),Baruya,Kewa,Tembregak,Menya,Melpa,Wiru,Pondoma, Flores, incl Mangarai (Western Flores), Nage, Keo, Riung, Ngada or Nad'a (Central Flores), Sika (Eastern Flores), Sinhalese; Vedda, Svans, Upper Tanana (Nebesna), Tanacross, Tahltan, Athna, Bella Coola (Nuxalk), Coos, Wintu, Patwin, Nomlaki, Northern Paiute (=Paviotso), Jicarilla, Choco: Embera, Nonama (Waunana), XVI century Dabaiba, pre-Columbian iconography of Sinu, Bari, Sicuani, Cuiva, Makiritare (Yecuana), Sanema, Yanomamo (Yanoama): Yanomam, Yanomami, Warao, Trio, Pemon: Arekuna (incl. Kamarakoto), Taulipang (Taurepan), Locono, Guiana Kariña, Kaliña, Galibi, Wayapi, Emerillon, Siona, Secoya, Coreguaje, Kofan, Shuar, Achuar (Shiwiar), Aguaruna, Huambiza, Chayahuita , Karijona, Barasana, Taibano, Macuna, Letuama, Tanimuca, Ufaina, Yahuna, Cubeo, Baniwa (incl. Wakuenai), Bare, Piapoco, Curripaco, Siusi, Guarikena , Tariana, Ticuna (Tucuna), Machiguenga, Piro (Yine), Cashibo, Marubo, Amahuaca, Cashinahua, Sharanahua, Yaminahua, Yawanahua, Capanahua), Moseten, Chimane, Chacobo, Iranxe, Nambikwara, Paresi, Cayapo (incl. Kubenkranken, Pau d’Arco, Shikrin or Xikrin), Apinaye (Apinage, Apinaje), Sherente, Toba (incl Pilagá), Guarani of Paraguay and Brazil: Caygua, Mbia, Apapocuva, Nyandewa, Chiripa, Papua-New Guinea Northern Lowland Papuan groups (Trans New Guinea and unclassified): Komba, Gimi, Susure, Orokaiva, Bogadjim, Ngain, Sentani, Bargam, Imonda, Nankina, Yupta Valley, Urawa Valley, Warupu (Barupu), Pondoma (Anam)
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