Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif
L45 — The fooled watchman.
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 strong character traps a weak one and leaves someone to guard the prey. The guard fails to fulfil his duties (usually tricked by the weak one), and the weak one escapes. {African borrowings in America are difficult to distinguish from possible local cases}
Berezkin category: Adventures: Monsters and evil spirits
This is of motif type Adventures and tricks and is part of group 11, Tricks and competitions won thanks to deception, absurd and obscene behavior.
Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns
Phylogeny| Motif | Similarity | Motif summary |
|---|---|---|
| M102 | 96.09% | The character believes that another has temporarily separated his head or leg from himself, asks to do the same to him, and dies or is maimed. |
| I82C1 | 96.02% | 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. |
| L113 | 95.34% | A girl who has long rejected suitors falls in love with a handsome man who turns out to be a demon, a werewolf, or a dangerous animal. The girl barely escapes or perishes. |
| K140 | 95.04% | Travelling with his sister or brother, the young man regularly kills his saviours and helpers, exposing himself to ever new dangers. |
| A36A | 95.02% | The sun is contrasted with humans as immortal to mortals; responsible for the mortal nature of humans. |
| M181 | 94.99% | Two characters are invited to a festival. (On the way and) upon arriving at the destination, one deceives the other. |
| F8 | 94.95% | In the beginning (.55.60.67.73.) women and men lived separately from each other, then came together. Cf. motif F45 (Amazons). |
| M105 | 94.50% | The character hides his mother (wife, mother-in-law), but tells another that he has killed or sold her, or demonstratively leads her away to be sold, but lets her escape. See motif M104. |
| B2G | 94.39% | The chameleon walked on the ground when it had not yet hardened. |
| B98B | 94.39% | The Bat comes into conflict with other creatures in connection with someone's death or funeral. |
See the 100 most similar distributions →
Map of motif dispersal
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Traditions
53 recordedThis motif has been recorded in 53 traditions: Nuba, Shilluk, Anuak, Bari (incl Fajulu), Kakwa, Acoli (Acholi), Lur (Alur, Luri), Lango, Mangbetu (Ngbetu), Mangbutu, Moru, Madi, Lugbara, Lendu (=Bale), Zande (Azande, incl Nzakara), Kerewe, Sukuma, Kwaya, Kumbi, Busiba, Gusii, Suba, Nyamwesi, Sumbwa, Chagga (Jagga; incl Wasu), Pare, Digo, Kikuyu, Chuka, Embu, Emberre, Mwimbe, Ganda, (Ba)Nyoro, Nyankole, Masaba (Gisu), Luia (=Luyia, Haya, Luhya, Bantu Kawirondo; incl. Vugusu, Maragoli), Rwanda (incl Hutu, Tutsi, Kiga), Rundi, (Ma)Shi, Banyabungu; Rega, Luba (Baluba, Luba-Katanga, Shaba), (Ba)Holoholo, Tumbwe, Bena-Piana, Tabwa, Benabena-Mitumba, Zela, Bene-Marungu, Congo (Koongo, Bacongo; incl Vili, Fioti, (Ma)Yombe, MuKunyi), Ndombo, Luango (Loango), Zombo (Sambo), Laadi (Laari), (Ba)Fioti, Woyo (Kiwoyo), Ronga, Zulu, Swazi, Aka, Baka (Badjue) and other Western (Bantu speaking) Pygmies, Enenga, Mpongwe, Kuta (Koto), Nkomi, Masango, Mindumu, Mbede, Mitsogo, Bawunga, Ndumu (Ndumbo), Duma, Teke, (B)wende, Biu-Mandara: Margi, Kilba, Bura, Kera, Karekare (Kerri-Kerri), Bachama, Zulgo, Giziga, Hdi, Kapsiki, Mandara (incl Mukulehe, Matakam), Mofu (Mofu-Gudur), Somrai (Sibine, Shibha), Zaghawa, Yoruba; incl Ife), Nupe, Bini (Edo), Engenni, Chamba, Dakka, Kukuruku, Mandingo (Manden, incl San, Samo), Kagoro, Bambara (Bamana), Malinke, Kassonke, Diula, Batak (Toba, Dairi), SW Arunachal Pradesh: Sherdukpen, Tawang (Monpas), Aka (Hrusso), Miji, Dutch, Flemish, 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, Hungarians, Romanians, Moldavians, Aromanians, Moldovans, Armenians, Eastern Cree, Sauk (Sak, Mesquakie), Fox, Kickapoo, Plains Cree, Natchez (incl Avoyel), Aztec; Aztec and Teotihuacan iconography, Bari, Guajiro, Sicuani, Pemon: Arekuna (incl. Kamarakoto), Taulipang (Taurepan), Guiana Kariña, Kaliña, Galibi, Tenetehara, Shipibo, Conibo, Setebo, Mundurucu, Curuaia, Botocudo, Mocovi; Kechua of Santiago del Estero with probable Guaikuruan substratum; Abipon, Chamacoco (Ishir), Toba (incl Pilagá), Caduveo, Mbaya, Kono (=Kone), Wai, Manao, Katawishi (Teffe lake); groups of uncertain affiliation mostly from Rio Jamunda, Biloxi, Senufo, Fur, Bhutan, Morocco
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