Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

N28C — Sky support

17 Myths, legends and folktales
17 Unique narratives for motif N28C
10 Cultures & traditions where N28C is told
7 Sub-motifs of motif N28C
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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

In a list of things that do not exist in the world, a pillar of the sky is mentioned

Berezkin category: Fabulous and epic formulas

This is of motif type Adventures and tricks and is part of group 13, Formulae.

N28 has 7 other sub-motifs

Related

N28a.  The roots (belt) of mountains or stones are mentioned in myths, riddles, spells, and songs as something that does not really exist.
N28b.  In a list of things that do not exist in the world, a ladder or stairway to the sky (variant: a ladder in the sky) is mentioned
N28c.  In a list of things that do not exist in the world, a pillar of the sky is mentioned
N28d.  In a list of things that do not exist in the world, a lid or covering for the sea, ocean or river are mentioned
N28e.  In a list of things that do not exist in the world, a bridge across the sea, ocean or lake is mentioned
N28f.  It is said that water has no boughs or twigs
N28g.  In a list of things that do not exist in the world, a gall of horse or ass is mentioned
N28h.  In a list of things that do not exist in the world, horns of the horse are mentioned

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of N28’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny
MotifSimilarityMotif summary
M106B99.74%The character who caused harm to the antagonist calls himself by a fictitious name such as "Last Year," and the other antagonists understand this to mean that everything happened a long time ago and there is no point in looking for the culprit.
M38D399.12%The character, who is a lump of earth (oatmeal, salt), blurred in the rain or after going to get water.
L9598.91%A person (usually a child or teenager) returns to a previous location for a forgotten item (often a toy) and finds a demon there, from which they struggle to escape.
M78F98.80%When a woman falls asleep, a joker (usually a tiny boy) places an embryo or the entrails of an animal or something similar next to her to make the woman herself or others think she has a miscarriage or that her viscera has fallen out.
I82H98.71%The name of Venus sounds like Cholpan, Cholbon, Tsolmon, etc. (čol- 'to sparkle, to shine' [VÑmbéri 1879: 155]).
N28H98.20%In a list of things that do not exist in the world, horns of the horse are mentioned
N1398.00%A girl, a girl is associated with scissors (and a boy, a boy with a knife or an ax).
N197.99%The fabulous and epic texts start from the beginning, which states that today's huge objects were tiny at the time.
M60A297.98%The servant must lick the master or mistress's feet or wound. The hero comes disguised as a servant and instead of licking his heels, touches them with the animal's cut off tongue.
L95A97.46%A person sees lungs or a liver lying on the ground or floating in the water. As soon as he touches them, a demonic character appears before him.

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Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

10 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 10 traditions: Kashmiri, Marathi (incl. Bhamta; incl. Mumbai area), Kirghiz, Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Daur (Daghur), Tuvinians of Tuva, Tuvans, Khakas, Southern Altai: Altai proper (Altai-Kiji), Telengit, Altaians, Northern Altai: Chelkan, Kumanda, Tubalar, Altaians, Buryats: Eastern (trans Baikal), i.e. Khori

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