Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

A13B — Ants eclipse the sun.

13 Myths, legends and folktales
13 Unique narratives for motif A13B
5 Cultures & traditions where A13B is told
2 Sub-motifs of motif A13B
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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

During an eclipse or at the first appearance of night, ants eclipse the sun.

Berezkin category: The Sun and Moon

This is of motif type Cosmology and etiology and is part of group 1, Sun and Moon.

A13 has 2 other sub-motifs

Related

A13a.  The raven steals or hides the sun, or attempts to do so.
A13a1.  The raven rescues or obtains the hidden or stolen sun (daylight).
A13b.  During an eclipse or at the first appearance of night, ants eclipse the sun.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of A13’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny
MotifSimilarityMotif summary
A9100.00%The moon-woman does not allow her son or husband, the Sun, to destroy people.
L3A100.00%Left alone, a woman carelessly calls for someone to help her with the housework; a demon comes and kills the woman or her child.
B7D99.71%Water pours from a broken bone, flooding the earth.
I12999.71%The rainy season is associated with the appearance of the Heron constellation in the sky.
L7B99.71%While chasing a person, spirit, monster or beast, he mistakenly throws himself after a calabash floating down the river.
I27B99.67%A dog carries a person across a river to another world. See motif I27.
M4799.67%When punishing a person or animal or restoring a dismembered body, a character intentionally or accidentally puts his head to his ass.
A22B99.47%The sun and its companion burn up. The companion burns in a less intense fire (is thrown into the ashes, etc.); therefore, the moon (or star) is cold. See motif A22.
A22A99.39%Two characters burn; one turns into the present sun, and the other into a less significant celestial object. See motif A22.
G499.29%Cultivated plants found on or inside a mountain.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

5 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 5 traditions: Tojolabal, Chuj, Jacalteca, Kanjobal, Mocho (incl Tuzantec), Acatec, Yucatec, Itza, Desana, Siriano; Tatuyo, Bara, Tuyuca, Baniwa (incl. Wakuenai), Bare, Piapoco, Curripaco, Siusi, Guarikena , Tacana

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