Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif
A44 — The protector moon.
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 character fleeing from pursuit, wronged or suffering on earth, asks the Moon to take him to her, or climbs up to the moon himself using a ladder or rope that has descended from there.
Berezkin category: The Sun and Moon
This is of motif type Cosmology and etiology and is part of group 2, Moon spots, stars, constellations.
Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns
Phylogeny| Motif | Similarity | Motif summary |
|---|---|---|
| K98 | 92.65% | An animal or (less commonly) a woman who gave birth to a hero or helped him turns into a house and property. |
| G29 | 92.15% | The character consists of various artefacts of domestic and industrial use or transforms into them. |
| J52B | 89.94% | A girl, young woman or children associated with hares (rabbits) are heroes-victors or successful tricksters. |
| E9E | 89.37% | An animal or object received by a young man from supernatural beings as a reward for his kindness, upon the young man's return home (to earth), turns into a girl. |
| I50 | 89.00% | Describes or depicts a hoofed animal with six or more legs. |
| B1E | 88.87% | The protagonist of the narrative is one of many (seven or more) brothers with whom he is in conflict, but who are not his irreconcilable enemies. |
| M100 | 88.84% | Zoomorphic characters lie down to sleep on the edge of a cliff. At night, one of them suggests moving (turning), and his companion (companions) falls and breaks. |
| B38D | 88.67% | The Raven and the Owl paint each other. |
| L92 | 88.41% | A demon, a cannibal, chops down a tree or rock on top of which the hero has climbed. Another character offers the cannibal a rest and takes over the chopping, but only spoils his work or (among the Athapaskans) kills him as soon as the cannibal hands him his axe. (African variants are clearly borrowed from Eurasia). |
| A4 | 88.09% | The Sun is a woman (the Moon is usually a man, sometimes also a woman, see motif A6; highlighted in bold italics in the list of ethnic groups below). |
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
59 recordedThis motif has been recorded in 59 traditions: Sangir Islands, Northern Halmahera Papuans: Galela, Loda, Pagu, Modole, Tabaru (Tobaru), Tobelo, Tidore, Ternate, Toraja (Toradja), To Mori, Baree (=Eastern Toraja), Minahasa (incl. Tondano, Tentemboan), Bantik, Bugi, Macassar, Kannada, Lingayat, Halakki, Kashmiri, Nepali; Tharu, Konkani (incl Goa), Namuci (Namuyi), Naxi; Pumi (Primi), Macedonians, Balkarians, Lithuanians, Estonians, Western Sami, Eastern Sami (including Skolts), Wakhi, Ishkashimi (including Sanglich), Munji, Tats, Kirghiz, Kazan (Middle Volga) Tatars, Bashkirs, Mari (Cheremis), Chuvash, Udmurt, Komi (Zyrians and Permyaks), Central Yakuts (Sakha), Dolgans, Tungus (Evenki): Baikal region, Evenks, Tungus (Evenki) of China (Solon, Birar, Oroqen, Manegir), Evenks, Tungus (Evenki): Russian Far East, Evenks, Western Tungus (Evenki), Western Siberia Tungus (Evenki): Sym River, Ket River, Southern and Central; Ryukyu Islands: Yaeyama, Miyako, Okinawa, Udeghe, Oroch, Nanai, Negidal, Nivkh, Reindeer Koryak, Maritime Koryak (Alyutor), Forest (Upper Kolyma) Yukaghir, Chuvans, Russian-speaking Creols of Markovo, Chukchi, Hare (K'ahsho Got'ine), Tahltan, Gwich'in (Kuchin, Loucheux), Mackenzie Delta, Copper, Iglulik, Polar Inuit, Baffin Land Inuit, Sauk (Sak, Mesquakie), Fox, Kickapoo, Lkungen (Straits; including Samish, Songish, Sooke, Lummi), Klallam, Italians: Central (Toscana, Umbria, Marche, Lazio), Bhutan, Sundanese, Ilimpii Tungus/Evenki, Yerbogachen Tungus/Evenki, Tungus/Evenki of Nercha - Chita area, Russian Federation
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How to cite: Fielder-White, J. (2026). The Folklore Database. https://folkloredatabase.com
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