Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

B26 — Gone to the animals.

94 Myths, legends and folktales
94 Unique narratives for motif B26
55 Cultures & traditions where B26 is told
0 Sub-motifs of motif B26
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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

A person who follows wild animals (temporarily) turns into one of them or their master, or lives with animals that look like humans to him.

Berezkin category: The Origins of the Characteristics of the environment

This is of motif type Adventures and tricks and is part of group 10, Adventures.

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny
MotifSimilarityMotif summary
K27O297.16%To destroy the hero, his opponents play ball with him, throwing a heavy dangerous object (a ball made of ice, bone, stone, iron, a walrus head, a biting skull, etc.).
M75D96.42%A man bereaves vultures of their hunting weapons or amulets
B5490.70%Wood chips, branches or pieces of bark that have fallen or been thrown into the water turn into fish and aquatic animals.
L5989.78%A woman eats the best food or eats fruit before it is ripe; as punishment, she undergoes metamorphosis.
G189.17%In order to acquire or regain values (land, soil, cultivated plants, sun, fire, shamanic knowledge, luck), people lure or steal the son or daughter of a certain character.
K27N3C89.07%A character who gives the hero difficult tasks or subjects him to trials is associated with a land or water animal or a fish. See motif K27.
A2088.81%The Sun and the Moon (less often the Sun and a star, the Moon and a star) are brothers (sisters, brother and sister) who initially live on earth, but at the end of the story, as teenagers or young adults, ascend to the sky and become celestial bodies.
J3788.56%Transforming into a powerful bird or creating one, the hero lifts his opponent into the air and carries him away.
L7488.42%A bear or other powerful character tears off and carries away another character's hand. A third character steals the hand and returns it to the one from whom it was torn off.
F3587.31%A character offers another person the meat of his sexual partner, and the other person, unaware, eats or cooks it.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

55 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 55 traditions: Western Australia: Walmanjeri, Njolnjol (Njulnjul, Nyul-Nyul), Worora, Kariara (Karierra), Karadjari (Karadjeri, Garadjari), Djaberdjaber (Djaberadjabera), Ngarluma, Wiilman (Wheelman), Bibbulmum (Pebelman), Burong (Panaka), Reindeer Koryak, Maritime Koryak (Alyutor), Chukchi, Central Yupik, Chugach, Han, Tutchone, Tagish, Inland Tlingit, Tahltan, Tsetsaut, Tanana, Gwich'in (Kuchin, Loucheux), Beaver, Bering Strait Inupiat (incl. King Island), North Alaskan Inupiat, Eyak, Tlingit, Micmac, Eastern Cree, Naskapi, Arikara, Plains Cree, Thompson (Nlaka'pamux), Lillooet, Comox, Pentlatch, Alabama, Koasati, Choctaw, Chicasaw, Cherokee, Huastec (Teenek), Lacandon, Choco: Embera, Nonama (Waunana), XVI century Dabaiba, pre-Columbian iconography of Sinu, Yupa (Yukpa), Sicuani, Yanomamo (Yanoama): Yanomam, Yanomami, Wayapi, Emerillon, Colorado (Tsachila), Siona, Secoya, Coreguaje, Kofan, Shuar, Achuar (Shiwiar), Aguaruna, Huambiza, Chayahuita , Witoto, Ocaina, Ticuna (Tucuna), Mura (PirahΓ£), Piro (Yine), Amahuaca, Cashinahua, Sharanahua, Yaminahua, Yawanahua, Capanahua), Tupari, Makurap, Sakirap, Ajuru (Wayoro), Paresi, Craho, Ayoreo, Chamacoco (Ishir), Ofaie, Biloxi

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