Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

B2E — Earth-man.

80 Myths, legends and folktales

80 Unique narratives for motif B2E

56 Cultures & traditions where B2E is told

8 Sub-motifs of motif B2E

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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

The Earth or the world as a whole is a male character (alone or alongside a female character).

Berezkin category: The Origins of the Characteristics of the environment

This is of motif type Cosmology and etiology and is part of group 3, Cosmogony, the earth and the sky, etiology of the elements, natural and biological phenomena (fire, water, soil, thunderstorms, dream, etc.), cataclysms and cosmic threats, spirits of nature.

B2 has 8 other sub-motifs

B2a.  The earth is a female character (alone or alongside a male character) and is considered to be female or associated with women.
B2b.  The earth feeds on the people buried in it. See motif B2A.
B2c.  The earth as a whole, elements of the landscape or fertile soil arise from the human body and (or) the earth (islands) are born of a woman.
B2d.  The sky (the Sun, Thunder, the Wind living in the sky) is considered male and marries the Earth, who is female; The sky is combined with the female Water; with the daughter of the Earth; the creator (master) of the sky and the creator (mistress) of the earth are husband and wife; rarely: the female Sky (or Sun) is combined with the male Earth.
B2e.  The Earth or the world as a whole is a male character (alone or alongside a female character).
B2f.  The character cannot bury the deceased, not knowing how to do it or not finding a place for burial.
B2f1.  (While the earth does not yet exist or has not yet hardened), birds bury the dead in their bodies – usually in their beaks or heads, which explains the unpleasant smell or the origin of the crest, swelling on the beak, etc.
B2f2.  The character carries the body of the deceased for a long time, unable to bury it or not knowing how to do so, but eventually buries the body in the ground.
B2g.  The chameleon walked on the ground when it had not yet hardened.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of B2’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
L13	94.16%	People feed a dangerous creature, or it grows on its own in a man-made enclosure. Once it becomes big and strong, it starts to destroy people.
I8E1	94.03%	The sky or earth is supported by four objects or beings located at the four cardinal points (either four groups of beings, or four at the corners and a fifth in the centre). Th A841. See motifs 8A, 8D.
F16	94.01%	Men possessed biological characteristics that are now characteristic of women, or vice versa (beards, menstruation, breasts, childbearing).
J21	94.00%	Gods, ancestors of humans, and founders of dynasties are born from eggs.
I8G	93.69%	A single giant holds up the earth or the sky.
H39	93.45%	Creatures that are now dangerous (snakes, insects) swallow an uncontrolled substance and as a result become poisonous or immortal; creatures acquire their nature (usually becoming poisonous) by drinking or licking a special potion.
A3	93.18%	The Moon is female or hermaphroditic, the Sun is male or, possibly, male.
J47	93.08%	A character climbs up to the sky using a rope, ladder, etc., or climbs a tree or rock, or descends from the sky to the ground, or rises to the ground from the underworld. Another character climbs after them, but the rope or ladder breaks or is cut, and the character falls.
L14	92.52%	People bring a small creature (usually a worm or reptile) into their home and raise it, or it settles into a man-made dwelling on its own. The creature turns into something terrifying or magnificent. See motif L13 (raised monster attacks people).
I62	91.99%	The Milky Way is a heavenly river, a body of water, a chain of creatures floating in the water.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

56 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 56 traditions: Nuba, Dinka, Atuot, Nuer, Ganda, (Ba)Nyoro, Nyankole, Masaba (Gisu), Luia (=Luyia, Haya, Luhya, Bantu Kawirondo; incl. Vugusu, Maragoli), Tiv, Bamum (Bamun), Mungaka (Mgaka, Bali), Beba, Anaguta, Bete (Mbete, Karang), Ekoi, Nyang, Vute (Wute), Jukun, Chamba, Bamileke, Kwotto, Kirri; Denya (Nyang), Yoruba; incl Ife), Nupe, Bini (Edo), Engenni, Chamba, Dakka, Kukuruku, Fon, Society Islands: Tahiti, Borabora, Raiatea, Tuvalu (Ellice), Toraja (Toradja), To Mori, Baree (=Eastern Toraja), Malay; Temuan (incl Mantra or Mentra), Jakun (Moken), Bidayuh (incl. Maloh), Iban (Sea Dayak), Sakarram; Brunei, Viet, Muong, Sora (Savara, Saora), Parenga, Eastern Arunachal Pradesh: Abor (incl Minyong, Shimong, Padam, Pasi, Panggi), Apa Tani (Apatani), Bori, Bugun, Dafla (=Nyishi, Nisi, Nishing, incl Tagin), Gallong (=Galo, Adi), Mishmi, Kachin (Singpho), Chak, Rajasthani (Radjasthan and Madhya Pradesh), Miao (Hmong) and Yao of Southern China, Li , Lahu, Kucong, Nosu, Nisu, Nusu, Sani, Jino, Vepsians, Western Sami, Eastern Sami (including Skolts), Nogai, Bashkirs, Chuvash, Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Nganasans, Tungus (Evenki): Baikal region, Evenks, Uilta (Orok), Manchu, Shuswap, Lkungen (Straits; including Samish, Songish, Sooke, Lummi), Klallam, Oregon Athabaskans: Lower Umpqua, Tututni (incl Joshua), Upper Coquille, Galice, Tolowa, Northern Paiute (=Paviotso), Ute, Luiseño, Juaneño, Tewa (San Juan, Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, Tesuque, Nambe; Hano), Tiwa (Taos, Picuris; Sandia, Isleta), Towa (Jemez), Kiliwa, Aztec; Aztec and Teotihuacan iconography, Popoloca; Tlapanec, Tzutujil, Pipil, Tepehua, Totonac, Gulf Nahuatl, Tzotzil, Chorti, Kekchi; Mopan, Locono, Guiana Kariña, Kaliña, Galibi, Wanana, Tucano proper, Pira-Tapuya, Arapaso, Kabiyari, Yukuna (Yucuna), Kechua-speaking communities of Apurimac, Cuzco, Arequipa, Puno departments; Spanish sources of XVI-XVII centuries; Callawaya (Kechua with Pukina substratum), Cashibo, Buryats: Eastern (trans Baikal), i.e. Khori, Egypt, China

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