Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

B46 — Seven Star Brothers.

197 Myths, legends and folktales

197 Unique narratives for motif B46

79 Cultures & traditions where B46 is told

5 Sub-motifs of motif B46

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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

Each of the seven stars of the Big Dipper is an adult male.

Berezkin category: The Origins of the Characteristics of the environment

This is of motif type Cosmology and etiology and is part of group 2, Moon spots, stars, constellations.

B46 has 5 other sub-motifs

B46.  Each of the seven stars of the Big Dipper is an adult male.
B46a.  One of the stars of the Pleiades was separated from the others (usually stolen by the stars of the Big Dipper and identified with Alcor).
B46a1.  The stars of the Big Dipper – thieves or robbers.
B46b.  Each of the seven main stars of the Big Dipper is a separate female character. {Included in the online database, but not in the correlation table in *sav)}.
B46c.  Each of the stars of the Big Dipper is a separate character (people or animals).
B46d.  Men, each of whom excels others in a particular art, turn into stars.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of B46’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
B46C	99.14%	Each of the stars of the Big Dipper is a separate character (people or animals).
K27W	96.27%	The task giver demands that a dangerous creature be brought to him or that something belonging to a monster or deity be brought to him. The hero fulfils the task, but the beast, monster, deity or the object itself kills the task giver. See motif K27.
B83	95.73%	A character attempts to lift a small object or creature, which turns out to be gigantic and unliftable. Cf. motif I87ab.
M77	95.59%	The character stains another's clothes or bed with sewage or something that looks like sewage, threatens to ruin the air and accuse the other, etc.; taking advantage of the victim's confusion, achieves the goal.
K38B	95.59%	A snake or monster of aquatic-chthonic or indeterminate nature eats or maims the young of a bird or other flying creature – in most cases, the chicks of a huge bird. A man kills the snake (monster). See motif K38.
I128	95.31%	The Big Dipper – a ladle, a scoop.
M39A6B	95.19%	The ruler, to whom the master builder went to work, is going to kill or maim him. The master asks to send a person to his house asking him to bring a forgotten instrument or something else. The daughter-in-law understands the true meaning of the request, captivates the messenger and saves her father-in-law.
N4	95.05%	Fused ribs are a sign of heroic strength. {The motive was highlighted and the material was collected by Kostyantin Rahno}.
I87A	94.93%	A character of gigantic size turns out to be small in comparison with a character of even greater size, or the same character turns out to be small in some episodes and gigantic in others.
L125	94.89%	After meeting a beautiful woman, a man finds her in a situation where her inhuman nature is revealed. After that, the marriage falls apart.

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Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

79 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 79 traditions: Geez, Tigrai, Tigre, Indian literary tradition (Vedic, Brahman, Purana, Indian Buddhism, Hinduism, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Panchtantra, Jatakas); iconography of Hindu temples, Bengali, Punjabi, Seraiki (Multani), Kashmiri, Nepali; Tharu, Himachali-Pahari (Western Pahari), Koreans, Basques, Catalan, Maltese, Sicily, Sicilians, Sardinia, Corsica, Sardinians, Corsicans, France, Dutch, Flemish, Greeks (modern), Balkarians, Bulgarians, Balkarians, Macedonians, Balkarians, Serbs, Monte Negro, Balkarians, Western Ukrainians, Uzbek, Wakhi, Ishkashimi (including Sanglich), Munji, Rushani, Shughni, Khufi, Bartangi, Yagnobi, Tajik, Pashto, Persians, Abaza (Abazins), Cherkassians, Adyghe, Kabardin, Abkhaz, Abkhazians, Ossetians, Ingush, Kumyk, Terekemen, Nogai, Tats, Kalmyk, Anatolia Turks, Kara Kalpak, Kazakh, Kirghiz, Uyghur, Kazan (Middle Volga) Tatars, Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Oirats (incl Torgouts, Derbets, Oilots), Mongols (Khalkha), Daur (Daghur), Darkhad, Tuvinians of Tuva, Tuvans, Tofa (Karagas), Khakas, Southern Altai: Altai proper (Altai-Kiji), Telengit, Altaians, Northern Altai: Chelkan, Kumanda, Tubalar, Altaians, Tungus (Evenki): Baikal region, Evenks, Tungus (Evenki) of China (Solon, Birar, Oroqen, Manegir), Evenks, Tungus (Evenki): Russian Far East, Evenks, Chukchi, Wawenock, Abenaki, Penobscot, Blackfoot, Sarsee (Tsuu T'ina), Cheyenne, Arapaho, Teton (incl Oglala), Wichita; Spiro Mound iconography, Kiowa, Comanche, Gros Ventre, Assiniboine, Crow, Caddo, Central Tibetans (Yu Tsang, incl. Sikkim Tibetans, Tichurong of NW Nepal), Chechens, Chulym Turks, Khamnigans, Eastern Ukrainians, Northern Ukrainians, Italians: Central (Toscana, Umbria, Marche, Lazio), Buryats: Eastern (trans Baikal), i.e. Khori, Nepal, Russian Federation

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How to cite: Fielder-White, J. (2026). The Folklore Database. https://folkloredatabase.com

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