Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

B46C — The Great Bear – seven characters.

220 Myths, legends and folktales

220 Unique narratives for motif B46C

102 Cultures & traditions where B46C is told

5 Sub-motifs of motif B46C

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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 stars of the Big Dipper is a separate character (people or animals).

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
B46	99.14%	Each of the seven stars of the Big Dipper is an adult male.
K27W	97.02%	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.
I25	95.10%	The path to the house or the entrance to the character's house is guarded by dangerous creatures. The hero appeases them with gifts or words, they let him pass back and forth, sometimes punished for this by the owner.
M77	94.22%	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.
M83	93.85%	Each character claims that he is older and appeared before this world or (Ingush) that his father was cosmic in size.
B83	93.79%	A character attempts to lift a small object or creature, which turns out to be gigantic and unliftable. Cf. motif I87ab.
K38B	93.54%	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.
I40	93.43%	The rainbow is a bow.
I128	93.29%	The Big Dipper – a ladle, a scoop.
M29B3	93.13%	As a result of its stupidity or antisocial behavior, the fox (jackal) dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets. If it is not specified that a “jackal”, then the protagonist is a fox.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

102 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 102 traditions: Saudi Arabia, Arabs of Levant (Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan); Bedouins of Sinai, Geez, Tigrai, Tigre, Teda (Tedaga), Indian literary tradition (Vedic, Brahman, Purana, Indian Buddhism, Hinduism, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Panchtantra, Jatakas); iconography of Hindu temples, Bengali, Punjabi, Seraiki (Multani), Kashmiri, Nepali; Tharu, Kafir, or Nuristani: Prasun; Kati (incl. Paruni), Ashkun (Ashunu), Waigali, Dards (Kalash, Kho, Kohistani, Shina, Pashai), Miao (Hmong) and Yao of Southern China, Koreans, Basques, Catalan, Maltese, Sardinia, Corsica, Sardinians, Corsicans, France, Dutch, Flemish, Greeks (modern), Balkarians, Bulgarians, Balkarians, Macedonians, Balkarians, Romanians, Moldavians, Aromanians, Moldovans, Vepsians, Western Ukrainians, Uzbek, Wakhi, Ishkashimi (including Sanglich), Munji, Rushani, Shughni, Khufi, Bartangi, Tajik, Persians, Iranian literary tradition (including Avesta, Pahlevi scripts, Sah-nameh, Marzban-nameh); Zoroastrians of Iran, Indian Parsees, Zoroastrianism, Abaza (Abazins), Cherkassians, Adyghe, Kabardin, Abkhaz, Abkhazians, Ossetians, Ingush, Kumyk, Terekemen, Nogai, Tats, Svans, Armenians, Kalmyk, Crimean Tatars, Karaims, Anatolia Turks, Kara Kalpak, Kazakh, Kirghiz, Uyghur, Kazan (Middle Volga) Tatars, Bashkirs, Chuvash, Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Oirats (incl Torgouts, Derbets, Oilots), Mongols (Khalkha), Daur (Daghur), Darkhad, Tuvinians of Tuva, Tuvans, Tofa (Karagas), Khakas, Shor, Southern Altai: Altai proper (Altai-Kiji), Telengit, Altaians, Northern Altai: Chelkan, Kumanda, Tubalar, Altaians, Nenets, Kets, Tungus (Evenki): Baikal region, Evenks, Tungus (Evenki) of China (Solon, Birar, Oroqen, Manegir), Evenks, Tungus (Evenki): Russian Far East, Evenks, Chukchi, Wawenock, Abenaki, Penobscot, Winnebago, Blackfoot, Sarsee (Tsuu T'ina), Yuchi, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Teton (incl Oglala), Wichita; Spiro Mound iconography, Kiowa, Comanche, Gros Ventre, Assiniboine, Crow, Lushootseed (Puget Sound: Puyallup, Nisqualmi, Snuqualmi, Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Snohomish, Skagit), Coos, Caddo, Yuki (Yuki proper, Coastal Yuki, Huchnob), Chumash, Mono (Monache), Owens Valley Paiute, Northern Paiute (=Paviotso), Southern Paiute, 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, Egypt, Nepal, Russian Federation

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