Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif
B47 — The Pleiades and cold.
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
OverviewThe Pleiades or another group of stars once appeared or regularly cause severe cold. (The heliacal setting of the Pleiades occurs in May-June; in the Northern Hemisphere, they are best seen in winter).
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.
B47 has 1 other sub-motifs
RelatedB47. The Pleiades or another group of stars once appeared or regularly cause severe cold. (The heliacal setting of the Pleiades occurs in May-June; in the Northern Hemisphere, they are best seen in winter).
B47a. A cow steps on the Pleiades stars lying on the ground, which were demonic creatures. Some of the stars slipped through her split hoof.
Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns
Phylogeny| Motif | Similarity | Motif summary |
|---|---|---|
| I85A | 96.16% | Animals walk around the North Star, or the movement of the stars is compared to the movement of animals around a pole. See motif I85. |
| L95A | 96.07% | A person sees lungs or a liver lying on the ground or floating in the water. As soon as he touches them, a demonic character appears before him. |
| M106B | 95.60% | The character who caused harm to the antagonist calls himself by a fictitious name such as "Last Year," and the other antagonists understand this to mean that everything happened a long time ago and there is no point in looking for the culprit. |
| B115 | 95.39% | Conifers and some other trees and shrubs (small shrubs) became evergreen after the elixir of immortality was accidentally spilled on them. Cf. motif H6b. |
| N1 | 95.02% | The fabulous and epic texts start from the beginning, which states that today's huge objects were tiny at the time. |
| M83A | 94.77% | The characters are arguing which one is older. After some people tell us how long they were born, the latter says that this and that happened in his memory at that time. |
| N28H | 94.76% | In a list of things that do not exist in the world, horns of the horse are mentioned |
| N28C | 94.69% | In a list of things that do not exist in the world, a pillar of the sky is mentioned |
| K159 | 94.52% | When two characters are fighting, someone nearby wants one of them to slip (while the other remains firmly on their feet) and throws something under their feet for this purpose. |
| K12A | 94.18% | An unrecognised hero arrives at a place where his bride or wife is to be given to another man or turned into a servant. Contrary to expectations, he manages to draw a tight bow (raise a spear), with which he kills his rivals. |
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
23 recordedThis motif has been recorded in 23 traditions: Southeast Australia: Kamilaroi, Yualarai (Ualarai, Euahlayi), Milpulo (Mailpurgu), Wuradjeri (Wiradjurim, Wiradjeri, Wurundjeri, Yarra, Yarra Yarra), Wongaibon (Wonghibon), Noongahburrah (Narran, Narran River), Kurnai, and many others (see file 0.doc), Batak (Toba, Dairi), Vepsians, Western Sami, Eastern Sami (including Skolts), Ingush, Kalmyk, Kazakh, Kirghiz, Bashkirs, Eastern Khanty (Ostyaks), Oirats (incl Torgouts, Derbets, Oilots), Mongols (Khalkha), Darkhad, Tuvinians of Tuva, Tuvans, Khakas, Southern Altai: Altai proper (Altai-Kiji), Telengit, Altaians, Northern Altai: Chelkan, Kumanda, Tubalar, Altaians, Central Yakuts (Sakha), Udeghe, Lkungen (Straits; including Samish, Songish, Sooke, Lummi), Klallam, Mataco, Toba (incl Pilagá)
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