Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif
B75B — Sounds of the era of creation: the creaking of trees.
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 creaking or crackling of trees is the voice of a transformed character.
Berezkin category: The Origins of the Characteristics of the environment
This is of motif type Cosmology and etiology and is part of group 7, Etiology of plants and animals and of their peculiar features, particular animals as protagonists of cosmological stories, metamorphoses, weather and calendar.
B75 has 4 other sub-motifs
RelatedB75a. The voice of a character who once lived can still be heard (most often it is an echo; A1195, The origin of Echo).
B75b. The creaking or crackling of trees is the voice of a transformed character.
B75b1. The character pushes his mother-in-law or wife into a hollow, and she turns into the creaking of trees or an echo.
B75c. The sound of the surf or water on the rapids has been heard since the time of creation.
B75d. The sound of leaves or grass rustling in the wind has been heard since the time of creation.
Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns
Phylogeny| Motif | Similarity | Motif summary |
|---|---|---|
| B91A | 92.87% | A blind character asks another to lend him his eyes or to swap eyes, keeping his own eyes. |
| M34 | 92.75% | An object is thrown at the character, which turns into a tail, and the character himself into a corresponding animal. |
| K93B5 | 91.81% | The character infiltrates the enemy camp disguised as a kitten or puppy. Usually, one of the enemies suspects deception, but the others believe that the cute animal is harmless. |
| K23A | 91.29% | Birds use their feathers as arrows, or falling feathers cover the mouths of their victims. |
| I49 | 89.81% | Earthquake â an anthropomorphic character (or category of characters) that moves around, shaking the earth. |
| H36J | 89.81% | The lark is to blame for the fact that man is mortal. |
| A42 | 89.56% | The character comes to the Sun, tries to fulfil its role, but deliberately or through incompetence breaks the rules, usually causing disasters on earth. |
| M81 | 89.03% | Wandering, the hero finds himself in a place where blind or blind (two or more) live. |
| K46 | 88.08% | In a fit of fear or shame, a woman or girl runs to the sea, throws herself into the water or hides on the shore. The suitor tries in vain to catch up with her. |
| L51 | 88.07% | A cannibal, spirit, or predatory beast regularly throws its victims down, where they are devoured by aquatic or chthonic creatures. |
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
5 recordedThis motif has been recorded in 5 traditions: Estonians, Byelarusians, Belarusians, Haida, Tsimshian, Maue (Mawe)
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