Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif
B88 — Job.
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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
OverviewA man's children all die. He turns to God with a request to explain why he is suffering so much.
Berezkin category: The Origins of the Characteristics of the environment
This is of motif type Adventures and tricks and is part of group 10, Adventures.
Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns
Phylogeny| Motif | Similarity | Motif summary |
|---|---|---|
| M56D | 98.78% | The character promises to fill the vessel with small flying living creatures. He bets with them that they will not be able to fill the vessel. Creatures climb inside, the character closes the lid. Cf. K60B motif. |
| M118B | 98.21% | Climbing inside the animal, the character obtains food there without harming the animal. |
| F70D | 97.19% | A girl pretends to be a man or a eunuch, or a girl hides a disability, or a man pretends to be a girl. Someone reveals a secret. At the last moment, the hero or heroine magically gets rid of the disability (acquires male or female nature), the informer is disgraced (executed). |
| K33B | 97.09% | A girl goes with her friends to the forest, to the river; everyone returns home, but she is forced to stay or return. She escapes from a dangerous creature, becomes the wife of a supernatural character, a leader, etc., or dies, but is avenged. |
| H56 | 97.06% | After eating certain food, the first humans become mortal or lose their human nature. Cf. motif F97 (humans become sexually mature). |
| M29X | 95.36% | As a result of its stupidity or antisocial behavior, the hyena dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets. |
| M173 | 95.35% | A zoomorphic character pretends to be dead where a traveller carrying luggage is supposed to pass. The traveller passes by, but the deceiver quietly runs ahead and repeats his trick. The traveller puts his luggage on the ground and returns to pick up the first dead person (for the skin or meat), and the deceiver takes the luggage away. |
| B2F1 | 95.00% | (While the earth does not yet exist or has not yet hardened), birds bury the dead in their bodies â usually in their beaks or heads, which explains the unpleasant smell or the origin of the crest, swelling on the beak, etc. |
| B2G | 94.87% | The chameleon walked on the ground when it had not yet hardened. |
| B98B | 94.87% | The Bat comes into conflict with other creatures in connection with someone's death or funeral. |
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
6 recordedThis motif has been recorded in 6 traditions: Old and New Testament, Ila (Baila), Chagga (Jagga; incl Wasu), Pare, Digo, Lozi (Losi, Rotse, Barotse), Lui, Subiya (Subia), Bengali, Tunisia
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How to cite: Fielder-White, J. (2026). The Folklore Database. https://folkloredatabase.com
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