Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

B93 — Meeting in the sky once a year.

16 Myths, legends and folktales
16 Unique narratives for motif B93
11 Cultures & traditions where B93 is told
1 Sub-motifs of motif B93
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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

Once a year or once every few years, celestial beings or messengers of the gods meet among the stars.

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.

B93 has 1 other sub-motifs

Related

B93.  Once a year or once every few years, celestial beings or messengers of the gods meet among the stars.
B93a.  Once a year, birds form a bridge across the heavenly river with their bodies. Usually, the feathers on their heads are worn away as a result.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of B93’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny
MotifSimilarityMotif summary
A4B97.76%The sun decided to walk across the sky during the day because it is afraid of the night.
M167A97.51%A strong predator mistakes an unfamiliar word for the name of a creature that is stronger than him and flees.
A897.05%The sun, moon and stars – three brothers or three sisters.
B11997.05%A woman of non-human nature agrees to live with a man, but leaves him upon learning of his real or imagined infidelity.
B12197.05%A small bird carries pebbles and sticks, trying to fill the sea.
B49A97.05%Powerful animals could have many cubs, but now they give birth to only one every few years.
B6A97.05%The first woman gives birth to several eggs. One or two of them remain unchanged for a long time and are thrown into the river, believing them to be spoiled. However, it is precisely from these eggs that characters of high status emerge (or should have emerged).
B77B297.05%The sky moved away and/or the connection between people and the deity ceased after the sky or the heavenly deity was touched or struck with a broom.
B93A97.05%Once a year, birds form a bridge across the heavenly river with their bodies. Usually, the feathers on their heads are worn away as a result.
C3997.05%When the sky split or partially collapsed, it was repaired.

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Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

11 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 11 traditions: Arabs of Iraq, Iraqi, Shan, Ahom, Khampti, Viet, Muong, Koreans, Bulgarians, Balkarians, Tats, Armenians, Mongols (Khalkha), Central Tibetans (Yu Tsang, incl. Sikkim Tibetans, Tichurong of NW Nepal), China, Japan

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