Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

C19 — Finding the sun.

414 Myths, legends and folktales

414 Unique narratives for motif C19

196 Cultures & traditions where C19 is told

1 Sub-motifs of motif C19

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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

The missing, hidden, concealed or stolen sun (daylight) reappears. See motif C18

Berezkin category: Disasters

This is of motif type Cosmology and etiology and is part of group 1, Sun and Moon.

C19 has 1 other sub-motifs

C19. The missing, hidden, concealed or stolen sun (daylight) reappears. See motif C18
C19a. The character (except Quileut: Raven) turns into a child, asks for and receives heavenly bodies to play, or (Chukchi) comes to play with the little daughter of the owner of the stars.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of C19’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
M30	92.88%	character who has no natural wings or can't fly long distances rises into the air, but falls or, having lost its wings, stays where he can't return from. (The motive includes several options, but even when taken together, they don't cover the whole world. Texts with M25 and M28 motifs are counted as including the M30 motif).
K27	92.71%	The character receives tasks that are deadly dangerous or can only be accomplished with supernatural abilities or helpers; the hero completes the tasks and/or miraculously survives. The confrontation between the characters unfolds as a game or competition in which the loser loses their life or status.
J46	92.59%	Antagonists perish by falling into water or attempting to cross a water barrier. See motifs J42, J44.
K27N	92.56%	A young man must complete difficult tasks or win a competition in order to obtain permission to marry. The person giving the tasks is indicated in square brackets. See motif K27.
L65	92.45%	An infant or small child turns out to be a demon and kills people.
K8A	92.10%	The character enters the belly of an aquatic creature or a giant creature whose appearance and habitat are not precisely described. He kills the creature from within (K952) and/or returns to the outside without outside help. Upon emerging from the belly, he often finds himself bald (K921). Cf. motifs I81B (Charybdis) and L110 (Devourer).
B40A	91.89%	Nowadays, hornless animals lose their horns or are deprived of the opportunity to grow them. See motif B40.
B3B	91.23%	Initially, the earth or the world as a whole was small in size, then it grew; fertile soil grew from a small amount of initial substance. See motif B3A (the earth grows from a piece of solid substance thrown onto the surface of the water).
I22	91.13%	There are objects that, while remaining in place, move constantly or periodically (collide and diverge, fall and rise, open and close, rotate).
I36	90.96%	Thunder and lightning (two thunders, two lightnings) – characters related by kinship, marriage or property.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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🌐 Open as Airocean (Dymaxion) map ↗

Traditions

196 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 196 traditions: Kabylia and other Berber of Northern and Central Algeria: Beni Snous, Beni Menacer (incl Zuav), Shaui, etc.), Shone (Shona, =Mashona, =Karanga), Makoni (Shoni dialect), Remba (=Hungwe, Wahungwe); Zezuru, Rozwi, Ndau (Vandau), Kerewe, Sukuma, Kwaya, Kumbi, Busiba, Gusii, Suba, Nyatutu, Kiniramba, Isanzu, Ganda, (Ba)Nyoro, Nyankole, Masaba (Gisu), Luia (=Luyia, Haya, Luhya, Bantu Kawirondo; incl. Vugusu, Maragoli), Bemba (Wemba, Babemba; incl Ambo, Lala, Lamba, Bisa), Holoholo, Kaonde, Kete, Luba-Kasai, Bena (Bene) Lulua; (Bena-)Kanioka, Lingala, (Ba)Ngala, Ntomba, Kioque, (Ki)Bangi, Bolia, Balolo, Boloki, (Ba)Akwa, (U)Poto, Bushoong: (Ba)kuba, Dengese, Ngongo; Yansi, Mongo (Mongo-Nkundu), Nkundu, Ngelima, Ngombe, (Ba)Tetela), Pende, Wu(Kusu), (Ba)Mbala (incl Saie, Kwilu), Yambasa, Banen (Tunen), Dan (=Gio), Guro (=Kweni, incl Gagu, Neio), Toura, Mano, Ngere, Beng, Guro , Kru: Kru proper, Sapo (Sapã), Grebo, Kran (Krahn, Guere-Krahn; incl. Putu, Tchien), Bete, Neyo, Wobe, Devoin (Dey), Belle (Kuwaa), Bassa, Sikon, Northern Gur (Oti-Volta): Mamprussi, Dagomba, Dagari (Dagara; incl Lodaga), Bassari, Mosi, Nankanse, Konkomba, Moba; Ditammari, Nyende, Bulsa (pl Builsa, Bulo), Tenda (incl Bedik, Basari), Biafada, Nalu, Pajadinka, Badyara (Badiaranke), Khoekhoe (=Hottentot; incl Nama, Korana); Damara, Torricelli family: Valman, Samap, Arapesh (Upper, Coastal), Monumbo, Lilau, Ngaimbom; Moando (Banara); Menya, Olo, Loyalty Islands (Uvea, Lifu, Mare), Hawaii, Toraja (Toradja), To Mori, Baree (=Eastern Toraja), Dusun, Murut, Kelabit, Tombonuwo, Bajau, Tidong, Thai of Vietnam, Tai Lue, Khao (Kho, Tai Don, White Tai), Tai Dam (Black Tai), Nung; Zhuang, Buyi; Shui, Wa (incl Kawa), Bulang, Andamanese, Northern Munda of Kharwar branch: Birhor, Ho, Mundari, Kol, Asur (including Agaria, Kol, Birjhia), Bhumij, Khasi, Eastern Arunachal Pradesh: Abor (incl Minyong, Shimong, Padam, Pasi, Panggi), Apa Tani (Apatani), Bori, Bugun, Dafla (=Nyishi, Nisi, Nishing, incl Tagin), Gallong (=Galo, Adi), Mishmi, Chin-Naga: Ao, Mao, Sema, Zeme, Kolren, Kom, Lhota, Rengma, Angami, Kabui, Tangkhul, Koirenf, Kuki, Chiru, Falam (Hallam), Chin (Meitei =Manipuri, Khami, =Kumi), Lakher, Mizo (Lushei), Anal, Pawi (Lai), Purum, Koireng, Milhiem, Kolhen, Mru, Rawang, Dulong; Anong, Drung, Kachin (Singpho), Chak, Gondi (mostly Northern Gondi), Indian literary tradition (Vedic, Brahman, Purana, Indian Buddhism, Hinduism, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Panchtantra, Jatakas); iconography of Hindu temples, Tamil, Muthuvan, Marvar, Tamils, Nepali; Tharu, Bhils (incl Barela-Bhilala), Kafir, or Nuristani: Prasun; Kati (incl. Paruni), Ashkun (Ashunu), Waigali, Dards (Kalash, Kho, Kohistani, Shina, Pashai), Miao (Hmong) and Yao of Southern China, Meo (Hmong) of Thailand, Laos and Northern Vietnam, Early Chinese written sources, Lepcha, Koreans, Slovakians, Slovaks, Hungarians, Macedonians, Balkarians, Serbs, Monte Negro, Balkarians, Romanians, Moldavians, Aromanians, Moldovans, Hittite, Hurrit, Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, Finns, Karelians, Western Ukrainians, Byelarusians, Belarusians, Persians, Ossetians, Svans, Armenians, Kalmyk, Kazakh, Kirghiz, Bashkirs, Mordvins, Chuvash, Mansi, Eastern Khanty (Ostyaks), Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Tuvinians of Tuva, Tuvans, Khakas, Nenets, Southern Selkups, Northern Selkups, Kets, Central Yakuts (Sakha), Dolgans, Tungus (Evenki): Baikal region, Evenks, Tungus (Evenki) of China (Solon, Birar, Oroqen, Manegir), Evenks, Tungus (Evenki): Russian Far East, Evenks, Western Tungus (Evenki), Western Siberia Tungus (Evenki): Sym River, Ket River, Ainu, Oroch, Nivkh, Kerek, Reindeer Koryak, Maritime Koryak (Alyutor), Chukchi, Central Yupik, Chipewyan, Upper Tanana (Nebesna), Tanacross, Han, Tutchone, Tagish, Inland Tlingit, Tahltan, Kaska, Athna, Ingalik (Der Hit’an), Koyukon, Tanana, Gwich'in (Kuchin, Loucheux), Bering Strait Inupiat (incl. King Island), North Alaskan Inupiat, Mackenzie Delta, Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Kwakiutl (Kwakwaka'wakw), Nootka (Nu-chah-nulth), Makah, Bella Coola (Nuxalk), Western Ojibwa (Chippewa), Eastern Ojibwa (Missisauga, Timagami and other groups in eastern Ontario), Algonquin, unspecified Algonkians of the Midwest (probably Old Algonquin), Northern Ojibwa (=Severn Ojibwa, Sandy Lake Cree), Western Swampy Cree (incl. Rock Cree), Eastern Cree, Attikamek, Montagnais, Menominee, Sauk (Sak, Mesquakie), Fox, Kickapoo, Five Nations Iroquois (Seneca, Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga), Yuchi, Mandan, Iowa, Kiowa, Plains Cree, Plains Ojibwa, Assiniboine, Chilkotin, Lillooet, Tillamook, Yurok, Alabama, Koasati, Cherokee, Wailaki, Mattole, Lassik, Sinkyone, Cahto, Yuki (Yuki proper, Coastal Yuki, Huchnob), Sierra Miwok, Lake Miwok, Plains Miwok, Coastal Miwok, Owens Valley Paiute, Northern Paiute (=Paviotso), Northern Shoshone, Western Shoshone, Gosiute, Panamint, Eastern Shoshone, Southern Paiute, Cahuilla, Cupeño, Tepecano, Tojolabal, Chuj, Jacalteca, Kanjobal, Mocho (incl Tuzantec), Acatec, Tepehua, Totonac, Gulf Nahuatl, Chinantec, Mazatec, Tzotzil, Tzeltal, Chol; pre-Columbian Mayan iconography outside of Yucatan, Cuna; XVI century data on Eastern Panama, Makiritare (Yecuana), Pemon: Arekuna (incl. Kamarakoto), Taulipang (Taurepan), Chayahuita , Barasana, Taibano, Macuna, Ticuna (Tucuna), Aimara, Ashaninca (Campa), Amahuaca, Cashinahua, Sharanahua, Yaminahua, Yawanahua, Capanahua), Tacana, Siriono, Mehinaku, Waura, Yaulapiti, Bakairi, Kuikuro, Kalapalo, Calapalo, Kamayura, Trumai, Caraja, Tapirape, Sanapana, Lengua (incl Angaite), Vilela, Nivakle (=Chulupi, Ashluslay, Ajlujlay), Mapuche, Yamana (Yaghan), Alacaluf, Kono (=Kone), Wai, Central Tibetans (Yu Tsang, incl. Sikkim Tibetans, Tichurong of NW Nepal), Lisu, Lolo (incl. Bai), Achang, Yi, Axi, Nasu, Jino, Taungyo, Lao, Ingrians, Eastern Ukrainians, Northern Ukrainians, Buryats: Eastern (trans Baikal), i.e. Khori, Ilimpii Tungus/Evenki, Yerbogachen Tungus/Evenki, Tungus/Evenki of Nercha - Chita area, Bosnians, China, Japan, Russian Federation

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