Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

C9 — Warning of the flood.

115 Myths, legends and folktales

115 Unique narratives for motif C9

61 Cultures & traditions where C9 is told

1 Sub-motifs of motif C9

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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

God, an animal, or a certain character warns one of the people about an impending catastrophe (usually a flood) in which most people will perish.

Berezkin category: Disasters

C9 has 1 other sub-motifs

C9. God, an animal, or a certain character warns one of the people about an impending catastrophe (usually a flood) in which most people will perish.
C9a. During the flood or when crossing a river, those who drowned or were saved turn into aquatic or amphibious animals.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of C9’s motifs

No dispersal data found for motif 'c9'.

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
A1	0.00%	Another sun — less powerful or less favourable to humans — existed before the appearance of the current one.
A10	0.00%	The sun gets its sparkling eyes (eye) from an animal.
A11A	0.00%	The visible sun or moon are their eyes; if the eyes of the luminaries were not damaged, it would be much brighter and hotter.
A11B	0.00%	The sun or moon has one eye (usually the second eye is knocked out or sucked out, but sometimes the reason is not explained; among the Munduruku, the sun of the rainy season has lost both eyes, while the sun of the dry season has retained both). See motif 11A.
A11C	0.00%	The Sun and Moon kill a monster whose eyes shine differently. At first, the Moon takes the brighter eye, but then swaps with the Sun.
A12	0.00%	A creature or creatures regularly (sunrise and sunset, winter and summer, night and day, phases of the moon) or occasionally (eclipses, eschatological catastrophes) attack the luminaries or block their light.
A12A	0.00%	During an eclipse or under other circumstances, predators attack the luminaries: wolves, bears, jaguars, pumas, dogs, foxes, raccoons. See motif A12.
A12B	0.00%	During an eclipse or at sunset (marked *), the luminaries are swallowed by a toad or frog.
A12C	0.00%	Eclipses of the sun, moon or their setting (marked*) are caused by a snake, lizard, dragon, fish or crocodile; these creatures attack the luminaries now or attacked them at the beginning of time. See motif A12.
A12D	0.00%	Birds attack the sun or moon during an eclipse (covering them with their wings) or (*) cover the sun during sunrise or sunset. See motif A12.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

61 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 61 traditions: Akkad, Assyria, Babylonia, Old and New Testament, Dinka, Atuot, Nuer, Safwa, Mkulwe, Ngonde, Kinga, Nyakusa, Nyamwanga, Aka, Baka (Badjue) and other Western (Bantu speaking) Pygmies, Mangareva, Palau (Western Carolines), Palawan (incl Agutaynen), Northern Luzon: Apayao, Bontoc, Nabaloi (Ibaloi), Ifugao, Igorot (highland people, not specified), Ilocan, Ilongot, Isneg, Kalinga, Kankanay, Tingian (Tinggian, Bilongan Itneg); Ibanag, Kasiguran Agta, Keley-i Kallahan, Thai of Vietnam, Tai Lue, Khao (Kho, Tai Don, White Tai), Tai Dam (Black Tai), Nung; Zhuang, Buyi; Shui, Shan, Ahom, Khampti, Wa (incl Kawa), Bulang, Khmu (Kammu), Puoc, Viet, Muong, Northern Munda of Kharwar branch: Birhor, Ho, Mundari, Kol, Asur (including Agaria, Kol, Birjhia), Bhumij, Sora (Savara, Saora), Parenga, Kachin (Singpho), Chak, Konds (Khonds; language is Kui, incl Kuttia, Konda-Dora), Koya; Pengo, Maria, Muria, and other South-Central Dravidians: Binjhwar, Bacop, Bhattra, Bom, Jhoria (=Jhodia), Gadaba (in Koraput, neighbors of Munda-speaking Gadaba), Duruwa (Parji), Mehtar; Pardhan, Indian literary tradition (Vedic, Brahman, Purana, Indian Buddhism, Hinduism, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Panchtantra, Jatakas); iconography of Hindu temples, Toda, Kota, Kuruba (Kurumba), Badaga, Maravar, Pulaya, Kadar, Bhils (incl Barela-Bhilala), Miao (Hmong) and Yao of Southern China, Meo (Hmong) of Thailand, Laos and Northern Vietnam, Namuci (Namuyi), Naxi; Pumi (Primi), Ancient Italy: Latins, Etruscans, Magna Graecia, Bulgarians, Balkarians, Ancient Greece, Abaza (Abazins), Chuvash, Manchu, Hare (K'ahsho Got'ine), Tlingit, Sauk (Sak, Mesquakie), Fox, Kickapoo, Blackfoot, Gros Ventre, Assiniboine, Natchez (incl Avoyel), Cherokee, Yana, Hopi, Zuni, Huichol, Tepecano, Aztec; Aztec and Teotihuacan iconography, Popoloca; Tlapanec, Pame, Jonaz (Chichimeca-Jonaz), Mazahua, Otomi, Tepehua, Totonac, Huastec (Teenek), Sayula Popoluca (=Veracruz Mixe), Sierra Popoluca, Veracruz Zoque, Gulf Nahuatl, Tzotzil, Tzeltal, Piaroa, Chayahuita , Ticuna (Tucuna), Kamayura, Sherente, Lisu, Lolo (incl. Bai), Achang, Yi, Axi, Nasu, Jino, Taungyo, China, Palau

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