Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

D5 — Woman controls fire.

132 Myths, legends and folktales

132 Unique narratives for motif D5

67 Cultures & traditions where D5 is told

1 Sub-motifs of motif D5

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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 original owner or inventor (but not the embodiment) of fire is a female character.

Berezkin category: Fire and Laughter

This is of motif type Cosmology and etiology and is part of group 3, Cosmogony, the earth and the sky, etiology of the elements, natural and biological phenomena (fire, water, soil, thunderstorms, dream, etc.), cataclysms and cosmic threats, spirits of nature.

D5 has 1 other sub-motifs

D5. The original owner or inventor (but not the embodiment) of fire is a female character.
D5a. The first fire is hidden in a woman's genitals or anus.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of D5’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
G13B	96.61%	Before the advent of cultivated plants, people ate mushrooms. Creatures of a non-human nature feed on mushrooms. Mushrooms are imaginary, inferior food.
B17	95.28%	Darkness is a special object that can be carried and transferred (usually brought from the original owner in a vessel or bag).
F38	95.18%	Women were the keepers of secret knowledge, shrines, or ritual objects that are now forbidden to them; they attempted to regain this knowledge or these objects.
E8	94.34%	The first humans or the wife of the first ancestor were made of wood.
M44C	94.08%	A young hero steals the older character's food. He is usually caught, but not punished, but invited into the house.
G13A	93.55%	Before the advent of cultivated plants (fire, hunting skills), people ate earth, clay, and stones.
G17	92.80%	Cultural or important food crops, partially cultivated plant species owe their origin to snakes, moray eels or crocodiles/caimans.
B9	92.34%	A huge amount of water is contained in the trunk of a tree, or the tree turns into water.
B55	92.27%	Fish grow on tree branches or tree leaves turn into fish.
D12	92.12%	People in the past or inhabitants of distant lands cooked food in the sun; or the owner of the fire lies, saying that the food was cooked in this way.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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🌐 Open as Airocean (Dymaxion) map ↗

Traditions

67 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 67 traditions: Ngbakka, Mbum (incl Mbai), Mundang, Fali, Tupuri, Maya (=Bali), Nyong, Safwa, Mkulwe, Ngonde, Kinga, Nyakusa, Nyamwanga, Bemba (Wemba, Babemba; incl Ambo, Lala, Lamba, Bisa), Holoholo, Kaonde, Enenga, Mpongwe, Kuta (Koto), Nkomi, Masango, Mindumu, Mbede, Mitsogo, Bawunga, Ndumu (Ndumbo), Duma, Teke, (B)wende, Bushmen (all groups), Arnhem Land: Enindhilyagwa (Groote Eilandt), KuTiwi, Yulengor, Mara, Oenpelli, Murngin, Roper River, Maung, Murinbata, Murngin (Duwal), Millingimbi, Goulburn Island, Ngulugwongga, Yirrkalla, Voctoria River Downs, Alawa, Anu, Kunwinjku, Papua-NewGuinea Highland Papuans:Trans New Guinea & unclassified:Chimbu,Gimi,KaugelHuli,Gadsup,Kuman,Kutubu,Foi (Foe),Kyaka,Kamano (Kafe),Mawatta,Kukukuku (=Anga,=Sambia;Manki,Nauti,Ejuti),Baruya,Kewa,Tembregak,Menya,Melpa,Wiru,Pondoma, Sepik-Ramu stock: Abelam, Yatmul, Aibom, Ayom (incl Tembregak, Asai-river pygmies), Tangu, Porapora (Ambakich), Rao and other groups of Middle Ramu and Upper Keram River tribes; Kwanga, Watam, Kaian, Gamei, Awar; Kire (Lower Ramu), Torricelli family: Valman, Samap, Arapesh (Upper, Coastal), Monumbo, Lilau, Ngaimbom; Moando (Banara); Menya, Olo, Melanesians of the northern coast New Guinea, nearest off-shore islands and Huon Gulf (Morobe district): Watut, Bilbil (Bilibili), Jabim (incl Kai), Tami, Bukawac, Wogeo, Tumleo, Yakamul, Manam, Sissano, Sio, Melanesians of the islands of Massim District ( =Milke Bay Province) to the east of New Guinea: Dobu, Rossel, Fergusson, Goodenough, Murua (Woodlark), Trobrian Islands, d'Entrecasteau Islands, Melanesians and Papuans of Central Solomons: Vella la Vella (Bilua language), Shortland islands (Mono language), San Cristobal, Saint Georgia, Eddystone, Vangunu, Central Vanuatu: Espiritu Santo, Araki, Aore, Maewo, Malekula, Vao, Efate (Vate), Nguna, Mae, Ambrim, Pentecost, Oba (=Aoba, East Ambae, Lepers'), Omba, Maori, Moriori (Chatam Islands), Palau (Western Carolines), Yap, Batak (Toba, Dairi), Simeulue, Nias, Northern Munda of Kharwar branch: Birhor, Ho, Mundari, Kol, Asur (including Agaria, Kol, Birjhia), Bhumij, Sora (Savara, Saora), Parenga, Tanana, Karok, Cherokee, Atsugewi, Yana, Luiseño, Juaneño, Navajo, Hopi, Yuma proper (Quechan), Mohave, Maricopa, Huichol, Aztec; Aztec and Teotihuacan iconography, Tepehua, Totonac, Gulf Nahuatl, Tzotzil, Chol; pre-Columbian Mayan iconography outside of Yucatan, Rama, Guatuso, Kogi (Cagaba), Sanha, Creols of Aritama Valley, Paez, Guambia, Pijao; Ilama culture, Yaruro, Makiritare (Yecuana), Yanomamo (Yanoama): Yanomam, Yanomami, Warao, Wapishana (incl Ataroi); Mapidian; Taruma, Pemon: Arekuna (incl. Kamarakoto), Taulipang (Taurepan), Guiana Kariña, Kaliña, Galibi, Wayana, Aparai, Colorado (Tsachila), Cañari, Chayahuita , Barasana, Taibano, Macuna, Kabiyari, Yukuna (Yucuna), Baniwa (incl. Wakuenai), Bare, Piapoco, Curripaco, Siusi, Guarikena , Ticuna (Tucuna), Ashaninca (Campa), Amahuaca, Cashinahua, Sharanahua, Yaminahua, Yawanahua, Capanahua), Tacana, Chacobo, Mundurucu, Curuaia, Rikbaktsa, Paresi, Mocovi; Kechua of Santiago del Estero with probable Guaikuruan substratum; Abipon, Chamacoco (Ishir), Chorote, Toba (incl Pilagá), Ofaie, Papua-New Guinea Northern Lowland Papuan groups (Trans New Guinea and unclassified): Komba, Gimi, Susure, Orokaiva, Bogadjim, Ngain, Sentani, Bargam, Imonda, Nankina, Yupta Valley, Urawa Valley, Warupu (Barupu), Pondoma (Anam), Palau

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