Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif
E8A — People in fruits.
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
OverviewWomen or people in general emerge from fruits (often coconuts), or fruits or, less commonly, leaves turn into people or only women. Cf. motif k33c.
Berezkin category: The origins of people and culture
This is of motif type Cosmology and etiology and is part of group 5, Origin of human beings, ethnic groups, etiology of human anatomy, strange body configuration, ways of behavior, marriages before the establishment of the present norms.
E8 has 3 other sub-motifs
RelatedE8. The first humans or the wife of the first ancestor were made of wood.
E8a. Women or people in general emerge from fruits (often coconuts), or fruits or, less commonly, leaves turn into people or only women. Cf. motif k33c.
e8b. A woman hides inside a fruit brought into the house and comes out when no one is around or when the fruit is cut open.
e8c. A woman hides inside a splinter or branch brought into the house and comes out when no one is around.
Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns
Phylogeny| Motif | Similarity | Motif summary |
|---|---|---|
| G21 | 99.88% | A coconut palm grows out of the character's head. |
| L85B1 | 99.75% | After ascending to the sky (meeting God, returning from the sky to earth), a physically disabled young man (usually with only half a body) becomes whole. |
| M111 | 99.64% | Two animals (usually a monkey and a turtle) agree to gather fruit. The one who can climb trees eats the good fruit and throws one peel or rotten fruit to its companion. The companion takes revenge. |
| L112 | 99.26% | A physically defective boy is born (tiny, with one head, half a body, etc.). After a series of adventures, he gains physical completeness. |
| A21A | 98.99% | The moon is an object that was accidentally released by its owners or stolen from them and ended up in the sky. |
| B118 | 98.99% | A character who was unable to reach the sky or returned from the sky to earth becomes an owl. |
| B74B | 98.99% | The owl is forced to part with the moon and now cries out when it sees the moon. Usually, the story tells how the marriage of the owl and the moon fell apart or did not take place. |
| E39A | 98.99% | An animal (snake, pig) conceives from a man's urine and gives birth to a human child (or twins). |
| F43C | 98.99% | The husbands of the first women, Amazons or single women are small animals - usually flying foxes. |
| K32F | 98.99% | A woman or girl raises a bird of prey chick, which brings her food and fire. This usually happens after an evil spirit leaves the girl or young woman in a tree or on an island. |
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
10 recordedThis motif has been recorded in 10 traditions: Zande (Azande, incl Nzakara), 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 and Papuans of Bismark Archipelago: New Britain (Paparatava, Lakalai, Kuni, Sulka, Gazelle peninsula), New Ireland, St Matthias Group, Mioko (Melanesians between New Britain and New Ireland), Melanesians of Admiralty Islands (incl Manus); Seimat (Western Islands), Ontong Java, Nukumanu, Takuu, Nukuria, Bunak, Central Taiwan: Bunun (Vonum), La'arua, Tsou, Kanabu, Kanakanabu, Punjabi, Seraiki (Multani), Gujarati, 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)
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