Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif
F30 — The snake lover.
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
OverviewA girl or woman takes a snake, eel, moray eel, lizard or worm as a lover or spouse. People kill or maim the lover, the woman and/or their offspring, or she herself turns into a snake. Cf. motif K76B (the snake-husband becomes and remains a handsome man). See motif F29.
Berezkin category: Gender and sex
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.
F30 has 1 other sub-motifs
RelatedF30. A girl or woman takes a snake, eel, moray eel, lizard or worm as a lover or spouse. People kill or maim the lover, the woman and/or their offspring, or she herself turns into a snake. Cf. motif K76B (the snake-husband becomes and remains a handsome man). See motif F29.
F30a. A woman nurses a worm (caterpillar, reptile, fish) instead of a child; people kill the monster.
Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns
Phylogeny| Motif | Similarity | Motif summary |
|---|---|---|
| F86 | 94.45% | A character calls another character of non-human nature (a mate or ward) with a conventional signal; the other character sees this, makes the same signal or utters the same words, takes on the appearance of the character they have come to replace, kills those who come out to meet them, or makes use of their sexual services. |
| L13 | 93.19% | People feed a dangerous creature, or it grows on its own in a man-made enclosure. Once it becomes big and strong, it starts to destroy people. |
| F16 | 92.82% | Men possessed biological characteristics that are now characteristic of women, or vice versa (beards, menstruation, breasts, childbearing). |
| L14 | 92.07% | People bring a small creature (usually a worm or reptile) into their home and raise it, or it settles into a man-made dwelling on its own. The creature turns into something terrifying or magnificent. See motif L13 (raised monster attacks people). |
| I82A | 91.45% | The Morning and/or Evening Star – a male character. |
| I99 | 91.39% | The Pleiades – a group of boys, young men, men or people of different genders, but predominantly male. |
| I21 | 90.70% | The inhabitants of the underworld or the land of the rising sun have red (yellow) hair and/or red or black skin and/or suffer from the heat of the sun, which passes them by at a short distance. See motif I20. |
| F34B | 90.33% | A girl, woman or group of women voluntarily take as their lover a penis that exists as a special creature, snake, moray eel, lizard, worm, crab, large aquatic animal or aquatic monster, or large terrestrial mammal. People kill or maim the lover, the woman and/or her offspring, or she herself loses her human nature. The woman's behaviour is condemned. |
| C5A | 89.83% | A bird, various birds, or people who then turn into birds are sent to explore the earth (whether it exists, whether it has dried up, whether there are any survivors, why smoke is rising from the earth, etc.) or with the task of bringing back a piece of solid substance to create dry land. |
| H24 | 89.81% | A vessel or other small container with valuables or living beings (creatures) is opened (prematurely). Its contents get out of control or disappear. |
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
138 recordedThis motif has been recorded in 138 traditions: Shone (Shona, =Mashona, =Karanga), Makoni (Shoni dialect), Remba (=Hungwe, Wahungwe); Zezuru, Rozwi, Ndau (Vandau), Tonga, Aka, Baka (Badjue) and other Western (Bantu speaking) Pygmies, Khoekhoe (=Hottentot; incl Nama, Korana); Damara, 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, 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, Samoa, Tikopia, Bellona, Rennell, partly Aneytium, Futuna (=Erronan, not to be mixed with Futuna in Western Polynesia), Vaeaka-Taumato, incl Matema, Nifeloli, Nukapu, Nupani, Pileni, Maori, Moriori (Chatam Islands), Society Islands: Tahiti, Borabora, Raiatea, Tuamotu, incl Pukapuka (different from Pukapuka in Cook Islands), Vahitahi, Anaa, Hao, Fangatau, Mangareva, Hawaii, Marshall Islands, incl Ailinglapalap, Arno, Jaluit, Kili, Lae, Maloelap, Majuro, Ratak, Wotho, Ujae, Jaluit (=Jalooj), Namdrik, Timor: Amarasi, Tetum, Meto, Atoni (incl Mollo), Kedang (Lomblen island), Leti Islands (Leti, Moa, Lakor), Flores, incl Mangarai (Western Flores), Nage, Keo, Riung, Ngada or Nad'a (Central Flores), Sika (Eastern Flores), Northern Halmahera Papuans: Galela, Loda, Pagu, Modole, Tabaru (Tobaru), Tobelo, Tidore, Ternate, Batak (Toba, Dairi), Central islands and Bikol: Vizaya, Mansaká, Bikol, Mangyan, Panayan, Sulod, Cebuano (Cebu), Capiz, Romblomanon, Manuyu, Southern Taiwan: Rukai, Paiwan, Puyuma, Saaroa, Ketangalan, Burmese, Intha, Stieng, Chrau, Sre (Koho), Maa, Mnong, Khmer, Bhuiya (now Aryans, originally Munda; Rahman 1955: 203), Baiga, Bhaina, Bhumia (subgroup of Baiga, incl Bharia, formerly Munda, now speak Indo-Aryan languages of neighboring groups), Sora (Savara, Saora), Parenga, 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, Kuki, Chiru, Falam (Hallam), Chin (Meitei =Manipuri, Khami, =Kumi), Lakher, Mizo (Lushei), Anal, Pawi (Lai), Purum, Koireng, Milhiem, Kolhen, Mru, Gondi (mostly Northern Gondi), Sinhalese; Vedda, Koreans, Bulgarians, Balkarians, Croatians, Croats; Italians of Dalmatia (if the motif is absent among other Italians), Romanians, Moldavians, Aromanians, Moldovans, Lithuanians, Estonians, Setu, Finns, Vepsians, Western Ukrainians, Byelarusians, Belarusians, Karachays, Balkar, Tats, Kazakh, Kazan (Middle Volga) Tatars, Mari (Cheremis), Mordvins, Chuvash, Nenets, Ainu, Nivkh, Chipewyan, Copper, Malecite, Passamaquoddy, Western Ojibwa (Chippewa), Eastern Ojibwa (Missisauga, Timagami and other groups in eastern Ontario), Northern Ojibwa (=Severn Ojibwa, Sandy Lake Cree), Western Woods Cree, Eastern Cree, Montagnais, Sauk (Sak, Mesquakie), Fox, Kickapoo, Huron (incl Wyandot), Five Nations Iroquois (Seneca, Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga), Blackfoot, Sarsee (Tsuu T'ina), Arapaho, Mandan, Arikara, Pawnee, Kiowa, Kiowa Apache, Plains Cree, Plains Ojibwa, Assiniboine, Nez Perce, Caddo, Tunica, Cherokee, Maidu, Nisenan, Konkov, Mono (Monache), Owens Valley Paiute, Northern Paiute (=Paviotso), Southern Paiute, Huichol, Pame, Jonaz (Chichimeca-Jonaz), Mazahua, Otomi, Rama, Guatuso, Bribri, Cabecar, Terraba; Chiriqui (AD 800-1500) iconography, Boruca (Brunka), Choco: Embera, Nonama (Waunana), XVI century Dabaiba, pre-Columbian iconography of Sinu, Kogi (Cagaba), Sanha, Creols of Aritama Valley, Muisca, Muzo, Paez, Guambia, Pijao; Ilama culture, Yupa (Yukpa), Sanema, Yanomamo (Yanoama): Yanomam, Yanomami, Guiana Kariña, Kaliña, Galibi, Wayapi, Emerillon, Colorado (Tsachila), Siona, Secoya, Coreguaje, Napo (Quijo), Kanelo (“Jungle Kechua”), Shuar, Achuar (Shiwiar), Aguaruna, Huambiza, Chayahuita , Karijona, Barasana, Taibano, Macuna, Desana, Siriano; Tatuyo, Bara, Tuyuca, Wanana, Tucano proper, Pira-Tapuya, Arapaso, Cubeo, Andoque, Witoto, Ocaina, Bora, Maue (Mawe), Aimara, Ashaninca (Campa), Piro (Yine), Shipibo, Conibo, Setebo, Marubo, Amahuaca, Cashinahua, Sharanahua, Yaminahua, Yawanahua, Capanahua), Tacana, Chacobo, Yabuti, Amniapä, Kumana, Wari (Aikana), More (Itene), Mundurucu, Curuaia, Mehinaku, Waura, Yaulapiti, Kuikuro, Kalapalo, Calapalo, Iranxe, Bororo, Cayapo (incl. Kubenkranken, Pau d’Arco, Shikrin or Xikrin), Craho, Makka, Chamacoco (Ishir), Toba (incl Pilagá), Tonga (Tsonga; incl, Soli, Sala, Lenje), Eastern Ukrainians, Northern Ukrainians, Lutsi (Ludza), Greenland, Vanuatu, Japan, Russian Federation
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