Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

F86 — Conditional signal.

210 Myths, legends and folktales

210 Unique narratives for motif F86

126 Cultures & traditions where F86 is told

1 Sub-motifs of motif F86

Please log on to view the narratives.

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

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.

Berezkin category: Gender and sex

This is of motif type Adventures and tricks and is part of group 10, Adventures.

F86 has 1 other sub-motifs

F86. 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.
F86a. The character cares for a fish, crab or other creature. Others watch the character, kill and eat his pet, or try to do so.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of F86’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
F30	94.45%	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.
I8F	92.02%	The sky, the world rests on a single object (a pillar or tree).
A19B	91.75%	Moving across the sky, the sun changes its mounts depending on the season – in summer it rides on a slow animal, in winter – on a fast one. Or in winter the sun is carried by a young man, and in summer – by an old man.
M21	90.91%	The character runs away from his pursuer. The person, animal or object that the character asks for help hides him (and kills the pursuer).
F7	90.87%	A man catches, grabs, meets, or receives a woman associated with the aquatic-chthonic world (a fish, mermaid, snake, crab, seal, etc.) and takes her as his wife. Cf. motifs E26 and K25.
K17	90.52%	A male character in the form of a winged creature approaches a girl and either magically or unnoticed by her impregnates her. See motif K16: taking the form of an animal or bird, he enters the girl's house.
I21	90.44%	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.
L40	90.41%	The character discovers (rarely: cannot discover) another person on a tree or rock, noticing their reflection or shadow. See motif L39.
L39	90.24%	By force or deception, the character forces another to climb down from the tree in order to harm him.
I108	89.95%	The Pleiades are a single character, not a group of people.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

Drag the map to pan, use the scroll wheel to zoom — choose a texture or projection below

🌐 Open as Airocean (Dymaxion) map ↗

Traditions

126 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 126 traditions: Malagasy, Yao, Makua, Shone (Shona, =Mashona, =Karanga), Makoni (Shoni dialect), Remba (=Hungwe, Wahungwe); Zezuru, Rozwi, Ndau (Vandau), Nyatutu, Kiniramba, Isanzu, Gogo, Kaguru, Luguru, Zigula, Taveta, Shambala (Sambala), Bondei, Taeta, Dabida; Zaramo, Yoruba; incl Ife), Nupe, Bini (Edo), Engenni, Chamba, Dakka, Kukuruku, 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, Society Islands: Tahiti, Borabora, Raiatea, Hawaii, Ontong Java, Nukumanu, Takuu, Nukuria, 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), Toraja (Toradja), To Mori, Baree (=Eastern Toraja), Ami, Yami, Karen, Pa-O, Padaung, Kayah, Thai of Vietnam, Tai Lue, Khao (Kho, Tai Don, White Tai), Tai Dam (Black Tai), Nung; Zhuang, Buyi; Shui, Stieng, Chrau, Sre (Koho), Maa, Mnong, Khmer, Viet, Muong, Kuki, Chiru, Falam (Hallam), Chin (Meitei =Manipuri, Khami, =Kumi), Lakher, Mizo (Lushei), Anal, Pawi (Lai), Purum, Koireng, Milhiem, Kolhen, Mru, Miao (Hmong) and Yao of Southern China, Early Chinese written sources, Portuguese, Portugal, Sicily, Sicilians, Sardinia, Corsica, Sardinians, Corsicans, France, Greeks (modern), Balkarians, Bulgarians, Balkarians, Croatians, Croats; Italians of Dalmatia (if the motif is absent among other Italians), Romanians, Moldavians, Aromanians, Moldovans, Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, Setu, Finns, Vepsians, Western Ukrainians, Byelarusians, Belarusians, Tajik, Karachays, Balkar, Avar, Andi, Akhvakh, Tats, Kazakh, Uyghur, Kazan (Middle Volga) Tatars, Mari (Cheremis), Chuvash, Mongols (Khalkha), Tungus (Evenki): Baikal region, Evenks, Tungus (Evenki) of China (Solon, Birar, Oroqen, Manegir), Evenks, Tungus (Evenki): Russian Far East, Evenks, Ainu, Udeghe, Oroch, Nanai, Nivkh, Reindeer Koryak, Maritime Koryak (Alyutor), Asiatic Eskimo (Sirenek, Naukan, Chaplino), Chipewyan, Tahltan, Copper, Iglulik, Polar Inuit, Haida, Bella Coola (Nuxalk), Malecite, Passamaquoddy, Western Woods Cree, Eastern Cree, Montagnais, Menominee, Five Nations Iroquois (Seneca, Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga), Blackfoot, Sarsee (Tsuu T'ina), Plains Cree, Shuswap, Thompson (Nlaka'pamux), Lillooet, Caddo, Alabama, Koasati, Yana, Gulf Nahuatl, Mixtec, Trique, Cuicatec; Amuzgo, Choco: Embera, Nonama (Waunana), XVI century Dabaiba, pre-Columbian iconography of Sinu, Guajiro, Sicuani, Warao, Trio, Akawai, Locono, Guiana Kariña, Kaliña, Galibi, Siona, Secoya, Coreguaje, Napo (Quijo), Kanelo (“Jungle Kechua”), Kofan, Shuar, Achuar (Shiwiar), Aguaruna, Huambiza, Chayahuita , Karijona, Andoque, Yagua, Urubu (Urubu-Kaapor), Tenetehara, Shipibo, Conibo, Setebo, Amahuaca, Cashinahua, Sharanahua, Yaminahua, Yawanahua, Capanahua), Tupari, Makurap, Sakirap, Ajuru (Wayoro), Parintintin; Villa Bella (tribal affiliation unknown), Mundurucu, Curuaia, Mehinaku, Waura, Yaulapiti, Kuikuro, Kalapalo, Calapalo, Rikbaktsa, Bororo, Caraja, Craho, Apinaye (Apinage, Apinaje), Suya, Txukarramae, Makka, Chamacoco (Ishir), Guarani of Paraguay and Brazil: Caygua, Mbia, Apapocuva, Nyandewa, Chiripa, Tokelau, Eastern Ukrainians, Northern Ukrainians, Lutsi (Ludza), Greenland, Russian Federation

Please log on to view the narratives.

If you wish to get access to data for projects and research, then please contact us, we do our best to help

How to cite: Fielder-White, J. (2026). The Folklore Database. https://folkloredatabase.com

0009-0006-1672-4451
Where applicable, users should also cite the relevant original sources, catalogues, and classification systems, including Berezkin, ATU, Thompson, and other cited authorities, alongside the page accessed and the last time accessed.

Editorial annotations and database enhancements © Jonathan Fielder-White licensed under CC BY 4.0. Berezkin-derived narrative and metadata licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Full rights information can be found here.
All rights are reserved in the database structure, selection, arrangement, metadata, classifications, software, interface design, and original editorial content.

Important: The Folklore Database expressly reserves all rights in relation to text and data mining, automated extraction, scraping, machine learning, dataset creation, and the training, development, validation, or improvement of artificial intelligence technologies or systems. No part of this website or database may be scraped, copied, reproduced, harvested, downloaded in bulk, or otherwise used for AI training or commercial data extraction without prior written permission.

Designed and Developed by Jon Fielder-White.
© 2024–2026 Crecganford / Jonathan Fielder-White. All rights reserved.