Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

H18 — Released animals, A1421.

203 Myths, legends and folktales

203 Unique narratives for motif H18

129 Cultures & traditions where H18 is told

2 Sub-motifs of motif H18

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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

Hunted animals were concentrated in one place. A certain character creates them there or allows them to scatter.

Berezkin category: Paradise Lost

This is of motif type Cosmology and etiology and is part of group 7, Etiology of plants and animals and of their peculiar features, particular animals as protagonists of cosmological stories, metamorphoses, weather and calendar.

H18 has 2 other sub-motifs

H18.  Hunted animals were concentrated in one place. A certain character creates them there or allows them to scatter.
H18a.  The owner of the hunting animals hides them underground; one of the first ancestors turns into a puppy, which is picked up by the owner's children, and releases the animals. See motif H18.
H18b.  Having received livestock from supernatural characters, a person (usually due to violating a prohibition on looking, shouting, etc.) immediately loses all or most of the animals (they go into the water, into the sky, scatter, etc.).

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of H18’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
K22B	94.84%	The inhabitants of another world are attacked by certain enemies. A human helps them to defeat these enemies, because these creatures are not dangerous to humans. See motif K22.
F9A	94.02%	There are teeth, blades or sharp stones in a woman's vagina or on the inside of her thighs; the vagina is a toothy mouth. (Only texts with a focus on authenticity are taken into account, not anecdotes).
L34	93.92%	The character kills or maims the enemy by setting fire to their clothes, mask, headdress, hair, or an object behind their back.
J12	93.91%	A girl or two sisters wander, usually in search of a suitable groom or husband who has left or lives far away. Along the way or upon reaching their destination, they encounter false suitors. (Traditions in which two heroines travel rather than one are highlighted in bold (motif j13).
L15A	93.49%	The character's vulnerable spot is located on the surface of the body, but not in vital internal organs.
J13	93.49%	Not one woman or girl, but two sisters (or more than two, but only two play an important role in the narrative) wander and meet an unwanted deceiver instead of a desired husband or fiancé, or encounter dangerous creatures. See motif J12.
K22	93.32%	The inhabitants of a distant land, who differ from (ordinary) people, occasionally fight off enemies of a non-human nature who attack them.
M42	93.07%	The character takes his eyes out of his orbits and loses them. He usually regains his eyes later, makes new ones, takes away from another character, etc. See the M41 motif.
I1	92.94%	Creatures that cause or embody rain and/or thunderstorms are birds or winged anthropomorphic characters. {Traditions in which birds are associated with thunderstorms and rain, but Thunder itself is not a bird, are marked with an asterisk (*).
J44	92.93%	The hero lures the enemy onto a rickety bridge. The enemy falls into the water, into the abyss (see motif J46). See motif J52.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

129 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 129 traditions: Kabylia and other Berber of Northern and Central Algeria: Beni Snous, Beni Menacer (incl Zuav), Shaui, etc.), Shilluk, Anuak, Ngbakka, Mbum (incl Mbai), Mundang, Fali, Tupuri, Maya (=Bali), Nyong, Banda, Gbaya (Baya), Manja, Ngbandi, Mbum (incl Mbaye), Fali; Mündü, Masai, Ganda, (Ba)Nyoro, Nyankole, Masaba (Gisu), Luia (=Luyia, Haya, Luhya, Bantu Kawirondo; incl. Vugusu, Maragoli), Mongo (Mongo-Nkundu), Nkundu, Ngelima, Ngombe, (Ba)Tetela), Pende, Wu(Kusu), (Ba)Mbala (incl Saie, Kwilu), Fang (Pangwe), Eton, Bafia, Batanga, Benga, Bube (Bubi), Buheba, Yaunde (Ewondo), Yebekolo, Koko, Bulu, Beti (Beti-Bulu), Sekiani, Eghap, Dan (=Gio), Guro (=Kweni, incl Gagu, Neio), Toura, Mano, Ngere, Beng, Guro , Hadza, SW Arunachal Pradesh: Sherdukpen, Tawang (Monpas), Aka (Hrusso), Miji, Chin-Naga: Ao, Mao, Sema, Zeme, Kolren, Kom, Lhota, Rengma, Angami, Kabui, Tangkhul, Koirenf, Garo (Atchik), Kachari (Bodo, incl. Lalung), Dimasa, Tripuri, Riang (of Tripura), Khami, Riga, Mori, Rawang, Dulong; Anong, Drung, Kachin (Singpho), Chak, Lavrung, Jiarong; Qiang (incl rGyalrong), Namuci (Namuyi), Naxi; Pumi (Primi), Lepcha, Greeks (modern), Balkarians, Kazakh, Kirghiz, Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Oirats (incl Torgouts, Derbets, Oilots), Tofa (Karagas), Khakas, Southern Altai: Altai proper (Altai-Kiji), Telengit, Altaians, Northern Altai: Chelkan, Kumanda, Tubalar, Altaians, Nganasans, Central Yakuts (Sakha), Tungus (Evenki): Baikal region, Evenks, Tungus (Evenki) of China (Solon, Birar, Oroqen, Manegir), Evenks, Tungus (Evenki): Russian Far East, Evenks, Negidal, Chukchi, Chipewyan, Inland Tlingit, Tanana, Beaver, Iglulik, Tlingit, Lenape (Delaware), Wawenock, Abenaki, Penobscot, Eastern Cree, Menominee, Five Nations Iroquois (Seneca, Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga), Blackfoot, Sarsee (Tsuu T'ina), Yuchi, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Mandan, Wichita; Spiro Mound iconography, Tonkawa, Kiowa, Kiowa Apache, Comanche, Gros Ventre, Plains Cree, Crow, Nez Perce, Oregon Athabaskans: Lower Umpqua, Tututni (incl Joshua), Upper Coquille, Galice, Tolowa, Kutenai, Hupa, Chilula, Caddo, Natchez (incl Avoyel), Cherokee, Wailaki, Mattole, Lassik, Sinkyone, Cahto, Yuki (Yuki proper, Coastal Yuki, Huchnob), Sierra Miwok, Lake Miwok, Plains Miwok, Coastal Miwok, Mono (Monache), Tubatulabal, Owens Valley Paiute, Northern Paiute (=Paviotso), Northern Shoshone, Western Shoshone, Gosiute, Eastern Shoshone, Upland Yuma: Walapai, Havasupai, Yavapai, Ute, Southern Paiute, Jicarilla, Chiricahua, Western Apache (White Mountain, San Carlos), Hopi, Zuni, Western Keres (Acoma, Laguna), Eastern Keres (Cochiti, Sia, San Felipe, Santo Domingo, Santa Ana, Paguate, Seama), Tewa (San Juan, Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, Tesuque, Nambe; Hano), Tiwa (Taos, Picuris; Sandia, Isleta), Towa (Jemez), Lipan, Yuma proper (Quechan), Mohave, Maricopa, Pima, Mayo, Yaqui, Sinaloa, Aztec; Aztec and Teotihuacan iconography, Tojolabal, Chuj, Jacalteca, Kanjobal, Mocho (incl Tuzantec), Acatec, Mam, Ixil, Aguatec, Avakatec, Tepehua, Totonac, Zapotec, Chatino, Tzotzil, Chol; pre-Columbian Mayan iconography outside of Yucatan, Kekchi; Mopan, Yanomamo (Yanoama): Yanomam, Yanomami, Kofan, Shuar, Achuar (Shiwiar), Aguaruna, Huambiza, Letuama, Tanimuca, Ufaina, Yahuna, Kabiyari, Yukuna (Yucuna), Witoto, Ocaina, Xipaya, Tenetehara, Piro (Yine), Mundurucu, Curuaia, Rikbaktsa, Kayabi, Iranxe, Nambikwara, Paresi, Umotina (Umutina), Cayapo (incl. Kubenkranken, Pau d’Arco, Shikrin or Xikrin), Chorote, Ofaie, Northern and Southern Tehuelche, Selknam, Biloxi, Western Yakuts (Sakha): Olekma and Vilyuy Basins, Northwestern Yakuts (Sakha): Yessey, Anabar, Olenyok and Lower Lena Basins, Northeastern Yakuts (Sakha): Yana, Indigirka and Kolyma Basins, Buryats: Eastern (trans Baikal), i.e. Khori, Itelmen

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