Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

H27 — Released mosquitoes.

140 Myths, legends and folktales

140 Unique narratives for motif H27

83 Cultures & traditions where H27 is told

2 Sub-motifs of motif H27

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

Before spreading throughout the world, stinging or blood-sucking insects or reptiles, diseases or evil spirits were kept in a vessel, bag or other small container. See motif H24.

Berezkin category: Paradise Lost

This is of motif type Cosmology and etiology and is part of group 4, Origin of death, diseases and hard life.

H27 has 2 other sub-motifs

H27.  Before spreading throughout the world, stinging or blood-sucking insects or reptiles, diseases or evil spirits were kept in a vessel, bag or other small container. See motif H24.
H27a.  When creating the earth, a negative character asks a positive character for as much earth as is necessary to prop up a staff, stake.
H27a1.  Reptiles and insects crawl out of holes in the ground, bringing disease.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of H27’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
K17	94.27%	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.
K16	93.64%	Taking the form of a bird, bat, insect, small animal, or fish, the man enters the young woman's home (her father's house).
I20	92.86%	The inhabitants of the underworld or the land on the horizon where the sky meets the earth are dwarves. See motif I14A.
J7	91.95%	A woman or girl sets off to her husband (beloved) or relatives, or a man sets off to find a bride. She or he loses their way after a certain character substitutes the signs indicating the way. See motif J12.
I20C2	91.91%	The inhabitants of the land on the horizon (where the sky meets the earth) are dwarves.
H26	91.73%	A vessel containing stinging insects or reptiles should be thrown into a river or the sea, or buried in a remote place. See motif H24B.
H24	90.51%	A vessel or other small container with valuables or living beings (creatures) is opened (prematurely). Its contents get out of control or disappear.
E22	90.27%	Once inside a certain creature, the swallowed character learns rituals, songs, ornamental motifs, obtains drugs or poison, and, once outside again, passes this knowledge on to people.
I3	89.55%	Lightning (and thunder) is produced by an object (sword, arrow, whip, mirror, etc.) in the hands of a character; lightning is an object.
A24A	88.07%	At the moment of the first day or the first night, people transform into supernatural characters.

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

83 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 83 traditions: Acoli (Acholi), Lur (Alur, Luri), Lango, Biu-Mandara: Margi, Kilba, Bura, Kera, Karekare (Kerri-Kerri), Bachama, Zulgo, Giziga, Hdi, Kapsiki, Mandara (incl Mukulehe, Matakam), Mofu (Mofu-Gudur), Somrai (Sibine, Shibha), Igbo (Ibo); Isoko, Urhobo, Mandingo (Manden, incl San, Samo), Kagoro, Bambara (Bamana), Malinke, Kassonke, Diula, Akan, Ashanti, Akwapim; Ga (Accra), Kra, Twi (Chwi, Chi), 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, Northern Luzon: Apayao, Bontoc, Nabaloi (Ibaloi), Ifugao, Igorot (highland people, not specified), Ilocan, Ilongot, Isneg, Kalinga, Kankanay, Tingian (Tinggian, Bilongan Itneg); Ibanag, Kasiguran Agta, Keley-i Kallahan, 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, Sardinia, Corsica, Sardinians, Corsicans, Poles, Czech, Czechs, Bulgarians, Balkarians, Romanians, Moldavians, Aromanians, Moldovans, Ancient Greece, Lithuanians, Latvians, Livonians, Estonians, Finns, Karelians, Vepsians, Western Sami, Eastern Sami (including Skolts), Western Ukrainians, Byelarusians, Belarusians, Armenians, Anatolia Turks, Chuvash, Udmurt, Komi (Zyrians and Permyaks), Mansi, Eastern Khanty (Ostyaks), Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Mongols (Khalkha), Tofa (Karagas), Khakas, Shor, Southern Altai: Altai proper (Altai-Kiji), Telengit, Altaians, Northern Altai: Chelkan, Kumanda, Tubalar, Altaians, Kets, Koyukon, Thompson (Nlaka'pamux), Lkungen (Straits; including Samish, Songish, Sooke, Lummi), Klallam, Lushootseed (Puget Sound: Puyallup, Nisqualmi, Snuqualmi, Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Snohomish, Skagit), Maidu, Nisenan, Konkov, Chumash, Ute, Western Keres (Acoma, Laguna), Eastern Keres (Cochiti, Sia, San Felipe, Santo Domingo, Santa Ana, Paguate, Seama), Huichol, Aztec; Aztec and Teotihuacan iconography, Mam, Ixil, Aguatec, Avakatec, Tepehua, Totonac, Gulf Nahuatl, Chontal, Mixtec, Trique, Cuicatec; Amuzgo, Tzotzil, Chol; pre-Columbian Mayan iconography outside of Yucatan, Lacandon, Kekchi; Mopan, Paya (Pech), Sumu, Misquito, Kogi (Cagaba), Sanha, Creols of Aritama Valley, Guajiro, Sicuani, Cuiva, Guayabero, Yaruro, Makiritare (Yecuana), Yanomamo (Yanoama): Yanomam, Yanomami, Colorado (Tsachila), Napo (Quijo), Kanelo (“Jungle Kechua”), Kofan, Northern Peru: Sierra (Kechua-speaking communities, Cajamarca, Ancash, Huanuco and San Martin departments; Chavin pre-Columbian iconography; Spanish sources of XVI-XVII centuries), Aimara, Shipibo, Conibo, Setebo, Kuikuro, Kalapalo, Calapalo, Terena (Tereno) , Southern Altai: Teleut, Eastern Ukrainians, Northern Ukrainians, 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.