Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

H54 — Veki Vija, F571.1.

278 Myths, legends and folktales

278 Unique narratives for motif H54

61 Cultures & traditions where H54 is told

4 Sub-motifs of motif H54

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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

In order for a character's eyes to be (wide) open, their eyelids (eyelashes, eyebrows) must be raised, propped up, spread apart (rarely: cut off).

Berezkin category: Paradise Lost

This is of motif type Cosmology and etiology and is part of group 8, Queer and monstrous beings, creatures, objects and loci, folk beliefs related to particular phenomena and objects.

H54 has 4 other sub-motifs

H54.  In order for a character's eyes to be (wide) open, their eyelids (eyelashes, eyebrows) must be raised, propped up, spread apart (rarely: cut off).
H54a.  A man meets an old man whose face is completely covered with hair or snot. He cuts (wipes) it off and receives a reward for doing so.
H54b.  The character's gaze brings death (and destruction).
H54c.  The character's eyelids are crucified so that he cannot close them, or he does so himself on the advice of another.
h54d.  A character whose eyelids (eyelashes, eyebrows) are so heavy that he cannot open his eyes without help, possesses enormous power and is dangerous to heroes and people in general. He is often associated with the underworld or with a bygone era.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of H54’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
I90	98.67%	The character goes towards their goal, following a rolling ball of thread (less often an apple or a ball).
N28A	98.60%	The roots (belt) of mountains or stones are mentioned in myths, riddles, spells, and songs as something that does not really exist.
K38F7	98.58%	The character acquires wild animals (at least two different species) that serve him like dogs.
H46	98.50%	A character (usually God) is about to deprive people of their food (most often grain), but does not do so for the sake of the dog (and/or cat; rarely for the sake of birds). Either God gave the ear of corn to the dog, and the man took it for himself.
M120A	98.49%	The character pretends to be a mourner and eats (treats the body disrespectfully) the deceased.
K38E	98.46%	Locations or objects made of three (rarely four) materials of varying degrees of value, but all valued positively (copper, silver, gold; silver, gold, diamonds, etc.) are mentioned.
L103B	98.42%	A girl (boy, children) falls into the hands of a demonic creature. An animal or bird offers to carry her away and runs off. Usually, animals of different species do this, but only the last one manages to escape pursuit.
M109	98.35%	A zoomorphic character sits down, lowering his tail (penis) so that something edible will stick to it, but as a result he is left without a tail (penis) or dies. Cf. motifs M109A, M109C.
M90A1	98.33%	It is required to sew clothes from the skin of lice (fleas) or guess the origin of a large animal, a large skin, the contents of the box; the animal (skin) arose from lice (fleas), in the box - louse.
I139	98.23%	Two (rarely three) men or women are at a distance from each other, but regularly throw or pass something to each other. This is a sign of their unusual size, strength, and agility.

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Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

61 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 61 traditions: Saudi Arabia, Arabs of Levant (Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan); Bedouins of Sinai, Arabs of Iraq, Iraqi, Arabs of Egypt, Kabylia and other Berber of Northern and Central Algeria: Beni Snous, Beni Menacer (incl Zuav), Shaui, etc.), Algeria Arabs, Niue, Hawaii, Ifaluk, Woleai, Lamutrek, Faraulip Satawal, Elato, Western Fayu, Ireland, Wales, Spain, Spaniards, Basques, Sardinia, Corsica, Sardinians, Corsicans, France, Hungarians, Greeks (modern), Balkarians, Bulgarians, Balkarians, Serbs, Monte Negro, Balkarians, Romanians, Moldavians, Aromanians, Moldovans, Latvians, Livonians, Finns, Scandinavians: early written sources ("Edda"; Saxo Grammaticus etc.); Gothland picture stones; Ancient Germans (Late Bronze Age in Scandinavia), Western Ukrainians, Byelarusians, Belarusians, Uzbek, Iranian literary tradition (including Avesta, Pahlevi scripts, Sah-nameh, Marzban-nameh); Zoroastrians of Iran, Indian Parsees, Zoroastrianism, Abkhaz, Abkhazians, Karachays, Balkar, Nogai, Armenians, Mari (Cheremis), Mordvins, Chuvash, Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Oirats (incl Torgouts, Derbets, Oilots), Daur (Daghur), Tuvinians of Tuva, Tuvans, Khakas, Southern Selkups, Northern Selkups, Kets, Central Yakuts (Sakha), Upper Tanana (Nebesna), Tanacross, Netsilik, Five Nations Iroquois (Seneca, Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga), Carrier, Thompson (Nlaka'pamux), Hopi, Baniwa (incl. Wakuenai), Bare, Piapoco, Curripaco, Siusi, Guarikena , Mehinaku, Waura, Yaulapiti, Central Tibetans (Yu Tsang, incl. Sikkim Tibetans, Tichurong of NW Nepal), Eastern Ukrainians, Northern Ukrainians, Italians: Central (Toscana, Umbria, Marche, Lazio), Buryats: Eastern (trans Baikal), i.e. Khori, Lutsi (Ludza), Terek Cossacks, Lebanon, Russian Federation

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