Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif
H6A — People and plants.
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
OverviewMortal humans are contrasted with plants, which regularly shed their bark, bloom in spring after winter dormancy, or reproduce vegetatively. See motif H4.
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.
H6 has 7 other sub-motifs
RelatedH6a. Mortal humans are contrasted with plants, which regularly shed their bark, bloom in spring after winter dormancy, or reproduce vegetatively. See motif H4.
H6b. The elixir of immortality, intended for humans, is not delivered to its destination, but falls on plants, which become evergreen, capable of regeneration or bearing fruit. (Traditions in which the "elixir of immortality" is linked to the motif of false news are marked with an asterisk. Cf. motif B115).
H6bb. A character is sent to deliver a certain object or substance to people, the possession of which is essential to them. The messenger loses these objects or brings others. Usually, this refers to the ability to be reborn after death. Traditions not related to the explanation of human mortality are marked with an asterisk*.
H6c. The raven (crow, vulture) is associated with death or contrasted with humans as immortal among mortals (sent to bring the elixir of immortality or water that revives the dead; drinks this water himself; teaches people funeral rites; etc.).
H6c1. To obtain the desired object, the character grabs the young or the female bird (snake, crab) and promises to release them if the father (mother, male) bird delivers the desired object.
H6c2. At the edge of the world lies the land of darkness. Those who want to obtain living water or gold strive to get there.
H6c3. Large birds that fly in wedge formations (storks, cranes, swans, geese – German: Zugvögel) are associated with the otherworld (they bring children from there, carry children away to the non-human world, control living and dead water, etc.).
H6d. Having obtained a means of ensuring immortality, the character falls asleep or leaves the means unattended. At this time, another character steals the means.
Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns
Phylogeny| Motif | Similarity | Motif summary |
|---|---|---|
| A35 | 91.50% | Dark spots on the lunar disc – dirt, blood, paint, marks from blows, burns on the body or face of a character; they do not form a specific image. See motif A31. |
| H47 | 91.32% | The sky (celestial deity) or Earth is offended by people's behaviour towards them and reacts accordingly. |
| G6 | 89.99% | One of the trees is the main, original tree, which is very different from the others (it was the first to appear; the progenitor of trees; the progenitor of wild or cultivated plants; the sea and rivers within it; the world axis; higher than the others; obscuring the sky). |
| I64 | 89.57% | The Milky Way – traces of animals that walked or ran. |
| L9D | 87.49% | The character has sharp nails or knife-like hands, which he uses to kill people. |
| M33 | 86.45% | The character plugs or seals his anus tightly (with wax, clay, grass, etc.), or someone else does it. See M32 motif. |
| L39 | 86.40% | By force or deception, the character forces another to climb down from the tree in order to harm him. |
| F20 | 86.28% | After copulation, the man and woman are unable to break their embrace. |
| E9J | 85.83% | Before meeting the hero, his beloved (wife) has the image of a monkey, or the man hides the woman and pretends that the mistress is a monkey. |
| H39 | 85.63% | Creatures that are now dangerous (snakes, insects) swallow an uncontrolled substance and as a result become poisonous or immortal; creatures acquire their nature (usually becoming poisonous) by drinking or licking a special potion. |
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
44 recordedThis motif has been recorded in 44 traditions: Acoli (Acholi), Lur (Alur, Luri), Lango, Kamba, Tharaka, Fiji, Palau (Western Carolines), Mentawai, Bidayuh (incl. Maloh), Iban (Sea Dayak), Sakarram; Brunei, Northern Taiwan: Atayal (Tayal; Taruko (Toda, Taokas, Torok, Taroko), Pazeh, Sedeq (Sediq, Seedeq, Sazek), Saisiyat (Saixia), Greeks (modern), Balkarians, Vepsians, Uzbek, Tajik, Persians, Tats, Armenians, Azeris (Azerbaijanis), Talysh, Kazakh, Kazan (Middle Volga) Tatars, Bashkirs, Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Mongols (Khalkha), Tofa (Karagas), Khakas, Southern Altai: Altai proper (Altai-Kiji), Telengit, Altaians, Northern Altai: Chelkan, Kumanda, Tubalar, Altaians, Sanema, Yanomamo (Yanoama): Yanomam, Yanomami, Siona, Secoya, Coreguaje, Mai Huna (Coto, Orejon), Karijona, Yagua, Xipaya, Urubu (Urubu-Kaapor), Ashaninca (Campa), Amahuaca, Cashinahua, Sharanahua, Yaminahua, Yawanahua, Capanahua), Tupari, Makurap, Sakirap, Ajuru (Wayoro), Caraja, Ayoreo, Manao, Katawishi (Teffe lake); groups of uncertain affiliation mostly from Rio Jamunda, Buryats: Eastern (trans Baikal), i.e. Khori, Fiji, Liberia, Japan, Palau
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