Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

I11 — Cosmic turtle/toad.

136 Myths, legends and folktales

136 Unique narratives for motif I11

67 Cultures & traditions where I11 is told

2 Sub-motifs of motif I11

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

The turtle (toad, frog) serves as a support (embodiment) of the earth (sky), or the supports of the sky are made from its body.

Berezkin category: Supernatural objects, objects and creatures

This is of motif type Cosmology and etiology and is part of group 3, Cosmogony, the earth and the sky, etiology of the elements, natural and biological phenomena (fire, water, soil, thunderstorms, dream, etc.), cataclysms and cosmic threats, spirits of nature.

I11 has 2 other sub-motifs

I11.  The turtle (toad, frog) serves as a support (embodiment) of the earth (sky), or the supports of the sky are made from its body.
I11a.  Describes how, in the process of creation, the earth is placed on the back of a turtle or frog, which becomes its support.
I11b.  The pillars of the sky are made from the legs of a four-legged animal (usually a turtle).

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of I11’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
C6H	94.61%	The insect brings soil (from the bottom of the sea or from somewhere far away).
A6	93.10%	The sun and moon are considered female characters (including cases – Tuscarora, Oneida, when the gender is not directly specified, but both arise from the body of a female character).
H43A	92.87%	Having created the human body, the creator leaves. At this time, another character tries to break the figure, which has not yet come to life.
K77A	91.62%	Various objects and animals (rarely: only animals, but including those that are safe in reality) defeat a strong enemy (usually joining the hero who is going to take revenge on the strong enemy for an insult and hiding in the house where the enemy is supposed to appear), attacking him in turn; he dies or flees. Either someone or the attacked character himself places objects in his dwelling that then harm that character.
K56D1	91.43%	A pumpkin or watermelon (grown from gifted seeds) given to a person turns out to contain treasures.
B116C	91.40%	In the past, the people possessed writing and knowledge, but these were lost, or the people missed the opportunity to acquire them.
M29W2	91.23%	As a result of its stupidity or antisocial behavior, the tiger dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets.
A2A1	91.13%	At first, the moon was as bright and hot as the sun.
B43	91.12%	Elements of the landscape or parts of the universe are created from the body of the original being.
M130A	91.11%	A trickster lures an animal into a hunter's trap. Another animal advises the victim to pretend to be dead and helps it escape.

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

67 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 67 traditions: Efe Pygmies, Kango (Mbuti) Pygmies, Ngbakka, Mbum (incl Mbai), Mundang, Fali, Tupuri, Maya (=Bali), Nyong, Aka, Baka (Badjue) and other Western (Bantu speaking) Pygmies, Tiv, Bamum (Bamun), Mungaka (Mgaka, Bali), Beba, Anaguta, Bete (Mbete, Karang), Ekoi, Nyang, Vute (Wute), Jukun, Chamba, Bamileke, Kwotto, Kirri; Denya (Nyang), Fula (Fulbe, Fulani, Pular), Melanesians and Papuans of Central Solomons: Vella la Vella (Bilua language), Shortland islands (Mono language), San Cristobal, Saint Georgia, Eddystone, Vangunu, Southern Solomons: southern part of Santa Ysabel (Bughotu), Guadalcanal, San Cristobal, Malaita, Ulawa, Bali, Lombok, Malay; Temuan (incl Mantra or Mentra), Jakun (Moken), Wa (incl Kawa), Bulang, Semang, Senoi, Santali, Turi, Mahli, Oraon (Kurukh), Gondi (mostly Northern Gondi), Indian literary tradition (Vedic, Brahman, Purana, Indian Buddhism, Hinduism, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Panchtantra, Jatakas); iconography of Hindu temples, Tamil, Muthuvan, Marvar, Tamils, Bengali, Marathi (incl. Bhamta; incl. Mumbai area), Gujarati, Lepcha, Kirati (Kiranti): Rai (incl Thulung), Limbu, Newar, Bulgarians, Balkarians, Byelarusians, Belarusians, Karachays, Balkar, Kalmyk, Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Oirats (incl Torgouts, Derbets, Oilots), Mongols (Khalkha), Tuvinians of Tuva, Tuvans, Southern Altai: Altai proper (Altai-Kiji), Telengit, Altaians, Northern Altai: Chelkan, Kumanda, Tubalar, Altaians, Tungus (Evenki): Baikal region, Evenks, Tungus (Evenki) of China (Solon, Birar, Oroqen, Manegir), Evenks, Tungus (Evenki): Russian Far East, Evenks, Western Tungus (Evenki), Western Siberia Tungus (Evenki): Sym River, Ket River, Tanana, Lenape (Delaware), Western Ojibwa (Chippewa), Eastern Ojibwa (Missisauga, Timagami and other groups in eastern Ontario), Northern Ojibwa (=Severn Ojibwa, Sandy Lake Cree), Huron (incl Wyandot), Five Nations Iroquois (Seneca, Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga), Shawnee, Arapaho, Santee, Mandan, Plains Ojibwa, Wintu, Patwin, Nomlaki, Maidu, Nisenan, Konkov, Sierra Miwok, Lake Miwok, Plains Miwok, Coastal Miwok, Warihio (Guarijío), Tarahumara, Aztec; Aztec and Teotihuacan iconography, Tepehua, Totonac, Kogi (Cagaba), Sanha, Creols of Aritama Valley, Kabiyari, Yukuna (Yucuna), Xipaya, Tacana, Central Tibetans (Yu Tsang, incl. Sikkim Tibetans, Tichurong of NW Nepal), Buryats: Eastern (trans Baikal), i.e. Khori, Scythians, Scythe, Ilimpii Tungus/Evenki, Yerbogachen Tungus/Evenki, Tungus/Evenki of Nercha - Chita area, China

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.