Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

I120B — Taking something out of an animal's ear.

37 Myths, legends and folktales
37 Unique narratives for motif I120B
24 Cultures & traditions where I120B is told
0 Sub-motifs of motif I120B
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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

The character takes food, clothing, and other valuables from the ear of an animal (most often a horse or cow).

Berezkin category: Supernatural objects, objects and creatures

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

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny
MotifSimilarityMotif summary
L103B99.73%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.
M91C499.66%A person removes the pot from the fire, its contents continue to boil, or the person prepares food in advance, puts it in a pot or pit. Another believes that the pot cooks without fire or incredibly fast (or that a stick, if it hits the ground or the pot, creates food), buys a pot (stick).
I13999.60%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.
K67H99.59%When a worker is sent to a place where he is to be torn apart by a predator, he tames it and lets it into the barn (stable) at home. As a result, the predator destroys the owner's livestock.
M38D699.57%Several characters embody small objects and die one at a time. The last one left laughs and rejoices so much that he bursts with laughter (breaks his head, etc.).
I87A299.49%The antagonist names numbers from one to 7, 12, etc., the hero answers what each number corresponds to, and the antagonist is unable to refute him.
L37C199.43%The happiness (misfortune, hardship, etc.) of each person is represented by specific characters with whom they interact.
K119B99.38%After tricking wild animals, the fox brings them to the king as a gift from her rich master.
K18199.38%The hero finds a suitable horse in the dungeon (in the basement, in an empty castle, in deep mud, etc.), where it has stood for many years.
M14299.34%A zoomorphic character accuses his tail of hindering his escape from pursuit (usually punishes it and dies as a result). (ATU data not entered; plot 154 includes several independent motifs; which of them are present in the traditions referred to by ATU cannot be determined without referring to the original sources).

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Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

24 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 24 traditions: Brahui, Ireland, England, British, Bretons, Scotland, Scots, Picts, Scotti, Scottish, Hungarians, Romanians, Moldavians, Aromanians, Moldovans, Lithuanians, Vepsians, Danes, Danish, Western Ukrainians, Ossetians, Laks, Mingrelians (Megrelians), Laz, Georgians, Armenians, Mordvins, Tungus (Evenki): Baikal region, Evenks, Tungus (Evenki) of China (Solon, Birar, Oroqen, Manegir), Evenks, Tungus (Evenki): Russian Far East, Evenks, Chulym Turks, Eastern Ukrainians, Northern Ukrainians, Bhutan, Bosnians

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