Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

I15 — Creatures without mouths.

74 Myths, legends and folktales

74 Unique narratives for motif I15

43 Cultures & traditions where I15 is told

2 Sub-motifs of motif I15

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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

Creatures without mouths. Usually, their mouths are cut open later.

Berezkin category: Supernatural objects, objects and creatures

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.

I15 has 2 other sub-motifs

I15.  Creatures without mouths. Usually, their mouths are cut open later.
I15a.  Due to ignorance or haste, the mouth of anthropomorphic creatures is first cut vertically.
I15a1.  The demonic character has vertical slits for eyes.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of I15’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
H32A	95.58%	A young woman is the embodiment of fertility; she comes to live with people, and food becomes readily available. The woman is wronged, she leaves, and the superabundance ends.
K26	94.96%	Approaching an opening or making one, the character sees the world below (usually seeing the earth from the sky). See motif K25.
K27K	94.12%	Test: to dive underwater for a long time or deeply. See motif K27.
J13	93.59%	Not one woman or girl, but two sisters (or more than two, but only two play an important role in the narrative) wander and meet an unwanted deceiver instead of a desired husband or fiancé, or encounter dangerous creatures. See motif J12.
K31	93.23%	The character makes a marine mammal or fish out of wood. It kills his enemies or drags them out to the open sea.
M46	92.80%	Some creatures steal or own valuables. To return (get) them, the character turns into a small object, from contact with which a woman becomes pregnant, or into a baby. A picked up or born baby takes on its true appearance and steals valuables (including making the girl who picked it up pregnant, if that was his goal).
H20	92.47%	All the fish or (rarely) molluscs were concentrated in one place. A certain character allows them to escape or deliberately releases them into rivers or the sea. {In some cases, the theme of the spread of fish concentrated in a small container is difficult to separate from the theme of the spread of water. In any case, neither of these exist in Africa}.
K10E	92.38%	In the bird's habitat, the hero finds the people it has kidnapped and helps them return home.
J44	92.28%	The hero lures the enemy onto a rickety bridge. The enemy falls into the water, into the abyss (see motif J46). See motif J52.
B44C	92.13%	The characters argue about whether there should be darkness or light, cold or warmth on earth. See motif B44.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

43 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 43 traditions: Saibai, Dauan, Boigu, Badu, Waraber, Wet, Warei, Dauar, Badu, Moa, Trans-New Guinea and unclassified Papuan groups of Irian Jaya: Mejprat, Arandai-Bintuni, Inanwatan-Berau, Papua of Gelvink (Cenderawasih) Bay, Kamoró, Marind Anim, Sawi, Mafore; Korowai; Kwerba; Momina, Eipo, Yale, Awyu, Papua-NewGuinea Highland Papuans:Trans New Guinea & unclassified:Chimbu,Gimi,KaugelHuli,Gadsup,Kuman,Kutubu,Foi (Foe),Kyaka,Kamano (Kafe),Mawatta,Kukukuku (=Anga,=Sambia;Manki,Nauti,Ejuti),Baruya,Kewa,Tembregak,Menya,Melpa,Wiru,Pondoma, Melanesians of the islands of Massim District ( =Milke Bay Province) to the east of New Guinea: Dobu, Rossel, Fergusson, Goodenough, Murua (Woodlark), Trobrian Islands, d'Entrecasteau Islands, Bunak, Basques, Nenets, Tungus (Evenki): Baikal region, Evenks, Tungus (Evenki) of China (Solon, Birar, Oroqen, Manegir), Evenks, Tungus (Evenki): Russian Far East, Evenks, Central Yupik, Upper Tanana (Nebesna), Tanacross, Tagish, Inland Tlingit, Denaina, Koyukon, Gwich'in (Kuchin, Loucheux), Tlingit, Blackfoot, Mandan, Hidatsa, Carrier, Western Sahaptin (Upper Cowlitz, Klikitat, Tenino, Umatilla, Yakima, Wallawalla), Nez Perce, Tillamook, Kalapuya, Yokuts, Mono (Monache), Owens Valley Paiute, Northern Paiute (=Paviotso), Northern Shoshone, Western Shoshone, Gosiute, Eastern Shoshone, Southern Paiute, Zuni, Tzotzil, Choco: Embera, Nonama (Waunana), XVI century Dabaiba, pre-Columbian iconography of Sinu, Shuar, Achuar (Shiwiar), Baniwa (incl. Wakuenai), Bare, Piapoco, Curripaco, Siusi, Guarikena , Botocudo, Upper Chinook: Wasco, Wishram, Clackamas, Kathlamet, Papua-New Guinea Northern Lowland Papuan groups (Trans New Guinea and unclassified): Komba, Gimi, Susure, Orokaiva, Bogadjim, Ngain, Sentani, Bargam, Imonda, Nankina, Yupta Valley, Urawa Valley, Warupu (Barupu), Pondoma (Anam), Guinea

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