Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

I20 — Underground dwarves, F451.

137 Myths, legends and folktales

137 Unique narratives for motif I20

75 Cultures & traditions where I20 is told

5 Sub-motifs of motif I20

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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 inhabitants of the underworld or the land on the horizon where the sky meets the earth are dwarves. See motif I14A.

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.

I20 has 5 other sub-motifs

I20.  The inhabitants of the underworld or the land on the horizon where the sky meets the earth are dwarves. See motif I14A.
I20a.  Anthropomorphic inhabitants of the upper world – giants.
I20b.  People in the upper world are different from those on earth and gird themselves below or above the waist.
I20c.  Dwarves live in an underground world that partly resembles the earthly world. If dwarves and humans meet, it happens underground.
I20c1.  Dwarves do not live deep underground, but inside hills, in rocks, in mines, etc., and usually come out from there onto the ground.
I20c2.  The inhabitants of the land on the horizon (where the sky meets the earth) are dwarves.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of I20’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
H27	92.86%	Before spreading throughout the world, stinging or blood-sucking insects or reptiles, diseases or evil spirits were kept in a vessel, bag or other small container. See motif H24.
K17	92.02%	A male character in the form of a winged creature approaches a girl and either magically or unnoticed by her impregnates her. See motif K16: taking the form of an animal or bird, he enters the girl's house.
J7	91.96%	A woman or girl sets off to her husband (beloved) or relatives, or a man sets off to find a bride. She or he loses their way after a certain character substitutes the signs indicating the way. See motif J12.
I122	91.28%	The Pleiades – a beehive, a nest, a cluster of bees or wasps.
M29K1	89.72%	A turtle (toad, frog) gets into unpleasant situations due to its own stupidity or carelessness. See the motives in square brackets. The character is named if it is a toad or frog; otherwise, a turtle.
I20C2	89.66%	The inhabitants of the land on the horizon (where the sky meets the earth) are dwarves.
F39	89.09%	In the past or in distant lands, women dominated men, were the active party in marital relations, and engaged in male activities. Men engaged in female activities. Later, the situation changed. Either women missed the opportunity to gain superiority. See motif F38.
H34H	88.24%	Firewood and brushwood came by themselves, flying into the house; there was no need to specially harvest and deliver them.
L57B	88.19%	A person tears off or cuts off a part of the body of a predatory animal or demonic creature and uses it. The creature comes for the lost part, usually killing or maiming the person.
L23	87.39%	Trying to free himself, the captured character successively transforms into various substances, materials or animals, or (Urarina, Setebo) orders various dangerous animals to successively attack the person who captured him. (In some cases, only one variant of transformation is mentioned, but in the same context as in typical variants with a series of transformations).

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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🌐 Open as Airocean (Dymaxion) map ↗

Traditions

75 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 75 traditions: Ancient Egypt, Egyptian, Berbers of Morocco and adjacent parts of Algeria, Shilluk, Anuak, Ngbakka, Mbum (incl Mbai), Mundang, Fali, Tupuri, Maya (=Bali), Nyong, Luba (Baluba, Luba-Katanga, Shaba), (Ba)Holoholo, Tumbwe, Bena-Piana, Tabwa, Benabena-Mitumba, Zela, Bene-Marungu, Bemba (Wemba, Babemba; incl Ambo, Lala, Lamba, Bisa), Holoholo, Kaonde, Melanesians of southeastern New Guinea: Mekeo, Motu, Sinagoro, Koita (Koitapu), Mukawa (Are), Wagawaga, Taupota, Awaiama, Gelaria, Goodenough Bay, Bartle Bay, Wedau (Wamira village), Minahasa (incl. Tondano, Tentemboan), Bantik, Mindanao and Sulu: Blaan (Bilaan), Bagobo, Bukidnon, Cotabato, Hiligáynon, Binukid, Magindaan (=Magindanao: main Muslim population), Mandaya, Mansaka, Manobo (Agusan, Ata, Dibabawon, Sarangani, Ilianen), Maranao, Samal, Subanon (=Subanun), Subanen, Tboli, Karen, Pa-O, Padaung, Kayah, Thai of Vietnam, Tai Lue, Khao (Kho, Tai Don, White Tai), Tai Dam (Black Tai), Nung; Zhuang, Buyi; Shui, Shan, Ahom, Khampti, Nicobarese, Bondo, Didayi (Gata'), Gutob (=Gadaba; cf Dravidian-speaking Gadaba), Miao (Hmong) and Yao of Southern China, Ireland, England, British, Bretons, Scotland, Scots, Picts, Scotti, Scottish, France, Dutch, Flemish, Germans: North (Low- and Central German dialects): Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg, Pommern, Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony, incl East Frisia and Oldenburg), Nordrhein-Westfalen, Hessen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Thüringen, Saxony-Anhalt, Sachsen, Brandenburg, Rügen, Kashubians, Hungarians, Greeks (modern), Balkarians, Croatians, Croats; Italians of Dalmatia (if the motif is absent among other Italians), Ancient Greece, Livonians, Estonians, Finns, Western Sami, Eastern Sami (including Skolts), Swedes, Danes, Danish, Scandinavians: early written sources ("Edda"; Saxo Grammaticus etc.); Gothland picture stones; Ancient Germans (Late Bronze Age in Scandinavia), Western Ukrainians, Abkhaz, Abkhazians, Ingush, Kumyk, Terekemen, Nogai, Armenians, Chuvash, Udmurt, Komi (Zyrians and Permyaks), Nenets, Sauk (Sak, Mesquakie), Fox, Kickapoo, Lkungen (Straits; including Samish, Songish, Sooke, Lummi), Klallam, Zuni, Warihio (Guarijío), Tarahumara, Popoloca; Tlapanec, Pame, Jonaz (Chichimeca-Jonaz), Mazahua, Otomi, Mestizos of Soconuzco; Cotzumapguapa iconography, Tepehua, Totonac, Gulf Nahuatl, Tzotzil, Choco: Embera, Nonama (Waunana), XVI century Dabaiba, pre-Columbian iconography of Sinu, Yupa (Yukpa), Guayabero, Sanema, Yanomamo (Yanoama): Yanomam, Yanomami, Waiwai, Locono, Colorado (Tsachila), Barasana, Taibano, Macuna, Puinave, Ticuna (Tucuna), Kechua-speaking communities of Apurimac, Cuzco, Arequipa, Puno departments; Spanish sources of XVI-XVII centuries; Callawaya (Kechua with Pukina substratum), Tacana, Guarani of Paraguay and Brazil: Caygua, Mbia, Apapocuva, Nyandewa, Chiripa, Central Tibetans (Yu Tsang, incl. Sikkim Tibetans, Tichurong of NW Nepal), Icelanders, Germans: South (Upper German dialects): Alsace (Elsass), Baden-Württemberg, Bawaria, Swabia, Switzerland, Bohemia, Sudeten, Austria, Lutsi (Ludza), Frisians, Faroe Islands, Russian Federation

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How to cite: Fielder-White, J. (2026). The Folklore Database. https://folkloredatabase.com

0009-0006-1672-4451
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