Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

I6 — Birds that bring storms.

97 Myths, legends and folktales
97 Unique narratives for motif I6
52 Cultures & traditions where I6 is told
1 Sub-motifs of motif I6
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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

A person encounters a huge bird carrying clouds, rain, snow, thunderstorms, etc.

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.

I6 has 1 other sub-motifs

Related

I6.  A person encounters a huge bird carrying clouds, rain, snow, thunderstorms, etc.
I6a.  The male and female of a huge bird carry different types of precipitation (for example, the eagle carries snow, and the eagle carries rain). Or (Buryats of Mongolia) the same bird carries different types of precipitation depending on whether it is angry or not. See motif i6. Traditions associated with Na-Dene languages are highlighted in italics in the list.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of I6’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny
MotifSimilarityMotif summary
K22C88.23%Inhabitants of another world who are birds (bird-people) are afraid of birds or animals that are not dangerous to ordinary people, but which regularly attack them.
K27YY187.83%The hero brings the feather (feathers) of a dangerous bird.
L987.63%The character's body parts resemble cutting or stabbing weapons.
K5987.12%One person places another in a box and closes the lid, or ties the other to a board, a boat, etc., and throws them into the water. The coffin (box, board) is nailed to a distant land, where the captive is freed. Usually, he returns and takes revenge on his enemy.
B44F187.06%In the dispute over whether the world should be light (warm), the bear is on the side of darkness (and cold); or the world is plunged into darkness because the bear hides the sun in his house.
A4386.74%The character runs away in a hurry and undergoes a metamorphosis, turning into a bird or rising into the sky. He is missing one trouser leg, or a shoe on one foot, or one mitten.
I6A86.55%The male and female of a huge bird carry different types of precipitation (for example, the eagle carries snow, and the eagle carries rain). Or (Buryats of Mongolia) the same bird carries different types of precipitation depending on whether it is angry or not. See motif i6. Traditions associated with Na-Dene languages are highlighted in italics in the list.
K27Y85.45%The hero is sent or, knowing the danger, goes himself to obtain various (at least two) materials for making a bow and arrows (shafts, feathers, bowstring, flint for arrowheads, paint for colouring arrows, resin and fibres for attaching the arrowhead or feather to the shaft, etc.). See motif K27.
M1684.87%The wife or relatives (often the mother) of the sick person do not care for him. He recovers, and those who treated him badly are punished. Cf. motifs F62 and F96.
J1783.56%Instead of lice in the character's hair, there are other creatures, or he pretends that such creatures live in his hair.

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Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

52 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 52 traditions: Maka (Makaa), Baya, Kaka, Uzbek, Karachays, Balkar, Ossetians, Dargin (Dargwa), incl. Mรผregin, Khรผrkilin, Kubachi, Georgians, Kara Kalpak, Kazakh, Kirghiz, Mansi, Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Mongols (Khalkha), Darkhad, Tuvinians of Tuva, Tuvans, Southern Altai: Altai proper (Altai-Kiji), Telengit, Altaians, Northern Altai: Chelkan, Kumanda, Tubalar, Altaians, Udeghe, Chipewyan, Hare (K'ahsho Got'ine), Upper Tanana (Nebesna), Tanacross, Han, Tutchone, Tagish, Inland Tlingit, Kaska, Koyukon, Tanana, Gwich'in (Kuchin, Loucheux), Beaver, Tlingit, Arapaho, Omaha, Ponca, Wichita; Spiro Mound iconography, Kiowa Apache, Gros Ventre, Crow, Kutenai, Navajo, Jicarilla, Chiricahua, Mescalero, Western Apache (White Mountain, San Carlos), Hopi, Zuni, Lipan, Tupari, Makurap, Sakirap, Ajuru (Wayoro), Makka, Ayoreo, Nivakle (=Chulupi, Ashluslay, Ajlujlay), Chorote, Yellowknife, Buryats: Eastern (trans Baikal), i.e. Khori

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