Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

I62 — Milky Way - river, A778.3.

198 Myths, legends and folktales

198 Unique narratives for motif I62

109 Cultures & traditions where I62 is told

0 Sub-motifs of motif I62

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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 Milky Way is a heavenly river, a body of water, a chain of creatures floating in the water.

Berezkin category: Supernatural objects, objects and creatures

This is of motif type Cosmology and etiology and is part of group 2, Moon spots, stars, constellations.

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
H1E	95.67%	A certain character is the first to enter the world of the dead, after which all people follow the same path; he paves the way to the world of the dead; the first to die becomes the master or guardian of the afterlife.
I7	94.89%	The reptile produces rain and thunderstorms.
D1B	93.91%	The man is the master or embodiment of fire (alone or alongside the woman-fire).
A12A	93.72%	During an eclipse or under other circumstances, predators attack the luminaries: wolves, bears, jaguars, pumas, dogs, foxes, raccoons. See motif A12.
G23	92.51%	The origin of various (more than two) creatures or objects is explained by the metamorphosis of a living creature or part of its body. {Only texts of an aetiological nature are taken into account. For statistical purposes, all texts with motifs G23A and G23B are also included in motif G23}.
B2E	91.99%	The Earth or the world as a whole is a male character (alone or alongside a female character).
F18D	91.27%	Female genitals were enormous in size.
A12	91.22%	A creature or creatures regularly (sunrise and sunset, winter and summer, night and day, phases of the moon) or occasionally (eclipses, eschatological catastrophes) attack the luminaries or block their light.
J47	90.98%	A character climbs up to the sky using a rope, ladder, etc., or climbs a tree or rock, or descends from the sky to the ground, or rises to the ground from the underworld. Another character climbs after them, but the rope or ladder breaks or is cut, and the character falls.
F16	90.95%	Men possessed biological characteristics that are now characteristic of women, or vice versa (beards, menstruation, breasts, childbearing).

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Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

109 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 109 traditions: Akkad, Assyria, Babylonia, Saudi Arabia, Arabs of Levant (Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan); Bedouins of Sinai, Arabs of Iraq, Iraqi, Arabs of Egypt, Berbers of Morocco and adjacent parts of Algeria, Nuba, Sanye (Aweer), Kalenjin; including Sabaot, Nandi (Nande), Arusha, Kipsigis, Pokot (Suk), Keiyo (Elgeiyo), Marakwet, Sebeei, Iraku (Irakw), Nyamwesi, Sumbwa, Gogo, Kaguru, Luguru, Zigula, Taveta, Shambala (Sambala), Bondei, Taeta, Dabida; Zaramo, Luba (Baluba, Luba-Katanga, Shaba), (Ba)Holoholo, Tumbwe, Bena-Piana, Tabwa, Benabena-Mitumba, Zela, Bene-Marungu, Yoruba; incl Ife), Nupe, Bini (Edo), Engenni, Chamba, Dakka, Kukuruku, Arnhem Land: Enindhilyagwa (Groote Eilandt), KuTiwi, Yulengor, Mara, Oenpelli, Murngin, Roper River, Maung, Murinbata, Murngin (Duwal), Millingimbi, Goulburn Island, Ngulugwongga, Yirrkalla, Voctoria River Downs, Alawa, Anu, Kunwinjku, Western Australia: Walmanjeri, Njolnjol (Njulnjul, Nyul-Nyul), Worora, Kariara (Karierra), Karadjari (Karadjeri, Garadjari), Djaberdjaber (Djaberadjabera), Ngarluma, Wiilman (Wheelman), Bibbulmum (Pebelman), Burong (Panaka), Central Australia: Kaitish, Warramunga, Arunta (Aranda), Loritja (Kukatja), Pijandjara (Pitjantjara), Adnjamatana (Andjamathana, Wailpi), Aluridja, Walpiri (Walbiri), Aluridja, Matuntara (Maduntara), Nambutji, Wamma (=Wommana?), Maori, Moriori (Chatam Islands), Society Islands: Tahiti, Borabora, Raiatea, Ontong Java, Nukumanu, Takuu, Nukuria, Timor: Amarasi, Tetum, Meto, Atoni (incl Mollo), Kedang (Lomblen island), Leti Islands (Leti, Moa, Lakor), Alor, Solor, Wetar, Atauru, Yavanese, Kalang, Madura, Batak (Toba, Dairi), Ami, Viet, Muong, SW Arunachal Pradesh: Sherdukpen, Tawang (Monpas), Aka (Hrusso), Miji, Chin-Naga: Ao, Mao, Sema, Zeme, Kolren, Kom, Lhota, Rengma, Angami, Kabui, Tangkhul, Koirenf, Indian literary tradition (Vedic, Brahman, Purana, Indian Buddhism, Hinduism, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Panchtantra, Jatakas); iconography of Hindu temples, Bengali, Punjabi, Seraiki (Multani), Kashmiri, Himachali-Pahari (Western Pahari), Kirati (Kiranti): Rai (incl Thulung), Limbu, Newar, Koreans, Ireland, England, British, Bretons, Poles, Greeks (modern), Balkarians, Ancient Greece, Tajik, Persians, Ossetians, Nogai, Svans, Armenians, Anatolia Turks, Hui (Dungan) of Xinjiang, Gansu, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan (Dungan texts from Southern and Eastern China are clustered with the Chinese ones), Chuvash, Southern Selkups, Northern Selkups, Ainu, Japanese folklore outside of Ryukyu, Southern and Central; Ryukyu Islands: Yaeyama, Miyako, Okinawa, Nanai, Manchu, Reindeer Koryak, Maritime Koryak (Alyutor), Chukchi, Denaina, North Alaskan Inupiat, Eastern Ojibwa (Missisauga, Timagami and other groups in eastern Ontario), Ottawa, Eastern Cree, Sauk (Sak, Mesquakie), Fox, Kickapoo, Blackfoot, Plains Cree, Lushootseed (Puget Sound: Puyallup, Nisqualmi, Snuqualmi, Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Snohomish, Skagit), Western Sahaptin (Upper Cowlitz, Klikitat, Tenino, Umatilla, Yakima, Wallawalla), Quinault, Okanagon, Sanpoil, Klamath, Modoc, Yurok, Maidu, Nisenan, Konkov, Luiseño, Juaneño, Aztec; Aztec and Teotihuacan iconography, Popoloca; Tlapanec, Quiche, Achí, Cakchiquel, Pocomchi, Pocomam, Kekchi; Mopan, Bribri, Cabecar, Terraba; Chiriqui (AD 800-1500) iconography, Choco: Embera, Nonama (Waunana), XVI century Dabaiba, pre-Columbian iconography of Sinu, Makiritare (Yecuana), Yanomamo (Yanoama): Yanomam, Yanomami, Wapishana (incl Ataroi); Mapidian; Taruma, Akuriyo (incl Turaekare), Guiana Kariña, Kaliña, Galibi, Napo (Quijo), Kanelo (“Jungle Kechua”), Barasana, Taibano, Macuna, Desana, Siriano; Tatuyo, Bara, Tuyuca, Tariana, Lima dep: Costa and adjacent Sierra (Spanish, Kechua, and Jacaru-speaking communities, mostly in Pachacamac, Cajatambo, Canta, Huarochirí; Spanish sources of XVI-XVII centuries), Kechua-speaking communities of Apurimac, Cuzco, Arequipa, Puno departments; Spanish sources of XVI-XVII centuries; Callawaya (Kechua with Pukina substratum), Aimara, Ashaninca (Campa), Machiguenga, Mehinaku, Waura, Yaulapiti, Kuikuro, Kalapalo, Calapalo, Mocovi; Kechua of Santiago del Estero with probable Guaikuruan substratum; Abipon, Mataco, Mapuche, Upper Chinook: Wasco, Wishram, Clackamas, Kathlamet, Arabs (literary tradition; incl. One Thousand and One Nights), Lisu, Lolo (incl. Bai), Achang, Yi, Axi, Nasu, Jino, Taungyo, Itelmen, Egypt, Australia, China, Japan, Russian Federation

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