Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

I7 — Cloud serpent.

146 Myths, legends and folktales

146 Unique narratives for motif I7

74 Cultures & traditions where I7 is told

3 Sub-motifs of motif I7

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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 reptile produces rain and thunderstorms.

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.

I7 has 3 other sub-motifs

I7.  The reptile produces rain and thunderstorms.
I7a.  Lightning is associated with a snake.
I7b.  Lightning – a crack in the sky through which the heavens are visible for a moment.
I7c.  When a character in the upper world urinates, it rains (dew falls) on earth.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of I7’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
I62	94.89%	The Milky Way is a heavenly river, a body of water, a chain of creatures floating in the water.
F20A	93.65%	At first, people mated as dogs do now, but then it became as it is now.
J21	92.77%	Gods, ancestors of humans, and founders of dynasties are born from eggs.
H1E	92.22%	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.
A32A	91.78%	The figure or imprint of a rabbit or hare is visible on the lunar disc.
H36G	91.74%	God sends a messenger to the people to tell them to eat infrequently (once a day, once every three days, etc.). The messenger says that one should eat often – at least two or three times a day.
A2A1	91.38%	At first, the moon was as bright and hot as the sun.
B2E	91.27%	The Earth or the world as a whole is a male character (alone or alongside a female character).
E9	90.71%	The character notices that someone is running the house in his absence and catches the person doing so by surprise.
F18D	90.57%	Female genitals were enormous in size.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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🌐 Open as Airocean (Dymaxion) map ↗

Traditions

74 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 74 traditions: Murle, Me'en (Bodi), Didinga, Ngbakka, Mbum (incl Mbai), Mundang, Fali, Tupuri, Maya (=Bali), Nyong, Ganda, (Ba)Nyoro, Nyankole, Masaba (Gisu), Luia (=Luyia, Haya, Luhya, Bantu Kawirondo; incl. Vugusu, Maragoli), Kete, Luba-Kasai, Bena (Bene) Lulua; (Bena-)Kanioka, Tiv, Bamum (Bamun), Mungaka (Mgaka, Bali), Beba, Anaguta, Bete (Mbete, Karang), Ekoi, Nyang, Vute (Wute), Jukun, Chamba, Bamileke, Kwotto, Kirri; Denya (Nyang), Hausa, 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, Batak (Toba, Dairi), Southern Taiwan: Rukai, Paiwan, Puyuma, Saaroa, Ketangalan, Burmese, Intha, Karen, Pa-O, Padaung, Kayah, Andamanese, Kuki, Chiru, Falam (Hallam), Chin (Meitei =Manipuri, Khami, =Kumi), Lakher, Mizo (Lushei), Anal, Pawi (Lai), Purum, Koireng, Milhiem, Kolhen, Mru, Miao (Hmong) and Yao of Southern China, Early Chinese written sources, Lepcha, Koreans, Poles, Bulgarians, Balkarians, Macedonians, Balkarians, Serbs, Monte Negro, Balkarians, Romanians, Moldavians, Aromanians, Moldovans, Western Ukrainians, Karachays, Balkar, Nogai, Armenians, Kalmyk, 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, Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Mongols (Khalkha), Daur (Daghur), Tuvinians of Tuva, Tuvans, Southern Altai: Altai proper (Altai-Kiji), Telengit, Altaians, Northern Altai: Chelkan, Kumanda, Tubalar, Altaians, Tungus (Evenki): Baikal region, Evenks, Ainu, Udeghe, Oroch, Nanai, Negidal, Tlingit, Micmac, Yuchi, Cheyenne, Mandan, Pawnee, Maidu, Nisenan, Konkov, Northern Paiute (=Paviotso), Zuni, Huichol, Popoloca; Tlapanec, Chinantec, Mazatec, Mixtec, Trique, Cuicatec; Amuzgo, Zapotec, Chatino, Tzotzil, Chorti, Boruca (Brunka), Waiwai, Trio, Ticuna (Tucuna), Xipaya, Kechua-speaking communities of Apurimac, Cuzco, Arequipa, Puno departments; Spanish sources of XVI-XVII centuries; Callawaya (Kechua with Pukina substratum), Aimara, Moseten, Chimane, Mataco, Toba (incl Pilagá), Terena (Tereno) , Central Tibetans (Yu Tsang, incl. Sikkim Tibetans, Tichurong of NW Nepal), Eastern Ukrainians, Northern Ukrainians, Bhutan, China, Japan

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