Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

I82C — Wife of the Moon.

94 Myths, legends and folktales

94 Unique narratives for motif I82C

62 Cultures & traditions where I82C is told

10 Sub-motifs of motif I82C

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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

Venus or an unidentified star in the eastern and/or western sky – the wife of the Moon. See motif I82b.

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.

I82 has 10 other sub-motifs

I82a.  The Morning and/or Evening Star – a male character.
I82b.  The Morning and/or Evening Star – a female character.
I82c.  Venus or an unidentified star in the eastern and/or western sky – the wife of the Moon. See motif I82b.
I82c1.  The Moon has two wives (usually the Morning Star and the Evening Star). With the caring one, he grows fat, with the other, he starves and grows thin.
I82d.  The Morning and Evening Stars are contrasted as man and woman. See motifs I82a, I82b.
I82e.  It is said that Venus or another star sold her mother or father in order to adorn herself luxuriously and dress up.
I82f.  (Evening) Venus is associated with a predatory beast, usually a she-wolf.
I82g.  Venus or another star (Arcturus, Sirius, etc.) is called the Shepherd's Star (the star of the Shepherd, Sheepherder, Cowherd, Swineherd, etc.).
I82h.  The name of Venus sounds like Cholpan, Cholbon, Tsolmon, etc. (čol- 'to sparkle, to shine' [Vámbéri 1879: 155]).
I82i.  The name of the object in the night sky (usually Venus) sounds like Zukhra, Zahra, Zura, etc.
I82j.  Venus-man or another star is the husband of the Moon-woman. See motif I82a.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of I82’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
F8	93.89%	In the beginning (.55.60.67.73.) women and men lived separately from each other, then came together. Cf. motif F45 (Amazons).
A15	93.79%	An eclipse or the appearance of spots on the lunar disc is explained by the fact that the moon or sun turns onto the wrong path or the paths of the luminaries intersect. See motif A14.
E24	93.64%	Joints appeared in humans after the first ancestor (or several first ancestors) fell from a height, breaking their arms and legs.
L45	92.64%	A strong character traps a weak one and leaves someone to guard the prey. The guard fails to fulfil his duties (usually tricked by the weak one), and the weak one escapes. {African borrowings in America are difficult to distinguish from possible local cases}
I74A	91.97%	Stars – fireflies.
I82C1	91.23%	The Moon has two wives (usually the Morning Star and the Evening Star). With the caring one, he grows fat, with the other, he starves and grows thin.
H24C	90.97%	People open a vessel (a bundle, a basket, etc.) containing death (or old age, illness), and therefore they are mortal.
H1C	89.65%	People cease to be reborn (or no longer come to the living) after the deceased is buried in the ground for the first time or someone tramples the earth on a fresh grave, preventing the deceased from rising from the grave.
A36A	87.60%	The sun is contrasted with humans as immortal to mortals; responsible for the mortal nature of humans.
I41	87.40%	A rainbow is a reptile (usually a snake), less often a fish or snake-like, usually dangerous, object (snake tongue, scorpion tail).

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

62 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 62 traditions: Efe Pygmies, Kango (Mbuti) Pygmies, Zande (Azande, incl Nzakara), Banda, Gbaya (Baya), Manja, Ngbandi, Mbum (incl Mbaye), Fali; Mündü, Shone (Shona, =Mashona, =Karanga), Makoni (Shoni dialect), Remba (=Hungwe, Wahungwe); Zezuru, Rozwi, Ndau (Vandau), Ila (Baila), Malawi (incl Nyanja, Banyanja, Manganja), Tumbuka (incl Henga), Nsenga, Matengo, (Ba)Wenda, Kerewe, Sukuma, Kwaya, Kumbi, Busiba, Gusii, Suba, Nyamwesi, Sumbwa, Rwanda (incl Hutu, Tutsi, Kiga), Rundi, (Ma)Shi, Banyabungu; Rega, 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, Lunda (Alunda), Songe (Kisonge), Bena-Matembo, Sakata, Congo (Koongo, Bacongo; incl Vili, Fioti, (Ma)Yombe, MuKunyi), Ndombo, Luango (Loango), Zombo (Sambo), Laadi (Laari), (Ba)Fioti, Woyo (Kiwoyo), Ronga, Boa, Komo, (Ba)Nyanga, Mbole, Fang (Pangwe), Eton, Bafia, Batanga, Benga, Bube (Bubi), Buheba, Yaunde (Ewondo), Yebekolo, Koko, Bulu, Beti (Beti-Bulu), Sekiani, Eghap, Enenga, Mpongwe, Kuta (Koto), Nkomi, Masango, Mindumu, Mbede, Mitsogo, Bawunga, Ndumu (Ndumbo), Duma, Teke, (B)wende, Tiv, Bamum (Bamun), Mungaka (Mgaka, Bali), Beba, Anaguta, Bete (Mbete, Karang), Ekoi, Nyang, Vute (Wute), Jukun, Chamba, Bamileke, Kwotto, Kirri; Denya (Nyang), Yoruba; incl Ife), Nupe, Bini (Edo), Engenni, Chamba, Dakka, Kukuruku, Dan (=Gio), Guro (=Kweni, incl Gagu, Neio), Toura, Mano, Ngere, Beng, Guro , 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, Melanesians of Admiralty Islands (incl Manus); Seimat (Western Islands), Loyalty Islands (Uvea, Lifu, Mare), Marshall Islands, incl Ailinglapalap, Arno, Jaluit, Kili, Lae, Maloelap, Majuro, Ratak, Wotho, Ujae, Jaluit (=Jalooj), Namdrik, Batak (Toba, Dairi), Semang, Senoi, Bulgarians, Balkarians, Serbs, Monte Negro, Balkarians, Lithuanians, Western Ukrainians, Byelarusians, Belarusians, Tats, Anatolia Turks, Kazan (Middle Volga) Tatars, Bashkirs, Comox, Pentlatch, Paya (Pech), Sumu, Misquito, Choco: Embera, Nonama (Waunana), XVI century Dabaiba, pre-Columbian iconography of Sinu, Guajiro, Makiritare (Yecuana), Pemon: Arekuna (incl. Kamarakoto), Taulipang (Taurepan), Desana, Siriano; Tatuyo, Bara, Tuyuca, Mura (Pirahã), Urubu (Urubu-Kaapor), Tenetehara, Ashaninca (Campa), Machiguenga, Tacana, Umotina (Umutina), Kaingang, Xokleng, Chamacoco (Ishir), Mataco, Chorote, Toba (incl Pilagá), Ndebele, Pedi, Thonga (Tsonga incl Ronga), Hlengwe, Matabele (Tebele), Mende, Loma, Gbunde (Gbandi, Bandi), Eastern Ukrainians, Northern Ukrainians, Congo, Malawi, Halkomelem (Snaymuk)

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