Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif
I85 — The Polar Star – a stake or a nail.
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
OverviewPolar Star – stake, nail, hitching post, etc.
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.
I85 has 5 other sub-motifs
RelatedI85. Polar Star – stake, nail, hitching post, etc.
I85a. Animals walk around the North Star, or the movement of the stars is compared to the movement of animals around a pole. See motif I85.
I85a1. The North Star – a hole leading to the upper world.
I85b. The North Star – one person.
I85c. The character goes up to the sky and finds vessels containing various (two or more) types of precipitation, weather phenomena, seasons and/or celestial bodies.
I85c1. In the sky there is a vessel, a box or an indescribable container for storing rain (rain clouds).
Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns
Phylogeny| Motif | Similarity | Motif summary |
|---|---|---|
| M57D1 | 98.11% | bird consistently gives a person magical objects (or gives one, with which he receives the rest) or consistently fulfills his wishes. |
| I52 | 97.44% | The world rests on a fish or fish-like creature, or the earth itself is such a creature or originated from a fish. See motif I8B. |
| M78G | 97.30% | When the inhabitants of the house fall asleep, a joker (usually a tiny boy) ties them together in pairs so that when they wake up, they quarrel. |
| M98 | 96.75% | The character counts the number of members in two huge and alternative sets (dead and alive, men and women, etc.). Usually numbers are distributed equally, and one term (or some) is endowed with the properties of both. By referring it to one of the sets, the character proves a thesis. |
| I128 | 96.51% | The Big Dipper – a ladle, a scoop. |
| N4 | 96.26% | Fused ribs are a sign of heroic strength. {The motive was highlighted and the material was collected by Kostyantin Rahno}. |
| I94 | 96.23% | The Pleiades are something holey. |
| K38 | 96.12% | For doing good to chicks (rarely: young of non-ornithomorphic flying creatures), their mother or father does a favour for the person. |
| M99 | 95.92% | The character is going to abuse all birds or (less commonly) animals, but after hearing wise advice, he abandons his intention. |
| L93A | 95.87% | The fox, jackal or coyote, resorting to cunning, helps the hero, heroine or people in general, saving them. |
See the 100 most similar distributions →
Map of motif dispersal
DistributionDrag the map to pan, use the scroll wheel to zoom — choose a texture or projection below
Traditions
76 recordedThis motif has been recorded in 76 traditions: Saudi Arabia, Arabs of Levant (Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan); Bedouins of Sinai, Arabs of Iraq, Iraqi, Arabs of Egypt, Tuareg, Indian literary tradition (Vedic, Brahman, Purana, Indian Buddhism, Hinduism, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Panchtantra, Jatakas); iconography of Hindu temples, Kafir, or Nuristani: Prasun; Kati (incl. Paruni), Ashkun (Ashunu), Waigali, Poles, Romanians, Moldavians, Aromanians, Moldovans, Estonians, Finns, Western Sami, Eastern Sami (including Skolts), Western Ukrainians, Byelarusians, Belarusians, Uzbek, Iranian literary tradition (including Avesta, Pahlevi scripts, Sah-nameh, Marzban-nameh); Zoroastrians of Iran, Indian Parsees, Zoroastrianism, Abaza (Abazins), Cherkassians, Adyghe, Kabardin, Karachays, Balkar, Ossetians, Kumyk, Terekemen, Nogai, Tats, Armenians, Kalmyk, Gagauz, Anatolia Turks, Kara Kalpak, Kazakh, Kirghiz, Uyghur, Turkmen, Kazan (Middle Volga) Tatars, Bashkirs, Chuvash, Mansi, Eastern Khanty (Ostyaks), Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Oirats (incl Torgouts, Derbets, Oilots), Mongols (Khalkha), Daur (Daghur), Darkhad, Tuvinians of Tuva, Tuvans, Khakas, Southern Altai: Altai proper (Altai-Kiji), Telengit, Altaians, Northern Altai: Chelkan, Kumanda, Tubalar, Altaians, Nenets, Nganasans, Tungus (Evenki): Baikal region, Evenks, Tungus (Evenki) of China (Solon, Birar, Oroqen, Manegir), Evenks, Tungus (Evenki): Russian Far East, Evenks, Western Tungus (Evenki), Western Siberia Tungus (Evenki): Sym River, Ket River, Nanai, Manchu, Reindeer Koryak, Maritime Koryak (Alyutor), Chukchi, Aleuts, Kwakiutl (Kwakwaka'wakw), Lkungen (Straits; including Samish, Songish, Sooke, Lummi), Klallam, Kutenai, Arabs (literary tradition; incl. One Thousand and One Nights), Urums, Rumei, Southern Altai: Teleut, Khamnigans, Eastern Ukrainians, Northern Ukrainians, Buryats: Eastern (trans Baikal), i.e. Khori, Ilimpii Tungus/Evenki, Yerbogachen Tungus/Evenki, Tungus/Evenki of Nercha - Chita area, Egypt, China, Russian Federation
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