Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

I8I — At first, the earth swayed.

67 Myths, legends and folktales

67 Unique narratives for motif I8I

44 Cultures & traditions where I8I is told

10 Sub-motifs of motif I8I

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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

Initially, the earth rocks, unstable, and must be specially secured.

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.

I8 has 10 other sub-motifs

I8A.  The world, earth or sky are supported by anthropomorphic beings.
I8B.  The earth or sky is supported by zoomorphic creatures.
I8c.  The earth is prevented from falling or swaying because it is tied with ropes.
I8D.  The earth or sky is supported by mountains, pillars, nails, trees.
I8e.  The sky or the earth is supported by four anthropomorphic male characters located at the four cardinal points.
I8e1.  The sky or earth is supported by four objects or beings located at the four cardinal points (either four groups of beings, or four at the corners and a fifth in the centre). Th A841. See motifs 8A, 8D.
I8f.  The sky, the world rests on a single object (a pillar or tree).
I8g.  A single giant holds up the earth or the sky.
I8G1.  At the foot of the world pillar is an anthropomorphic character, or a character identified with a tree or pillar on which the world rests, or a character holding ropes on which the world is suspended.
I8h.  The earth is supported by a man and a woman in the underworld.
I8i.  Initially, the earth rocks, unstable, and must be specially secured.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of I8’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
B3A	89.20%	The waters are primary. The earth is lowered onto the water, appears above the water, grows from a piece of solid substance placed on the surface of the water or liquid mud, from an island in the ocean, is exposed when the waters recede, etc.
E4	88.15%	From mud on the skin (rarely: from under the fingernails), the character creates the earth, people or other creatures.
L1C2	87.98%	Fleeing from a demonic creature, the characters hide their children (younger brother or sister) in a camouflaged pit, usually under the hearth. See motif L1C.
F64B	87.69%	A woman pretends to be someone else in order to seduce her son, brother, daughter or grandson. See motif F64.
A4	87.66%	The Sun is a woman (the Moon is usually a man, sometimes also a woman, see motif A6; highlighted in bold italics in the list of ethnic groups below).
A32H	87.03%	A tree, bush, branch, snag, etc. are visible on the lunar disc. See motif A32G.
A12	86.31%	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.
I11	86.22%	The turtle (toad, frog) serves as a support (embodiment) of the earth (sky), or the supports of the sky are made from its body.
I73	85.30%	Stars (rarely suns and moons) – sparks, hot coals.
I51B	85.11%	The earth or sky is perceived as a large mammal or created from parts of its body.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

44 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 44 traditions: Akkad, Assyria, Babylonia, Arabs of Levant (Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan); Bedouins of Sinai, Berbers of southern Tunisia and adjacent part of Libya (Matmata and Ghadames areas), Batak (Toba, Dairi), Malay; Temuan (incl Mantra or Mentra), Jakun (Moken), Dusun, Murut, Kelabit, Tombonuwo, Bajau, Tidong, Northern Munda of Kharwar branch: Birhor, Ho, Mundari, Kol, Asur (including Agaria, Kol, Birjhia), Bhumij, Bhuiya (now Aryans, originally Munda; Rahman 1955: 203), Baiga, Bhaina, Bhumia (subgroup of Baiga, incl Bharia, formerly Munda, now speak Indo-Aryan languages of neighboring groups), Juang, Garo (Atchik), Kachari (Bodo, incl. Lalung), Dimasa, Tripuri, Riang (of Tripura), Khami, Riga, Mori, Konds (Khonds; language is Kui, incl Kuttia, Konda-Dora), Koya; Pengo, Gondi (mostly Northern Gondi), Maria, Muria, and other South-Central Dravidians: Binjhwar, Bacop, Bhattra, Bom, Jhoria (=Jhodia), Gadaba (in Koraput, neighbors of Munda-speaking Gadaba), Duruwa (Parji), Mehtar; Pardhan, Indian literary tradition (Vedic, Brahman, Purana, Indian Buddhism, Hinduism, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Panchtantra, Jatakas); iconography of Hindu temples, Toda, Kota, Kuruba (Kurumba), Badaga, Maravar, Pulaya, Kadar, Dhanwar, Bhils (incl Barela-Bhilala), Warli, Kafir, or Nuristani: Prasun; Kati (incl. Paruni), Ashkun (Ashunu), Waigali, Miao (Hmong) and Yao of Southern China, Lahu, Kucong, Nosu, Nisu, Nusu, Sani, Jino, Kirati (Kiranti): Rai (incl Thulung), Limbu, Newar, Karachays, Balkar, Ingush, Mansi, Eastern Khanty (Ostyaks), Nenets, Nganasans, Inland Tlingit, Tahltan, Tlingit, Winnebago, Yuchi, Kiowa Apache, Yuki (Yuki proper, Coastal Yuki, Huchnob), Maidu, Nisenan, Konkov, Achomavi, Owens Valley Paiute, Northern Paiute (=Paviotso), Southern Paiute, Western Apache (White Mountain, San Carlos), Pima, Papago, Tzotzil

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