Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

I9 — Colours of the cardinal points.

171 Myths, legends and folktales

171 Unique narratives for motif I9

80 Cultures & traditions where I9 is told

1 Sub-motifs of motif I9

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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

Each (or at least three) of the four cardinal directions (as well as the zenith and nadir) and/or the objects located there have their own colour. Abbreviations: E: east, S: south, W: west, N: north. (Cf. Podosinov 2000: 143-147).

Berezkin category: Supernatural objects, objects and creatures

This is of motif type Adventures and tricks and is part of group 10, Adventures.

I9 has 1 other sub-motifs

I9. Each (or at least three) of the four cardinal directions (as well as the zenith and nadir) and/or the objects located there have their own colour. Abbreviations: E: east, S: south, W: west, N: north. (Cf. Podosinov 2000: 143-147).
I9a. Zenith and/or nadir are considered together with the four cardinal directions as one (or two) more main directions.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of I9’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
I13A	94.18%	A huge aquatic or celestial serpent, dragon, or snake-like creature with horns on its head.
A17	93.86%	Having travelled halfway across the sky or the underworld, the Sun stops to rest.
C10	91.77%	During the flood, some birds or animals escape to a mountain, a tree, a boat, or by clinging to the sky; their tails or other parts of their bodies remain in the water and as a result acquire their current colour or shape. Cf. A2211.7 ("During the flood, birds cling to the sky; their tails acquire their current colour").
K22	91.48%	The inhabitants of a distant land, who differ from (ordinary) people, occasionally fight off enemies of a non-human nature who attack them.
H24B	91.39%	The character must open the vessel containing the soul of the deceased when he reaches the place or after a certain time has passed; if he opens it before the time is up, the soul flies away. See motif H24.
F9A	91.20%	There are teeth, blades or sharp stones in a woman's vagina or on the inside of her thighs; the vagina is a toothy mouth. (Only texts with a focus on authenticity are taken into account, not anecdotes).
I75	90.63%	Before the emergence of the present world or present humans, there were others (at least two worlds or races).
A40	90.52%	The Toad or Frog is the wife (or one of the wives) of the Sun or Moon. Traditions in which the frog jumps onto the face (chest, back) of the Moon and remains there are highlighted in italics; those in which the frog is visible on the lunar disc are marked with an asterisk; traditions in which the frog or toad is the wife of the Sun are marked with a hash (#).
J34	90.14%	After killing a dangerous enemy, the heroes make a scarecrow out of him to frighten the household.
K27O	90.13%	The confrontation between heroes and antagonists unfolds in the form of a ball game.

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Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

80 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 80 traditions: Kabylia and other Berber of Northern and Central Algeria: Beni Snous, Beni Menacer (incl Zuav), Shaui, etc.), Tiv, Bamum (Bamun), Mungaka (Mgaka, Bali), Beba, Anaguta, Bete (Mbete, Karang), Ekoi, Nyang, Vute (Wute), Jukun, Chamba, Bamileke, Kwotto, Kirri; Denya (Nyang), Songhai, Fula (Fulbe, Fulani, Pular), Ontong Java, Nukumanu, Takuu, Nukuria, Bali, Lombok, Burmese, Intha, Viet, Muong, Indian literary tradition (Vedic, Brahman, Purana, Indian Buddhism, Hinduism, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Panchtantra, Jatakas); iconography of Hindu temples, Early Chinese written sources, Lepcha, Koreans, Serbs, Monte Negro, Balkarians, Nogai, Kalmyk, Anatolia Turks, Uyghur, Chuvash, Mongols (Khalkha), Western Ojibwa (Chippewa), Eastern Ojibwa (Missisauga, Timagami and other groups in eastern Ontario), Northern Ojibwa (=Severn Ojibwa, Sandy Lake Cree), Sauk (Sak, Mesquakie), Fox, Kickapoo, Winnebago, Yuchi, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Teton (incl Oglala), Santee, Osage, Omaha, Ponca, Arikara, Kiowa Apache, Plains Ojibwa, Assiniboine, Crow, Natchez (incl Avoyel), Alabama, Koasati, Choctaw, Chicasaw, Cherokee, Upland Yuma: Walapai, Havasupai, Yavapai, Ute, Navajo, Jicarilla, Chiricahua, Mescalero, Western Apache (White Mountain, San Carlos), Hopi, Zuni, Western Keres (Acoma, Laguna), Eastern Keres (Cochiti, Sia, San Felipe, Santo Domingo, Santa Ana, Paguate, Seama), Tewa (San Juan, Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, Tesuque, Nambe; Hano), Tiwa (Taos, Picuris; Sandia, Isleta), Towa (Jemez), Lipan, Diegueño: Ipai, Tipai, Kamia (Kumeai), Kiliwa, Yuma proper (Quechan), Mohave, Maricopa, Seri, Pima, Papago, Huichol, Tepecano, Aztec; Aztec and Teotihuacan iconography, Popoloca; Tlapanec, Quiche, Achí, Cakchiquel, Pocomchi, Pocomam, Pipil, Tepehua, Totonac, Gulf Nahuatl, Zapotec, Chatino, Tzotzil, Chorti, Yucatec, Itza, Lacandon, Kekchi; Mopan, Cuna; XVI century data on Eastern Panama, Kogi (Cagaba), Sanha, Creols of Aritama Valley, Kechua-speaking communities of Apurimac, Cuzco, Arequipa, Puno departments; Spanish sources of XVI-XVII centuries; Callawaya (Kechua with Pukina substratum), Kamayura, Nambikwara, Central Tibetans (Yu Tsang, incl. Sikkim Tibetans, Tichurong of NW Nepal), Iran

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