Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif
J25A — Son of the grave.
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
OverviewThe mother dies or is killed. The child in her womb or the newborn baby is buried with her. He comes out of the grave, meets people, returns to the grave, or is found in the entrails of his dead mother. In the end, the child stays with the people. See motif J25.
Berezkin category: Avenger heroes: The amerinday cycle
This is of motif type Adventures and tricks and is part of group 10, Adventures.
J25 has 4 other sub-motifs
RelatedJ25. Heroes (one, two or one of two), while still infants or embryos, disappear or are thrown away (often into water). To bring them back to the world of humans, they are lured, persuaded or (with difficulty) caught.
J25a. The mother dies or is killed. The child in her womb or the newborn baby is buried with her. He comes out of the grave, meets people, returns to the grave, or is found in the entrails of his dead mother. In the end, the child stays with the people. See motif J25.
J25a1. A woman dies, but remains incorrupt and gives birth to a child in the grave. He is found and brings his mother back to life.
J25b. A pregnant woman dies and is buried. Her spirit leaves the grave to bring food to the child. The child is found and grows up.
j25c. A she-wolf nurses an abandoned infant. He becomes an outstanding leader.
Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns
Phylogeny| Motif | Similarity | Motif summary |
|---|---|---|
| K27R1 | 88.33% | The antagonist believes that the hero was burned, but returned safely from the afterlife, so he orders himself or his representative to be burned. |
| I53 | 88.19% | An insect or other small creature bothers the animal that supports the earth, so the animal moves and the earth shakes (or, conversely, the animal is afraid to move because of the insect). |
| M90A4 | 86.24% | A tree is described on which jewelry or ornaments hang instead of fruits; individual parts of the tree are made of <i>different</i> metals or (semi) precious stones. |
| L107 | 85.93% | People have disproportionately large ears (rarely: lips): they cover themselves with them like a blanket, use them as an umbrella, can step on them, etc. |
| M156A | 84.95% | A dangerous animal is about to kill a human or another animal that helped it. The predator and its prey agree to ask passers-by (people walking or sailing by) which of them is right. Among those who respond are inanimate objects (most often trees). |
| H6B | 83.52% | The elixir of immortality, intended for humans, is not delivered to its destination, but falls on plants, which become evergreen, capable of regeneration or bearing fruit. (Traditions in which the "elixir of immortality" is linked to the motif of false news are marked with an asterisk. Cf. motif B115). |
| I32A | 82.45% | When a leaf or fruit from a certain tree falls, one of the people on earth dies. |
| I8I | 82.05% | Initially, the earth rocks, unstable, and must be specially secured. |
| K73A2 | 81.95% | The ill-wishers of the new mother replace the baby with a broom (they tell the father that his wife has given birth to a broom). |
| I51A | 81.80% | The earth is supported by or has a large mammal at its centre. See motif I8B. |
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
25 recordedThis motif has been recorded in 25 traditions: Saudi Arabia, Arabs of Levant (Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan); Bedouins of Sinai, Arabs of Iraq, Iraqi, Arabs of Egypt, Ngbakka, Mbum (incl Mbai), Mundang, Fali, Tupuri, Maya (=Bali), Nyong, Melanesians and Papuans of Central Solomons: Vella la Vella (Bilua language), Shortland islands (Mono language), San Cristobal, Saint Georgia, Eddystone, Vangunu, Southern Solomons: southern part of Santa Ysabel (Bughotu), Guadalcanal, San Cristobal, Malaita, Ulawa, Kanaka (New Caledonia), Burmese, Intha, Khmer, Viet, Muong, Gondi (mostly Northern Gondi), Sinhalese; Vedda, Dards (Kalash, Kho, Kohistani, Shina, Pashai), Uzbek, Tajik, Uyghur, Turkmen, Tsimshian, Carrier, Hopi, Arabs (literary tradition; incl. One Thousand and One Nights), Papua-New Guinea Northern Lowland Papuan groups (Trans New Guinea and unclassified): Komba, Gimi, Susure, Orokaiva, Bogadjim, Ngain, Sentani, Bargam, Imonda, Nankina, Yupta Valley, Urawa Valley, Warupu (Barupu), Pondoma (Anam), Itelmen, Kuwait
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