Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

J28B — Hot flatbread.

82 Myths, legends and folktales
82 Unique narratives for motif J28B
43 Cultures & traditions where J28B is told
1 Sub-motifs of motif J28B
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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

Upon learning that a woman (usually the hero's mother) is hiding the truth about his father, mother, brothers, or bride, a young man (rarely a young woman) causes her pain, forcing her to tell the truth (usually by pressing hot bread into her palm or sticking her fingers into hot food).

Berezkin category: Avenger heroes: The amerinday cycle

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

J28 has 1 other sub-motifs

Related

J28a.  When asking how one of his parents died, the hero receives a series of false answers. He often exposes himself to the same dangers, but remains alive, proving the falsity of the proposed versions.
J28b.  Upon learning that a woman (usually the hero's mother) is hiding the truth about his father, mother, brothers, or bride, a young man (rarely a young woman) causes her pain, forcing her to tell the truth (usually by pressing hot bread into her palm or sticking her fingers into hot food).

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of J28’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny
MotifSimilarityMotif summary
J54B99.24%The antagonist's son and the hero are half-brothers or full brothers (uncle and nephew; sworn brothers). When the antagonist tries to destroy the hero, the antagonist's son takes the hero's side.
M39A6A98.82%After a long search, the ruler finds an intelligent wife for his son. At the mercy of his enemies, he sends a message with one of them, the true content of which is understood only by his daughter-in-law. She destroys enemies and frees her father-in-law. (The boys have a younger wife instead of an intelligent daughter-in-law).
K35B98.78%The hero gives his rivals the food that the king sent them all to get, but what the rivals got turns out to be poisonous, useless, or tasteless, while what the hero brought, regardless of how it looks, gets praised.
M75B298.74%bird tries in vain to prevent the marriage, which she learned was inevitable when the future spouses were still children.
J32E98.73%Every time a mare foals, the foal is stolen. The hero finds out who is doing this.
K14898.73%Every night or every year, a mare gives birth to a foal, and every time someone steals it.
L81A298.58%While the men are away, a demonic character comes to a girl or woman to drink her blood or otherwise torment her. The men notice that the girl is wasting away, but at first they do not know the reason.
K80C398.45%Before his death, a man asks his murderer to tell his pregnant wife to give their newborn a certain name. Upon hearing the unusual name of the child, a powerful figure begins to investigate the case, and the murderer confesses to his crime. (All texts containing motifs K80c3 and K80c4 also contain the more general motif K80c)
M17498.43%The weaker character manipulates the stronger one so that he loses the ability to move, although he is still alive. The weak one begins to eat the strong one from behind, refusing, under one pretext or another, to approach from the front, or refrains from eating while the victim is still alive.
M14898.39%One zoomorphic character asks another to agree to be eaten – usually saying that he will be resurrected and compensated for the inconvenience caused. The animal agrees.

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Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

43 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 43 traditions: Saudi Arabia, Soqotri, Arabs of Levant (Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan); Bedouins of Sinai, Arabs of Iraq, Iraqi, Arabs of Egypt, Berbers of Morocco and adjacent parts of Algeria, Kabylia and other Berber of Northern and Central Algeria: Beni Snous, Beni Menacer (incl Zuav), Shaui, etc.), Dan (=Gio), Guro (=Kweni, incl Gagu, Neio), Toura, Mano, Ngere, Beng, Guro , Romanians, Moldavians, Aromanians, Moldovans, Western Sami, Eastern Sami (including Skolts), Uzbek, Rushani, Shughni, Khufi, Bartangi, Tajik, Pashto, Persians, Cherkassians, Adyghe, Kabardin, Abkhaz, Abkhazians, Karachays, Balkar, Ossetians, Nogai, Tats, Svans, Armenians, Kazakh, Kirghiz, Turkmen, Kazan (Middle Volga) Tatars, Bashkirs, Mordvins, Chuvash, Mongols (Khalkha), Tuvinians of Tuva, Tuvans, Southern Selkups, Northern Selkups, Nanai, Lkungen (Straits; including Samish, Songish, Sooke, Lummi), Klallam, Mustang, Arabs (literary tradition; incl. One Thousand and One Nights), Chulym Turks, Salars, Kordofan, Morocco

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