J4A — Revenge for the death of a mother.

A woman is killed. Her son or sons (rarely: grandsons, nephews) avenge her.

Berezkin category: Avenger heroes: The amerinday cycle

J4.  The heroes avenge the death (enslavement) of their father, uncle, grandfather, or mother and father, or in general their descendants, with the loss of men being the most painful.
J4a.  A woman is killed. Her son or sons (rarely: grandsons, nephews) avenge her.
j4b.  The children (son, sons, son and daughter) of the murdered person take revenge on characters who are related to the victim by marriage or close kinship.
j4c.  An egg remains from the deceased water character. The young hero who emerges from it avenges his father.

This motif has been recorded in 141 traditions: Kalenjin; including Sabaot, Nandi (Nande), Arusha, Kipsigis, Pokot (Suk), Keiyo (Elgeiyo), Marakwet, Sebeei, Masai, Iraku (Irakw), Kikuyu, Chuka, Embu, Emberre, Mwimbe, Khoekhoe (=Hottentot; incl Nama, Korana); Damara, Northern Halmahera Papuans: Galela, Loda, Pagu, Modole, Tabaru (Tobaru), Tobelo, Tidore, Ternate, Ceram: Alune and Wemale (West Ceram), Patasiwa (Ceram), Honitetu (West Ceram Highlands); Nusawele, Hatuolu, Huaolu, Patasiwa; Ambon; Buru, Numfoor, Warope, Wamesa (Wandamen, Windesi), Mon, Lavrung, Jiarong; Qiang (incl rGyalrong), Aleuts, Bering Strait Inupiat (incl. King Island), North Alaskan Inupiat, Kwakiutl (Kwakwaka'wakw), Micmac, Western Ojibwa (Chippewa), Eastern Ojibwa (Missisauga, Timagami and other groups in eastern Ontario), Northern Ojibwa (=Severn Ojibwa, Sandy Lake Cree), Eastern Cree, Menominee, Sauk (Sak, Mesquakie), Fox, Kickapoo, Five Nations Iroquois (Seneca, Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga), Blackfoot, Sarsee (Tsuu T'ina), Yuchi, Arapaho, Omaha, Ponca, Iowa, Arikara, Pawnee, Wichita; Spiro Mound iconography, Kiowa Apache, Gros Ventre, Plains Cree, Plains Ojibwa, Crow, Hidatsa, Shuswap, Thompson (Nlaka'pamux), Lillooet, Comox, Pentlatch, Lushootseed (Puget Sound: Puyallup, Nisqualmi, Snuqualmi, Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Snohomish, Skagit), Lower Chehalis, Upper Chehalis, (Lower) Cowlitz, Kalapuya, Takelma, Coos, Klamath, Modoc, Yurok, Caddo, Natchez (incl Avoyel), Alabama, Koasati, Creek, Seminole; Tuskegee; iconography of Kentucky Hopewell, Wailaki, Mattole, Lassik, Sinkyone, Cahto, Yuki (Yuki proper, Coastal Yuki, Huchnob), Pomo, Wintu, Patwin, Nomlaki, Maidu, Nisenan, Konkov, Sierra Miwok, Lake Miwok, Plains Miwok, Coastal Miwok, Yana, Chumash, Yokuts, Salinan, Mono (Monache), Tubatulabal, Northern Paiute (=Paviotso), Northern Shoshone, Western Shoshone, Gosiute, Eastern Shoshone, Upland Yuma: Walapai, Havasupai, Yavapai, Serrano, Cahuilla, Cupeño, Jicarilla, 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), Mayo, Yaqui, Sinaloa, Mixtec, Trique, Cuicatec; Amuzgo, Bribri, Cabecar, Terraba; Chiriqui (AD 800-1500) iconography, Cuna; XVI century data on Eastern Panama, Choco: Embera, Nonama (Waunana), XVI century Dabaiba, pre-Columbian iconography of Sinu, Guajiro, Sicuani, Makiritare (Yecuana), Sanema, Yanomamo (Yanoama): Yanomam, Yanomami, Warao, Wapishana (incl Ataroi); Mapidian; Taruma, Waiwai, Trio, Hixkariyana, Locono, Wayapi, Emerillon, Napo (Quijo), Kanelo (“Jungle Kechua”), Zaparo, Kofan, Shuar, Achuar (Shiwiar), Aguaruna, Huambiza, Chayahuita , Barasana, Taibano, Macuna, Letuama, Tanimuca, Ufaina, Yahuna, Kabiyari, Yukuna (Yucuna), Ticuna (Tucuna), Juruna, Tupinamba, Urubu (Urubu-Kaapor), Tenetehara, Lima dep: Costa and adjacent Sierra (Spanish, Kechua, and Jacaru-speaking communities, mostly in Pachacamac, Cajatambo, Canta, Huarochirí; Spanish sources of XVI-XVII centuries), Kechua-speaking communities of Apurimac, Cuzco, Arequipa, Puno departments; Spanish sources of XVI-XVII centuries; Callawaya (Kechua with Pukina substratum), Amuesha, Machiguenga, Piro (Yine), Culina, Paumarí, Arauá, Apurina, Cuniba, Amahuaca, Cashinahua, Sharanahua, Yaminahua, Yawanahua, Capanahua), Harákmbet (=Mashco), Yuracare, Bolivian Guarani: Chiriguano (including assimilated Chane Arawaks), Pauserna (=Guarasu), Guarayu, Tapiete, Chacobo, Suruí, Gaviâo, Zoro, Arua, Cinta Larga, Mundurucu, Curuaia, Mehinaku, Waura, Yaulapiti, Bakairi, Kuikuro, Kalapalo, Calapalo, Kamayura, Trumai, Nambikwara, Bororo, Caraja, Tapirape, Cayapo (incl. Kubenkranken, Pau d’Arco, Shikrin or Xikrin), Suya, Txukarramae, Guarani of Paraguay and Brazil: Caygua, Mbia, Apapocuva, Nyandewa, Chiripa, Northern and Southern Tehuelche, Central Tibetans (Yu Tsang, incl. Sikkim Tibetans, Tichurong of NW Nepal), Manao, Katawishi (Teffe lake); groups of uncertain affiliation mostly from Rio Jamunda, Upper Chinook: Wasco, Wishram, Clackamas, Kathlamet, Salars, Northeastern Yakuts (Sakha): Yana, Indigirka and Kolyma Basins, Halkomelem (Snaymuk)