Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

K116C — The father was persuaded to leave his daughter in a chest, ATU 896.

22 Myths, legends and folktales
22 Unique narratives for motif K116C
15 Cultures & traditions where K116C is told
5 Sub-motifs of motif K116C
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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

In order to take possession of the girl, the priest arranges for her father to agree to place her in a chest (barrel) and lower it into the river (leave it in a deserted area).

Berezkin category: Adventures: Acts of heroes

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

K11 has 5 other sub-motifs

Related

K11.  Brothers (brother and sister) kill a monstrous bird. Its eyes turn into heavenly bodies (among the Oaxacan Indians) or something else (among the present-day Condors of the Yokuts).
K11a.  Plucked feathers of a (huge) bird turn into actual birds (or their plumage) or humans emerge from them.
K11a1.  Pieces of flesh or feathers from a monstrous/unusual bird turn into present-day birds (or their plumage).
K11b.  The bones of a huge bird are turned into reeds or bamboo for making arrows or sarbacanes.
K11C.  The plucked feathers of a huge bird turn into plants.
K11D.  Pieces of flesh from a huge creature that has fallen apart or been cut into pieces turn into ordinary animals, birds or fish.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of K11’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny
MotifSimilarityMotif summary
M60A299.71%The servant must lick the master or mistress's feet or wound. The hero comes disguised as a servant and instead of licking his heels, touches them with the animal's cut off tongue.
C31C99.31%The bat turns out to be smarter and wiser than other living creatures.
I50C99.31%Describes a hoofed animal with a second set of legs on its back that runs either normally or upside down. This makes it tireless.
L90B99.31%One tooth (fang) of the creature touches the sky, the other reaches the earth or the underworld.
M195B99.31%A person sticks a needle (thread, stick) into the ear of two or three dolls (skulls). In different dolls or skulls, the object comes out of different holes (or does not go inside at all, remains inside, etc.). This refers to people who react differently to what they hear (inattentive, talkative, wise).
M23A99.31%The turtle says that before eating it, it must be properly soaked in water, but once in the water, it swims away.
K116B99.19%In order to take possession of the girl, the antagonist creates a situation in which her relatives are forced to put her in a chest (barrel, sack, etc.) and leave her there. The girl is secretly replaced by a ferocious dog or other animal. When the antagonist opens the chest, the animal usually kills or mauls him.
M18899.14%The character is honoured after accidentally acquiring an unusual appearance – getting paint on himself or attaching an object to himself that he cannot remove.
K27Z2D98.90%A conflict arises between a pair of birds (sparrows, pigeons, etc.), in which the male is more likely (and more often clearly) to be at fault. This episode serves as the starting point for a story about the relationships between people of noble origin.
M114B298.70%A man (an authoritative character) asks a girl (a subordinate) a question about the number of routine actions she has performed (or small items she has), which no one counts. She asks a counter-question about the number of similar actions performed by the questioner.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

15 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 15 traditions: Indian literary tradition (Vedic, Brahman, Purana, Indian Buddhism, Hinduism, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Panchtantra, Jatakas); iconography of Hindu temples, Kannada, Lingayat, Halakki, Tamil, Muthuvan, Marvar, Tamils, Kashmiri, Marathi (incl. Bhamta; incl. Mumbai area), Hindi-speaking peoples and casts (incl. Teli, Parahiya; incl. Chhattisgarhi) of Northern and West-Central India, Sinhalese; Vedda, Early Chinese written sources, Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Mongols (Khalkha), Tuvinians of Tuva, Tuvans, Southern Altai: Altai proper (Altai-Kiji), Telengit, Altaians, Northern Altai: Chelkan, Kumanda, Tubalar, Altaians, Central Tibetans (Yu Tsang, incl. Sikkim Tibetans, Tichurong of NW Nepal), Buryats: Eastern (trans Baikal), i.e. Khori

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