Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

K119B — Animals as gifts to the king.

49 Myths, legends and folktales
49 Unique narratives for motif K119B
26 Cultures & traditions where K119B is told
5 Sub-motifs of motif K119B
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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

After tricking wild animals, the fox brings them to the king as a gift from her rich master.

Berezkin category: Adventures: Acts of heroes

This is of motif type Adventures and tricks and is part of group 11, Tricks and competitions won thanks to deception, absurd and obscene behavior.

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
M16299.73%The character pretends to eat his own entrails or flesh. Others believe him and kill themselves (or allow themselves to be killed).
M114D199.56%The character demands that chicks be hatched (from boiled eggs), a chicken be raised, and it be cooked within a day. Another character responds with equally absurd demands.
K103D99.55%An animal (rarely a demonic creature) orders the hero or heroine to retrieve necessary items from its ear or to enter its ear in order to transform, fall asleep, etc.
M91C499.42%A person removes the pot from the fire, its contents continue to boil, or the person prepares food in advance, puts it in a pot or pit. Another believes that the pot cooks without fire or incredibly fast (or that a stick, if it hits the ground or the pot, creates food), buys a pot (stick).
I87A299.40%The antagonist names numbers from one to 7, 12, etc., the hero answers what each number corresponds to, and the antagonist is unable to refute him.
I120B99.38%The character takes food, clothing, and other valuables from the ear of an animal (most often a horse or cow).
H6C99.30%The raven (crow, vulture) is associated with death or contrasted with humans as immortal among mortals (sent to bring the elixir of immortality or water that revives the dead; drinks this water himself; teaches people funeral rites; etc.).
K16199.19%A character who has deprived a dragon (demon, thunder) of its freedom orders others not to unlock the dungeon (not to enter a certain room, not to give the chained creature anything to drink, etc.). The prohibition is violated, the chained creature is freed, which leads to disaster. Cf. motif K100f1.
K156A99.17%People suspect that the young man is a girl in disguise. Tests are proposed to determine this, but the girl manages to avoid exposure (for a long time).
L103B99.15%A girl (boy, children) falls into the hands of a demonic creature. An animal or bird offers to carry her away and runs off. Usually, animals of different species do this, but only the last one manages to escape pursuit.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

26 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 26 traditions: Konkani (incl Goa), Sicily, Sicilians, Sardinia, Corsica, Sardinians, Corsicans, France, Slovakians, Slovaks, Romanians, Moldavians, Aromanians, Moldovans, Estonians, Setu, Western Ukrainians, Byelarusians, Belarusians, Karachays, Balkar, Dargin (Dargwa), incl. Mรผregin, Khรผrkilin, Kubachi, Armenians, Kazakh, Kirghiz, Mari (Cheremis), Komi (Zyrians and Permyaks), Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Mongols (Khalkha), Eastern Ukrainians, Northern Ukrainians, Buryats: Eastern (trans Baikal), i.e. Khori, Lutsi (Ludza), Terek Cossacks, Transylvanian Saksons, Russian Federation

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