Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

K136D — Two flutes.

9 Myths, legends and folktales
9 Unique narratives for motif K136D
8 Cultures & traditions where K136D is told
3 Sub-motifs of motif K136D
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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

A young man receives two flutes (pipes, horns) from a cow (buffalo), which produce different effects when played (joy and sorrow, prosperity and a call for help, etc.).

Berezkin category: Adventures: Acts of heroes

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

K13 has 3 other sub-motifs

Related

K13a.  The character's leg (rarely: both legs) is cut off, bitten off, torn off, or damaged. The character ascends to the sky: to the moon; becomes the moon; turns into a star or constellation; becomes the sun; blood flowing from the leg colours the sky.
K13b.  A man crosses a body of water on the back of a caiman. The caiman bites off his leg. The cripple undergoes a metamorphosis, turning into a constellation or an animal.
K13c.  The cannibal's daughter takes revenge on her husband for her mother's death and manages to cut off his leg. See motif K13A.
K13d.  A group of boys reaches the sky, the last one's leg is cut off or torn off.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of K13’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny
MotifSimilarityMotif summary
K73A3100.00%The midwife's ill-wishers replace the baby with a statue or doll (telling the father that his wife has given birth to a doll).
M21B100.00%The character consistently harms others in such a way that each person who has been deceived is used as a tool to harm the next.
M106D99.97%By saying that his name is "Son-in-law" ("Husband," "Uncle," etc.), the character deceives others. The victims find no sympathy, since as a relative he has the right to behave in this manner.
K13699.85%The young man turns out to be the owner and leader of a herd of cattle, and with his herd of cows or buffaloes he is summoned to the king (usually after his hair is found by the princess).
M100A99.85%One of the characters leads another to the edge of a cliff with the aim of lighting a fire, or lights a fire at the edge of the cliff. As a result, the other falls and is killed.
A2B199.83%Two or more suns shine in the sky. When the extra ones are destroyed, there is a danger that the last one will be destroyed along with them and darkness will ensue.
M167A99.70%A strong predator mistakes an unfamiliar word for the name of a creature that is stronger than him and flees.
A12F99.47%The stars fade because the moneylender demands that they repay their debt.
A37C99.47%The character shoots an arrow into the sky, aiming to hit a celestial body or deity, but the arrow hits an obstacle blocking the target.
K33C199.47%A character thrown into the water is transformed into a flower (usually a lotus).

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

8 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 8 traditions: Aka, Baka (Badjue) and other Western (Bantu speaking) Pygmies, Northern Munda of Kharwar branch: Birhor, Ho, Mundari, Kol, Asur (including Agaria, Kol, Birjhia), Bhumij, Bhuiya (now Aryans, originally Munda; Rahman 1955: 203), Baiga, Bhaina, Bhumia (subgroup of Baiga, incl Bharia, formerly Munda, now speak Indo-Aryan languages of neighboring groups), Kannada, Lingayat, Halakki, Bengali, Assamese, Lepcha, Georgians

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