Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

K23 — Battle with birds.

50 Myths, legends and folktales

50 Unique narratives for motif K23

45 Cultures & traditions where K23 is told

1 Sub-motifs of motif K23

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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

Birds attack inhabitants of another world or a person who has entered another world. See motif K22.

Berezkin category: Adventures: Acts of heroes

This is of motif type Adventures and tricks and is part of group 8, Queer and monstrous beings, creatures, objects and loci, folk beliefs related to particular phenomena and objects.

K23 has 1 other sub-motifs

K23. Birds attack inhabitants of another world or a person who has entered another world. See motif K22.
K23a. Birds use their feathers as arrows, or falling feathers cover the mouths of their victims.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of K23’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
K22	98.66%	The inhabitants of a distant land, who differ from (ordinary) people, occasionally fight off enemies of a non-human nature who attack them.
K22A	97.41%	Birds or other creatures that are harmless to ordinary people attack dwarves living in another world. See motif K22.
B87A	96.57%	A dim star next to the second star of the handle of the Big Dipper (Tibetans: Little Dipper) Ursa Major – dog.
L15A	95.45%	The character's vulnerable spot is located on the surface of the body, but not in vital internal organs.
K22B	95.44%	The inhabitants of another world are attacked by certain enemies. A human helps them to defeat these enemies, because these creatures are not dangerous to humans. See motif K22.
L87	94.83%	A character accidentally tastes blood or human flesh, after which he devours himself and/or others.
B42P	94.36%	The Big Dipper is identified with a bear.
M81	93.16%	Wandering, the hero finds himself in a place where blind or blind (two or more) live.
C6A	92.79%	A turtle or toad (frog) brings a desired object from the bottom or from the underworld.
I13A	92.15%	A huge aquatic or celestial serpent, dragon, or snake-like creature with horns on its head.

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Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

45 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 45 traditions: Chagga (Jagga; incl Wasu), Pare, Digo, Chin-Naga: Ao, Mao, Sema, Zeme, Kolren, Kom, Lhota, Rengma, Angami, Kabui, Tangkhul, Koirenf, Ancient Greece, Finns, Western Sami, Scandinavians: early written sources ("Edda"; Saxo Grammaticus etc.); Gothland picture stones; Ancient Germans (Late Bronze Age in Scandinavia), Georgians, Tungus (Evenki): Baikal region, Evenks, Tungus (Evenki) of China (Solon, Birar, Oroqen, Manegir), Evenks, Tungus (Evenki): Russian Far East, Evenks, Western Tungus (Evenki), Western Siberia Tungus (Evenki): Sym River, Ket River, Nanai, Chukchi, Tagish, Inland Tlingit, Tahltan, Kaska, Bering Strait Inupiat (incl. King Island), Polar Inuit, Tlingit, Tsimshian, Bella Coola (Nuxalk), Sauk (Sak, Mesquakie), Fox, Kickapoo, Blackfoot, Sarsee (Tsuu T'ina), Gros Ventre, Crow, Comox, Pentlatch, Lushootseed (Puget Sound: Puyallup, Nisqualmi, Snuqualmi, Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Snohomish, Skagit), Western Sahaptin (Upper Cowlitz, Klikitat, Tenino, Umatilla, Yakima, Wallawalla), Natchez (incl Avoyel), Alabama, Koasati, Cherokee, Zuni, Lipan, Warihio (Guarijío), Tarahumara, Cuna; XVI century data on Eastern Panama, Yupa (Yukpa), Kuikuro, Kalapalo, Calapalo, Kamayura, Ilimpii Tungus/Evenki, Yerbogachen Tungus/Evenki, Tungus/Evenki of Nercha - Chita area, China

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How to cite: Fielder-White, J. (2026). The Folklore Database. https://folkloredatabase.com

0009-0006-1672-4451
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