Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

K26 — The earth seen from the sky.

120 Myths, legends and folktales

120 Unique narratives for motif K26

75 Cultures & traditions where K26 is told

1 Sub-motifs of motif K26

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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

Approaching an opening or making one, the character sees the world below (usually seeing the earth from the sky). See motif K25.

Berezkin category: Adventures: Acts of heroes

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

K26 has 1 other sub-motifs

K26. Approaching an opening or making one, the character sees the world below (usually seeing the earth from the sky). See motif K25.
K26a. The hole in the sky is covered by a flat stone. Moving it aside, the character sees the earth. See motif K26.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of K26’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
I15	94.96%	Creatures without mouths. Usually, their mouths are cut open later.
K27K	93.07%	Test: to dive underwater for a long time or deeply. See motif K27.
K31	91.79%	The character makes a marine mammal or fish out of wood. It kills his enemies or drags them out to the open sea.
M60A	91.79%	The creature/character runs away or swims away with a hook, harpoon, arrow, or other object thrown by the hero in his body. Local shamans can't heal an existence/character. The hero or his friend comes to the wounded man's village, takes out the object that caused the injury, or drives him even deeper into the body. The patient recovers or dies accordingly. See L105 and M60 motifs.
K34	91.66%	The character puts others on the swing and, after swinging them, throws them (or threatens to throw them) into the water, onto rocks, etc.
B44C	91.31%	The characters argue about whether there should be darkness or light, cold or warmth on earth. See motif B44.
K27X	90.54%	A man marries a woman from another world; the wife leaves for her world, the man follows her; there, the woman has another fiancé(e) or husband, or the woman's brothers want to destroy the man; he undergoes trials and brings his wife back. See motif K27.
K111	90.47%	The girl's mother consistently rejects birds and animals that propose to her daughter, but accepts the proposal of a heavenly anthropomorphic character.
M46	90.21%	Some creatures steal or own valuables. To return (get) them, the character turns into a small object, from contact with which a woman becomes pregnant, or into a baby. A picked up or born baby takes on its true appearance and steals valuables (including making the girl who picked it up pregnant, if that was his goal).
M81C	89.30%	A person goes to heaven or (rarely) to the lower world, where he meets blind people (one or two), usually makes them sighted, and returns to earth himself.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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🌐 Open as Airocean (Dymaxion) map ↗

Traditions

75 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 75 traditions: Papua-NewGuinea Highland Papuans:Trans New Guinea & unclassified:Chimbu,Gimi,KaugelHuli,Gadsup,Kuman,Kutubu,Foi (Foe),Kyaka,Kamano (Kafe),Mawatta,Kukukuku (=Anga,=Sambia;Manki,Nauti,Ejuti),Baruya,Kewa,Tembregak,Menya,Melpa,Wiru,Pondoma, Melanesians of the islands of Massim District ( =Milke Bay Province) to the east of New Guinea: Dobu, Rossel, Fergusson, Goodenough, Murua (Woodlark), Trobrian Islands, d'Entrecasteau Islands, Melanesians and Papuans of Northern Solomons: Buka, Bougainville (Siuai, Buin), Rotuma, Yap, Ulithi, Ngulu, Alor, Solor, Wetar, Atauru, Bidayuh (incl. Maloh), Iban (Sea Dayak), Sakarram; Brunei, Northern Luzon: Apayao, Bontoc, Nabaloi (Ibaloi), Ifugao, Igorot (highland people, not specified), Ilocan, Ilongot, Isneg, Kalinga, Kankanay, Tingian (Tinggian, Bilongan Itneg); Ibanag, Kasiguran Agta, Keley-i Kallahan, Central islands and Bikol: Vizaya, Mansaká, Bikol, Mangyan, Panayan, Sulod, Cebuano (Cebu), Capiz, Romblomanon, Manuyu, Mindanao and Sulu: Blaan (Bilaan), Bagobo, Bukidnon, Cotabato, Hiligáynon, Binukid, Magindaan (=Magindanao: main Muslim population), Mandaya, Mansaka, Manobo (Agusan, Ata, Dibabawon, Sarangani, Ilianen), Maranao, Samal, Subanon (=Subanun), Subanen, Tboli, Sinhalese; Vedda, Germans: North (Low- and Central German dialects): Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg, Pommern, Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony, incl East Frisia and Oldenburg), Nordrhein-Westfalen, Hessen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Thüringen, Saxony-Anhalt, Sachsen, Brandenburg, Rügen, Hittite, Hurrit, Vepsians, Lezgians, Archin, Kürin; Khinalug, Tabasaran, Aghul, Mordvins, Mansi, Eastern Khanty (Ostyaks), Nenets, Southern Selkups, Northern Selkups, Chukchi, Dogrib, Slavey, Upper Tanana (Nebesna), Tanacross, Inland Tlingit, Tahltan, Tsetsaut, Athna, Koyukon, Tanana, Gwich'in (Kuchin, Loucheux), Tlingit, Tsimshian, Heiltsuk (Bellabella), Oowekeeno, Malecite, Passamaquoddy, Micmac, Eastern Cree, Blackfoot, Sarsee (Tsuu T'ina), Cheyenne, Arapaho, Mandan, Oto, Arikara, Pawnee, Kiowa, Gros Ventre, Plains Cree, Assiniboine, Crow, Hidatsa, Carrier, Chilkotin, Lushootseed (Puget Sound: Puyallup, Nisqualmi, Snuqualmi, Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Snohomish, Skagit), Twana (Skokomish), Lower Chehalis, Upper Chehalis, (Lower) Cowlitz, Western Sahaptin (Upper Cowlitz, Klikitat, Tenino, Umatilla, Yakima, Wallawalla), Kutenai, Alabama, Koasati, Wintu, Patwin, Nomlaki, Washo, Northern Shoshone, Western Shoshone, Gosiute, Eastern Shoshone, Kekchi; Mopan, Warao, Locono, Moseten, Chimane, Caraja, Cayapo (incl. Kubenkranken, Pau d’Arco, Shikrin or Xikrin), Upper Chinook: Wasco, Wishram, Clackamas, Kathlamet, Mustang, Morocco

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