Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

K3 — A tree or rock grows.

82 Myths, legends and folktales

82 Unique narratives for motif K3

66 Cultures & traditions where K3 is told

0 Sub-motifs of motif K3

Please log on to view the narratives.

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

The hero climbs a tree or rock to get bird eggs, chicks, fruit, honey, etc. He cannot climb down because another character makes the tree (rock) very tall or makes the tree trunk thick. See motif K1A.

Berezkin category: Adventures: Acts of heroes

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

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
B14	97.05%	In order to regulate the flow of the river in a certain way, the character creates rapids and waterfalls.
F94	96.72%	A man ascends to the upper world, where he can choose a wife associated with either life or death.
B28E	96.67%	The Moon (alone or together with the Sun) transforms the original "incorrect" world into the one in which people now live.
D4A1	96.67%	A certain character possesses fire or steals it. His attention is attracted or distracted by singing, music, dancing, unusual gifts, indecent or strange behaviour, offers of sex, food and/or alcohol.
H12C	96.52%	The husband follows his dead wife into the afterlife, but cannot bring her back, or brings her back but loses her again.
A34	96.25%	The jackal, coyote or fox are associated with the moon (usually with the appearance of lunar spots).
K87A	95.97%	A forest woman receives or kidnaps a little boy and raises him to be her lover.
H20	95.96%	All the fish or (rarely) molluscs were concentrated in one place. A certain character allows them to escape or deliberately releases them into rivers or the sea. {In some cases, the theme of the spread of fish concentrated in a small container is difficult to separate from the theme of the spread of water. In any case, neither of these exist in Africa}.
J12	94.74%	A girl or two sisters wander, usually in search of a suitable groom or husband who has left or lives far away. Along the way or upon reaching their destination, they encounter false suitors. (Traditions in which two heroines travel rather than one are highlighted in bold (motif j13).
B29	94.44%	People turn into animals, birds or stones, living beings acquire their current characteristics at a general meeting, festival, after a festival, after performing a ritual or after defeating a common enemy.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

Drag the map to pan, use the scroll wheel to zoom — choose a texture or projection below

🌐 Open as Airocean (Dymaxion) map ↗

Traditions

66 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 66 traditions: Southeast Australia: Kamilaroi, Yualarai (Ualarai, Euahlayi), Milpulo (Mailpurgu), Wuradjeri (Wiradjurim, Wiradjeri, Wurundjeri, Yarra, Yarra Yarra), Wongaibon (Wonghibon), Noongahburrah (Narran, Narran River), Kurnai, and many others (see file 0.doc), Torricelli family: Valman, Samap, Arapesh (Upper, Coastal), Monumbo, Lilau, Ngaimbom; Moando (Banara); Menya, Olo, Melanesians and Papuans of Central Solomons: Vella la Vella (Bilua language), Shortland islands (Mono language), San Cristobal, Saint Georgia, Eddystone, Vangunu, Southern Solomons: southern part of Santa Ysabel (Bughotu), Guadalcanal, San Cristobal, Malaita, Ulawa, Central Vanuatu: Espiritu Santo, Araki, Aore, Maewo, Malekula, Vao, Efate (Vate), Nguna, Mae, Ambrim, Pentecost, Oba (=Aoba, East Ambae, Lepers'), Omba, Batak (Toba, Dairi), Garo (Atchik), Kachari (Bodo, incl. Lalung), Dimasa, Tripuri, Riang (of Tripura), Khami, Riga, Mori, Basques, Arapaho, Iowa, Pawnee, Kiowa Apache, Chilkotin, Shuswap, Thompson (Nlaka'pamux), Lillooet, Sechelt (incl Sisiatl), Squamish, Halcomelem, Lushootseed (Puget Sound: Puyallup, Nisqualmi, Snuqualmi, Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Snohomish, Skagit), Lower Chehalis, Upper Chehalis, (Lower) Cowlitz, Nez Perce, Tillamook, Takelma, Oregon Athabaskans: Lower Umpqua, Tututni (incl Joshua), Upper Coquille, Galice, Tolowa, Coos, Alcea, Shasta; Chimariko, Klamath, Modoc, Yurok, Yuki (Yuki proper, Coastal Yuki, Huchnob), Pomo, Wintu, Patwin, Nomlaki, Sierra Miwok, Lake Miwok, Plains Miwok, Coastal Miwok, Chumash, Navajo, Chiricahua, Western Apache (White Mountain, San Carlos), Aztec; Aztec and Teotihuacan iconography, Quiche, Achí, Cakchiquel, Pocomchi, Pocomam, Zapotec, Chatino, Kekchi; Mopan, Guajiro, Sicuani, Cuiva, Yanomamo (Yanoama): Yanomam, Yanomami, Siona, Secoya, Coreguaje, Mai Huna (Coto, Orejon), Chayahuita , Barasana, Taibano, Macuna, Cubeo, Kabiyari, Yukuna (Yucuna), Baniwa (incl. Wakuenai), Bare, Piapoco, Curripaco, Siusi, Guarikena , Witoto, Ocaina, Ticuna (Tucuna), Shipibo, Conibo, Setebo, Moseten, Chimane, Chacobo, Siriono, Mehinaku, Waura, Yaulapiti, Kuikuro, Kalapalo, Calapalo, Trumai, Nambikwara, Paresi, Upper Chinook: Wasco, Wishram, Clackamas, Kathlamet, Vanuatu

Please log on to view the narratives.

If you wish to get access to data for projects and research, then please contact us, we do our best to help

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

0009-0006-1672-4451
Where applicable, users should also cite the relevant original sources, catalogues, and classification systems, including Berezkin, ATU, Thompson, and other cited authorities, alongside the page accessed and the last time accessed.

Editorial annotations and database enhancements © Jonathan Fielder-White licensed under CC BY 4.0. Berezkin-derived narrative and metadata licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Full rights information can be found here.
All rights are reserved in the database structure, selection, arrangement, metadata, classifications, software, interface design, and original editorial content.

Important: The Folklore Database expressly reserves all rights in relation to text and data mining, automated extraction, scraping, machine learning, dataset creation, and the training, development, validation, or improvement of artificial intelligence technologies or systems. No part of this website or database may be scraped, copied, reproduced, harvested, downloaded in bulk, or otherwise used for AI training or commercial data extraction without prior written permission.

Designed and Developed by Jon Fielder-White.
© 2024–2026 Crecganford / Jonathan Fielder-White. All rights reserved.