Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

K30 — The flying enemy carries off the woman.

193 Myths, legends and folktales

193 Unique narratives for motif K30

94 Cultures & traditions where K30 is told

2 Sub-motifs of motif K30

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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 flying creature carries a woman away. The kidnapper is killed and/or the woman escapes from him. See also motif L102A (Escape from a seagull husband).

Berezkin category: Adventures: Acts of heroes

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

K30 has 2 other sub-motifs

K30.  A flying creature carries a woman away. The kidnapper is killed and/or the woman escapes from him. See also motif L102A (Escape from a seagull husband).
K30a.  The wife of the first ancestor flies away with the vultures (usually voluntarily, after she has already cheated on her husband), and the chief (Uito: her brother) brings her back. See motif K30.
K30b.  A woman or girl is forbidden to go outside. As soon as she does, a flying creature kidnaps her.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of K30’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
A32	95.34%	A figure or imprint of some creature or object is visible on the lunar disc. Statistical calculations also include motifs A32A – A32J (a rabbit, frog, predatory animal, human, tree, etc. are visible on the moon).
I22G	93.19%	Mountains (rocks) are mentioned that constantly collide and diverge, or a crevice or gap in a vertical rock that opens and closes. Cf. motif I22g1, Colliding rocks.
B75A	92.43%	The voice of a character who once lived can still be heard (most often it is an echo; A1195, The origin of Echo).
A32D	91.11%	The figure or imprint of an anthropomorphic creature is visible on the lunar disc.
I22	90.84%	There are objects that, while remaining in place, move constantly or periodically (collide and diverge, fall and rise, open and close, rotate).
K1F	90.64%	One man traps another, driven by jealousy or the desire to possess his rival's wife. See motifs K1A, K1E, K2A.
B3B	89.74%	Initially, the earth or the world as a whole was small in size, then it grew; fertile soil grew from a small amount of initial substance. See motif B3A (the earth grows from a piece of solid substance thrown onto the surface of the water).
K176	89.56%	A man sets out on a journey to find or bring back a bride or wife.
L42	89.06%	After capturing the character, the enemy brings the prey home or to the place where he intends to eat it. The character runs away and escapes.
C19	89.00%	The missing, hidden, concealed or stolen sun (daylight) reappears. See motif C18

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

94 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 94 traditions: Trans-New Guinea and unclassified Papuan groups of Irian Jaya: Mejprat, Arandai-Bintuni, Inanwatan-Berau, Papua of Gelvink (Cenderawasih) Bay, Kamoró, Marind Anim, Sawi, Mafore; Korowai; Kwerba; Momina, Eipo, Yale, Awyu, Tuamotu, incl Pukapuka (different from Pukapuka in Cook Islands), Vahitahi, Anaa, Hao, Fangatau, Hawaii, Viet, Muong, Kachin (Singpho), Chak, Miao (Hmong) and Yao of Southern China, Meo (Hmong) of Thailand, Laos and Northern Vietnam, 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, Poles, Slovakians, Slovaks, Greeks (modern), Balkarians, Serbs, Monte Negro, Balkarians, Croatians, Croats; Italians of Dalmatia (if the motif is absent among other Italians), Romanians, Moldavians, Aromanians, Moldovans, Swedes, Western Ukrainians, Cherkassians, Adyghe, Kabardin, Ossetians, Tats, Armenians, Kalmyk, Kazakh, Hui (Dungan) of Xinjiang, Gansu, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan (Dungan texts from Southern and Eastern China are clustered with the Chinese ones), Kazan (Middle Volga) Tatars, Udmurt, Komi (Zyrians and Permyaks), Mansi, Mongols (Khalkha), Darkhad, Nenets, 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, Udeghe, Uilta (Orok), Nivkh, Forest (Upper Kolyma) Yukaghir, Chukchi, Central Yupik, Tahltan, Kaska, Koyukon, Bering Strait Inupiat (incl. King Island), North Alaskan Inupiat, Copper, Netsilik, Caribou, Iglulik, Polar Inuit, Baffin Land Inuit, West Greenland, Labrador Inuit (Koksoagmiut), Nootka (Nu-chah-nulth), Makah, Blackfoot, Teton (incl Oglala), Comox, Pentlatch, Tillamook, Pomo, Sierra Miwok, Lake Miwok, Plains Miwok, Coastal Miwok, Yokuts, Owens Valley Paiute, Northern Paiute (=Paviotso), Upland Yuma: Walapai, Havasupai, Yavapai, Southern Paiute, Hopi, Zuni, Western Keres (Acoma, Laguna), Pima, Papago, Kekchi; Mopan, Sicuani, Guayabero, Makiritare (Yecuana), Pemon: Arekuna (incl. Kamarakoto), Taulipang (Taurepan), Chayahuita , Karijona, Barasana, Taibano, Macuna, Desana, Siriano; Tatuyo, Bara, Tuyuca, Cubeo, Ashaninca (Campa), Machiguenga, Eastern Ukrainians, Northern Ukrainians, Italians: Central (Toscana, Umbria, Marche, Lazio), Ilimpii Tungus/Evenki, Yerbogachen Tungus/Evenki, Tungus/Evenki of Nercha - Chita area, Greenland, China, Russian Federation

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