Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

K34 — Dangerous swings, K855.

111 Myths, legends and folktales

111 Unique narratives for motif K34

60 Cultures & traditions where K34 is told

1 Sub-motifs of motif K34

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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

The character puts others on the swing and, after swinging them, throws them (or threatens to throw them) into the water, onto rocks, etc.

Berezkin category: Adventures: Acts of heroes

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

K34 has 1 other sub-motifs

K34. The character puts others on the swing and, after swinging them, throws them (or threatens to throw them) into the water, onto rocks, etc.
k34a. A rival puts a woman on a swing to get rid of her by throwing her into the water. She (almost) drowns or temporarily loses her human form, but manages to return to the world of humans.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of K34’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
M49	91.95%	The hero meets a character from the enemy camp and, taking on his form, penetrates enemies. Usually, the hero kills the person he meets and puts on his skin.
B44E	91.87%	First ancestors (usually birds or animals) argue with each other about the length of time periods in the calendar or daily cycle, or about the desirability of the dominance of cold and dark or warm and light times. See motif B44.
K26	91.66%	Approaching an opening or making one, the character sees the world below (usually seeing the earth from the sky). See motif K25.
B85	91.50%	The wind blows too strongly, it is forced to calm down.
B44C	91.17%	The characters argue about whether there should be darkness or light, cold or warmth on earth. See motif B44.
B3B	91.02%	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).
F10	90.65%	A woman has a second mouth (usually in her vagina) with sharp teeth. A man inserts or throws a stone, bone, stick, etc. into this mouth, knocking out the teeth or extracting toothy animals from it in this way.
K22B	90.41%	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.
K47A	90.12%	A woman mates with a dog. Her children grow up to be humans and usually become the ancestors of certain ethnic groups.
L15A	90.02%	The character's vulnerable spot is located on the surface of the body, but not in vital internal organs.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

60 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 60 traditions: Aka, Baka (Badjue) and other Western (Bantu speaking) Pygmies, Timor: Amarasi, Tetum, Meto, Atoni (incl Mollo), Kedang (Lomblen island), Leti Islands (Leti, Moa, Lakor), Toraja (Toradja), To Mori, Baree (=Eastern Toraja), Minahasa (incl. Tondano, Tentemboan), Bantik, Minangkabau; Kerinci, Mentawai, Southern Taiwan: Rukai, Paiwan, Puyuma, Saaroa, Ketangalan, Burmese, Intha, Shan, Ahom, Khampti, Viet, Muong, Eastern Arunachal Pradesh: Abor (incl Minyong, Shimong, Padam, Pasi, Panggi), Apa Tani (Apatani), Bori, Bugun, Dafla (=Nyishi, Nisi, Nishing, incl Tagin), Gallong (=Galo, Adi), Mishmi, SW Arunachal Pradesh: Sherdukpen, Tawang (Monpas), Aka (Hrusso), Miji, Chin-Naga: Ao, Mao, Sema, Zeme, Kolren, Kom, Lhota, Rengma, Angami, Kabui, Tangkhul, Koirenf, Northern Naga: Konyak, Lungshang, Wancho, Nokte, Moclum, Lunshan, Chang, Maring, Naga of Myanmar, Garo (Atchik), Kachari (Bodo, incl. Lalung), Dimasa, Tripuri, Riang (of Tripura), Khami, Riga, Mori, Kuki, Chiru, Falam (Hallam), Chin (Meitei =Manipuri, Khami, =Kumi), Lakher, Mizo (Lushei), Anal, Pawi (Lai), Purum, Koireng, Milhiem, Kolhen, Mru, Uzbek, Yagnobi, Tajik, Inland Tlingit, Koyukon, Tlingit, Bella Coola (Nuxalk), Malecite, Passamaquoddy, Western Ojibwa (Chippewa), Eastern Ojibwa (Missisauga, Timagami and other groups in eastern Ontario), Northern Ojibwa (=Severn Ojibwa, Sandy Lake Cree), Eastern Cree, Montagnais, Menominee, Sauk (Sak, Mesquakie), Fox, Kickapoo, Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Osage, Omaha, Ponca, Gros Ventre, Plains Cree, Plains Ojibwa, Assiniboine, Lower Chehalis, Upper Chehalis, (Lower) Cowlitz, Kalapuya, Kutenai, Shasta; Chimariko, Karok, Pomo, Wintu, Patwin, Nomlaki, Yana, Northern Paiute (=Paviotso), Northern Shoshone, Western Shoshone, Gosiute, Eastern Shoshone, Jicarilla, Mixtec, Trique, Cuicatec; Amuzgo, Chol; pre-Columbian Mayan iconography outside of Yucatan, Pemon: Arekuna (incl. Kamarakoto), Taulipang (Taurepan), Amahuaca, Cashinahua, Sharanahua, Yaminahua, Yawanahua, Capanahua), Northeastern Yakuts (Sakha): Yana, Indigirka and Kolyma Basins, Arakan, Chakma, Khyang, Bhutan

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