K35 — The replaced man.

The deceiver pretends to be a hero in order to take his place (to possess his woman). (This motif includes all texts with motif K35a3).

Berezkin category: Adventures: Acts of heroes

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

K35.  The deceiver pretends to be a hero in order to take his place (to possess his woman). (This motif includes all texts with motif K35a3).
K35a.  In exchange for improving his current situation, the character agrees to have his body injured or branded.
K35a1.  Setting off on a journey, a person (often against the advice of their horse) picks up a precious feather. Upon learning of this, an authoritative character gives them difficult tasks.
K35a2.  A man kills an animal with glowing fur. Upon learning of this, an authoritative figure gives him difficult tasks.
K35a3.  In order to obtain the privileges enjoyed by the hero, the deceiver manages to swap status with him.
K35a4.  In order to get rid of the hero and take his place, the deceiver pushes him into the sea or leaves him on a distant island. The hero survives and returns.
K35a5.  An authoritative character leaves an object (a letter) for a little boy, by which he will be able to recognise him when he grows up and comes to him.
K35a6.  The character illuminates the room with a light-emitting object (usually a feather) that he has found.
K35a7.  A character finds a feather, the touch of which brings health and beauty.
K35b.  The hero gives his rivals the food that the king sent them all to get, but what the rivals got turns out to be poisonous, useless, or tasteless, while what the hero brought, regardless of how it looks, gets praised.
K35c.  The dev (ajdaha, sea king) did not kill the man who descended to him, as people assumed, but rewarded him because he greeted him and/or answered his question correctly.
K35c1.  The young man is not killed, but rewarded, because he answered correctly (evasively) the question of a powerful character – which of the two women he should marry, which is more beautiful, which object or material is more valuable, etc.
K35c2.  When the ship unexpectedly stops, the hero descends to the bottom of the sea, behaves correctly with the local inhabitants, and returns to the ship.
K35c3.  For reasons that are not immediately clear, the ship stops in the middle of the sea (rarely: a horse stops in the middle of the road).

This motif has been recorded in 70 traditions: Kanaka (New Caledonia), Kapingamarangi, Nukuoro, Batak (Toba, Dairi), Northern Munda of Kharwar branch: Birhor, Ho, Mundari, Kol, Asur (including Agaria, Kol, Birjhia), Bhumij, Bhuiya (now Aryans, originally Munda; Rahman 1955: 203), Baiga, Bhaina, Bhumia (subgroup of Baiga, incl Bharia, formerly Munda, now speak Indo-Aryan languages of neighboring groups), SW Arunachal Pradesh: Sherdukpen, Tawang (Monpas), Aka (Hrusso), Miji, Maria, Muria, and other South-Central Dravidians: Binjhwar, Bacop, Bhattra, Bom, Jhoria (=Jhodia), Gadaba (in Koraput, neighbors of Munda-speaking Gadaba), Duruwa (Parji), Mehtar; Pardhan, Tamil, Muthuvan, Marvar, Tamils, Konkani (incl Goa), Sinhalese; Vedda, Ireland, England, British, Bretons, France, Slovakians, Slovaks, Greeks (modern), Balkarians, Bulgarians, Balkarians, Croatians, Croats; Italians of Dalmatia (if the motif is absent among other Italians), Albanians, Balkarians, Karelians, Vepsians, Western Ukrainians, Byelarusians, Belarusians, Abaza (Abazins), Tats, Svans, Georgians, Armenians, Uyghur, Kazan (Middle Volga) Tatars, Mari (Cheremis), Mansi, Haida, Western Ojibwa (Chippewa), Eastern Ojibwa (Missisauga, Timagami and other groups in eastern Ontario), Northern Ojibwa (=Severn Ojibwa, Sandy Lake Cree), Menominee, Five Nations Iroquois (Seneca, Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga), Teton (incl Oglala), Yankton/Yanktonai, Omaha, Ponca, Iowa, Plains Cree, Plains Ojibwa, Shuswap, Thompson (Nlaka'pamux), Lushootseed (Puget Sound: Puyallup, Nisqualmi, Snuqualmi, Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Snohomish, Skagit), Western Sahaptin (Upper Cowlitz, Klikitat, Tenino, Umatilla, Yakima, Wallawalla), Kalapuya, Kutenai, Klamath, Modoc, Chumash, Northern Paiute (=Paviotso), Northern Shoshone, Western Shoshone, Gosiute, Eastern Shoshone, Luiseño, Juaneño, Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, Tewa (San Juan, Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, Tesuque, Nambe; Hano), Tiwa (Taos, Picuris; Sandia, Isleta), Towa (Jemez), Diegueño: Ipai, Tipai, Kamia (Kumeai), Bolivian Guarani: Chiriguano (including assimilated Chane Arawaks), Pauserna (=Guarasu), Guarayu, Tapiete, Nivakle (=Chulupi, Ashluslay, Ajlujlay), Chorote, Toba (incl Pilagá), Upper Chinook: Wasco, Wishram, Clackamas, Kathlamet, Eastern Ukrainians, Northern Ukrainians, Italians: Central (Toscana, Umbria, Marche, Lazio), Russian Federation