Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

K60A — Are the bonds strong?

121 Myths, legends and folktales

121 Unique narratives for motif K60A

64 Cultures & traditions where K60A is told

2 Sub-motifs of motif K60A

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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

Unaware of the danger, the character allows himself to be tightly bound.

Berezkin category: Adventures: Acts of heroes

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

K60 has 2 other sub-motifs

K60a.  Unaware of the danger, the character allows himself to be tightly bound.
K60b.  The character is invited to find out whether the box or pit is the right size for him, whether he can crawl through the opening, climb into the bag, etc., after which he is locked in a coffin, box, barrel, buried, etc. Cf. motif M56D.
K60c.  The stubborn wife of a worthy man goes on a date with a demon or a servant. He beats her, but she patiently endures her lover's beatings.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of K60’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
I46	95.76%	Rainbow – an ornamented part of clothing, bright fabric, decoration, belt.
M85	95.42%	character unable to climb a tree threatens to knock it down or climb a trunk if a bird or squirrel does not drop a cub or egg. The third character explains that the threat is untenable.
K74	95.39%	Of two or more characters, each one stays at home or goes to fetch fire for cooking or brings food to the house. Each time, a certain character appears who eats the food and/or defeats the one who stayed behind or came to fetch fire.
M91A	95.27%	The character pierces a container of animal blood or other red liquid, simulating murder or suicide. Cf. motifs K10C (wrapped in giblets) and M199H (Giant's ripped belly).
K112	95.12%	A man accuses the Sun and other characters responsible for the weather, wild animals, etc. of causing him to lose his property; he punishes his offenders.
K72	94.82%	A character of high status meets or marries three (less often two or four) women. One (promises to bear and) bears him a son (children) with unusual qualities, the other two (promise to engage in and) engage in crafts or housekeeping, or intend to marry men of lower status.
L42E	94.79%	A demon catches the hero, carries him home, but the hero escapes on the way. The demon returns, catches the hero again, and this time brings him to his home. Or the demon catches and carries several children, but they escape on the way, leaving only one, whom the demon brings to his home.
K73A4	94.70%	Malicious women replace the newborn with a puppy (telling the father that his wife has given birth to a puppy). See motifs K73, K73A.
K32G	94.49%	The antagonist is executed by being tied to a horse (camel, bull), which drags him along the ground or tears him to pieces.
K102	94.33%	A woman who is initially friendly to the hero (his sister, mother, less often his wife or lover) then tries to destroy him by acting in concert with his enemy. To this end, she persuades the hero to take actions that are fatal to him.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

64 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 64 traditions: Old and New Testament, Saudi Arabia, Mehri; Harsusi, Jibbali (Shahri, Shauri), Arabs of Levant (Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan); Bedouins of Sinai, Arabs of Iraq, Iraqi, Arabs of Egypt, Kabylia and other Berber of Northern and Central Algeria: Beni Snous, Beni Menacer (incl Zuav), Shaui, etc.), Morocco Arabs, Arabs of Sudan, Sudanese, Nuba, Oromo (Galla), Konso, Sidamo, Darasa, Bussa (Bassa), Kambata, Guji, Masai, Kikuyu, Chuka, Embu, Emberre, Mwimbe, Akan, Ashanti, Akwapim; Ga (Accra), Kra, Twi (Chwi, Chi), Malay; Temuan (incl Mantra or Mentra), Jakun (Moken), Mentawai, Kayan, Bahau, Kenja, Aoheng, Punan (Bukat, Basap, Oloh Ot, etc); "Klemantan", Bidayuh (incl. Maloh), Iban (Sea Dayak), Sakarram; Brunei, Viet, Muong, Miao (Hmong) and Yao of Southern China, Slovakians, Slovaks, Hungarians, Bulgarians, Balkarians, Romanians, Moldavians, Aromanians, Moldovans, Lithuanians, Setu, Scandinavians: early written sources ("Edda"; Saxo Grammaticus etc.); Gothland picture stones; Ancient Germans (Late Bronze Age in Scandinavia), Western Ukrainians, Byelarusians, Belarusians, Yazgulami, Tajik, Baluch, Persians, Tats, Georgians, Armenians, Kalmyk, Azeris (Azerbaijanis), Kara Kalpak, Kazakh, Turkmen, Kazan (Middle Volga) Tatars, Bashkirs, Mari (Cheremis), Mansi, Mongols (Khalkha), Khakas, Southern Selkups, Northern Selkups, Central Yakuts (Sakha), 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, Forest (Upper Kolyma) Yukaghir, Chechens, Eastern Ukrainians, Northern Ukrainians, Lutsi (Ludza), Ilimpii Tungus/Evenki, Yerbogachen Tungus/Evenki, Tungus/Evenki of Nercha - Chita area, Russian Federation

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