Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

K66C — Bear marriage.

134 Myths, legends and folktales

134 Unique narratives for motif K66C

81 Cultures & traditions where K66C is told

4 Sub-motifs of motif K66C

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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 bear (lion) takes a woman away, or a she-bear takes a man away. They have children who are either human or bear-like in appearance. Less commonly, a woman gives birth to a son in a den because she was pregnant at the time of her abduction by the bear.

Berezkin category: Adventures: Acts of heroes

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

K66 has 4 other sub-motifs

K66.  Each of several companions or brothers excels others in some way (sees, hears, runs, etc. better than anyone else). Cf. motif K2B, "Gorynya and Dubyna".
K66a.  The princess (inheritance) is given to the one who builds (obtains) a ship capable of moving on land (flying through the air).
K66b.  Travelling from one place to another, the hero leaves one of his companions in each place (usually marrying them to the princesses he has received as a reward), and continues on his way. When he gets into trouble, his companions come to his aid.
K66c.  A bear (lion) takes a woman away, or a she-bear takes a man away. They have children who are either human or bear-like in appearance. Less commonly, a woman gives birth to a son in a den because she was pregnant at the time of her abduction by the bear.
K66d.  A boy who grew up (was conceived) in a bear's den (lion's cave) becomes a bogatyr.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of K66’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
A32E	97.54%	On the lunar (rarely: solar) disc, a character holding an object or animal is visible. See motif A32D.
L72A	96.02%	Fleeing for his life, the character throws behind him a comb (brush), which turns into an obstacle (almost always thickets) in the path of his pursuer. (In South America, this motif is most likely of European origin). See Andreev 1929, No. 313.I.
B87	94.85%	Alcor (a faint star next to the second star of the Big Dipper's handle) stands out as a separate celestial object.
I22C	93.77%	The character safely slips, sails or flies through the opening, which then slams shut, but the edge of the stern of the boat, the tail of an animal or bird, the body of a riding animal, the hero's companion or his own heel is crushed, torn off, etc.
I45A	93.57%	Pointing at or staring at the moon or stars will cause illness (death) or the pointing finger to rot or wither.
M29B1	93.56%	As a result of his stupidity or antisocial behavior, the wolf dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets.
A23A	93.45%	Arguing about superiority or seniority, the characters agree to decide in favour of the one who first sees the rising sun (the beginning of the year). The winner is the one whose victory seemed unlikely. (In Uther 2004(1), No. 120: 87, the definition of the motif includes the detail that the winner looks not to the east but to the west and sees the tops of trees illuminated by rays of light. In Europe, in most cases (except for the Scots) that have been verified, this detail is indeed present. However, it is absent in American and some Asian traditions).
M109	93.44%	A zoomorphic character sits down, lowering his tail (penis) so that something edible will stick to it, but as a result he is left without a tail (penis) or dies. Cf. motifs M109A, M109C.
I46	93.43%	Rainbow – an ornamented part of clothing, bright fabric, decoration, belt.
K74A	93.26%	A demonic character arrives and mocks one of the men remaining in the house. When the hero remains, he defeats the demon and follows in his footsteps to where he dwells. Cf. motif K74 (an unassuming and weak-looking man approaches a warrior preparing dinner; he eats everything, ties up, beats or kills the cook. When the hero remains to cook, he defeats the demon).

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

81 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 81 traditions: Kachin (Singpho), Chak, Sinhalese; Vedda, Koreans, Spain, Spaniards, Portuguese, Portugal, Basques, Catalan, Aragon, France, 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, Slovakians, Slovaks, Bulgarians, Balkarians, Macedonians, Balkarians, Serbs, Monte Negro, Balkarians, Ancient Greece, Livonians, Setu, Karelians, Scandinavians: early written sources ("Edda"; Saxo Grammaticus etc.); Gothland picture stones; Ancient Germans (Late Bronze Age in Scandinavia), Byelarusians, Belarusians, Uzbek, Rushani, Shughni, Khufi, Bartangi, Yagnobi, Tajik, Cherkassians, Adyghe, Kabardin, Ingush, Avar, Andi, Akhvakh, Georgians, Armenians, Kalmyk, Kazakh, Uyghur, Turkmen, Bashkirs, Mordvins, Mansi, Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Oirats (incl Torgouts, Derbets, Oilots), Daur (Daghur), Tuvinians of Tuva, Tuvans, Khakas, Shor, Southern Altai: Altai proper (Altai-Kiji), Telengit, Altaians, Northern Altai: Chelkan, Kumanda, Tubalar, Altaians, Southern Selkups, Northern Selkups, Central Yakuts (Sakha), Dolgans, Tungus (Evenki): Baikal region, Evenks, Tungus (Evenki) of China (Solon, Birar, Oroqen, Manegir), Evenks, Tungus (Evenki): Russian Far East, Evenks, Udeghe, Nanai, Negidal, Reindeer Koryak, Maritime Koryak (Alyutor), Forest (Upper Kolyma) Yukaghir, Chukchi, Chugach, Tutchone, Tagish, Inland Tlingit, Tahltan, Tanana, Iglulik, Polar Inuit, Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Bella Coola (Nuxalk), Sauk (Sak, Mesquakie), Fox, Kickapoo, Assiniboine, Lower Chinook (Chinook proper), Tewa (San Juan, Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, Tesuque, Nambe; Hano), Tiwa (Taos, Picuris; Sandia, Isleta), Towa (Jemez), Central Tibetans (Yu Tsang, incl. Sikkim Tibetans, Tichurong of NW Nepal), Galicians, Italians: Central (Toscana, Umbria, Marche, Lazio), Buryats: Eastern (trans Baikal), i.e. Khori, Bosnians, Russian Federation

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