Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

K82 — The evil sister-in-law.

116 Myths, legends and folktales

116 Unique narratives for motif K82

67 Cultures & traditions where K82 is told

1 Sub-motifs of motif K82

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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 man's wife or another woman tries to destroy his sister.

Berezkin category: Adventures: Acts of heroes

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

K82 has 1 other sub-motifs

K82. A man's wife or another woman tries to destroy his sister.
K82a. A malevolent woman forces a woman to swallow a snake egg (snake, something else) so that a man will think that the woman is pregnant out of wedlock (rarely: so that snakes will suck the juices out of her). Cf. motif L89.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of K82’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
K93B2	99.28%	A childless woman conceives a child after eating a fruit (usually an apple; in northern traditions also cabbage, eggs, peas, etc., in India – mangoes).
M39A6D	98.69%	One of the relatives or spouses transfers a text or object to the other through third parties. Only the recipient understands the meaning of the words or the item handed over, saves the sender and/or destroys his enemies.
K77B2	98.48%	The goat (goat, ram, etc.) responds to the predator's questions in the sense that parts of its body are weapons and other objects designed to kill the questioner, or that the goat is actually armed.
M99	98.46%	The character is going to abuse all birds or (less commonly) animals, but after hearing wise advice, he abandons his intention.
M98	98.39%	The character counts the number of members in two huge and alternative sets (dead and alive, men and women, etc.). Usually numbers are distributed equally, and one term (or some) is endowed with the properties of both. By referring it to one of the sets, the character proves a thesis.
L90	98.34%	One lip (one fang, horn, etc.) of the creature reaches the sky, while the other drags along the ground.
E9H	98.27%	Before meeting the hero, his beloved (wife, helper) has the image of a dove.
L72C	98.16%	Fleeing for his life, the character throws a mirror behind him, which turns into an obstacle for his pursuer (ice, lake, etc.) or attracts his attention and causes him to lose time. (In the Udmurt version, objects destroy obstacles in the character's path).
M198	97.92%	In the house of the khan (judge, king, etc.), three brothers (rarely one person) determine that the food and drink served to them smell of dead flesh, dog, goat, etc., and (or that) the host who receives them is illegitimate or of low birth. After questioning the servants and his mother, the host is convinced that the brothers are right.
F9F1	97.90%	Inside the woman there is a snake (snakes, scorpions, just poison) that comes out of her mouth. {Motifs F9f1 and K100C are almost identical, but the first can be included in the cosmological-etiological category and is associated with the idea of a dangerous woman, while the second belongs to the adventure category}.

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Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

67 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 67 traditions: Yemen, Mehri; Harsusi, Jibbali (Shahri, Shauri), Arabs of Iraq, Iraqi, Arabs of Egypt, Berbers of Morocco and adjacent parts of Algeria, Kabylia and other Berber of Northern and Central Algeria: Beni Snous, Beni Menacer (incl Zuav), Shaui, etc.), Algeria Arabs, Arabs of Sudan, Sudanese, Ontong Java, Nukumanu, Takuu, Nukuria, Truk, Eastern Fayu, Losap, Pulap, Puluwat, Mortlock (incl. Satawan), Santali, Turi, Mahli, Northern Munda of Kharwar branch: Birhor, Ho, Mundari, Kol, Asur (including Agaria, Kol, Birjhia), Bhumij, 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, Telugu (incl. Yanadi, Chenchu), Tamil, Muthuvan, Marvar, Tamils, Bengali, Punjabi, Seraiki (Multani), Marathi (incl. Bhamta; incl. Mumbai area), Gujarati, Rajasthani (Radjasthan and Madhya Pradesh), Sinhalese; Vedda, Kafir, or Nuristani: Prasun; Kati (incl. Paruni), Ashkun (Ashunu), Waigali, Greeks (modern), Balkarians, Lithuanians, Latvians, Setu, Finns, Vepsians, Western Ukrainians, Byelarusians, Belarusians, Uzbek, Persians, Cherkassians, Adyghe, Kabardin, Abkhaz, Abkhazians, Karachays, Balkar, Ossetians, Avar, Andi, Akhvakh, Kumyk, Terekemen, Nogai, Tats, Mingrelians (Megrelians), Laz, Georgians, Armenians, Anatolia Turks, Azeris (Azerbaijanis), Kurds, Uyghur, Turkmen, Kazan (Middle Volga) Tatars, Bashkirs, Mari (Cheremis), Mordvins, Chuvash, Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Daur (Daghur), Southern Altai: Altai proper (Altai-Kiji), Telengit, Altaians, Northern Altai: Chelkan, Kumanda, Tubalar, Altaians, Oroch, Nanai, Tlingit, Eastern Ukrainians, Northern Ukrainians, Buryats: Eastern (trans Baikal), i.e. Khori, Toto, Rabha (northern Western Bengalia), Tunisia, Yemen, Russian Federation

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