Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

L126 — Bird-demon, ATU 2041.

44 Myths, legends and folktales
44 Unique narratives for motif L126
31 Cultures & traditions where L126 is told
0 Sub-motifs of motif L126
Please log on to view the narratives.

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

An anthropomorphic character cooks and eats a bird, but the bird cries out from inside his stomach and escapes. The character dies or suffers harm. Cf. motif K132.

Berezkin category: Adventures: Monsters and evil spirits

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

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny
MotifSimilarityMotif summary
L42B98.24%After capturing the hero, the antagonist brings him home and leaves him in the care of a family member. The latter believes the hero's words and follows his instructions. See motif L42.
M15097.89%Having taken on the task of herding a flock, the character eats the animals entrusted to him.
M9197.85%Pretending that the deceased has just been alive for a relatively long time, the character accuses others of his death, receives a ransom and gifts.
M38D97.81%Two or more characters, which are small objects or small animals, live or travel together and die one by one while committing protozoa actions.
L42E97.40%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.
I4696.72%Rainbow โ€“ an ornamented part of clothing, bright fabric, decoration, belt.
M8596.49%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.
K73A496.11%Malicious women replace the newborn with a puppy (telling the father that his wife has given birth to a puppy). See motifs K73, K73A.
N3695.74%is said about the horse that it jumps above trees (grass, the surface of the earth) and below the sky (clouds, clouds).
L72A95.58%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.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

Drag the map to pan, use the scroll wheel to zoom — choose a texture or projection below

Traditions

31 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 31 traditions: Saudi Arabia, Malagasy, Gogo, Kaguru, Luguru, Zigula, Taveta, Shambala (Sambala), Bondei, Taeta, Dabida; Zaramo, Kamba, Tharaka, Soninke, Kannada, Lingayat, Halakki, Bengali, Rajasthani (Radjasthan and Madhya Pradesh), Hindi-speaking peoples and casts (incl. Teli, Parahiya; incl. Chhattisgarhi) of Northern and West-Central India, Sinhalese; Vedda, Spain, Spaniards, Germans: North (Low- and Central German dialects): Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg, Pommern, Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony, incl East Frisia and Oldenburg), Nordrhein-Westfalen, Hessen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Thรผringen, Saxony-Anhalt, Sachsen, Brandenburg, Rรผgen, Karelians, Western Ukrainians, Byelarusians, Belarusians, Uzbek, Tajik, Persians, Cherkassians, Adyghe, Kabardin, Georgians, Khakas, Central Yakuts (Sakha), Tungus (Evenki): Baikal region, Evenks, Tungus (Evenki) of China (Solon, Birar, Oroqen, Manegir), Evenks, Tungus (Evenki): Russian Far East, Evenks, Ohlone (Costanoan), Mustang, Eastern Ukrainians, Northern Ukrainians, Lutsi (Ludza), Russian Federation

Please log on to view the narratives.