Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

L3 — A husband turns into a demon.

85 Myths, legends and folktales

85 Unique narratives for motif L3

53 Cultures & traditions where L3 is told

1 Sub-motifs of motif L3

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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

The demon takes on human form and comes to his wife (less often to another woman). Usually, the woman (alone or with a child) runs away and/or kills the monster, either by herself or with someone's help.

Berezkin category: Adventures: Monsters and evil spirits

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

L3 has 1 other sub-motifs

L3. The demon takes on human form and comes to his wife (less often to another woman). Usually, the woman (alone or with a child) runs away and/or kills the monster, either by herself or with someone's help.
L3a. Left alone, a woman carelessly calls for someone to help her with the housework; a demon comes and kills the woman or her child.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of L3’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
F27	97.24%	It is dangerous for girls or women to approach water (water creatures drag them away or swallow them; a girl who approaches water dies; she becomes pregnant by a snake; through her fault, a flood or other disaster occurs; water spirits themselves come to a girl who has her first period).
L24	96.92%	Demons (or one of them) attack people and then hide. People destroy the demons' lair and kill all or most of them by spreading a smoky fire around the demons' refuge.
E7	96.85%	The path from one part of the world to another passes through a narrow opening. The character gets stuck in the opening, permanently severing the connection between the worlds.
E6	96.69%	When a woman of childbearing age (she is menstruating, miscarrying, pregnant, with a child, or simply fat) tries to pass from one world to another, the connection between the worlds is severed forever.
A27	96.49%	The light and/or heat of the sun and/or moon is contained in their crowns, necklaces or clothing (made of feathers or animal teeth).
B17	96.38%	Darkness is a special object that can be carried and transferred (usually brought from the original owner in a vessel or bag).
F40A	96.10%	A male character, androgynous, with a monstrous penis, single-handedly possesses all women, rules over them or leads away the first women.
G13A	95.99%	Before the advent of cultivated plants (fire, hunting skills), people ate earth, clay, and stones.
G26	95.97%	After swallowing or hiding food in their mouth, the character brings it to earth (passes it on to people).
C1	95.81%	In the past, a catastrophic shift in the layers of the universe occurred or will occur in the future. Among the variants (sometimes combined): the sky fell to the earth; the present earth or underground world swapped places with the sky; the earth turned upside down; it fell into the underworld; the layers of the universe successively collapsed onto the earth or will swap places in the future.

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Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

53 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 53 traditions: Somali, Southern Solomons: southern part of Santa Ysabel (Bughotu), Guadalcanal, San Cristobal, Malaita, Ulawa, Mindanao and Sulu: Blaan (Bilaan), Bagobo, Bukidnon, Cotabato, Hiligáynon, Binukid, Magindaan (=Magindanao: main Muslim population), Mandaya, Mansaka, Manobo (Agusan, Ata, Dibabawon, Sarangani, Ilianen), Maranao, Samal, Subanon (=Subanun), Subanen, Tboli, Khasi, Chin-Naga: Ao, Mao, Sema, Zeme, Kolren, Kom, Lhota, Rengma, Angami, Kabui, Tangkhul, Koirenf, Nepali; Tharu, Meo (Hmong) of Thailand, Laos and Northern Vietnam, Koreans, Basques, Byelarusians, Belarusians, Kets, Chukchi, Wichita; Spiro Mound iconography, Tonkawa, Nez Perce, Kutenai, Western Shoshone, Gosiute, Jicarilla, Chol; pre-Columbian Mayan iconography outside of Yucatan, Lacandon, Guajiro, Sicuani, Makiritare (Yecuana), Sanema, Yanomamo (Yanoama): Yanomam, Yanomami, Trio, Pemon: Arekuna (incl. Kamarakoto), Taulipang (Taurepan), Guiana Kariña, Kaliña, Galibi, Colorado (Tsachila), Siona, Secoya, Coreguaje, Napo (Quijo), Kanelo (“Jungle Kechua”), Kandoshi (Murato, Maina); Iquito, Kofan, Shuar, Achuar (Shiwiar), Aguaruna, Huambiza, Chayahuita , Karijona, Amuesha, Machiguenga, Tacana, Bolivian Guarani: Chiriguano (including assimilated Chane Arawaks), Pauserna (=Guarasu), Guarayu, Tapiete, Suruí, Gaviâo, Zoro, Arua, Cinta Larga, Mundurucu, Curuaia, Mehinaku, Waura, Yaulapiti, Rikbaktsa, Iranxe, Nambikwara, Paresi, Caraja, Nivakle (=Chulupi, Ashluslay, Ajlujlay), Kpelle (incl Kono), Papua-New Guinea Northern Lowland Papuan groups (Trans New Guinea and unclassified): Komba, Gimi, Susure, Orokaiva, Bogadjim, Ngain, Sentani, Bargam, Imonda, Nankina, Yupta Valley, Urawa Valley, Warupu (Barupu), Pondoma (Anam), Russian Federation

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How to cite: Fielder-White, J. (2026). The Folklore Database. https://folkloredatabase.com

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