Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

L39 — The hero is forced to climb down from the tree.

139 Myths, legends and folktales

139 Unique narratives for motif L39

89 Cultures & traditions where L39 is told

4 Sub-motifs of motif L39

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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

By force or deception, the character forces another to climb down from the tree in order to harm him.

Berezkin category: Adventures: Monsters and evil spirits

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

L39 has 4 other sub-motifs

L39.  By force or deception, the character forces another to climb down from the tree in order to harm him.
L39a.  A supernatural character emerges from the underworld and attacks a man who has climbed a tree.
L39b.  The tree grows from a flatbread (pie, etc.) and usually bears flatbreads instead of fruit.
L39c.  A boy (less often a girl) climbs a fruit tree that has just grown (usually from a discarded seed). A cannibal tries to force the boy (girl) to come down to the ground.
L39d.  A boy climbs a tree to pick fruit. A demonic character asks him to share, but not to throw the fruit on the ground, but to pass it from hand to hand. He grabs the boy and carries him away.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of L39’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
M38A1	92.03%	The character imitates the sisters' sons-in-law or husbands, or the wife's brothers (shoshone's) or wives (comox and chalkomel). {ATU combines a motive with another}.
F86	90.24%	A character calls another character of non-human nature (a mate or ward) with a conventional signal; the other character sees this, makes the same signal or utters the same words, takes on the appearance of the character they have come to replace, kills those who come out to meet them, or makes use of their sexual services.
A35	90.11%	Dark spots on the lunar disc – dirt, blood, paint, marks from blows, burns on the body or face of a character; they do not form a specific image. See motif A31.
M21	90.08%	The character runs away from his pursuer. The person, animal or object that the character asks for help hides him (and kills the pursuer).
L40	89.65%	The character discovers (rarely: cannot discover) another person on a tree or rock, noticing their reflection or shadow. See motif L39.
I3	89.43%	Lightning (and thunder) is produced by an object (sword, arrow, whip, mirror, etc.) in the hands of a character; lightning is an object.
I99	89.12%	The Pleiades – a group of boys, young men, men or people of different genders, but predominantly male.
H24	88.72%	A vessel or other small container with valuables or living beings (creatures) is opened (prematurely). Its contents get out of control or disappear.
A12	88.44%	A creature or creatures regularly (sunrise and sunset, winter and summer, night and day, phases of the moon) or occasionally (eclipses, eschatological catastrophes) attack the luminaries or block their light.
F39	88.42%	In the past or in distant lands, women dominated men, were the active party in marital relations, and engaged in male activities. Men engaged in female activities. Later, the situation changed. Either women missed the opportunity to gain superiority. See motif F38.

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Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

89 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 89 traditions: Arabs of Levant (Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan); Bedouins of Sinai, 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, Tunisia Arabs, Malagasy, Arabs of Sudan, Sudanese, Kanaka (New Caledonia), Yap, Mentawai, Karen, Pa-O, Padaung, Kayah, Shan, Ahom, Khampti, Northern Munda of Kharwar branch: Birhor, Ho, Mundari, Kol, Asur (including Agaria, Kol, Birjhia), Bhumij, Garo (Atchik), Kachari (Bodo, incl. Lalung), Dimasa, Tripuri, Riang (of Tripura), Khami, Riga, Mori, Tamil, Muthuvan, Marvar, Tamils, Kashmiri, Nepali; Tharu, Rajasthani (Radjasthan and Madhya Pradesh), Hindi-speaking peoples and casts (incl. Teli, Parahiya; incl. Chhattisgarhi) of Northern and West-Central India, Sinhalese; Vedda, Dards (Kalash, Kho, Kohistani, Shina, Pashai), Kirati (Kiranti): Rai (incl Thulung), Limbu, Newar, Sardinia, Corsica, Sardinians, Corsicans, France, Greeks (modern), Balkarians, Bulgarians, Balkarians, Macedonians, Balkarians, Slovenians, Slovenes, Romanians, Moldavians, Aromanians, Moldovans, Lithuanians, Swedes, Western Ukrainians, Uzbek, Yagnobi, Tajik, Persians, Iranian literary tradition (including Avesta, Pahlevi scripts, Sah-nameh, Marzban-nameh); Zoroastrians of Iran, Indian Parsees, Zoroastrianism, Karachays, Balkar, Dargin (Dargwa), incl. Müregin, Khürkilin, Kubachi, Laks, Nogai, Georgians, Armenians, Gagauz, Anatolia Turks, Kwakiutl (Kwakwaka'wakw), Nootka (Nu-chah-nulth), Makah, Bella Coola (Nuxalk), Carrier, Shuswap, Okanagon, Sanpoil, Tunica, Alabama, Koasati, Ute, Mescalero, Western Keres (Acoma, Laguna), Eastern Keres (Cochiti, Sia, San Felipe, Santo Domingo, Santa Ana, Paguate, Seama), Popoloca; Tlapanec, Lacandon, Choco: Embera, Nonama (Waunana), XVI century Dabaiba, pre-Columbian iconography of Sinu, Sicuani, Makiritare (Yecuana), Sanema, Pemon: Arekuna (incl. Kamarakoto), Taulipang (Taurepan), Locono, Guiana Kariña, Kaliña, Galibi, Siona, Secoya, Coreguaje, Anambe, Urubu (Urubu-Kaapor), Tenetehara, Tacana, Chacobo, Parintintin; Villa Bella (tribal affiliation unknown), Mehinaku, Waura, Yaulapiti, Iranxe, Caraja, Tapirape, Cayapo (incl. Kubenkranken, Pau d’Arco, Shikrin or Xikrin), Chorote, Guarani of Paraguay and Brazil: Caygua, Mbia, Apapocuva, Nyandewa, Chiripa, Maldives, Mukulu (Mokilko), Eastern Ukrainians, Northern Ukrainians, Italians: Central (Toscana, Umbria, Marche, Lazio), Bhutan, Morocco, Russian Federation

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