Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

L41A — Stone in a basket.

86 Myths, legends and folktales

86 Unique narratives for motif L41A

56 Cultures & traditions where L41A is told

4 Sub-motifs of motif L41A

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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 character runs away from his captor, leaving a stone (or a log, sand) in his place. See motif L41.

Berezkin category: Adventures: Monsters and evil spirits

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

L41 has 4 other sub-motifs

L41.  After catching a person, the cannibal carries his prey home, but the captive escapes on the road or at the cannibal's house. See motif L38 (a person falls into a demon's trap).
L41a.  The character runs away from his captor, leaving a stone (or a log, sand) in his place. See motif L41.
L41a1.  When the demon tries to shake the meat out of the bag over the cauldron, stones fall from the bag into the cauldron and it splits, or the boiling water spills out and scalds the demon.
L41b.  A basket in which a cannibal puts people is smeared or filled with tar. See motifs L41, L42.
L41c.  A cannibal grabs children as they slide down a hill.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of L41’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
K74	94.77%	Of two or more characters, each one stays at home or goes to fetch fire for cooking or brings food to the house. Each time, a certain character appears who eats the food and/or defeats the one who stayed behind or came to fetch fire.
K79	93.98%	Finding himself in a helpless situation, a man sees how a small animal finds a cure for itself or another animal. The man uses the same cure, saves himself or saves another.
K77C	93.55%	Various objects and/or animals hide in the house where a strong enemy is expected to appear. They take turns attacking or frightening him, and he either dies or flees. See motifs K77a and K77b.
M57A	93.49%	Instead of the usual secretions from the human body, beads, flowers, gold and other valuables pour in.
K37	93.39%	In order to return or obtain a wife, son or husband (in Africa also a domestic animal or object), a person must identify her or him among several identical people or animals (objects).
A32E	93.29%	On the lunar (rarely: solar) disc, a character holding an object or animal is visible. See motif A32D.
K2	93.15%	The hero climbs or descends a ladder, rope, pole, etc. The rope, etc. breaks or is cut. Usually, another character deliberately throws away the ladder, cuts the rope, or breaks off the lower branches of the tree, making return impossible. See motif K1A. {Statistical calculations for this motif also include all texts from motif K2A, except for Koreans}.
K65A	93.08%	After being thrown from a height or expelled, various creatures end up in different locations, acquiring corresponding functions and names.
F62	93.03%	A (supposedly) sick (weak, unattractive, poorly dressed) character is left alone when others leave for the festival; he (she) arrives there later in the guise of a handsome man or beautiful woman; those who arrived earlier do not recognise him (her) and take an interest in him (her). (This motif is also found in texts containing the motif k57, Cinderella).
B43A	92.96%	The character is created from many materials or objects, or from materials brought from different places.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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🌐 Open as Airocean (Dymaxion) map ↗

Traditions

56 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 56 traditions: 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, Fang (Pangwe), Eton, Bafia, Batanga, Benga, Bube (Bubi), Buheba, Yaunde (Ewondo), Yebekolo, Koko, Bulu, Beti (Beti-Bulu), Sekiani, Eghap, Torricelli family: Valman, Samap, Arapesh (Upper, Coastal), Monumbo, Lilau, Ngaimbom; Moando (Banara); Menya, Olo, Toraja (Toradja), To Mori, Baree (=Eastern Toraja), Northern Luzon: Apayao, Bontoc, Nabaloi (Ibaloi), Ifugao, Igorot (highland people, not specified), Ilocan, Ilongot, Isneg, Kalinga, Kankanay, Tingian (Tinggian, Bilongan Itneg); Ibanag, Kasiguran Agta, Keley-i Kallahan, 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, Karen, Pa-O, Padaung, Kayah, Hindi-speaking peoples and casts (incl. Teli, Parahiya; incl. Chhattisgarhi) of Northern and West-Central India, Sinhalese; Vedda, Kirati (Kiranti): Rai (incl Thulung), Limbu, Newar, England, British, Bretons, Spain, Spaniards, Sardinia, Corsica, Sardinians, Corsicans, France, Poles, Hungarians, Latvians, Karelians, Western Sami, Eastern Sami (including Skolts), Norwegians, Western Ukrainians, Byelarusians, Belarusians, Yagnobi, Tajik, Persians, Dargin (Dargwa), incl. Müregin, Khürkilin, Kubachi, Tuvinians of Tuva, Tuvans, Khakas, Shor, Northern Altai: Chelkan, Kumanda, Tubalar, Altaians, Tungus (Evenki): Baikal region, Evenks, Tungus (Evenki) of China (Solon, Birar, Oroqen, Manegir), Evenks, Tungus (Evenki): Russian Far East, Evenks, Nanai, Reindeer Koryak, Maritime Koryak (Alyutor), Ingalik (Der Hit’an), Lkungen (Straits; including Samish, Songish, Sooke, Lummi), Klallam, Ute, Navajo, Mundurucu, Curuaia, Caraja, Tapirape, Apinaye (Apinage, Apinaje), Guarani of Paraguay and Brazil: Caygua, Mbia, Apapocuva, Nyandewa, Chiripa, Upper Chinook: Wasco, Wishram, Clackamas, Kathlamet, Oriya (incl. Dom/Domba/Dombo, Ghasi, Bhat and other Oriya-speaking castes of Odisha), Icelanders, Eastern Ukrainians, Northern Ukrainians, Italians: Central (Toscana, Umbria, Marche, Lazio), Bhutan

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