Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif
L9B — Knife elbows, G341.
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
OverviewThe sharp elbows or (rarely) knees of the character resemble knives or awls.
Berezkin category: Adventures: Monsters and evil spirits
This is of motif type Cosmology and etiology and is part of group 8, Queer and monstrous beings, creatures, objects and loci, folk beliefs related to particular phenomena and objects.
L9 has 7 other sub-motifs
RelatedL9. The character's body parts resemble cutting or stabbing weapons.
L9a. The character's leg is crippled (intentionally or accidentally) or originally pointed. He uses the pointed bone for hunting, fishing or killing people.
L9b. The sharp elbows or (rarely) knees of the character resemble knives or awls.
L9c. The character kills others with a sharp protrusion on his chest.
L9d. The character has sharp nails or knife-like hands, which he uses to kill people.
L9e. The anthropomorphic character has a nose resembling a copper or iron beak.
L9f. A person with a nose or teeth made of gold or silver is a sign of their demonic nature.
L9g. A man's hair or beard of an unusual colour is a sign of his demonic nature.
Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns
Phylogeny| Motif | Similarity | Motif summary |
|---|---|---|
| D4C | 98.98% | Characters obtain the warm season from its original owners. |
| C6B | 98.87% | The desired object is brought up from the bottom by a muskrat (rarely a beaver or otter). |
| A38A | 98.22% | The sun is caught in a loop made of a woman's pubic hair. |
| M93 | 98.17% | When falling asleep or going to do something else, the character tells a certain part of his body to wake him up in case of danger. The organ did not give a signal or the character himself did not listen to it, as a result, the misfortune happened. |
| M93A | 98.01% | The character punishes a part of his body (burns his ass, breaks his eyes) for not sounding the alarm. See Motive M93; cf. Motive M142. |
| M69 | 97.58% | character is attracted by the inside of a large animal's skull (small animals or insects are dancing or feasting inside, or eating some meat); he sticks his head inside , it gets stuck. |
| A38B | 96.42% | The sun gets caught in a trap. Only a mouse or other small animal manages to gnaw through the trap and free the sun. |
| M66 | 96.35% | After eating certain foods frivolously or rubbing his body with his spine, the character suffers from itching, diarrhea, or an irrepressible eruption of intestinal gases. |
| L5E | 96.31% | The decapitated body of a woman pursues her husband, while her head pursues their children. |
| H53 | 95.96% | The wolf participates in the creation of the earth or is the brother of the creator and/or conqueror of the demons of the underworld. He dies and/or is considered the first to die and/or becomes the lord of the land of the dead. |
See the 100 most similar distributions →
Map of motif dispersal
DistributionDrag the map to pan, use the scroll wheel to zoom — choose a texture or projection below
Traditions
28 recordedThis motif has been recorded in 28 traditions: Katu (Ködu); Bru (incl. Van Kieu, Khua), Semang, Senoi, Svans, Eastern Khanty (Ostyaks), Nenets, Southern Selkups, Northern Selkups, Dogrib, Slavey, Tahltan, Micmac, Western Ojibwa (Chippewa), Eastern Ojibwa (Missisauga, Timagami and other groups in eastern Ontario), Northern Ojibwa (=Severn Ojibwa, Sandy Lake Cree), Western Woods Cree, Eastern Cree, Montagnais, Winnebago, Iowa, Tonkawa, Plains Cree, Plains Ojibwa, Assiniboine, Carrier, Chumash, Northern Shoshone, Western Shoshone, Gosiute, Eastern Shoshone, Marubo
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