Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

L9C — Sharp breast.

29 Myths, legends and folktales
29 Unique narratives for motif L9C
13 Cultures & traditions where L9C is told
7 Sub-motifs of motif L9C
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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 kills others with a sharp protrusion on his chest.

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

Related

L9.  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.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of L9’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny
MotifSimilarityMotif summary
C33B100.00%The demise of the first race is associated with the appearance of wind.
F100A100.00%In order to revive a man or remove an arrowhead (bullet) from his body, a chaste girl or woman must touch (step over) the dead or wounded man.
J59C100.00%A character strikes the remains of the deceased with a whip or a lash, and the deceased comes back to life.
K167B100.00%A boy is able to determine the sex and colour of a young animal in the womb.
K172100.00%A man describes his daughter to a potential groom as ugly and crippled. The groom agrees to the marriage, and the bride turns out to be beautiful.
K182100.00%A supernatural defender comes to the rescue upon hearing the alarm, but stops doing so after the alarm has been raised in vain.
K27U2100.00%An authoritative character orders to find out where the tumbleweed is rolling or what news it brings.
K73B2100.00%It is necessary to boil the pot by telling an incredible but nevertheless true story.
L103A100.00%A girl, a young woman, runs away from a demonic character; she manages to run home, but her relatives do not open the door. The pursuer finds and eats her. (A musical instrument is made from her hair or intestines). (Overview of variants in Rakhno 2016: 475-484).
L110B100.00%The stomach (spleen) removed from the body of a domestic animal or bird turns out to be a voracious monster.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

13 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 13 traditions: Abaza (Abazins), Cherkassians, Adyghe, Kabardin, Abkhaz, Abkhazians, Karachays, Balkar, Ossetians, Ingush, Avar, Andi, Akhvakh, Kumyk, Terekemen, Nogai, Mingrelians (Megrelians), Laz, Georgians, Kazan (Middle Volga) Tatars, Chechens

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