Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif
M155 — Covered nakedness of the father.
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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
OverviewThe father or mother (pretends to) fall asleep naked. One of the children covers him or her, which is a sign of respect.
Berezkin category: Adventures: Tricks and episodes
This is of motif type Adventures and tricks and is part of group 10, Adventures.
Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns
Phylogeny| Motif | Similarity | Motif summary |
|---|---|---|
| B2F1 | 95.85% | (While the earth does not yet exist or has not yet hardened), birds bury the dead in their bodies â usually in their beaks or heads, which explains the unpleasant smell or the origin of the crest, swelling on the beak, etc. |
| M173 | 95.74% | A zoomorphic character pretends to be dead where a traveller carrying luggage is supposed to pass. The traveller passes by, but the deceiver quietly runs ahead and repeats his trick. The traveller puts his luggage on the ground and returns to pick up the first dead person (for the skin or meat), and the deceiver takes the luggage away. |
| M132 | 95.26% | The enemy is ready to seize the character. The character asks the enemy to first take and throw away his clothes or shoes, and then offers his ears. The enemy grabs him by the ears and throws him away, and the character runs away. |
| M192A | 95.26% | The character agrees to have a freshly removed skin put on him or to be wrapped in wet belts. The skin or belts cause suffering or death (usually because they dry out and shrink). |
| M29W1 | 93.60% | As a result of their stupidity or antisocial behavior, the leopard (panther, leopard) dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets. |
| L114A | 93.08% | One (usually the youngest) of a group of young men or women (children) ends up with them in the house of a cannibal or cannibaless. The cannibal intends to kill the newcomers when they fall asleep. The youngest consistently answers the cannibal's questions about why he is not sleeping, forcing him to carry out new tasks instead of attacking the sleepers. The brothers (sisters) run away and escape. |
| F70D | 91.89% | A girl pretends to be a man or a eunuch, or a girl hides a disability, or a man pretends to be a girl. Someone reveals a secret. At the last moment, the hero or heroine magically gets rid of the disability (acquires male or female nature), the informer is disgraced (executed). |
| K33B | 91.68% | A girl goes with her friends to the forest, to the river; everyone returns home, but she is forced to stay or return. She escapes from a dangerous creature, becomes the wife of a supernatural character, a leader, etc., or dies, but is avenged. |
| B88 | 91.28% | A man's children all die. He turns to God with a request to explain why he is suffering so much. |
| L108B2 | 91.28% | To acquire a thin voice, the character allows ants to bite his tongue. |
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
8 recordedThis motif has been recorded in 8 traditions: Old and New Testament, Dinka, Atuot, Nuer, Somali, Oromo (Galla), Konso, Sidamo, Darasa, Bussa (Bassa), Kambata, Guji, Tonga, Bushoong: (Ba)kuba, Dengese, Ngongo; Yansi, Abkhaz, Abkhazians, Mixtec, Trique, Cuicatec; Amuzgo
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How to cite: Fielder-White, J. (2026). The Folklore Database. https://folkloredatabase.com
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