Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

M29B3 — The fox (jackal, coyote) is a loser and a loser

155 Myths, legends and folktales
155 Unique narratives for motif M29B3
124 Cultures & traditions where M29B3 is told
45 Sub-motifs of motif M29B3
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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

As a result of its stupidity or antisocial behavior, the fox (jackal) dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets. If it is not specified that a “jackal”, then the protagonist is a fox.

Berezkin category: Adventures: Tricks and episodes

This is of motif type Cosmology and etiology and is part of group 9, Identification of protagonists of the stories with particular animals or persons with particular qualities.

M29 has 45 other sub-motifs

Related

M29.  trickster is defined as a protagonist in the following characteristic episodes.
M29a.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29a1.  In three or more different episodes related to deception, absurd, obscene or anti-social behavior the protagonist is raven (crow)
M29b.  Fox (a), Jackal, Coyote (or Wolf when, apparently, we mean a steppenwolf, i.e. the same coyote). See the motives in square brackets.
M29b1.  As a result of his stupidity or antisocial behavior, the wolf dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets.
M29b2.  As a result of its stupidity or antisocial behavior, the bear dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets.
M29b3.  As a result of its stupidity or antisocial behavior, the fox (jackal) dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets. If it is not specified that a “jackal”, then the protagonist is a fox.
M29c.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29d.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29E.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29f.  As a result of its stupidity or antisocial behavior, the wolverine dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets.
M29g.  See the motives in square brackets. They include traditions in which the hare/rabbit appears only as a trickster, and another trickster (usually a fox or jackal) often occurs.
M29g1.  In episodes involving deception, ridiculous, obscene, or antisocial behavior, the hare or rabbit is the main trickster. Traditions in which 1) a hare or rabbit occurs only once as a trickster, and another trickster (usually a fox/jackal/coyote) is typical; 2) Mesoamerican traditions in which a small rabbit is associated with a small a set of episodes and a high probability of recent African influences. See the motives in square brackets.
M29g2.  Cancer (crab) defeats or deceives strong opponents by cunning.
M29gg.  hedgehog defeats or deceives strong opponents by cunning.
M29h.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29i.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29j.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29k.  A turtle (toad, frog) defeats strong opponents by cunning or perseverance. See the motives in square brackets. The character is named if it is a toad or frog; otherwise, a turtle.
M29k1.  A turtle (toad, frog) gets into unpleasant situations due to its own stupidity or carelessness. See the motives in square brackets. The character is named if it is a toad or frog; otherwise, a turtle.
M29l.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29m.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29n.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29nn.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29o.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29o1.  As a result of its stupidity or antisocial behavior, the monkey dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets.
M29p.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29q.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29qq.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29r.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29S.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29T.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29v.  The character defeats or deceives strong opponents using cunning. The protagonists are dwarf ungulates, usually duker or deer - taxonomically distant from each other, but similar in appearance. In some publications on African traditions, it is difficult to determine which animal we are talking about, but it is certain that these are small cloven-hoofed animals, usually (always?) dukers. See the motives in square brackets.
M29w.  As a result of their stupidity or antisocial behavior, a jaguar (puma, ocelot) dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets. The character is named if it is a puma or ocelot; otherwise, a jaguar.
M29w1.  As a result of their stupidity or antisocial behavior, the leopard (panther, leopard) dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets.
M29w2.  As a result of its stupidity or antisocial behavior, the tiger dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets.
M29w3.  As a result of its stupidity or antisocial behavior, the lion dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets.
M29x.  As a result of its stupidity or antisocial behavior, the hyena dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets.
M29x1.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29X2.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29y.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29z.  hero of the story is a character named “Beardless” or Aldar-Kose (Aldar is a “deceiver”, a braid is “beardless”).
M29z1.  purely anthropomorphic character, or a character who bears the name of an animal or plant but does not act zoomorphic in the course of his adventures. See the motives in square brackets. {Data not fully entered}
M29z2.  Being smart and witty, the Gipsy overcomes strong adversaries
M29z3.  The Gipsy (more often a female than a male) is an enemy overcome by the hero (heroine) or (rare) a weak failure
M29z4.  

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of M29’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny
MotifSimilarityMotif summary
K1297.12%The hero returns the woman whom his enemy or rival tried to take away from him.
M29B96.39%Fox (a), Jackal, Coyote (or Wolf when, apparently, we mean a steppenwolf, i.e. the same coyote). See the motives in square brackets.
K17695.15%A man sets out on a journey to find or bring back a bride or wife.
I45A94.64%Pointing at or staring at the moon or stars will cause illness (death) or the pointing finger to rot or wither.
E1194.57%The future family member reveals himself or remains with the person after the object that defines the character's non-human appearance is destroyed. After the person destroys (usually burns) the discarded animal skin, the character retains his human appearance. See motif E9.
K29A94.55%The hero demonstrates his magical abilities or cunning by remaining alive in a hot bath, oven, fire, or among burning vegetation.
K7594.54%The girl (usually the youngest of the sisters) does not reject the hero, who temporarily takes the form of an animal, a freak, an old man, a poor man, or a loser, or she picks up the hero's remains and he comes back to life. After some time, the hero reveals his true nature.
L15D93.93%The object in which the character's life is concentrated is separate from him. The character dies when this external form is destroyed.
K27S93.90%Competition: running, racing. See motif K27.
K1F93.32%One man traps another, driven by jealousy or the desire to possess his rival's wife. See motifs K1A, K1E, K2A.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

124 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 124 traditions: Arabs of Levant (Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan); Bedouins of Sinai, Arabs of Iraq, Iraqi, Berbers of southern Tunisia and adjacent part of Libya (Matmata and Ghadames areas), Zaghawa, Khoekhoe (=Hottentot; incl Nama, Korana); Damara, Karen, Pa-O, Padaung, Kayah, Northern Munda of Kharwar branch: Birhor, Ho, Mundari, Kol, Asur (including Agaria, Kol, Birjhia), Bhumij, Chin-Naga: Ao, Mao, Sema, Zeme, Kolren, Kom, Lhota, Rengma, Angami, Kabui, Tangkhul, Koirenf, Garo (Atchik), Kachari (Bodo, incl. Lalung), Dimasa, Tripuri, Riang (of Tripura), Khami, Riga, Mori, Konds (Khonds; language is Kui, incl Kuttia, Konda-Dora), Koya; Pengo, Maria, Muria, and other South-Central Dravidians: Binjhwar, Bacop, Bhattra, Bom, Jhoria (=Jhodia), Gadaba (in Koraput, neighbors of Munda-speaking Gadaba), Duruwa (Parji), Mehtar; Pardhan, Indian literary tradition (Vedic, Brahman, Purana, Indian Buddhism, Hinduism, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Panchtantra, Jatakas); iconography of Hindu temples, Malayali; Kannikaran, Tamil, Muthuvan, Marvar, Tamils, Kashmiri, Hindi-speaking peoples and casts (incl. Teli, Parahiya; incl. Chhattisgarhi) of Northern and West-Central India, Konkani (incl Goa), Assamese, Sinhalese; Vedda, Dards (Kalash, Kho, Kohistani, Shina, Pashai), Miao (Hmong) and Yao of Southern China, Lepcha, England, British, Bretons, Spain, Spaniards, Portuguese, Portugal, Catalan, Maltese, France, Germans: North (Low- and Central German dialects): Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg, Pommern, Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony, incl East Frisia and Oldenburg), Nordrhein-Westfalen, Hessen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Thüringen, Saxony-Anhalt, Sachsen, Brandenburg, Rügen, Poles, Hungarians, Greeks (modern), Balkarians, Bulgarians, Balkarians, Macedonians, Balkarians, Serbs, Monte Negro, Balkarians, Slovenians, Slovenes, Ancient Greece, Setu, Finns, Western Sami, Eastern Sami (including Skolts), Norwegians, Swedes, Western Ukrainians, Tajik, Baluch, Persians, Cherkassians, Adyghe, Kabardin, Karachays, Balkar, Ossetians, Ingush, Lezgians, Archin, Kürin; Khinalug, Tabasaran, Aghul, Laks, Avar, Andi, Akhvakh, Kumyk, Terekemen, Tats, Georgians, Armenians, Kalmyk, Anatolia Turks, Kurds, Talysh, Kazakh, Uyghur, Turkmen, Kazan (Middle Volga) Tatars, Mongols (Khalkha), Tuvinians of Tuva, Tuvans, Nganasans, Central Yakuts (Sakha), Tungus (Evenki): Baikal region, Evenks, Ainu, Chukchi, Bering Strait Inupiat (incl. King Island), North Alaskan Inupiat, Netsilik, Iglulik, Osage, Arikara, Pawnee, Wichita; Spiro Mound iconography, Tonkawa, Kiowa Apache, Crow, Lkungen (Straits; including Samish, Songish, Sooke, Lummi), Klallam, Nez Perce, Klamath, Modoc, Caddo, Pomo, Yokuts, Owens Valley Paiute, Northern Paiute (=Paviotso), Northern Shoshone, Western Shoshone, Gosiute, Eastern Shoshone, Upland Yuma: Walapai, Havasupai, Yavapai, Ute, Southern Paiute, Chemehuevi, Navajo, Jicarilla, Western Apache (White Mountain, San Carlos), Zuni, Western Keres (Acoma, Laguna), Eastern Keres (Cochiti, Sia, San Felipe, Santo Domingo, Santa Ana, Paguate, Seama), Tewa (San Juan, Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, Tesuque, Nambe; Hano), Tiwa (Taos, Picuris; Sandia, Isleta), Towa (Jemez), Lipan, Mayo, Yaqui, Sinaloa, Kechua-speaking communities of Apurimac, Cuzco, Arequipa, Puno departments; Spanish sources of XVI-XVII centuries; Callawaya (Kechua with Pukina substratum), Chipaya, Mapuche, Northern and Southern Tehuelche, Central Tibetans (Yu Tsang, incl. Sikkim Tibetans, Tichurong of NW Nepal), Arabs (literary tradition; incl. One Thousand and One Nights), Luri, Bakhtiari, Salars, Eastern Ukrainians, Northern Ukrainians, Early Russian written sources, Italians: Central (Toscana, Umbria, Marche, Lazio), Toto, Rabha (northern Western Bengalia), Arakan, Chakma, Khyang, Transylvanian Saksons

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