Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif
M29J — A trickster is a waterfowl or marsh bird
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
OverviewSee the motives in square brackets.
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
RelatedM29. 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.
Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns
Phylogeny| Motif | Similarity | Motif summary |
|---|---|---|
| J41B | 99.94% | The son returns, finds his mother, who was humiliated and tortured in his absence, and burns his tormentor and his men, summoning fire and heat with magic. |
| M53B | 99.56% | Trickster claims he's carrying songs in his bag. See M53 motif. |
| H53 | 99.22% | 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. |
| M32A | 99.17% | character's insides or pieces of flesh fall out of his back. He eats them, mistaking them for regular meat and fat. |
| A38A | 99.06% | The sun is caught in a loop made of a woman's pubic hair. |
| B42O1 | 98.78% | The Big Dipper is identified with the fisher (Mustela pennati). |
| K1J | 98.43% | The abandoned one turns into a bird and returns home faster than the one who abandoned him. |
| M93A | 98.00% | 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. |
| J27A | 96.55% | One of the babies is abandoned and lives in a river, forest, etc.; the other remains at home; after the abandoned brother returns home, the brothers kill their father or his men. See motifs J19, J25. |
| L9B | 95.42% | The sharp elbows or (rarely) knees of the character resemble knives or awls. |
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
13 recordedThis motif has been recorded in 13 traditions: Svans, Malecite, Passamaquoddy, Micmac, Western Ojibwa (Chippewa), Eastern Ojibwa (Missisauga, Timagami and other groups in eastern Ontario), Northern Ojibwa (=Severn Ojibwa, Sandy Lake Cree), Eastern Cree, Menominee, Potawatomi, Arapaho, Gros Ventre, Plains Cree, Plains Ojibwa
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