Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

M44B — Food thieves are women

69 Myths, legends and folktales

69 Unique narratives for motif M44B

46 Cultures & traditions where M44B is told

2 Sub-motifs of motif M44B

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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 discovers that someone is stealing game or fish from his trap, mountain, etc. or ravages his garden, vegetable garden, field; he or his messengers wait and catch the thief. The kidnappers are women, or the aquatic animal is the kidnapper, but when caught, it gives the hero a woman.

Berezkin category: Adventures: Tricks and episodes

This is of motif type Adventures and tricks and is part of group 11, Tricks and competitions won thanks to deception, absurd and obscene behavior.

M44 has 2 other sub-motifs

M44a.  The character discovers that someone is stealing game or fish from his trap, mountain, etc. or ravages his garden, field; he or his messengers wait and catch the thief [magical tales clearly of European origin (e.g. Chamacoco, Wilbert, Simoneau 1987a, No. 121) are not included]. The kidnappers are the first people to get out of the ground, the first men.
M44b.  The character discovers that someone is stealing game or fish from his trap, mountain, etc. or ravages his garden, vegetable garden, field; he or his messengers wait and catch the thief. The kidnappers are women, or the aquatic animal is the kidnapper, but when caught, it gives the hero a woman.
M44c.  A young hero steals the older character's food. He is usually caught, but not punished, but invited into the house.

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of M44’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny

Motif	Similarity	Motif summary
G23A	95.08%	Parts of the body and organs of living beings are transformed into various plants (teeth into corn, testicles into yams, etc.).
M7A1	94.34%	Person gets to a place from which he is unable to come out. Several (more than two) different celestial bodies rise and move near him or above him. He puts attention to them (and asks their help)
I125	93.56%	Hyades (sometimes, possibly, Pleiades or Orion) – jaw or severed head of a large animal or anthropomorphic creature.
M7	93.06%	The character goes to the lower world, to the sky, to the country on the horizon, etc. and waits for someone to give him a ride to his goal. Usually, some animals/birds or celestial bodies follow by, and the last (often the Sun or Month) delivers.
M1B	92.05%	A caiman/crocodile carries a monkey across a river. She manages to jump ashore and runs away from the caiman.
D12	91.71%	People in the past or inhabitants of distant lands cooked food in the sun; or the owner of the fire lies, saying that the food was cooked in this way.
I4A	91.21%	Thunder falls to earth and cannot rise. Usually, a person helps it return to the sky.
I43A	91.00%	A giant reptile, serpent, fish, or chain of fish stretches across the earth and/or supports the sky. Usually associated with the Milky Way, sometimes with a rainbow.
H4	90.67%	Those who change their skin (bark, clothing) are immortal (forever young). (Cf. motif K56a5a: Skinning oneself to become young: To become a young beauty, an old or ugly woman asks to have her skin skinned off).
B55	90.48%	Fish grow on tree branches or tree leaves turn into fish.

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Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

46 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 46 traditions: Mehri; Harsusi, Jibbali (Shahri, Shauri), Congo (Koongo, Bacongo; incl Vili, Fioti, (Ma)Yombe, MuKunyi), Ndombo, Luango (Loango), Zombo (Sambo), Laadi (Laari), (Ba)Fioti, Woyo (Kiwoyo), Ronga, Maka (Makaa), Baya, Kaka, Sara, incl. Ngambaye (Ngambaï), Mbaï, Fiji, Southern Cook Islands: Mangaia, Rarotonga, Atiu, Iatutakim Pukapuka, Tubuai (=Austral Islands, incl Rapa), Palau (Western Carolines), Timor: Amarasi, Tetum, Meto, Atoni (incl Mollo), Kedang (Lomblen island), Leti Islands (Leti, Moa, Lakor), Alor, Solor, Wetar, Atauru, Ceram: Alune and Wemale (West Ceram), Patasiwa (Ceram), Honitetu (West Ceram Highlands); Nusawele, Hatuolu, Huaolu, Patasiwa; Ambon; Buru, Minahasa (incl. Tondano, Tentemboan), Bantik, Batak (Toba, Dairi), Northern Luzon: Apayao, Bontoc, Nabaloi (Ibaloi), Ifugao, Igorot (highland people, not specified), Ilocan, Ilongot, Isneg, Kalinga, Kankanay, Tingian (Tinggian, Bilongan Itneg); Ibanag, Kasiguran Agta, Keley-i Kallahan, Lepcha, Sicily, Sicilians, Armenians, Shor, Nenets, Nivkh, Chukchi, Gulf Nahuatl, Sicuani, Makiritare (Yecuana), Wapishana (incl Ataroi); Mapidian; Taruma, Waiwai, Pemon: Arekuna (incl. Kamarakoto), Taulipang (Taurepan), Locono, Colorado (Tsachila), Siona, Secoya, Coreguaje, Napo (Quijo), Kanelo (“Jungle Kechua”), Aguaruna, Huambiza, Chayahuita , Desana, Siriano; Tatuyo, Bara, Tuyuca, Baniwa (incl. Wakuenai), Bare, Piapoco, Curripaco, Siusi, Guarikena , Tacana, Makka, Nivakle (=Chulupi, Ashluslay, Ajlujlay), Chorote, Toba (incl Pilagá), Northern and Southern Tehuelche, Yamana (Yaghan), Alacaluf, Papua-New Guinea Northern Lowland Papuan groups (Trans New Guinea and unclassified): Komba, Gimi, Susure, Orokaiva, Bogadjim, Ngain, Sentani, Bargam, Imonda, Nankina, Yupta Valley, Urawa Valley, Warupu (Barupu), Pondoma (Anam), Sundanese, Fiji, Congo, Palau

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How to cite: Fielder-White, J. (2026). The Folklore Database. https://folkloredatabase.com

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