Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

M46B — A born infant

55 Myths, legends and folktales
54 Unique narratives for motif M46B
39 Cultures & traditions where M46B is told
5 Sub-motifs of motif M46B
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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 turns into a tiny object or creature, swallowing or touching which a woman (usually a virgin) becomes pregnant and gives birth to a boy. He steals valuables or gets along with a woman. See M46 motif.

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.

M46 has 5 other sub-motifs

Related

M46.  Some creatures steal or own valuables. To return (get) them, the character turns into a small object, from contact with which a woman becomes pregnant, or into a baby. A picked up or born baby takes on its true appearance and steals valuables (including making the girl who picked it up pregnant, if that was his goal).
M46a.  The character turns into a baby, is picked up by the owners of valuables, and then steals valuables or converges with a woman. The baby is not a demonic creature and does not intend to kill those who pick it up (cf. Motive L60).
M46b.  The character turns into a tiny object or creature, swallowing or touching which a woman (usually a virgin) becomes pregnant and gives birth to a boy. He steals valuables or gets along with a woman. See M46 motif.
M46c.  The character turns into a needle, a garbage, a small insect. A woman swallows it and becomes pregnant. See M46B motif.
M46d.  A small child cries and calms down only after being given a valuable item hidden in the house to play with. After receiving an item, a child or an associated character takes it away.
M46e.  They (promise to) give a child the Sun (and or the Moon) to play with

🌐 See a combined distribution map for all of M46’s motifs

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny
MotifSimilarityMotif summary
I13399.46%Star objects in different parts of the sky are associated with separate parts (as well as items of clothing, jewellery, etc.) of a single anthropomorphic or zoomorphic figure.
M46C99.32%The character turns into a needle, a garbage, a small insect. A woman swallows it and becomes pregnant. See M46B motif.
C19A98.92%The character (except Quileut: Raven) turns into a child, asks for and receives heavenly bodies to play, or (Chukchi) comes to play with the little daughter of the owner of the stars.
A13A198.77%The raven rescues or obtains the hidden or stolen sun (daylight).
F30A98.74%A woman nurses a worm (caterpillar, reptile, fish) instead of a child; people kill the monster.
M16A98.42%A character (usually a loon) restores a person's sight and/or health by diving into the water with them. See motif M16.
K32C98.15%The deceiver takes the place of the real wife, and the real wife becomes an owl. See motif K32.
M12398.15%A bird of prey or scavenger (raven, owl, hawk, coyote) marries (or attempts to marry) a partner who (or whose brothers) are geese or other waterfowl. The marriage is disrupted or proves unsuccessful.
M61A198.15%The character (always a raven) provokes a seagull to quarrel with another bird, telling each one that the other was hostile or offensive towards her.
M6898.14%Because of his own stubbornness, the character suffers from an irrepressible gas eruption and scares away the game with a loud sound. Almost starves to death.

See the 100 most similar distributions →

Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

39 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 39 traditions: Ifaluk, Woleai, Lamutrek, Faraulip Satawal, Elato, Western Fayu, Truk, Eastern Fayu, Losap, Pulap, Puluwat, Mortlock (incl. Satawan), Central Taiwan: Bunun (Vonum), La'arua, Tsou, Kanabu, Kanakanabu, Thai of Vietnam, Tai Lue, Khao (Kho, Tai Don, White Tai), Tai Dam (Black Tai), Nung; Zhuang, Buyi; Shui, Lepcha, Western Sami, Eastern Sami (including Skolts), Nenets, Tungus (Evenki): Baikal region, Evenks, Chukchi, Aleuts, Central Yupik, Chipewyan, Upper Tanana (Nebesna), Tanacross, Tutchone, Tagish, Inland Tlingit, Kaska, Athna, Koyukon, Tanana, Gwich'in (Kuchin, Loucheux), Bering Strait Inupiat (incl. King Island), North Alaskan Inupiat, Mackenzie Delta, Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Heiltsuk (Bellabella), Oowekeeno, Kwakiutl (Kwakwaka'wakw), Nootka (Nu-chah-nulth), Makah, Bella Coola (Nuxalk), Five Nations Iroquois (Seneca, Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga), Chilkotin, Lkungen (Straits; including Samish, Songish, Sooke, Lummi), Klallam, Achomavi, Kodiak, Japan

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