Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif
M93 — Part of the body as a watchman
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
OverviewWhen falling asleep or going to do something else, the character tells a certain part of his body to wake him up in case of danger. The organ did not give a signal or the character himself did not listen to it, as a result, the misfortune happened.
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.
M93 has 1 other sub-motifs
RelatedM93. When falling asleep or going to do something else, the character tells a certain part of his body to wake him up in case of danger. The organ did not give a signal or the character himself did not listen to it, as a result, the misfortune happened.
M93a. 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.
Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns
Phylogeny| Motif | Similarity | Motif summary |
|---|---|---|
| L9B | 98.17% | The sharp elbows or (rarely) knees of the character resemble knives or awls. |
| A38B | 97.62% | The sun gets caught in a trap. Only a mouse or other small animal manages to gnaw through the trap and free the sun. |
| A38A | 97.43% | The sun is caught in a loop made of a woman's pubic hair. |
| M53B | 96.72% | Trickster claims he's carrying songs in his bag. See M53 motif. |
| M93A | 96.66% | 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. |
| L5E | 96.57% | The decapitated body of a woman pursues her husband, while her head pursues their children. |
| D4C | 96.54% | Characters obtain the warm season from its original owners. |
| B57A | 95.95% | Seeing the reddened sky, the character understands that another's blood has been spilled, or that another has spilled red liquid. See motif B57. |
| C6B | 95.82% | The desired object is brought up from the bottom by a muskrat (rarely a beaver or otter). |
| K19E | 95.24% | Returning from the sky to earth, a woman or two sisters encounter a male wolverine who tries to capture them. Usually, the women who have descended first find themselves in a tree. Some animals cannot or will not help them descend to the ground. The wolverine descends to take the sisters as wives; they run away from him. See motif K19B. |
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
35 recordedThis motif has been recorded in 35 traditions: Biu-Mandara: Margi, Kilba, Bura, Kera, Karekare (Kerri-Kerri), Bachama, Zulgo, Giziga, Hdi, Kapsiki, Mandara (incl Mukulehe, Matakam), Mofu (Mofu-Gudur), Somrai (Sibine, Shibha), Melanesians of the islands of Massim District ( =Milke Bay Province) to the east of New Guinea: Dobu, Rossel, Fergusson, Goodenough, Murua (Woodlark), Trobrian Islands, d'Entrecasteau Islands, Kerek, Reindeer Koryak, Maritime Koryak (Alyutor), St. Lawrence Island Yupik, Central Yupik, Upper Tanana (Nebesna), Tanacross, Inland Tlingit, Ingalik (Der Hit’an), Tanana, Polar Inuit, Eyak, Tlingit, Tsimshian, Bella Coola (Nuxalk), Western Ojibwa (Chippewa), Eastern Ojibwa (Missisauga, Timagami and other groups in eastern Ontario), Algonquin, unspecified Algonkians of the Midwest (probably Old Algonquin), Northern Ojibwa (=Severn Ojibwa, Sandy Lake Cree), Western Woods Cree, Eastern Cree, Montagnais, Menominee, Sauk (Sak, Mesquakie), Fox, Kickapoo, Potawatomi, Winnebago, Blackfoot, Sarsee (Tsuu T'ina), Arapaho, Santee, Gros Ventre, Plains Cree, Plains Ojibwa, Assiniboine
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