Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif
N10A — Transparent bones
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
OverviewA woman or (rarely) a man with a transparent body is described - bones are visible through the skin, bone marrow is visible through the bones. This transparency is a sign of beauty.
Berezkin category: Fabulous and epic formulas
This is of motif type Adventures and tricks and is part of group 13, Formulae.
N10 has 3 other sub-motifs
RelatedN10. A woman or (rarely) a man with a transparent body is described. This transparency is a sign of beauty.
N10a. A woman or (rarely) a man with a transparent body is described - bones are visible through the skin, bone marrow is visible through the bones. This transparency is a sign of beauty.
N10b. A girl or (rarely) a young man with a transparent neck is described, through which you can see the drinks and/or food that this girl or boy swallows. This neck is a sign of beauty.
N10c. A girl is described, through whose body you can see her internal organs or the food she has swallowed. This is a sign of beauty.
Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns
Phylogeny| Motif | Similarity | Motif summary |
|---|---|---|
| H43AA | 99.09% | Having created the human body, the creator leaves. At this time, his opponent spits on the figure, which has not yet come to life, smears it with mud, etc. |
| A29 | 98.98% | A character associated with the upper world and a character associated with the earth or the lower world each strive to possess a human being and pull him towards themselves. One or both rivals are women. The character of the upper world and/or the one for whom the struggle is being waged is associated with the luminaries â the sun, the moon, Venus. |
| C28 | 98.57% | A demonic character takes possession of a valuable item without which another character (and people) will perish. The demon is tricked into returning the valuable item. |
| B120 | 98.47% | There are creatures that sleep in winter, and frozen snot hangs from their noses. (Motif identified by Evgenia Korovina). |
| H27A1 | 97.50% | Reptiles and insects crawl out of holes in the ground, bringing disease. |
| J26A | 97.15% | Among children of a woman or two women living together, there is a boy and a puppy, or a puppy was placed with a woman, and her son was thrown out. The puppy lives with the woman and helps her. |
| K52C | 96.79% | Demonstrating his power, a shaman, sorcerer or other character with magical abilities causes the dwelling in which he and other people are located to begin to fill with water. Sometimes it is said that this water is an illusion and that those present also see animals (waterfowl, fish or marine mammals). |
| H27A | 96.56% | When creating the earth, a negative character asks a positive character for as much earth as is necessary to prop up a staff, stake. |
| B109 | 95.40% | A man grows fur and becomes a bear (the origin of bears). |
| I98B | 95.18% | The Pleiades â ducks, nest or wild duck egg. |
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
16 recordedThis motif has been recorded in 16 traditions: Byelarusians, Belarusians, Chuvash, Komi (Zyrians and Permyaks), Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Mongols (Khalkha), Shor, Northern Altai: Chelkan, Kumanda, Tubalar, Altaians, Central Yakuts (Sakha), Tungus (Evenki): Baikal region, Evenks, Tungus (Evenki) of China (Solon, Birar, Oroqen, Manegir), Evenks, Tungus (Evenki): Russian Far East, Evenks, Northern Khanty (Ostyaks), Southern Khanty (Ostyaks), Southern Altai: Teleut, Buryats: Eastern (trans Baikal), i.e. Khori, Russian Federation
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