Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif

N4 — Fused ribs

44 Myths, legends and folktales
44 Unique narratives for motif N4
22 Cultures & traditions where N4 is told
0 Sub-motifs of motif N4
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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

Fused ribs are a sign of heroic strength. {The motive was highlighted and the material was collected by Kostyantin Rahno}.

Berezkin category: Fabulous and epic formulas

This is of motif type Adventures and tricks and is part of group 13, Formulae.

Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Phylogeny
MotifSimilarityMotif summary
L12599.26%After meeting a beautiful woman, a man finds her in a situation where her inhuman nature is revealed. After that, the marriage falls apart.
I87A98.97%A character of gigantic size turns out to be small in comparison with a character of even greater size, or the same character turns out to be small in some episodes and gigantic in others.
K13998.55%A servant is so struck by the beauty of a girl (rarely: a boy) that he lets the meat or bread intended for his master burn.
I50A98.44%A demon sequentially tears off the legs of an animal that helps the hero (usually the horse on which the hero rides).
B46A97.60%One of the stars of the Pleiades was separated from the others (usually stolen by the stars of the Big Dipper and identified with Alcor).
M78F97.53%When a woman falls asleep, a joker (usually a tiny boy) places an embryo or the entrails of an animal or something similar next to her to make the woman herself or others think she has a miscarriage or that her viscera has fallen out.
K38B97.50%A snake or monster of aquatic-chthonic or indeterminate nature eats or maims the young of a bird or other flying creature โ€“ in most cases, the chicks of a huge bird. A man kills the snake (monster). See motif K38.
M149B97.31%A person says that in his stomach (in a box) there are dangerous creatures that he has swallowed (put in a box) and that they may come out. A predator that is about to eat (bite) a person believes this and runs away.
M39A6B97.30%The ruler, to whom the master builder went to work, is going to kill or maim him. The master asks to send a person to his house asking him to bring a forgotten instrument or something else. The daughter-in-law understands the true meaning of the request, captivates the messenger and saves her father-in-law.
L9097.29%One lip (one fang, horn, etc.) of the creature reaches the sky, while the other drags along the ground.

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Map of motif dispersal

Distribution

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Traditions

22 recorded

This motif has been recorded in 22 traditions: Lithuanians, Western Ukrainians, Byelarusians, Belarusians, Dargin (Dargwa), incl. Mรผregin, Khรผrkilin, Kubachi, Svans, Georgians, Kalmyk, Kazakh, Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Oirats (incl Torgouts, Derbets, Oilots), Mongols (Khalkha), Darkhad, Tuvinians of Tuva, Tuvans, Shor, Southern Altai: Altai proper (Altai-Kiji), Telengit, Altaians, Northern Altai: Chelkan, Kumanda, Tubalar, Altaians, Chulym Turks, Southern Altai: Teleut, Eastern Ukrainians, Northern Ukrainians, Buryats: Eastern (trans Baikal), i.e. Khori, China

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