The Mythology and Folklore Database
F18C - Girls across the river, K1391.




34 Myths, Legends and Folktales
27 Unique Narratives for Motif F18C
20 Cultures & Traditions where F18C is told
37 Mythemes Indexed
3 Sub-Motifs of Motif F18C


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 Motif Summary  -   Motifs with Simlar Dispersals  -    Map of Myth Distribution   -   List of Traditions  -   Myths



Source Data from Berezkin's Analytics Catalogue, if using this data please acknowledge and link to it here:
Ю.Е. Березкин, Е.Н. Дувакин. Тематическая классификация и распределение фольклорно-мифологических мотивов по ареалам. Аналитический каталог.



Summary of Motif

The character sees a girl on the other side of the river and copulates with her in an unusual way (sends his penis across the river; turns it into a bridge for the girl to cross the river; into a dam that blocks the river in front of her; dives, swimming up to the girl underwater; sends an object into the girl's vagina). See motif F18B.

Berezkin category: Gender and sex

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


F18 has 3 other sub-motifs


F18a.  The penis of a male character is much longer than normal or becomes so. During intercourse, it usually crawls towards the woman like a snake. (Only texts with a focus on authenticity are included, not anecdotes).
F18b.  After intercourse with a forbidden partner (incest, intercourse with an animal or spirit), a man's penis becomes so long that he is forced to carry it in a basket, etc.
F18c.  The character sees a girl on the other side of the river and copulates with her in an unusual way (sends his penis across the river; turns it into a bridge for the girl to cross the river; into a dam that blocks the river in front of her; dives, swimming up to the girl underwater; sends an object into the girl's vagina). See motif F18B.
F18d.  Female genitals were enormous in size.

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Top 10 Motifs with similar dispersal patterns

MotifSimilarityMotif Summary
L1B199.13%A woman comes into conflict with her brothers and turns into a dangerous demon.
D4M98.89%The thief comes to the owners of fire or light. They feast or dance. He joins them and steals their valuables when the moment is right. See motif D4A.
L33F98.67%A rock or boulder pursues a character. The character calls for help, and the nightjar splits the rock into pieces.
F6498.63%The character is presented as another person in order to mate with a close relative in the descending or (less commonly) ascending line.
K21A98.58%A celestial being marries an earthly woman. She longs to return to earth and secretly descends from her husband.
A32B198.36%A woman sits (jumps) on the face (back) of the Moon Man and is now visible in the silhouette of the moon spots.
K25D98.19%After digging up the root, a person pierces the sky or the earth, sees the world below, and descends there. Usually, the hole is made by a woman who has fallen into the sky; her husband, a sky dweller, or his relatives forbid her to dig up a certain root; breaking the ban, the woman sees the earth below and decides to descend. See motif K19B.
I10598.17%One of the constellations is associated with the hand (with five marked fingers).
F64A98.15%Leaving or pretending to be dying, the character gives instructions to a relative regarding what he or she should do to get married, indicating a partner with certain characteristics, or the character indicates the place of a future meeting with this partner; or (Philippines) describes a person who should be accepted as a guest; comes himself under the guise of the person mentioned. See motif F64.
F28C98.14%A woman masturbates with the penis of a large animal that one of the men killed while hunting.

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Map of Motif Dispersal

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This motif has been recorded in 20 traditions: Greeks (modern), Balkarians, Abkhaz, Abkhazians, Karachays, Balkar, Miami, Illini, Winnebago, Blackfoot, Arapaho, Iowa, Pawnee, Gros Ventre, Shuswap, Thompson (Nlaka'pamux), Lushootseed (Puget Sound: Puyallup, Nisqualmi, Snuqualmi, Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Snohomish, Skagit), Nez Perce, Quileute, Chemakum (Hoh), Tillamook, Oregon Athabaskans: Lower Umpqua, Tututni (incl Joshua), Upper Coquille, Galice, Tolowa, Shasta; Chimariko, Hupa, Chilula, Upper Chinook: Wasco, Wishram, Clackamas, Kathlamet


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