The Mythology and Folklore Database
K52B - Broken axe.




6 Myths, Legends and Folktales
6 Unique Narratives for Motif K52B
6 Cultures & Traditions where K52B is told
0 Mythemes Indexed
4 Sub-Motifs of Motif K52B


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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 hero comes to capture the daughter of a supernatural creature. He sees a slave breaking an axe (adze, wedge). The hero repairs the axe, and the slave helps him in return. See motif K52.

Berezkin category: Adventures: Acts of heroes

This is of motif type Adventures and tricks and is part group 10, Adventures


K52 has 4 other sub-motifs


K52.  A woman or young man who approaches the shore is carried away by predatory sea creatures to the bottom of the sea; a character descends to rescue the kidnapped person and brings him or her back with the help of cunning and shamanic powers.
K52a.  The hero goes to the bottom of the sea for a woman. The slave pours water into the hearth in the house of the water dwellers. Hiding behind clouds of steam, the hero takes the woman away. See motif K52.
K52b.  The hero comes to capture the daughter of a supernatural creature. He sees a slave breaking an axe (adze, wedge). The hero repairs the axe, and the slave helps him in return. See motif K52.
K52c.  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).
K52c1.  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. One episode: the magical specialist orders those present to catch the birds or fish that have appeared with the water, or they begin to catch them on their own initiative; when the water disappears, people see that they are holding not caught animals, but their penises or something else.

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Top 10 Motifs with similar dispersal patterns

MotifSimilarityMotif Summary
B3599.97%The bear hastily puts his left moccasin on his right foot and vice versa, which is why he is club-footed.
K5299.97%A woman or young man who approaches the shore is carried away by predatory sea creatures to the bottom of the sea; a character descends to rescue the kidnapped person and brings him or her back with the help of cunning and shamanic powers.
L1F99.89%The sister, using magic or transforming herself into a monster, kills her brothers in revenge for the death of her lover or husband.
M61A99.83%To get valuables, the character provokes a quarrel between their owners. When they start fighting each other, valuables fall out of their bodies and end up at the character's disposal.
K43A99.55%People leave a boy, a girl, a sister and brother, a young woman or young spouses alone and depart. Someone sympathises with those who have been abandoned and secretly hides fire for them.
L5799.28%The character loses an internal organ or part of the body, which is taken away by others; he approaches unnoticed and takes back what was lost.
K52A99.20%The hero goes to the bottom of the sea for a woman. The slave pours water into the hearth in the house of the water dwellers. Hiding behind clouds of steam, the hero takes the woman away. See motif K52.
L72F98.72%Fleeing for his life, the character throws behind him the entrails or stomach contents of an animal, which become an obstacle in the path of his pursuer.
M53D98.60%The character pretends to be enemies coming; when people run away in fear, the character takes what the deceived people owned.
K27B98.40%Test: smoke a huge or poisonous pipe or breathe in clouds of poisonous smoke. See motif K27.

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Map of Motif Dispersal

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This motif has been recorded in 6 traditions: Eyak, Haida, Tsimshian, Carrier, Sechelt (incl Sisiatl), Squamish, Halcomelem, Halkomelem (Snaymuk)


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