The Mythology and Folklore Database
K60B - Invitation to the Coffin, ATU 330B, G514.1.




123 Myths, Legends and Folktales
121 Unique Narratives for Motif K60B
60 Cultures & Traditions where K60B is told
265 Mythemes Indexed
2 Sub-Motifs of Motif K60B


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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 is invited to find out whether the box or pit is the right size for him, whether he can crawl through the opening, climb into the bag, etc., after which he is locked in a coffin, box, barrel, buried, etc. Cf. motif M56D.

Berezkin category: Adventures: Acts of heroes

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


K60 has 2 other sub-motifs


K60a.  Unaware of the danger, the character allows himself to be tightly bound.
K60b.  The character is invited to find out whether the box or pit is the right size for him, whether he can crawl through the opening, climb into the bag, etc., after which he is locked in a coffin, box, barrel, buried, etc. Cf. motif M56D.
K60c.  The stubborn wife of a worthy man goes on a date with a demon or a servant. He beats her, but she patiently endures her lover's beatings.

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Top 10 Motifs with similar dispersal patterns

MotifSimilarityMotif Summary
K6699.36%Each of several companions or brothers excels others in some way (sees, hears, runs, etc. better than anyone else). Cf. motif K2B, "Gorynya and Dubyna".
K10398.65%A domestic animal (horse, cow, bull, goat, ram, sheep) helps an orphan, a lonely child, or an unfortunate young woman.
K33H98.60%A person finds a magical object that grants any wish. This object is stolen. It is returned by animals (which the hero had previously saved).
K2A98.59%The character is sent down to the underworld (into an abyss, a well, etc.). After he sends the treasures (women) he has obtained back up, his envious companions cut the rope, but he manages to return to earth. See motifs K38, K39, K74.
K8898.51%Two people set off on a journey or argue about which is stronger: truth or falsehood (stinginess or generosity, etc.). The evil one abandons the good one, crippling or robbing him, but the good one regains his health and achieves success. The villain usually perishes.
M10698.47%The character calls himself by a fictitious name, which others understand not as a proper name, but as a common noun with a specific meaning.
M57D98.43%A person consistently receives magical items that bring wealth. Others replace them or take them away. A person returns what has been taken - usually by receiving another wonderful object (baton, whip) that hits the kidnappers.
K5698.41%One of the girls, young women or young girls (wives of one man) meets a character who is able to reward and punish. She behaves correctly and receives a reward. Another (others) tries to repeat everything, but behaves incorrectly and is punished (rarely: not rewarded).
L37B98.33%By accidentally overhearing a conversation between animals or spirits, a person learns how to help themselves and others.
M11498.25%The character is asked to make (or actually makes) a rope or other object out of sand, ash, smoke, etc.

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Map of Motif Dispersal

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This motif has been recorded in 60 traditions: Aramaic (Syrians), Zande (Azande, incl Nzakara), Kikuyu, Chuka, Embu, Emberre, Mwimbe, Mbundu (Umbundu, Kimbundu, Chimbundu, Ovimbundu), Kwanyama, Owambo (=Ambo), Luchasi (Ngangela), Chokwe (Konwe); Mbukushu, Aka, Baka (Badjue) and other Western (Bantu speaking) Pygmies, Dan (=Gio), Guro (=Kweni, incl Gagu, Neio), Toura, Mano, Ngere, Beng, Guro , Akan, Ashanti, Akwapim; Ga (Accra), Kra, Twi (Chwi, Chi), Bia: Anyi, Agni, Baule, Nsema, Toraja (Toradja), To Mori, Baree (=Eastern Toraja), Eastern Arunachal Pradesh: Abor (incl Minyong, Shimong, Padam, Pasi, Panggi), Apa Tani (Apatani), Bori, Bugun, Dafla (=Nyishi, Nisi, Nishing, incl Tagin), Gallong (=Galo, Adi), Mishmi, Chin-Naga: Ao, Mao, Sema, Zeme, Kolren, Kom, Lhota, Rengma, Angami, Kabui, Tangkhul, Koirenf, Kachin (Singpho), Chak, Tamil, Muthuvan, Marvar, Tamils, Bengali, Himachali-Pahari (Western Pahari), Sinhalese; Vedda, Wales, Maltese, Sicily, Sicilians, Sardinia, Corsica, Sardinians, Corsicans, France, Greeks (modern), Balkarians, Bulgarians, Balkarians, Serbs, Monte Negro, Balkarians, Croatians, Croats; Italians of Dalmatia (if the motif is absent among other Italians), Romanians, Moldavians, Aromanians, Moldovans, Albanians, Balkarians, Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, Finns, Vepsians, Norwegians, Western Ukrainians, Byelarusians, Belarusians, Russians: Central part of ethnic territory as in A.D. 1500 (Tver, Yaroslavl, Moscow, Kostroma, Vladimir, Ivanovo, Nizhny Novgorod, Ryazan, Tula, Kaluga, Smolensk provinces; in case of absence in other areas also Russians in Vyatka, Perm, Kazan provinces), Uzbek, Yazgulami, Tajik, Persians, Ossetians, Ingush, Georgians, Kurds, Mari (Cheremis), Chuvash, Udmurt, Khakas, Shor, Tungus (Evenki): Baikal region, Evenks, Udeghe, Koyukon, Gwich'in (Kuchin, Loucheux), Paez, Guambia, Pijao; Ilama culture, Aimara, Central Tibetans (Yu Tsang, incl. Sikkim Tibetans, Tichurong of NW Nepal), Italians: Central (Toscana, Umbria, Marche, Lazio), Congo, Egypt


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