The Mythology and Folklore Database
K66C - Bear marriage.
Please log on to view the narratives.
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
A bear (lion) takes a woman away, or a she-bear takes a man away. They have children who are either human or bear-like in appearance. Less commonly, a woman gives birth to a son in a den because she was pregnant at the time of her abduction by the bear.Berezkin category: Adventures: Acts of heroes
This is of motif type Adventures and tricks and is part group 10, Adventures
K66 has 4 other sub-motifsK66. 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". K66a. The princess (inheritance) is given to the one who builds (obtains) a ship capable of moving on land (flying through the air). K66b. Travelling from one place to another, the hero leaves one of his companions in each place (usually marrying them to the princesses he has received as a reward), and continues on his way. When he gets into trouble, his companions come to his aid. K66c. A bear (lion) takes a woman away, or a she-bear takes a man away. They have children who are either human or bear-like in appearance. Less commonly, a woman gives birth to a son in a den because she was pregnant at the time of her abduction by the bear. K66d. A boy who grew up (was conceived) in a bear's den (lion's cave) becomes a bogatyr. Click here if would you like to see a distrbution map combining all of K66's motifs? |
Top 10 Motifs with similar dispersal patterns
| Motif | Similarity | Motif Summary |
|---|---|---|
| A32E | 97.54% | On the lunar (rarely: solar) disc, a character holding an object or animal is visible. See motif A32D. |
| L72A | 96.02% | Fleeing for his life, the character throws behind him a comb (brush), which turns into an obstacle (almost always thickets) in the path of his pursuer. (In South America, this motif is most likely of European origin). See Andreev 1929, No. 313.I. |
| B87 | 94.85% | Alcor (a faint star next to the second star of the Big Dipper's handle) stands out as a separate celestial object. |
| I22C | 93.77% | The character safely slips, sails or flies through the opening, which then slams shut, but the edge of the stern of the boat, the tail of an animal or bird, the body of a riding animal, the hero's companion or his own heel is crushed, torn off, etc. |
| I45A | 93.57% | Pointing at or staring at the moon or stars will cause illness (death) or the pointing finger to rot or wither. |
| M29B1 | 93.56% | As a result of his stupidity or antisocial behavior, the wolf dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets. |
| A23A | 93.45% | Arguing about superiority or seniority, the characters agree to decide in favour of the one who first sees the rising sun (the beginning of the year). The winner is the one whose victory seemed unlikely. (In Uther 2004(1), No. 120: 87, the definition of the motif includes the detail that the winner looks not to the east but to the west and sees the tops of trees illuminated by rays of light. In Europe, in most cases (except for the Scots) that have been verified, this detail is indeed present. However, it is absent in American and some Asian traditions). |
| M109 | 93.44% | A zoomorphic character sits down, lowering his tail (penis) so that something edible will stick to it, but as a result he is left without a tail (penis) or dies. Cf. motifs M109A, M109C. |
| I46 | 93.43% | Rainbow – an ornamented part of clothing, bright fabric, decoration, belt. |
| K74A | 93.26% | A demonic character arrives and mocks one of the men remaining in the house. When the hero remains, he defeats the demon and follows in his footsteps to where he dwells. Cf. motif K74 (an unassuming and weak-looking man approaches a warrior preparing dinner; he eats everything, ties up, beats or kills the cook. When the hero remains to cook, he defeats the demon). |
See more...
Please log on to view the narratives.
Map of Motif Dispersal
Click here for a clustered map
Drag the map around by clicking and using the mouse, use the wheel to zoom
This motif has been recorded in 59 traditions: Sinhalese; Vedda, Koreans, Spain, Spaniards, Portuguese, Portugal, Basques, Catalan, Aragon, France, Germans: North (Low- and Central German dialects): Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg, Pommern, Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony, incl East Frisia and Oldenburg), Nordrhein-Westfalen, Hessen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Thüringen, Saxony-Anhalt, Sachsen, Brandenburg, Rügen, Slovakians, Slovaks, Bulgarians, Balkarians, Macedonians, Balkarians, Serbs, Monte Negro, Balkarians, Ancient Greece, Livonians, Setu, Karelians, 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, Yagnobi, Cherkassians, Adyghe, Kabardin, Ingush, Georgians, Kalmyk, Uyghur, Bashkirs, Mordvins, Mansi, Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Oirats (incl Torgouts, Derbets, Oilots), Tuvinians of Tuva, Tuvans, Khakas, Shor, Southern Selkups, Central Yakuts (Sakha), Dolgans, Udeghe, Nanai, Negidal, Forest (Upper Kolyma) Yukaghir, Chuvans, Russian-speaking Creols of Markovo, Chukchi, Chugach, Tutchone, Tahltan, Tanana, Iglulik, Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Sauk (Sak, Mesquakie), Fox, Kickapoo, Assiniboine, Lower Chinook (Chinook proper), Tewa (San Juan, Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, Tesuque, Nambe; Hano), Tiwa (Taos, Picuris; Sandia, Isleta), Towa (Jemez), Galicians, Italians: Central (Toscana, Umbria, Marche, Lazio), Antarctica