The Mythology and Folklore Database
L5G - The head of the older sister rolls after the younger one.
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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
Only the head remains of one of the sisters. It rolls after the other sister or sisters, or they take it with them; in the end, the head finds a place where it wants to settle.Berezkin category: Adventures: Monsters and evil spirits
This is of motif type Adventures and tricks and is part group 10, Adventures
L5 has 11 other sub-motifsL5. Describes or depicts a creature in the form of a skull or head without a body. L5A. A rolling head turns into a celestial object that emits or eclipses light (sun, moon, stars, fireball; it is the cause of eclipses). See motif L5. L5B. A rolling head turns into lightning/thunder. See motif L83. L5c. The monster head pursues celestial bodies, people, or attaches itself to someone else's body. See motif L5. L5d. The rolling head suffers from thirst. See motif L5. L5e. The decapitated body of a woman pursues her husband, while her head pursues their children. L5e1. A woman who has become a monster pursues her own children. L5f. Head, face or skull – a woman's husband, fiancé or son; not dangerous to her, brings wealth, saves from hunger, etc. L5g. Only the head remains of one of the sisters. It rolls after the other sister or sisters, or they take it with them; in the end, the head finds a place where it wants to settle. L5h. Two sisters or two brothers find themselves in the demon's house or in front of an obstacle. One of them crawls through a narrow hole. The other gets stuck. The brother or sister pulls him or her by the head, and the head is torn off. L5i. A multitude of rolling heads or skulls try to take a woman away. L5j. The rolling head laughs for no reason. See motif L5. Click here if would you like to see a distrbution map combining all of L5's motifs? |
Top 10 Motifs with similar dispersal patterns
| Motif | Similarity | Motif Summary |
|---|---|---|
| K56A8A | 100.00% | A girl goes to another world, behaves correctly, returns with an animal or an object, inside which her groom is found. Usually, another girl behaves incorrectly and suffers damage. |
| K89A | 99.95% | Having escaped danger, the girl or boy goes with their sister or brother. The sister or brother is crippled, rejects a number of places where they are to be left, and remains in the last place offered. See motif K89. |
| L42K | 99.89% | A demonic character regurgitates an axe (adze) to cut down a tree. |
| M140A | 99.85% | The fox cunningly ties up the wolf or man and runs away. |
| M74AB | 99.67% | Travelling in a boat or on a sledge, animal person (always the fox) steals food supplies or ruins objects and accordingly to his deeds, names different places. These names seem strange to the person’s companions (“River of broken arrows” and the like) |
| K56A3 | 99.23% | A wandering girl or young girl should not tie her shoelaces or the laces on her shoes or clothing. If she does so, she will get into trouble. |
| N10C | 99.23% | A girl is described, through whose body you can see her internal organs or the food she has swallowed. This is a sign of beauty. |
| M186 | 98.86% | An animal (fox, wolf, leopard) runs along the shore, while a fish (burbot, goby, catfish) swims in the water. The animal calls out to the fish, which is always ahead (usually keeping other fish at a distance, but in the Negidal variant, the motif of competition is omitted). |
| K89C | 98.62% | A girl parts with her brother or sister. He or she becomes the wife or husband of a bear and helps the girl. |
| K25A5 | 98.33% | The older brother is a hunter, the younger brother (rarely a sister) is a housekeeper. Learning that bird maidens come down to the younger brother, the older brother teaches the younger brother what he must do so that the older brother can catch one of them and make her his wife. The wife finds feather clothing and flies away (often the younger brother, out of simplicity, gives it to her), and the husband sets off in search of her. |
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Map of Motif Dispersal
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This motif has been recorded in 13 traditions: Zande (Azande, incl Nzakara), Mansi, Nganasans, Central Yakuts (Sakha), Tungus (Evenki): Baikal region, Evenks, Tungus (Evenki) of China (Solon, Birar, Oroqen, Manegir), Evenks, Tungus (Evenki): Russian Far East, Evenks, Western Tungus (Evenki), Western Siberia Tungus (Evenki): Sym River, Ket River, Nanai, Ilimpii Tungus/Evenki, Yerbogachen Tungus/Evenki, Tungus/Evenki of Nercha - Chita area