The Mythology and Folklore Database
M42B - Resin eyes




40 Myths, Legends and Folktales
40 Unique Narratives for Motif M42B
26 Cultures & Traditions where M42B is told
0 Mythemes Indexed
3 Sub-Motifs of Motif M42B


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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

After losing his eyes, the character makes new ones out of resin or wax, sees again (often this is an episode on the way to finding good eyes, while tar eyes do not see well).

Berezkin category: Adventures: Tricks and episodes

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


M42 has 3 other sub-motifs


M42.  The character takes his eyes out of his orbits and loses them. He usually regains his eyes later, makes new ones, takes away from another character, etc. See the M41 motif.
M42a.  The character (usually after losing his own eyes) inserts seeds or berries into his eye sockets and sees again.
M42b.  After losing his eyes, the character makes new ones out of resin or wax, sees again (often this is an episode on the way to finding good eyes, while tar eyes do not see well).
M42c.  Falling off a cliff and breaking his leg, the character eats his bone marrow.

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Top 10 Motifs with similar dispersal patterns

MotifSimilarityMotif Summary
M1999.18%The character ties another person (usually a child) to the end of a line, using them as bait or forcing them to catch fish with their hands.
M8799.03%The character comes to a place that is abandoned or seems to have been abandoned by the inhabitants. He tries to take or touch things, but invisible owners prevent him from doing so, or the things themselves hurt him.
M3298.94%The character swallows food or water, or his own entrails, pieces of flesh flow out and fall out of his ass.
L31A98.45%An object descends from the sky. Children playing climb into it or stick to it, and it carries them away to the sky. See motif L31.
M2298.38%A long-necked bird living near water (crane, heron, bittern, swan) helps a fugitive escape from his pursuer (indicated in brackets). See motifs J44-J46 (a long-legged bird helps cross the river, drowns the pursuer; the pursuer is most often a bear).
K8697.87%A small (usually capricious) child is ignored, sent away from home, abandoned on the road, or given to another person for a time. As a result, the child is carried away by an animal or a spirit.
F5897.27%The character spends the night with a group of women, concealing his nature and/or intentions. In the end, he is either identified and punished, or he slips away to continue his mischief.
B5196.91%Thanks to a deliberate lie, Thunder did not learn from the bloodsucking insect that it had drunk human blood.
H1596.14%The dead or spirits cannot hear cries when the living call them, but they can hear whispers, yawns, gurgles, etc. See motif H12.
M4195.99%The character throws his eyes (an inhaler has a tooth) up or into the distance. At first they return to the eye sockets, but then they disappear.

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Map of Motif Dispersal

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This motif has been recorded in 26 traditions: Western Sami, Eastern Sami (including Skolts), Chipewyan, Gwich'in (Kuchin, Loucheux), Eastern Cree, Kiowa Apache, Plains Cree, Assiniboine, Carrier, Lkungen (Straits; including Samish, Songish, Sooke, Lummi), Klallam, Kutenai, Maidu, Nisenan, Konkov, Achomavi, Ute, Navajo, Jicarilla, Western Apache (White Mountain, San Carlos), Hopi, Western Keres (Acoma, Laguna), Eastern Keres (Cochiti, Sia, San Felipe, Santo Domingo, Santa Ana, Paguate, Seama), Seri, Pima, Mundurucu, Curuaia, Rikbaktsa, Caraja, Cayapo (incl. Kubenkranken, Pau d’Arco, Shikrin or Xikrin)


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