The Mythology and Folklore Database
M44B - Food thieves are women
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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
The character discovers that someone is stealing game or fish from his trap, mountain, etc. or ravages his garden, vegetable garden, field; he or his messengers wait and catch the thief. The kidnappers are women, or the aquatic animal is the kidnapper, but when caught, it gives the hero a woman.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
M44 has 2 other sub-motifsM44a. The character discovers that someone is stealing game or fish from his trap, mountain, etc. or ravages his garden, field; he or his messengers wait and catch the thief [magical tales clearly of European origin (e.g. Chamacoco, Wilbert, Simoneau 1987a, No. 121) are not included]. The kidnappers are the first people to get out of the ground, the first men. M44b. The character discovers that someone is stealing game or fish from his trap, mountain, etc. or ravages his garden, vegetable garden, field; he or his messengers wait and catch the thief. The kidnappers are women, or the aquatic animal is the kidnapper, but when caught, it gives the hero a woman. M44c. A young hero steals the older character's food. He is usually caught, but not punished, but invited into the house. Click here if would you like to see a distrbution map combining all of M44's motifs? |
Top 10 Motifs with similar dispersal patterns
| Motif | Similarity | Motif Summary |
|---|---|---|
| G23A | 95.08% | Parts of the body and organs of living beings are transformed into various plants (teeth into corn, testicles into yams, etc.). |
| M7A1 | 94.34% | Person gets to a place from which he is unable to come out. Several (more than two) different celestial bodies rise and move near him or above him. He puts attention to them (and asks their help) |
| I125 | 93.56% | Hyades (sometimes, possibly, Pleiades or Orion) – jaw or severed head of a large animal or anthropomorphic creature. |
| M7 | 93.06% | The character goes to the lower world, to the sky, to the country on the horizon, etc. and waits for someone to give him a ride to his goal. Usually, some animals/birds or celestial bodies follow by, and the last (often the Sun or Month) delivers. |
| M1B | 92.05% | A caiman/crocodile carries a monkey across a river. She manages to jump ashore and runs away from the caiman. |
| D12 | 91.71% | People in the past or inhabitants of distant lands cooked food in the sun; or the owner of the fire lies, saying that the food was cooked in this way. |
| I4A | 91.21% | Thunder falls to earth and cannot rise. Usually, a person helps it return to the sky. |
| I43A | 91.00% | A giant reptile, serpent, fish, or chain of fish stretches across the earth and/or supports the sky. Usually associated with the Milky Way, sometimes with a rainbow. |
| H4 | 90.67% | Those who change their skin (bark, clothing) are immortal (forever young). (Cf. motif K56a5a: Skinning oneself to become young: To become a young beauty, an old or ugly woman asks to have her skin skinned off). |
| B55 | 90.48% | Fish grow on tree branches or tree leaves turn into fish. |
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Map of Motif Dispersal
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This motif has been recorded in 28 traditions: Mehri; Harsusi, Jibbali (Shahri, Shauri), Fiji, Southern Cook Islands: Mangaia, Rarotonga, Atiu, Iatutakim Pukapuka, Tubuai (=Austral Islands, incl Rapa), Timor: Amarasi, Tetum, Meto, Atoni (incl Mollo), Kedang (Lomblen island), Leti Islands (Leti, Moa, Lakor), Alor, Solor, Wetar, Atauru, Bunak, Minahasa (incl. Tondano, Tentemboan), Bantik, Batak (Toba, Dairi), Northern Luzon: Apayao, Bontoc, Nabaloi (Ibaloi), Ifugao, Igorot (highland people, not specified), Ilocan, Ilongot, Isneg, Kalinga, Kankanay, Tingian (Tinggian, Bilongan Itneg); Ibanag, Kasiguran Agta, Keley-i Kallahan, Lepcha, Armenians, Shor, Nivkh, Chukchi, Tanana, Alabama, Koasati, Sicuani, Wapishana (incl Ataroi); Mapidian; Taruma, Waiwai, Hixkariyana, Pemon: Arekuna (incl. Kamarakoto), Taulipang (Taurepan), Colorado (Tsachila), Aguaruna, Huambiza, Desana, Siriano; Tatuyo, Bara, Tuyuca, Witoto, Ocaina, Chorote, Congo, Palau