The Mythology and Folklore Database
H36K - Trees try to destroy people.




2 Myths, Legends and Folktales
2 Unique Narratives for Motif H36K
2 Cultures & Traditions where H36K is told
0 Mythemes Indexed
17 Sub-Motifs of Motif H36K


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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

Trees try to prevent humans from appearing on earth, fearing that they will cut them down.

Berezkin category: Paradise Lost


H36 has 17 other sub-motifs


H36.  A character is sent to deliver instructions or certain items. The messenger distorts the message, brings the wrong items, loses what he is carrying, delays (and is overtaken by another messenger). This has important consequences for him and for the future lives of the people.
H36a.  The character distorts the message conveyed to him, deliberately lies, brings the wrong thing, loses what he is carrying, delays (and is overtaken by another messenger). As a result, people become mortal (they do not revive after death).
H36aa.  The messenger must tell people what they should do if they want to avoid death, but he distorts the instructions and people become mortal. In Mesoamerican variants, it is not about people in general, but about a specific character.
H36b.  The chameleon is to blame for the fact that man is mortal or that he must labour; he loses the trust placed in him by the deity. See motif H36.
H36c.  The lizard is to blame for the fact that man is mortal. See motif H36.
H36d.  The hare distorts God's command and/or is responsible for the fact that humans are mortal. See motif H36.
H36e.  The rat is to blame for the fact that man is mortal.
H36f.  The raven is sent to deliver an important item or message. He distorts the message or loses what has been entrusted to him.
H36ff.  The raven (crow) or other large bird of prey tries to kill people and/or is responsible for the fact that humans (tigres: domestic animals) are mortal or susceptible to disease.
H36g.  God sends a messenger to the people to tell them to eat infrequently (once a day, once every three days, etc.). The messenger says that one should eat often – at least two or three times a day.
H36g1.  When a bull (ox, cow) is ordered to convey certain instructions to people, he confuses them or deliberately distorts them.
H36g2.  When a character, who later became a dung beetle, was ordered to convey certain instructions to people, he distorted them.
H36gg.  The coyote is to blame for the fact that humans are mortal.
H36h.  Creatures, including a frog or toad, must cross an obstacle. This does not go as planned and results in humans becoming mortal.
H36hh.  The frog or toad is to blame for the fact that humans are mortal.
H36i.  The goat or sheep is to blame for the fact that man is mortal. See motif H36.
H36j.  The lark is to blame for the fact that man is mortal.
h36k.  Trees try to prevent humans from appearing on earth, fearing that they will cut them down.

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No dispersal data found for motif 'h36k'.

Top 10 Motifs with similar dispersal patterns

MotifSimilarityMotif Summary
A10.00%Another sun — less powerful or less favourable to humans — existed before the appearance of the current one.
A100.00%The sun gets its sparkling eyes (eye) from an animal.
A11A0.00%The visible sun or moon are their eyes; if the eyes of the luminaries were not damaged, it would be much brighter and hotter.
A11B0.00%The sun or moon has one eye (usually the second eye is knocked out or sucked out, but sometimes the reason is not explained; among the Munduruku, the sun of the rainy season has lost both eyes, while the sun of the dry season has retained both). See motif 11A.
A11C0.00%The Sun and Moon kill a monster whose eyes shine differently. At first, the Moon takes the brighter eye, but then swaps with the Sun.
A120.00%A creature or creatures regularly (sunrise and sunset, winter and summer, night and day, phases of the moon) or occasionally (eclipses, eschatological catastrophes) attack the luminaries or block their light.
A12A0.00%During an eclipse or under other circumstances, predators attack the luminaries: wolves, bears, jaguars, pumas, dogs, foxes, raccoons. See motif A12.
A12B0.00%During an eclipse or at sunset (marked *), the luminaries are swallowed by a toad or frog.
A12C0.00%Eclipses of the sun, moon or their setting (marked*) are caused by a snake, lizard, dragon, fish or crocodile; these creatures attack the luminaries now or attacked them at the beginning of time. See motif A12.
A12D0.00%Birds attack the sun or moon during an eclipse (covering them with their wings) or (*) cover the sun during sunrise or sunset. See motif A12.

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Map of Motif Dispersal

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This motif has been recorded in 2 traditions: Wa (incl Kawa), Bulang, Central Yakuts (Sakha)


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