The Mythology and Folklore Database
K167 - The Child King.




12 Myths, Legends and Folktales
12 Unique Narratives for Motif K167
12 Cultures & Traditions where K167 is told
0 Mythemes Indexed
1 Sub-Motifs of Motif K167


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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

A boy plays, pretending to be a king and demonstrating wisdom and/or magical abilities.

Berezkin category: Adventures: Acts of heroes

This is of motif type Adventures and tricks and is part group 10, Adventures


K16 has 1 other sub-motifs


K16.  Taking the form of a bird, bat, insect, small animal, or fish, the man enters the young woman's home (her father's house).
K16a.  In an effort to show that he is a good hunter, a man regularly walks in front of a girl, pretending to carry prey. Once he slips, and the imaginary prey turns out to be a scarecrow stuffed with ashes or a bundle of termites.

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Top 10 Motifs with similar dispersal patterns

MotifSimilarityMotif Summary
M171D98.06%The character exchanges one thing for another and ultimately receives a musical instrument (usually a drum).
L16B98.06%The eyes or mouths of creatures are located on joints (knees, etc.).
B11697.68%The first book (writing, important document) is eaten by an animal or a person. (In some European traditions, the eating of the book is not described, but is implied from the context). Cf. ATU 200. Cf. Thompson 1955-1958. †A2219.2. Cow swallows book; cause of maniplies in stomach.
M195A97.54%A character sends a long object that either looks the same at both ends or is inside a small object, and asks which end of the object is the top and which is the bottom. The guesser gives the correct answer.
K8097.21%The character transforms into objects or creatures, which another character systematically destroys. However, the character (usually a young woman) is reborn each time in a new form and eventually in her original form.
D4AA96.68%Moths try to steal the fire that humans possess.
K56D95.88%One man treats a bird, which brings a seed, and something valuable grows. Another deliberately cripples a bird, then treats it, and it brings a seed, and something harmful and terrible grows.
M14595.45%One character (usually zoomorphic) shows another his reflection in a body of water. The latter believes that a beast resembling him is challenging his seniority, invites him to visit, etc.; usually throws himself into the water and perishes.
H6D95.28%Having obtained a means of ensuring immortality, the character falls asleep or leaves the means unattended. At this time, another character steals the means.
K100E95.07%Fairy tales act as separate characters: they usually try to harm people, believing that a certain person does not treat them with due respect. Cf. motif L94d, "The Tale with a Tail".

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Map of Motif Dispersal

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This motif has been recorded in 12 traditions: Koreans, Western Ukrainians, Tajik, Armenians, Kirghiz, Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Mongols (Khalkha), Japanese folklore outside of Ryukyu, Eastern Ukrainians, Northern Ukrainians, Buryats: Eastern (trans Baikal), i.e. Khori, Japan


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