The Mythology and Folklore Database
M29B2 - The bear is a loser and a loser




185 Myths, Legends and Folktales
185 Unique Narratives for Motif M29B2
133 Cultures & Traditions where M29B2 is told
12 Mythemes Indexed
45 Sub-Motifs of Motif M29B2


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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

As a result of its stupidity or antisocial behavior, the bear dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets.

Berezkin category: Adventures: Tricks and episodes

This is of motif type Cosmology and etiology and is part group 9, Identification of protagonists of the stories with particular animals or persons with particular qualities


M29 has 45 other sub-motifs


M29.  trickster is defined as a protagonist in the following characteristic episodes.
M29a.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29a1.  In three or more different episodes related to deception, absurd, obscene or anti-social behavior the protagonist is raven (crow)
M29b.  Fox (a), Jackal, Coyote (or Wolf when, apparently, we mean a steppenwolf, i.e. the same coyote). See the motives in square brackets.
M29b1.  As a result of his stupidity or antisocial behavior, the wolf dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets.
M29b2.  As a result of its stupidity or antisocial behavior, the bear dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets.
M29b3.  As a result of its stupidity or antisocial behavior, the fox (jackal) dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets. If it is not specified that a “jackal”, then the protagonist is a fox.
M29c.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29d.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29E.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29f.  As a result of its stupidity or antisocial behavior, the wolverine dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets.
M29g.  See the motives in square brackets. They include traditions in which the hare/rabbit appears only as a trickster, and another trickster (usually a fox or jackal) often occurs.
M29g1.  In episodes involving deception, ridiculous, obscene, or antisocial behavior, the hare or rabbit is the main trickster. Traditions in which 1) a hare or rabbit occurs only once as a trickster, and another trickster (usually a fox/jackal/coyote) is typical; 2) Mesoamerican traditions in which a small rabbit is associated with a small a set of episodes and a high probability of recent African influences. See the motives in square brackets.
M29g2.  Cancer (crab) defeats or deceives strong opponents by cunning.
M29gg.  hedgehog defeats or deceives strong opponents by cunning.
M29h.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29i.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29j.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29k.  A turtle (toad, frog) defeats strong opponents by cunning or perseverance. See the motives in square brackets. The character is named if it is a toad or frog; otherwise, a turtle.
M29k1.  A turtle (toad, frog) gets into unpleasant situations due to its own stupidity or carelessness. See the motives in square brackets. The character is named if it is a toad or frog; otherwise, a turtle.
M29l.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29m.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29n.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29nn.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29o.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29o1.  As a result of its stupidity or antisocial behavior, the monkey dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets.
M29p.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29q.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29qq.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29r.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29S.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29T.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29v.  The character defeats or deceives strong opponents using cunning. The protagonists are dwarf ungulates, usually duker or deer - taxonomically distant from each other, but similar in appearance. In some publications on African traditions, it is difficult to determine which animal we are talking about, but it is certain that these are small cloven-hoofed animals, usually (always?) dukers. See the motives in square brackets.
M29w.  As a result of their stupidity or antisocial behavior, a jaguar (puma, ocelot) dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets. The character is named if it is a puma or ocelot; otherwise, a jaguar.
M29w1.  As a result of their stupidity or antisocial behavior, the leopard (panther, leopard) dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets.
M29w2.  As a result of its stupidity or antisocial behavior, the tiger dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets.
M29w3.  As a result of its stupidity or antisocial behavior, the lion dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets.
M29x.  As a result of its stupidity or antisocial behavior, the hyena dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets.
M29x1.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29X2.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29y.  See the motives in square brackets.
M29z.  hero of the story is a character named “Beardless” or Aldar-Kose (Aldar is a “deceiver”, a braid is “beardless”).
M29z1.  purely anthropomorphic character, or a character who bears the name of an animal or plant but does not act zoomorphic in the course of his adventures. See the motives in square brackets. {Data not fully entered}
M29z2.  Being smart and witty, the Gipsy overcomes strong adversaries
M29z3.  The Gipsy (more often a female than a male) is an enemy overcome by the hero (heroine) or (rare) a weak failure
M29z4.  

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Top 10 Motifs with similar dispersal patterns

MotifSimilarityMotif Summary
I45A96.67%Pointing at or staring at the moon or stars will cause illness (death) or the pointing finger to rot or wither.
I22C95.78%The character safely slips, sails or flies through the opening, which then slams shut, but the edge of the stern of the boat, the tail of an animal or bird, the body of a riding animal, the hero's companion or his own heel is crushed, torn off, etc.
K27S95.50%Competition: running, racing. See motif K27.
M8494.73%A person, animal, fish, or (rarely) a large fruit is killed and eaten. After a meal, what is eaten revives, usually after the bones (seeds) are put together. Cf. motive C16.
B8794.19%Alcor (a faint star next to the second star of the Big Dipper's handle) stands out as a separate celestial object.
K1294.18%The hero returns the woman whom his enemy or rival tried to take away from him.
A32E93.08%On the lunar (rarely: solar) disc, a character holding an object or animal is visible. See motif A32D.
M29B92.79%Fox (a), Jackal, Coyote (or Wolf when, apparently, we mean a steppenwolf, i.e. the same coyote). See the motives in square brackets.
K66C92.59%A bear (lion) takes a woman away, or a she-bear takes a man away. They have children who are either human or bear-like in appearance. Less commonly, a woman gives birth to a son in a den because she was pregnant at the time of her abduction by the bear.
M29B392.21%As a result of its stupidity or antisocial behavior, the fox (jackal) dies or suffers damage. See the motives in square brackets. If it is not specified that a “jackal”, then the protagonist is a fox.

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Map of Motif Dispersal

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This motif has been recorded in 133 traditions: Southeast Australia: Kamilaroi, Yualarai (Ualarai, Euahlayi), Milpulo (Mailpurgu), Wuradjeri (Wiradjurim, Wiradjeri, Wurundjeri, Yarra, Yarra Yarra), Wongaibon (Wonghibon), Noongahburrah (Narran, Narran River), Kurnai, and many others (see file 0.doc), Burmese, Intha, Shan, Ahom, Khampti, Palaung (De Ang, Deang), Khmu (Kammu), Puoc, Dards (Kalash, Kho, Kohistani, Shina, Pashai), Early Chinese written sources, Koreans, Spain, Spaniards, France, Dutch, Flemish, Germans: North (Low- and Central German dialects): Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg, Pommern, Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony, incl East Frisia and Oldenburg), Nordrhein-Westfalen, Hessen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Thüringen, Saxony-Anhalt, Sachsen, Brandenburg, Rügen, Poles, Slovakians, Slovaks, Hungarians, Greeks (modern), Balkarians, Bulgarians, Balkarians, Serbs, Monte Negro, Balkarians, Slovenians, Slovenes, Romanians, Moldavians, Aromanians, Moldovans, Albanians, Balkarians, Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, Setu, Finns, Karelians, Vepsians, Western Sami, Norwegians, Swedes, Western Ukrainians, Byelarusians, Belarusians, Russians: Central part of ethnic territory as in A.D. 1500 (Tver, Yaroslavl, Moscow, Kostroma, Vladimir, Ivanovo, Nizhny Novgorod, Ryazan, Tula, Kaluga, Smolensk provinces; in case of absence in other areas also Russians in Vyatka, Perm, Kazan provinces), Uzbek, Yazgulami, Sarikoli, Yagnobi, Tajik, Persians, Abkhaz, Abkhazians, Karachays, Balkar, Ossetians, Ingush, Georgians, Armenians, Crimean Tatars, Karaims, Azeris (Azerbaijanis), Kurds, Hui (Dungan) of Xinjiang, Gansu, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan (Dungan texts from Southern and Eastern China are clustered with the Chinese ones), Bashkirs, Mari (Cheremis), Mordvins, Chuvash, Udmurt, Komi (Zyrians and Permyaks), Mansi, Eastern Khanty (Ostyaks), Forest Nenets, Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Tuvinians of Tuva, Tuvans, Khakas, Shor, Southern Altai: Altai proper (Altai-Kiji), Telengit, Altaians, Nganasans, Kets, Dolgans, Tungus (Evenki): Baikal region, Evenks, Evens (Lamuts), Ainu, Japanese folklore outside of Ryukyu, Udeghe, Nanai, Negidal, Nivkh, Kerek, Forest (Upper Kolyma) Yukaghir, Chuvans, Russian-speaking Creols of Markovo, Chukchi, Aleuts, Chugach, Chipewyan, Tutchone, Tagish, Tahltan, Koyukon, Tanana, Gwich'in (Kuchin, Loucheux), North Alaskan Inupiat, Copper, Netsilik, Labrador Inuit (Koksoagmiut), Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Heiltsuk (Bellabella), Oowekeeno, Lenape (Delaware), Montagnais, Menominee, Miami, Illini, Blackfoot, Plains Cree, Plains Ojibwa, Assiniboine, Shuswap, Thompson (Nlaka'pamux), Comox, Pentlatch, Lushootseed (Puget Sound: Puyallup, Nisqualmi, Snuqualmi, Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Snohomish, Skagit), Lower Chehalis, Upper Chehalis, (Lower) Cowlitz, Western Sahaptin (Upper Cowlitz, Klikitat, Tenino, Umatilla, Yakima, Wallawalla), Nez Perce, Quileute, Chemakum (Hoh), Takelma, Oregon Athabaskans: Lower Umpqua, Tututni (incl Joshua), Upper Coquille, Galice, Tolowa, Flathead, Shasta; Chimariko, Klamath, Modoc, Choctaw, Chicasaw, Cherokee, Pomo, Maidu, Nisenan, Konkov, Achomavi, Yokuts, Tubatulabal, Navajo, Jicarilla, Chiricahua, Mocovi; Kechua of Santiago del Estero with probable Guaikuruan substratum; Abipon, Central Tibetans (Yu Tsang, incl. Sikkim Tibetans, Tichurong of NW Nepal), Upper Chinook: Wasco, Wishram, Clackamas, Kathlamet, Salars, Germans: South (Upper German dialects): Alsace (Elsass), Baden-Württemberg, Bawaria, Swabia, Switzerland, Bohemia, Sudeten, Austria, Lutsi (Ludza)


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