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M29L - Trickster - Possum
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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
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-motifsM29. 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. Click here if would you like to see a distrbution map combining all of M29's motifs? |
Top 10 Motifs with similar dispersal patterns
| Motif | Similarity | Motif Summary |
|---|---|---|
| L5D | 99.35% | The rolling head suffers from thirst. See motif L5. |
| F29 | 99.31% | A girl (woman) sits on the ground and copulates with a snake, worm or eel that crawls out of the ground towards her. This usually happens when she is busy with housework (cooking, weaving, etc.). |
| J15B | 99.30% | While travelling, a woman finds herself in the house of a frog or toad. See motif J15. |
| M29W | 99.28% | 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. |
| F32 | 99.22% | Small children or a single infant, who temporarily transform into adult men and/or emerge from their mother's womb, or a snake living in a woman's womb, climb a tree and help her gather fruit, bark, tree mushrooms, etc.; or a father discovers his daughter's connection with a snake when he climbs a tree to gather fruit for her. |
| B22A | 99.22% | Boys climb a tree to eat fruit and refuse to throw the fruit down to the tapir, who tries to kill the boys. |
| E9K | 99.22% | The husband or wife is the embodiment of honey or a human bee. |
| F84 | 99.22% | A guest or younger brother has sexual intercourse with the wife of the host or older brother. Wanting to demonstrate long abstinence, the character sprinkles ash on the head of his penis or smears it with fruit juice. |
| M10 | 99.00% | A girl or woman gets stuck in a hollow while extracting honey, or greedily sucks honey in some other way and as a result dies or undergoes a metamorphosis; a woman stuck in a narrow passage turns into honey, into a honey bee. |
| B24 | 98.94% | People who have entered into conflict or violated a prohibition are transformed into wild boars or peccaries. |
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Map of Motif Dispersal
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This motif has been recorded in 18 traditions: Yana, Sicuani, Sanema, Yanomamo (Yanoama): Yanomam, Yanomami, Napo (Quijo), Kanelo (“Jungle Kechua”), Shuar, Achuar (Shiwiar), Barasana, Taibano, Macuna, Desana, Siriano; Tatuyo, Bara, Tuyuca, Wanana, Tucano proper, Pira-Tapuya, Arapaso, Tariana, Witoto, Ocaina, Maue (Mawe), Lower Amazon (XIX century data, mostly from Santarem area), tribal affiliation unknown, Tupinamba, Urubu (Urubu-Kaapor), Tenetehara, Mundurucu, Curuaia, Biloxi