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Berezkin/Duvakin Catalogue of Motifs
English translation, enhancements and additional metadata by Jonathan Fielder-White
Source: Berezkin and Duvakin's Analytical Catalogue · Original catalogue (Russian)
About the catalogue and its sources
Unless otherwise stated, narrative and tradition data comes from Berezkin and Duvakin's Thematic classification and distribution of folklore and mythological motifs by area (Analytical catalogue).
Original Berezkin/Duvakin catalogue (Russian)
The English translation uses AI assistance alongside manual verification. Errors may occur; consult the original source when in doubt.
N - Fabulous and epic formulas
| Ref ▲ | Title | Summary | Traditions | Narratives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N1 | Origins: when Altai was the size of a bump | The fabulous and epic texts start from the beginning, which states that today's huge objects were tiny at the time. | 14 | 39 |
| N2 | Origins: when the goat was a commander | Fabulous and epic texts start from the beginning, which states that animals were performing human social or economic functions at that time. | 14 | 46 |
| N3 | Hungry fingers | One finger says he's hungry and/or offers to steal something. The rest of the fingers express their opinion on this matter. | 27 | 32 |
| N4 | Fused ribs | Fused ribs are a sign of heroic strength. {The motive was highlighted and the material was collected by Kostyantin Rahno}. | 23 | 35 |
| N5 | Winter is recognized by frost, summer by rain | Long trips, hikes, flights, or battles are described using a formula that indicates that characters learn about winter through snow or frost, and summer through warmth, rain, dew or other similar signs. | 22 | 47 |
| N6 | Whip a horse | horse tells the rider to whip it so hard that his blood splashes, his skin peels off, the meat is cut to the bone, etc. The rider follows these instructions. | 15 | 22 |
| N7 | Three apples | fairy-tale text ends with a formula that says that three apples fell from the sky or tree, at least one of which went to the narrator. Or it is said that someone give/should give the narrator one or three apples. | 17 | 59 |
| N8 | A storyteller instead of a core | fairy-tale text ends with a formula that says that the characters placed the narrator in a gun or gun and fired a shot, or he jumped onto the core himself and thus arrived at the place where the fairy tale was performed | 20 | 28 |
| N9 | Who's coming closer? | Two characters discuss the rider's approach. A person with a higher social status explains that what seems like crows are actually clods of earth flying from under the horse's hooves, and what seems like snow, cloud or fog is falling from his foam or his breath. | 4 | 10 |
| N10 | Transparent body | A woman or (rarely) a man with a transparent body is described. This transparency is a sign of beauty. | 49 | 100 |
| N10a In N10 family | Transparent bones | A woman or (rarely) a man with a transparent body is described - bones are visible through the skin, bone marrow is visible through the bones. This transparency is a sign of beauty. | 17 | 45 |
| N10b In N10 family | Transparent neck | A girl or (rarely) a young man with a transparent neck is described, through which you can see the drinks and/or food that this girl or boy swallows. This neck is a sign of beauty. | 31 | 45 |
| N10c In N10 family | The insides are visible | A girl is described, through whose body you can see her internal organs or the food she has swallowed. This is a sign of beauty. | 11 | 14 |
| N11 | Like snow and blood, (ATU 709) | The character wants to have a child or spouse who is as white and blush as snow (milk) and blood. | 30 | 43 |
| N12 | Beard cloak | A powerful character makes or tells you to make a cloak or fur coat from human beards and/or mustaches. | 6 | 11 |
| N13 | Girl with scissors | A girl, a girl is associated with scissors (and a boy, a boy with a knife or an ax). | 9 | 13 |
| N14 | A storyteller at a wedding | fairy-tale text ends with a formula stating that the narrator attended a feast and/or wedding arranged by the characters of the fairy tale. | 57 | 170 |
| N15 | It flowed down the mustache, but did not get into the mouth | fairy-tale text ends with a formula that says that the narrator ate food and/or drinks, but they did not get into his mouth. | 27 | 106 |
| N16 | Ice horse | fairy-tale text ends with a formula stating that the narrator had a horse and/or harness made of wax, ice, linen, vegetables, etc. In most cases, the narrator loses them (they melt, they are taken away, eaten, etc.). | 13 | 17 |
| N17 | Paper suit, X1853 | fairy-tale text ends with a formula stating that the narrator met with the characters described and that he wore clothes made of paper, glass, oil, etc. | 7 | 8 |
| N18 | Selected gifts | fairy-tale text ends with a formula stating that the narrator received food, drinks, money or other real world items from the characters described, but lost them against their own free will because of meeting dogs or people (robbers, boys, children or a neighbor). | 15 | 21 |
| N19 | It's still lame | fairy-tale text ends with a formula stating that one or two people who met the narrator after the fabulous feast or were present directly at it at the festival, became bald/lame as a result of hot food and/or a bone or bowl thrown on the head. | 5 | 5 |
| N20 | We have achieved our wishes | fairy tale text ends with a formula that says that the characters have achieved their desires, goals and/or happiness, or that God has fulfilled their wishes. | 22 | 156 |
| N21 | Hero dough | The warrior-hero was made of dough and then became alive (his name is “The Dough”) | 14 | 15 |
| N21a In N21 family | Pea-bogatyr | After swallowing a pea, a woman gives birth to a mighty hero. | 5 | 8 |
| N22 | Alive if they didn't die | fairy-tale text ends with a formula that says that if the characters are not dead, they are still alive. {Motive at work, more data}. | 30 | 54 |
| N23 | They stayed there and I came back here | fairy-tale text ends with a formula that says that the characters stayed or left where the action took place, and the narrator returned home and/or came to the place fairy tale performances. | 15 | 52 |
| N24 | Like the second moon | You can see a light that resembles a second moon or a second sun. It comes from a pretty girl. | 24 | 23 |
| N25 | The path is a needle long | said that characters spend a long time (days, weeks, months, years) on the road, but end up walking a journey as long as a grain, needle, or other small object. | 3 | 11 |
| N26 | When wheat grew on ice | said that the action took place when cultivated plants (wheat, cotton) grew on ice or salt. | 4 | 6 |
| N27 | Bird's milk | Bird milk (variant: chicken, pigeon, hawkish, etc.) milk is mentioned in fairy tales, riddles, paroemias and conspiracies as something very rare and difficult to obtain or non-existent actually. | 51 | 82 |
| N27a In N27 family | There is even bird milk | It is said that somewhere there is (or was) even bird’s milk | 16 | 13 |
| N27b In N27 family | But there's no bird's milk | It is said that someone is only lacking bird’s milk or that somewhere the only thing missing is bird’s milk | 21 | 25 |
| N27c In N27 family | The bird does not have milk | It is claimed that the bird has no milk and/or breasts | 17 | 29 |
| N28a In N28 family | The roots of mountain | The roots (belt) of mountains or stones are mentioned in myths, riddles, spells, and songs as something that does not really exist. | 29 | 40 |
| N28b In N28 family | Stairway to Heaven | In a list of things that do not exist in the world, a ladder or stairway to the sky (variant: a ladder in the sky) is mentioned | 10 | 14 |
| N28c In N28 family | Sky support | In a list of things that do not exist in the world, a pillar of the sky is mentioned | 11 | 11 |
| N28d In N28 family | Sea cover | In a list of things that do not exist in the world, a lid or covering for the sea, ocean or river are mentioned | 7 | 9 |
| N28e In N28 family | The bridge across the sea | In a list of things that do not exist in the world, a bridge across the sea, ocean or lake is mentioned | 6 | 10 |
| N28f In N28 family | The water has no knots | It is said that water has no boughs or twigs | 4 | 8 |
| N28g In N28 family | A horse has no bile | In a list of things that do not exist in the world, a gall of horse or ass is mentioned | 9 | 9 |
| N28h In N28 family | A horse doesn't have horns | In a list of things that do not exist in the world, horns of the horse are mentioned | 7 | 6 |
| N29 | Until the boiler boils | time required to perform an action or elapsed since the event described is estimated by comparing it with the time it takes for water to boil and/ or food has been prepared. | 13 | 15 |
| N30 | He looks one way, cries, looks the other way, laughs | formula that describes the confusion of feelings: when a character looks in one direction, he cries, and when he laughs or smiles in the other direction. | 37 | 80 |
| N31 | The departure of birds | Late autumn and then winter sets in line with the departure of two or three species of birds flying in a wedge (Zugvogel). | 3 | 4 |
| N32 | Sitting on three oaks | The ornithomorphic character is said to be sitting on several trees. | 10 | 14 |
| N33 | Drives the enemy into the ground | hero drives the enemy into the ground, or he and the enemy alternately drive each other into the ground (ankle-deep, waist-deep, etc.). | 47 | 65 |
| N33A In N33 family | Trampled into the ground | The character's opponents trample him into the ground. | 2 | 3 |
| N34 | Honey and oil | Streams (jets) that consist not of water but of honey (honey and butter, butter and milk, milk and blood) are mentioned as signs of generosity and abundance. Cf. H16 motives - H16B, K33F. | 24 | 31 |
| N35 | Jelly shores | Somewhere milk rivers flow with banks made of jelly (porridge) - a sign of abundance (impossible in reality). Cf. H16B motive. | 7 | 12 |
Tradition and narrative counts are the stored catalogue totals for each entry.