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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.

All motif categories

Showing 1,401–1,450 of 3,494 · Page 29 of 70

Ref Title ▲ Summary Traditions Narratives
L37c1 In L37 family Misfortune, ATU 735A. The happiness (misfortune, hardship, etc.) of each person is represented by specific characters with whom they interact. 40 44
K148 Missing foals. Every night or every year, a mare gives birth to a foal, and every time someone steals it. 14 20
L7 Mistakenly chases after an animal. While chasing a person, spirit, monster or beast, mistakenly chases after a large two-legged object passing by, usually an animal. 35 54
L7b In L7 family Mistakenly chasing a calabash. While chasing a person, spirit, monster or beast, he mistakenly throws himself after a calabash floating down the river. 4 4
K19c In K19 family Mistress in a handbag. A man brings home a small creature with which he makes love at night. The man's mother, sister or wife finds the creature in his bed or purse. 18 35
B33f1 In B33 family Mistress of night and day. By performing certain actions, the (old) woman determines the daily cycle. 15 14
M39 Misunderstood instructions After receiving instructions, the character understands (or pretends to understand) them incorrectly or too literally, committing absurdly ridiculous or violent acts. 109 136
M39a9 In M39 family Misunderstood instructions: a play on words The character asks a member of his family to bring vegetable products, cook food, and feed someone. He understands words as if he must kill a child (dog, etc.) and serve his meat. [section incomplete] 10 14
M39aa In M39 family Misunderstood instructions: a play on words 26 29
M39a2 In M39 family Misunderstood instructions: a sharp object The character does ridiculous things, understanding the instructions too literally or one episode late (i.e., doing what was relevant to the previous episode). One episode involves improper handling of a needle and other sharp objects. 17 19
M39a1 In M39 family Misunderstood instructions: one step behind, ATU 1696 character misunderstands the first instruction, promises to do the right thing next time; literally follows a memorized rule that does not correspond to the new situation; so multiple times. 88 88
M39a6 In M39 family Misunderstood instructions: shorten the road During the journey, a person allegorically asks someone else to say something, sing, etc., so that time on the road passes faster. He understands instructions literally by doing ridiculous actions. 40 48
M39a7 In M39 family Misunderstood instructions: washing with boiling water, ATU 1013 When instructed to wash the old man with warm water, the fool steams him with boiling water. 23 14
M163C In M163 family Money thrown into the sea. A person is advised to throw money into the water and take only what floats up. This brings him happiness. 4 4
M204 Money will go to those who are destined to receive it, ATU 841, 947A. When a deity (an authoritative figure) tries to convey values to a person, they either get them or they don't, despite the unlikely circumstances (such is their fate, such is the will of God). 52 29
M111 Monkey on a banana. Two animals (usually a monkey and a turtle) agree to gather fruit. The one who can climb trees eats the good fruit and throws one peel or rotten fruit to its companion. The companion takes revenge. 20 24
I112 Monster boat. The boat is a living creature with a mouth, a fish. 15 20
C27 Monster under the ice. The monster breaks the ice on a river or lake. Usually people walk on the ice, see a protruding horn (fin), and try to saw it off. The monster breaks the ice, and many people die. 21 20
C14 Monsters destroy people. During or on the eve of a global catastrophe (flood, darkness), animals or monsters attack people. (See motif C13A (rebellion of things: animated objects and/or domestic animals threaten people, attack them).) 48 62
F28 Monstrous penis. There is a separate penis character with whom the first women, Amazons, or simply some woman copulate. 18 25
A32a In A32 family Moon Rabbit, A751.2. The figure or imprint of a rabbit or hare is visible on the lunar disc. 66 107
A32b In A32 family Moon toad, A751.3. The figure or imprint of a toad or frog is visible on the lunar disc; the moon is associated with this animal. 45 56
A32h In A32 family Moon tree, A751.6. A tree, bush, branch, snag, etc. are visible on the lunar disc. See motif A32G. 81 112
A32f In A32 family Moon water carrier. On the lunar disc, a character is visible who has gone to fetch water and/or is holding a vessel for liquid in his hands. See motif A32D. 87 182
I82d In I82 family Morning and Evening Stars – Man and Woman. The Morning and Evening Stars are contrasted as man and woman. See motifs I82a, I82b. 32 29
K20 Mortal desires a star, C15.1, C15.1.1. Looking at the sky at night, a man or woman expresses a desire to marry a star or the Moon (kuchin: to possess a star as an object). See motifs K19a, K19b. 72 10
I140 Moses' rod. The staff thrown to the ground turns into a living snake. 3 3
H28c In H28 family Mosquitoes bring back wives. The character creates blood-sucking insects to influence the behaviour of a mating partner. 3 4
H26 Mosquitoes had to be drowned. A vessel containing stinging insects or reptiles should be thrown into a river or the sea, or buried in a remote place. See motif H24B. 33 63
H28b In H28 family Mosquitoes made from animal wool. Shorn hairs on animal skins or ash and smoke from burnt skins covered with wool turn into blood-sucking insects. 5 6
K73b1 In K73 family Mother and child in a barrel. A woman with her newborn son (pregnant with a boy) or a girl with a young man are placed in a barrel (box; rarely: in a boat) and lowered into the sea (river). 37 64
B5c In B5 family Mother and daughter at the beginning of time. At the beginning of time, there are an old woman and a young woman. One or both of them conceive in a miraculous way. A son or twins are born, who settle the world. 6 15
D2a In D2 family Mother dies giving birth to fire or the sun. A woman gives birth to a son who is the embodiment of fire or the sun and dies from burns. 6 13
J18a In J18 family Mother eaten, children flee. A cannibal eats a woman and enters her house. The woman's children (daughter and son, or daughter only) run away, climb a tree or climb a rope to the sky. The cannibal pursues them and perishes. 15 27
J6a In J6 family Mother eaten, daughter saved. A pregnant woman with a young daughter fall into the hands of cannibals. The cannibals find and eat the woman, but her daughter and the baby in her womb are saved. 3 3
K80b In K80 family Mother killed, father ate, ATU 720. The mother or stepmother kills the boy (rarely a girl) and usually feeds her husband, i.e. the child's father, his flesh. The boy is reborn, usually (at first) in the form of a bird that tells the story of what happened. Cf. motif K80A. Traditions in which the boy is killed by his own mother are highlighted in bold. 59 67
B33h In B33 family Mother of the Sun. The sun has a mother who lives with him (less often with her) in the same house. Cf. motif K27x6b ("The character goes to the mother of the sun") 41 51
M17a In M17 family Mother or grandmother deceives a blind man. The mother or grandmother of a blind man or boy secretly eats (the meat or fish he has caught), pretending that there is no food in the house. 13 19
K32b1 In K32 family Mother replaces daughter. The man's mother-in-law takes on the appearance of her daughter to take her place. See motif K32. 17 11
J54b In J54 family Mother's enemy and brother's ally. The antagonist's son and the hero are half-brothers or full brothers (uncle and nephew; sworn brothers). When the antagonist tries to destroy the hero, the antagonist's son takes the hero's side. 26 23
B72a In B72 family Mother, child and swans. Mother (stepmother, adoptive father) does not give food to a girl or (less often) a boy. The child asks migratory birds to take him with them, they give him bird clothing, he flies away with them, becoming a bird. 11 8
K56a1 In K56 family Mother-in-law performs the work of her daughter-in-law. The groom, the bringer of prosperity, orders the girl who has come to perform work that she herself is unable to do. The groom's mother performs the work, and the girl is accepted by the groom. See motif K56A. Except for the Ket people: the work is performed by tiny women sitting in or behind the mother-in-law's ear. 0 0
K32b In K32 family Mother-in-law replaces daughter-in-law. The man's mother takes on the appearance of his wife in order to take her place. 5 6
D1a In D1 family Mother-in-law-fire. A girl marries a man whose mother is fire. 4 6
G4 Mountain of abundance. Cultivated plants found on or inside a mountain. 12 7
M94 Mountain riding One character invites the other to roll down the mountain to destroy him. Cf. Motive L42C. 31 59
M94a In M94 family Mountain riding: antagonist victims The demonic character kills his victims, provoking them to slide down the mountain. 11 20
M94a1 In M94 family Mountain riding: trickster animals By stupidity or negligence, a zoomorphic character rolls down a mountain and as a result dies or suffers damage (attacks the edge, falls into the water, etc.). 31 53
I87c1 In I87 family Mouse in a boat. A mouse makes itself a boat out of a small object. 8 8
L17b In L17 family Mouth on the back of the head. A character or creature has a second face or a second mouth on the back of its head. 65 105

Showing 1,401–1,450 of 3,494 · Page 29 of 70

Tradition and narrative counts are the stored catalogue totals for each entry.