The Mythology and Folklore Database
I35A1 - Challenging the thunderer.




40 Myths, Legends and Folktales
40 Unique Narratives for Motif I35A1
21 Cultures & Traditions where I35A1 is told
0 Mythemes Indexed
7 Sub-Motifs of Motif I35A1


Please log on to view the narratives.




 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

The character claims the role of the thunder god and imitates him.

Berezkin category: Supernatural objects, objects and creatures

This is of motif type Cosmology and etiology and is part group 3, Cosmogony, the earth and the sky, etiology of the elements, natural and biological phenomena (fire, water, soil, thunderstorms, dream, etc.), cataclysms and cosmic threats, spirits of nature


I35 has 7 other sub-motifs


I35.  Thunder is produced by a (tanned) animal skin or (rarely) a person being dragged, or clothing being dragged behind or shaken out.
I35a.  Thunder is produced by an old woman in the sky.
I35a1.  The character claims the role of the thunder god and imitates him.
I35a1a.  The character considers himself equal to the deity, imitating him, mocking him or trying to kill him.
I35a2.  Thunder is heard when stones or large vessels are rolled, dragged or overturned in the sky.
I35b.  The sky is considered to be metallic. The process of its creation resembles metal forging.
I35b1.  The sky is made of ice.
I35c.  One of the mythological characters who, using his craft skills, first makes (usually forges) tools and natural objects; he is the patron of craftsmen (usually blacksmiths).

 Click here if would you like to see a distrbution map combining all of I35's motifs?



Top 10 Motifs with similar dispersal patterns

MotifSimilarityMotif Summary
I92A99.78%A person who jumps or steps over a rainbow changes their gender.
N1899.68%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).
L96A99.58%A person sighs, after which a character named Oh, Uh, Hey-way, etc. appears.
K35C199.55%The young man is not killed, but rewarded, because he answered correctly (evasively) the question of a powerful character – which of the two women he should marry, which is more beautiful, which object or material is more valuable, etc.
J32A99.54%When dying, a person orders that someone spend the night at his grave or bring something to the grave.
K29D99.53%To catch an animal or supernatural character, the water in a reservoir is replaced with wine, honey, etc., or containers with alcohol are left in plain sight. The creature, having lost control of itself, is captured.
K119E99.50%The poor young man who was helped by an animal assistant, who presented him to the king as a rich man, is a miller or a miller's son.
K100A99.14%Setting off on a journey, a young man releases a caught fish or animal, or he or his father does someone a favour. As a reward for their help, a person or creature in the guise of a stranger or animal comes to the young man, becomes his companion and protector.
K35C99.14%The dev (ajdaha, sea king) did not kill the man who descended to him, as people assumed, but rewarded him because he greeted him and/or answered his question correctly.
K85E99.13%Magical horses live in water.

 See more...

Please log on to view the narratives.



Map of Motif Dispersal

Click here for a clustered map

Drag the map around by clicking and using the mouse, use the wheel to zoom



This motif has been recorded in 21 traditions: Ugarit, Phoenicia, Kannada, Lingayat, Halakki, Ancient Italy: Latins, Etruscans, Magna Graecia, Slovakians, Slovaks, Ancient Greece, Lithuanians, Estonians, Finns, Swedes, Western Ukrainians, Byelarusians, Belarusians, Abaza (Abazins), Abkhaz, Abkhazians, Ossetians, Ingush, Tabasaran, Aghul, Georgians, Chechens, Eastern Ukrainians, Northern Ukrainians, Byzantine


Please log on to view the narratives.