The Mythology and Folklore Database
J33 - Scarecrow.




28 Myths, Legends and Folktales
27 Unique Narratives for Motif J33
11 Cultures & Traditions where J33 is told
98 Mythemes Indexed
1 Sub-Motifs of Motif J33


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 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

A boy, a young man, or two children live in the house of an older character. In order to elicit a certain reaction from him, they kill a person or a large animal, stuff the scarecrow with insects, worms, ashes, grass, or inflate it.

Berezkin category: Avenger heroes: The amerinday cycle

This is of motif type Adventures and tricks and is part group 10, Adventures


J33 has 1 other sub-motifs


J33.  A boy, a young man, or two children live in the house of an older character. In order to elicit a certain reaction from him, they kill a person or a large animal, stuff the scarecrow with insects, worms, ashes, grass, or inflate it.
J33a.  A boy, a young man, or two children live in an old woman's house. They kill her husband—a man or a large animal—and make a scarecrow out of him. Angry that her husband is not responding to her, the old woman beats the scarecrow and then discovers that her husband has been killed. See motif J33.

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Top 10 Motifs with similar dispersal patterns

MotifSimilarityMotif Summary
A2398.02%The first ancestors come together to choose who will become the sun, to raise the sun to the sky, to see the sun rise for the first time, and to name the sun correctly. See motif A22.
A22C97.06%In order for the sun to rise, move to the right distance from the earth, or follow its heavenly path, a human being must be sacrificed.
K16A97.02%In an effort to show that he is a good hunter, a man regularly walks in front of a girl, pretending to carry prey. Once he slips, and the imaginary prey turns out to be a scarecrow stuffed with ashes or a bundle of termites.
D4D96.90%The opossum obtains fire for humans. See motif D4A.
D4G94.40%Hummingbird steals, finds or spreads fire. See motif D4A.
L5894.24%A man refuses to give food to his closest relatives or spouse; as punishment, he or his food changes its nature.
I7592.97%Before the emergence of the present world or present humans, there were others (at least two worlds or races).
A2491.92%The first ancestors live in twilight. When they first find themselves in the rays of the sun, they (spontaneously or by someone's will) perish, turning into animals, spirits, or stones.
F3691.57%(Adopted) children of a woman or man kill the lover (or spouse of non-human nature) of their father or (adoptive) mother.
I17A90.88%Creatures without an anal opening or mouth - dwarves.

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Map of Motif Dispersal

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This motif has been recorded in 11 traditions: Sauk (Sak, Mesquakie), Fox, Kickapoo, Pawnee, Yokuts, Kitanemuk, Hopi, Zuni, Tewa (San Juan, Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, Tesuque, Nambe; Hano), Tiwa (Taos, Picuris; Sandia, Isleta), Towa (Jemez), Western Mexico Nahuatl, Zapotec, Chatino, Napo (Quijo), Kanelo (“Jungle Kechua”), Zaparo


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