The Mythology and Folklore Database
M93 - Part of the body as a watchman

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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

When falling asleep or going to do something else, the character tells a certain part of his body to wake him up in case of danger. The organ did not give a signal or the character himself did not listen to it, as a result, the misfortune happened.

Berezkin category: Adventures: Tricks and episodes

This is of motif type Adventures and tricks and is part group 11, Tricks and competitions won thanks to deception, absurd and obscene behavior

M93 has 1 other sub-motifs M93.  When falling asleep or going to do something else, the character tells a certain part of his body to wake him up in case of danger. The organ did not give a signal or the character himself did not listen to it, as a result, the misfortune happened. M93a.  The character punishes a part of his body (burns his ass, breaks his eyes) for not sounding the alarm. See Motive M93; cf. Motive M142.  Click here if would you like to see a distrbution map combining all of M93's motifs?

Top 10 Motifs with similar dispersal patterns

Motif	Similarity	Motif Summary
L9B	98.17%	The sharp elbows or (rarely) knees of the character resemble knives or awls.
A38B	97.62%	The sun gets caught in a trap. Only a mouse or other small animal manages to gnaw through the trap and free the sun.
A38A	97.43%	The sun is caught in a loop made of a woman's pubic hair.
M53B	96.72%	Trickster claims he's carrying songs in his bag. See M53 motif.
M93A	96.66%	The character punishes a part of his body (burns his ass, breaks his eyes) for not sounding the alarm. See Motive M93; cf. Motive M142.
L5E	96.57%	The decapitated body of a woman pursues her husband, while her head pursues their children.
D4C	96.54%	Characters obtain the warm season from its original owners.
B57A	95.95%	Seeing the reddened sky, the character understands that another's blood has been spilled, or that another has spilled red liquid. See motif B57.
C6B	95.82%	The desired object is brought up from the bottom by a muskrat (rarely a beaver or otter).
K19E	95.24%	Returning from the sky to earth, a woman or two sisters encounter a male wolverine who tries to capture them. Usually, the women who have descended first find themselves in a tree. Some animals cannot or will not help them descend to the ground. The wolverine descends to take the sisters as wives; they run away from him. See motif K19B.

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Map of Motif Dispersal

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Terrain Minimal Countries

This motif has been recorded in 20 traditions: Kerek, Upper Tanana (Nebesna), Tanacross, Inland Tlingit, Tanana, Eyak, Tsimshian, Western Ojibwa (Chippewa), Montagnais, Menominee, Sauk (Sak, Mesquakie), Fox, Kickapoo, Potawatomi, Winnebago, Blackfoot, Sarsee (Tsuu T'ina), Arapaho, Gros Ventre, Plains Cree, Plains Ojibwa, Assiniboine, Mocovi; Kechua of Santiago del Estero with probable Guaikuruan substratum; Abipon

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