The Mythology and Folklore Database
J22B - Two women from one.




23 Myths, Legends and Folktales
22 Unique Narratives for Motif J22B
5 Cultures & Traditions where J22B is told
66 Mythemes Indexed
4 Sub-Motifs of Motif J22B


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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 woman is cut or torn in half, and two new ones appear.

Berezkin category: Avenger heroes: The amerinday cycle

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


J22 has 4 other sub-motifs


J22a.  Two men or a brother and sister emerge from a single body or embryo cut in half, or the second emerges from a part of the body or from the secretions of the first. Cf. motif M37.
J22b.  A woman is cut or torn in half, and two new ones appear.
J22c.  There is a demonic character in the form of Siamese twins – two semi-fused women.
J22d.  Foreigners or animals of two different species emerge from a single person or animal cut in half.
J22e.  The second character emerges from the afterbirth of the first.

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Top 10 Motifs with similar dispersal patterns

MotifSimilarityMotif Summary
J27A95.35%One of the babies is abandoned and lives in a river, forest, etc.; the other remains at home; after the abandoned brother returns home, the brothers kill their father or his men. See motifs J19, J25.
M61A394.39%The character tells each of two different species of fish how the other allegedly used to be hostile or offensive towards the former. Fish kill each other and the character prepares them to eat.
M32A93.23%character's insides or pieces of flesh fall out of his back. He eats them, mistaking them for regular meat and fat.
L7592.50%One of two brothers is the embodiment of evil; at birth, he cuts open his mother's body, killing her.
J41B92.11%The son returns, finds his mother, who was humiliated and tortured in his absence, and burns his tormentor and his men, summoning fire and heat with magic.
M29J92.06%See the motives in square brackets.
B42A91.99%Hunters chase a bear across the sky and kill it in August-October. The bear's blood or fat falls to the ground in the form of dew or colours the foliage red. See motif B42.
H5391.73%The wolf participates in the creation of the earth or is the brother of the creator and/or conqueror of the demons of the underworld. He dies and/or is considered the first to die and/or becomes the lord of the land of the dead.
M65A91.61%The trees are creaking in the wind. Hearing a creak, the character climbs a tree and gets stuck. See M65 motif.
M93A91.59%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.

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Map of Motif Dispersal

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This motif has been recorded in 5 traditions: Mackenzie Delta, Gros Ventre, Natchez (incl Avoyel), Alabama, Koasati, Choctaw, Chicasaw


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