The Mythology and Folklore Database
K23 - Battle with birds.




40 Myths, Legends and Folktales
20 Unique Narratives for Motif K23
31 Cultures & Traditions where K23 is told
62 Mythemes Indexed
1 Sub-Motifs of Motif K23


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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

Birds attack inhabitants of another world or a person who has entered another world. See motif K22.

Berezkin category: Adventures: Acts of heroes

This is of motif type Adventures and tricks and is part group 8, Queer and monstrous beings, creatures, objects and loci, folk beliefs related to particular phenomena and objects


K23 has 1 other sub-motifs


K23.  Birds attack inhabitants of another world or a person who has entered another world. See motif K22.
K23a.  Birds use their feathers as arrows, or falling feathers cover the mouths of their victims.

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Top 10 Motifs with similar dispersal patterns

MotifSimilarityMotif Summary
K2298.66%The inhabitants of a distant land, who differ from (ordinary) people, occasionally fight off enemies of a non-human nature who attack them.
K22A97.41%Birds or other creatures that are harmless to ordinary people attack dwarves living in another world. See motif K22.
B87A96.57%A dim star next to the second star of the handle of the Big Dipper (Tibetans: Little Dipper) Ursa Major – dog.
L15A95.45%The character's vulnerable spot is located on the surface of the body, but not in vital internal organs.
K22B95.44%The inhabitants of another world are attacked by certain enemies. A human helps them to defeat these enemies, because these creatures are not dangerous to humans. See motif K22.
L8794.83%A character accidentally tastes blood or human flesh, after which he devours himself and/or others.
B42P94.36%The Big Dipper is identified with a bear.
M8193.16%Wandering, the hero finds himself in a place where blind or blind (two or more) live.
C6A92.79%A turtle or toad (frog) brings a desired object from the bottom or from the underworld.
I13A92.15%A huge aquatic or celestial serpent, dragon, or snake-like creature with horns on its head.

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Map of Motif Dispersal

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This motif has been recorded in 31 traditions: Chagga (Jagga; incl Wasu), Pare, Digo, Early Chinese written sources, Ancient Greece, Finns, Scandinavians: early written sources ("Edda"; Saxo Grammaticus etc.); Gothland picture stones; Ancient Germans (Late Bronze Age in Scandinavia), Georgians, Tungus (Evenki): Baikal region, Evenks, Nanai, Chukchi, Tagish, Tahltan, Bering Strait Inupiat (incl. King Island), Polar Inuit, Tlingit, Tsimshian, Sauk (Sak, Mesquakie), Fox, Kickapoo, Blackfoot, Sarsee (Tsuu T'ina), Gros Ventre, Crow, Comox, Pentlatch, Lushootseed (Puget Sound: Puyallup, Nisqualmi, Snuqualmi, Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Snohomish, Skagit), Western Sahaptin (Upper Cowlitz, Klikitat, Tenino, Umatilla, Yakima, Wallawalla), Natchez (incl Avoyel), Alabama, Koasati, Cherokee, Zuni, Warihio (Guarijío), Tarahumara, Yupa (Yukpa), Kuikuro, Kalapalo, Calapalo, Kamayura


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