The Mythology and Folklore Database
M30 - The trickster falls, (ATU 225, 225A)
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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
character who has no natural wings or can't fly long distances rises into the air, but falls or, having lost its wings, stays where he can't return from. (The motive includes several options, but even when taken together, they don't cover the whole world. Texts with M25 and M28 motifs are counted as including the M30 motif).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
M30 has 4 other sub-motifsM30. character who has no natural wings or can't fly long distances rises into the air, but falls or, having lost its wings, stays where he can't return from. (The motive includes several options, but even when taken together, they don't cover the whole world. Texts with M25 and M28 motifs are counted as including the M30 motif). M30a. The character flying over the village falls, is tied up, and defecated on him. M30b. Birds give a non-flying or ugly character feathers so that he can fly or become beautiful, but then take them away. M30c. A character flying through the air falls, violating the ban on talking, looking down, flying over villages, etc. (The character is not dropped by the person carrying it and flies above the ground, not descends from the sky or rises to the sky). M30d. To get into the air, a character without wings (usually a turtle or a frog) grabs a stick with the ends held in their beaks by two birds. Click here if would you like to see a distrbution map combining all of M30's motifs? |
Top 10 Motifs with similar dispersal patterns
| Motif | Similarity | Motif Summary |
|---|---|---|
| K27 | 95.06% | The character receives tasks that are deadly dangerous or can only be accomplished with supernatural abilities or helpers; the hero completes the tasks and/or miraculously survives. The confrontation between the characters unfolds as a game or competition in which the loser loses their life or status. |
| K18 | 94.91% | A boy is born whose father (rarely mother) is unknown. He chooses his true father (mother), who usually occupies the lowest social position. Usually, a group of men or women gather together, each of whom wants the boy to choose him or her. |
| C19 | 92.88% | The missing, hidden, concealed or stolen sun (daylight) reappears. See motif C18 |
| K27N | 92.82% | A young man must complete difficult tasks or win a competition in order to obtain permission to marry. The person giving the tasks is indicated in square brackets. See motif K27. |
| J46 | 92.68% | Antagonists perish by falling into water or attempting to cross a water barrier. See motifs J42, J44. |
| E1B | 92.00% | A character made of unsuitable material and turns out to be short-lived or poorly suited to performing his functions. |
| L103 | 91.76% | The fugitive throws or creates objects behind him, which the pursuer, wasting time, collects, eats or destroys, even though they do not hinder his progress. |
| K1F | 91.76% | One man traps another, driven by jealousy or the desire to possess his rival's wife. See motifs K1A, K1E, K2A. |
| K28 | 91.35% | The uncle on the mother's side or the father of the young hero (or grandfather, if he replaces the father, who is not mentioned) is his enemy and rival, giving him difficult tasks with the aim of destroying him. |
| I36 | 90.92% | Thunder and lightning (two thunders, two lightnings) – characters related by kinship, marriage or property. |
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Map of Motif Dispersal
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This motif has been recorded in 157 traditions: Ancient Egypt, Egyptian, Aramaic (Syrians), Mehri; Harsusi, Jibbali (Shahri, Shauri), Arabs of Iraq, Iraqi, Berbers of southern Tunisia and adjacent part of Libya (Matmata and Ghadames areas), Western Sahara and Mauritania Arabs; Berbers of Mauritania (Zenaga), Algeria Arabs, Shilluk, Anuak, Acoli (Acholi), Lur (Alur, Luri), Lango, Amhara; Zay, Harari; Silte, Gogot, Kikuyu, Chuka, Embu, Emberre, Mwimbe, Sakata, Congo (Koongo, Bacongo; incl Vili, Fioti, (Ma)Yombe, MuKunyi), Ndombo, Luango (Loango), Zombo (Sambo), Laadi (Laari), (Ba)Fioti, Woyo (Kiwoyo), Ronga, Fang (Pangwe), Eton, Bafia, Batanga, Benga, Bube (Bubi), Buheba, Yaunde (Ewondo), Yebekolo, Koko, Bulu, Beti (Beti-Bulu), Sekiani, Eghap, Tiv, Bamum (Bamun), Mungaka (Mgaka, Bali), Beba, Anaguta, Bete (Mbete, Karang), Ekoi, Nyang, Vute (Wute), Jukun, Chamba, Bamileke, Kwotto, Kirri; Denya (Nyang), Hausa, Igbo (Ibo); Isoko, Urhobo, Yoruba; incl Ife), Nupe, Bini (Edo), Engenni, Chamba, Dakka, Kukuruku, Tenda (incl Bedik, Basari), Biafada, Nalu, Pajadinka, Badyara (Badiaranke), Toraja (Toradja), To Mori, Baree (=Eastern Toraja), Minahasa (incl. Tondano, Tentemboan), Bantik, Bugi, Macassar, Batak (Toba, Dairi), Khmer, Bhuiya (now Aryans, originally Munda; Rahman 1955: 203), Baiga, Bhaina, Bhumia (subgroup of Baiga, incl Bharia, formerly Munda, now speak Indo-Aryan languages of neighboring groups), Khasi, Kuki, Chiru, Falam (Hallam), Chin (Meitei =Manipuri, Khami, =Kumi), Lakher, Mizo (Lushei), Anal, Pawi (Lai), Purum, Koireng, Milhiem, Kolhen, Mru, Telugu (incl. Yanadi, Chenchu), Early Chinese written sources, Koreans, Wales, Spain, Spaniards, Portuguese, Portugal, Basques, Catalan, Aragon, Maltese, Sicily, Sicilians, Sardinia, Corsica, Sardinians, Corsicans, France, Dutch, Flemish, Poles, Czech, Czechs, Hungarians, Bulgarians, Balkarians, Slovenians, Slovenes, Albanians, Balkarians, Ancient Greece, Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, Finns, Vepsians, Swedes, Scandinavians: early written sources ("Edda"; Saxo Grammaticus etc.); Gothland picture stones; Ancient Germans (Late Bronze Age in Scandinavia), Byelarusians, Belarusians, Uzbek, Tajik, Persians, Ingush, Georgians, Azeris (Azerbaijanis), Kurds, Kara Kalpak, Hui (Dungan) of Xinjiang, Gansu, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan (Dungan texts from Southern and Eastern China are clustered with the Chinese ones), Turkmen, Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Oirats (incl Torgouts, Derbets, Oilots), Mongols (Khalkha), Khakas, Japanese folklore outside of Ryukyu, Nanai, Chipewyan, Upper Tanana (Nebesna), Tanacross, Inland Tlingit, Athna, Tanana, Gwich'in (Kuchin, Loucheux), Beaver, North Alaskan Inupiat, Copper, Netsilik, Caribou, Iglulik, Polar Inuit, Haida, Lenape (Delaware), Micmac, Western Ojibwa (Chippewa), Naskapi, Montagnais, Menominee, Potawatomi, Five Nations Iroquois (Seneca, Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga), Winnebago, Pawnee, Comanche, Plains Cree, Plains Ojibwa, Assiniboine, Crow, Lower Chehalis, Upper Chehalis, (Lower) Cowlitz, Western Sahaptin (Upper Cowlitz, Klikitat, Tenino, Umatilla, Yakima, Wallawalla), Nez Perce, Karok, Klamath, Modoc, Yurok, Caddo, Natchez (incl Avoyel), Alabama, Koasati, Wailaki, Mattole, Lassik, Sinkyone, Cahto, Pomo, Maidu, Nisenan, Konkov, Chumash, Northern Paiute (=Paviotso), Western Shoshone, Gosiute, Navajo, Jicarilla, Chiricahua, Hopi, Zuni, Pima, Mestizos of Soconuzco; Cotzumapguapa iconography, Quiche, Achí, Cakchiquel, Pocomchi, Pocomam, Chontal, Tequistlatec, Chorti, Kekchi; Mopan, Choco: Embera, Nonama (Waunana), XVI century Dabaiba, pre-Columbian iconography of Sinu, Guajiro, Guiana Kariña, Kaliña, Galibi, Napo (Quijo), Kanelo (“Jungle Kechua”), Shuar, Achuar (Shiwiar), Aguaruna, Huambiza, Kabiyari, Yukuna (Yucuna), Juruna, Tenetehara, Ayacucho department (Kechua-speaking communities; Spanish sources of XVI-XVII centuries), Aimara, Chipaya, Atacameño, Shipibo, Conibo, Setebo, Moseten, Chimane, Paresi, Mocovi; Kechua of Santiago del Estero with probable Guaikuruan substratum; Abipon, Ayoreo, Mataco, Chorote, Central Tibetans (Yu Tsang, incl. Sikkim Tibetans, Tichurong of NW Nepal), Oriya (incl. Dom/Domba/Dombo, Ghasi, Bhat and other Oriya-speaking castes of Odisha), Chechens, Kumaoni (Central Pahari), incl. Garhwali, Wolof, Galicians, Mukulu (Mokilko), Morocco, Tunisia