Motif family
Sacred Twins and Sibling Pairs
The pair of twins or siblings # often one mortal and one divine, or one light and one dark # whose relationship drives the mythic narrative. Includes hero twins, divine siblings, and fratricidal pairs.
101 traditions
2,737 occurrences
64 mapped motifs
13 sub-families
- aboriginal australian
- african akan
- african bantu
- afro caribbean
- ainu
- akan
- amazonian
- arctic inuit
- armenian
- arthurian
- australian aboriginal
- basque
- bavili
- biblical
- buddhist
- burmese
- buryat mongol
- caucasian
- celtic
- celtic irish
- celtic welsh
- christian apocrypha
- comparative
- confucian
- daoist
- egyptian
- ekoi
- estonian
- ethiopian christian
- fijian
- filipino
- finnic
- finnish karelian
- fjort
- ganda
- georgian
- germanic
- gnostic
- greek
- greek roman
- guiana amerindian
- hausa
- hawaiian
- hermetic
- hindu
- hopi
- inca
- indigenous australian
- inuit
- islamic
- islamicate folklore
- jain
- japanese
- jewish christian
- jewish pseudepigrapha
- khoekhoe
- kikuyu
- kimbundu
- korean
- malagasy
- malay
- mangaian
- maori
- maya
- maya quiche
- melanesian
- mesopotamian
- micronesian
- mongol
- nahua
- nahua maya inca
- native american california
- native american great lakes
- native american northeast woodlands
- native american northwest coast
- native american plains
- native american plateau
- native american southeast
- native american southwest
- navajo
- norse
- oceanic
- persian
- roman
- romanian
- samoan
- san
- shan
- shinto
- siberian
- slavic
- taoist
- temne
- tibetan buddhist
- tongan
- vietnamese
- xhosa
- yoruba
- zoroastrian
- zulu
- zuni
Conserved neighbors: duality · descent · death and transformation
Sub-families · the next landing down
Sibling Pairs, Brother Groups, and Inseparable Children
4 motifs
- Sibling Pair 2,212 occurrences · 100 traditions
- aboriginal australian
- african akan
- african bantu
- afro caribbean
- ainu
- akan
- amazonian
- arctic inuit
- +92 more
- Sacred Twins 463 occurrences · 61 traditions
- african akan
- african bantu
- arthurian
- australian aboriginal
- bavili
- buddhist
- buryat mongol
- caucasian
- +53 more
- Full brothers group 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- slavic
- inseparable child pair 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- germanic
Ancestral Sibling Progenitors
2 motifs
- extraordinary multiple birth and ancestral founder siblings 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
- four sibling progenitors 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- maya quiche
Joint Campaigns and Battles by Brother Pairs and Groups
5 motifs
- brother-band with specialized actions completes a task 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- slavic
- horse-riding heroic pair 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- greek
- inseparable pair sharing wild places and battle 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- roman
- paired heroes undertake a joint campaign against an adversary 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- mesopotamian
- triadic warrior brothers with matching equipment 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
Paired Rescues and Monster-Slaying
3 motifs
- cooperative rescue by brothers with complementary skills 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- germanic
- Paired divine rescuers kill the monster 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- zuni
- Rescue of captive maidens from a monster by two brothers 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- zuni
Brotherly Service and Prophetic Assistance
2 motifs
- obedient younger brother serves and is blessed by elder brother 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- hindu
- Prophetic assistant brother 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamic
Sheltering Siblings and Protection in Exile
3 motifs
- protective sibling shelters endangered kin 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- Sibling group preserved by elder sister's protection 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- sibling protection in exile 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
Retaliatory Defense of an Injured Sibling
2 motifs
- Mistreated youngest brother avenged by elder brothers 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- inuit
- Sibling vengeance for a wounded sister 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- hindu
Separation, Reconciliation, and Reunion
4 motifs
- Estranged siblings reconciled after reversal of fortune 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- germanic
- fearful sibling reunion mediated by messengers and gifts 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- jewish christian
- sibling solidarity under threatened separation 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
- Siblings facing storm and agreeing on a reunion point 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic irish
Favored Child Persecuted by Siblings
5 motifs
- favored child and sibling hostility 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- jewish christian
- favored child and sibling jealousy 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamic
- favored child persecuted by siblings and cast into a pit 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- hawaiian
- sibling plot to kill or banish the favored brother 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamic
- fraternal plot against the dreamer 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- jewish christian
Youngest Brother Mistreated or Humble Brother Chosen
3 motifs
- Cruel elder siblings blind and abandon the youngest 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- afro caribbean
- humble kind brother chosen over unkind brothers 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- japanese
- youngest brother dispossessed by elder brothers 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- estonian
Sibling Rivalry over Rank, Resources, and Inheritance
3 motifs
- lower-ranked brother’s resentment leading to violence 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic welsh
- Sibling conflict over resources and status 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- slavic
- sibling rivalry over unequal inheritance 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- persian
Sibling Hostility, Violence, and Inherited Enmity
3 motifs
- Fraternal resentment leading to violence 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- celtic welsh
- hostile divine siblings 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- nahua
- Rival sons inherit tension despite fathers' brotherhood 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- norse
Not yet placed in a sub-family
22 motifs
- brethren divided by opposing alliances 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american southeast
- Brother-against-brother internecine war 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- shan
- brotherly loyalty unto shared death 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american plains
- divine figures rendered as human brothers 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- egyptian
- Fictive sibling household formed after abduction 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- slavic
- gifted brothers impersonate one hero to divide tasks 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- estonian
- jealous siblings plot against a favored brother 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamic
- Moral contrast among siblings through repeated visits 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- germanic
- Newly born brothers destroy one another in civil war 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- roman
- older brothers neglect the youngest brother 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- slavic
- separated sisters restored by sky-dwelling sisters 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- australian aboriginal
- sibling-assisted preparation of the suitor 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- finnish karelian
- Sibling group of four brothers 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american northwest coast
- sibling-pair birth as exception to sacrifice 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- islamic
- sibling rescue through silence and crafted garments 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- germanic
- Sibling rescuer with medicine and weapon-object 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- native american northwest coast
- sibling weather-makers 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- inuit
- three brothers with complementary extraordinary gifts 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- estonian
- Three skilled brothers jointly rescue a parent 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- afro caribbean
- Twin birth revealing rival paternity 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- roman
- Twin children of a human and bird-woman union 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- arctic inuit
- twins at birth 1 occurrences · 1 traditions
- amazonian
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