Yu.E. Berezkin, E.N. Duvakin

Thematic classification and distribution of folklore and mythological motifs by area

Analytical catalogue

Introduction
Bibliography
Ethnicities and habitats

I74A. Stars are fireflies. 11.12.19.23.28.55.66.

Stars are fireflies.

Egap, scrap, western dan, mende, e-nan, Malayali, Belarusians, Bari, Kulina.

Bantu-speaking Africa. Egap [stars 1) fireflies, 2) lights in the sky, 3) people whose chief Month]: Malcolm 1922:373.

West Africa. Scrap [shooting stars - "heavenly fireflies"]: Schwab 1947:412; Western Dan [stars are beetles that spread their wings at night, from which light emanates]: Fischer 1967:698, 734;

mende [holy star]: Vydrin, MS

Melanesia. E-nan [stars have the same word as firefly beetles]: Nevermznn 1942:192.

South Asia. The Malayals [two fish, Shiva and Vishnu, were gutted; the scales that rose to the sky became stars, and those that fell to the ground became fireflies]: Payyanad 2006:205.

Central Europe. Belarusians [stars are candles that angels light in the evening; others consider stars to look like Ivanovo worms (fireflies)]: Demidovich 1996:95.

The Northern Andes. Bari [saimadoyi (the first ancestors walked through the forest, scratched against thorns, blood drops turned into cocuyos (totobí) insects, saimadoyi frightened them, they rose to the sky, became stars; other stars originated from the fruit of araktogba]: Villamañan 1975:5.

Montagna - Jurua. Kulina [stars are children of the moon; they are fireflies; if you can see a shooting star, this heavenly firefly went to friends on earth; then they come back]: Adams 1962, No. 8:109-110, 179 [abadsico ( Moon) bedi (children)].