L133. Without arms and legs. (.11.) .19.20.
The character keeps his limbs separately, connecting them to the body if necessary.
Themotif was highlighted and the material was collected by Evgenia Korovina.
(Xhosa), Mono, Truk, Palau, Ponapa, Nauru.
Wed. Bantu-speaking Africa. A braid [a childless woman goes to a healer, she asks for calf fat, a woman brings a calf without horns or tail; the healer says that a boy will be born without arms and legs; but a woman first gives birth to a normal girl; knowing that a son should be born, the father tells her daughter to be thrown away (he thinks she is a son); the girl herself grows up in an anthill eating honey; Simbukumbukwana's son is without arms and He speaks his legs from birth; his sister comes, asks him to open it, tells S. to grow arms and legs; cleans the house; tells him to answer that he has cleaned it up; tells his legs and hands to disappear again; the next once he sends S. for water; he goes to the hills, she orders his arms and legs to disappear; his parents wait, brought their son, his arms and legs have finally grown; the boy followed his sister and her friends, who went for red clay; she beat him and left him; it rained, but not a drop fell on it; the sister apologized; S. moved his house, hearth, cattle to this place]: McCall, Theal 1882:68-73).
Melanesia. Mono (mono-alu language) [the legless and handless Kirikoputu has a friend Kanupea; Kanupea calls Kirikoputu to pick kai nuts; Kirikoputu refuses because she has neither arms nor legs; Kanupea gives her hers; after picking up the nuts, Kirikoputu refuses to share them with Kanupea; then Kanupea takes her arms and legs away; Kirikoputu has a hard time returning home; the next day the story repeats itself; parents paint Kirikoputu and cook an earthen stove; Kanupea comes and asks why Kirikoputu is beautiful; she replies that she was cooked; Kanupea wants to be cooked too; she gives Kirikoputu hands and legs and dies in the oven; it's being eaten; Kirikoputu now has arms and legs]: Wheeler 1972 (1929): 144-145.
Micronesia-Polynesia. Truk [an old Romwi man lives on Losap Island (his name is not etymologized); he has neither legs nor arms; the birds took care of him and fed him; one day they all flew away to fish; then the old man called arms and legs, ate all the food; when asked who did it, said he did not see anyone; the next day the same; on the third day, the birds leave liteikepar (fiery misomela, Micronesian myzomela) to watch him; the old man eats everything again, but liteikepar sees it, so Romwi's arms and legs remain; the old man tries to be sick, but the birds pick him up and drop him; he breaks; only the elder can share food]: Mitchell 1967:435-438; Palau [Galid (spirit type) named Dedëbelngót from Ngaramelég in Melekéiok usually took off his arms and legs when he slept and called them when he slept woke up and needed them]: Krämer 1929:126 and Evans 2016:? ; Ponape [the couple has a son Lêpînuôtopor, he has neither arms nor legs; the parents went fishing, the son called hands, feet, rope-knife; climbed onto a palm tree and ate nuts, tears and let go of his arms and legs; told his parents that the nuts were eaten by people from Matôlenîm; the next day the parents pretended to leave and saw things happen; the boy got angry, jumped off a palm tree and died; the parents also died from shiver (laughter?)] : Hambruch 1936:363-364; Nauru [Edabanono has five daughters and three sons; daughters are placed in a tree and boys are fishing; the mother has no bones, she keeps one in her pillow; when her sons go fishing, the mother takes the bone, puts it in and feeds her daughters; when the sons return, the mother says she did not see who ate the food; the next day one of them, Agabanaitiaba, stays in secret and sees the mother again feeds his daughters with fish; he breaks the leg of one of his daughters, Edeberankuanemet, the others run away; the mother scolds her sons - they are their sisters; sons scold the mother for hiding the bone]: Hambruch 1914:454-457.