Yu.E. Berezkin, E.N. Duvakin

Thematic classification and distribution of folklore and mythological motifs by area

Analytical catalogue

Introduction
Bibliography
Ethnicities and habitats

M157a5. Golden mortar. .15.16.23.27.-.29.31.

A person finds a golden (rarely marble, etc.) mortar (bell) and brings it to the powerful character. Instead of thanking, he also demands to bring a pestle (bell tongue, etc.).

Portuguese, Italians (Tuscany), Germans (Grimms), Irish, Meitei, Hungarians, Czechs, Poles, Belarusians, Kashubians, Luzhitans, Estonians, Danes, Swedes, Finnish Swedes, Finns, Georgians.

Southern Europe. The Portuguese [a peasant finds a golden mortar, brings it to the king, who demands a pestle; either the king promises to execute the minister if his daughter does not complete certain assignments; or the prince marries only on the one who solves his riddles; you have to come naked or dressed, neither on horseback, nor on foot, day or night, nor in shoes or barefoot; in response to the prince's tasks, the girl asks her own, showing the absurdity of those what is offered to her; becoming the king's wife, she resolves a dispute over who owns the foal born; the king drove his wife away, allowing her to take the most precious thing; she took her sleeping husband, he took her sleeping husband, he hers forgave]: Cardigos 2006, No. 875:212-213; Italians: Crane 1885, No. 108 [the prince got lost, went into the hunter's house, he had a wife, son and daughter; stabbed a rooster; the prince gave his head to his owner, his tail to his wife, legs to son, wings to daughter; at night he hears a girl explaining to her brother what this sharing means; fell in love and, returning to the palace, sent a servant to the girl, telling her to hand over the cake in the form of a full moon, 30 pies and a roast rooster and ask if the 30th day of the month is in the forest, if the moon is full and if the rooster screamed at night; the servant on the way ate 15 pies, part of the cake and the rooster; the girl gave the answer: the moon was gone, what only on the 15th, and the rooster went to the mill, and that she asks to forgive the servant for the partridge; prince to the servant: if the girl hadn't stood up for you, you would have been hanged; the girl's father found gold a mortar and, contrary to his daughter's advice, gave it to the prince; he demanded a pestle; a peasant: my daughter warned me! the prince orders his daughter to prepare a large amount of fabric from a tiny amount of linen; the daughter weaved 4 laces, sent them to the prince and ordered them to be made a loom; the prince came to the girl when her the mother died and the father worked; she does not unlock; he broke the door; the girl replies that the father is where he should be, and the mother mourns her sins; the prince married a girl; one day a peasant came with a cart and another and a pregnant donkey; she gave birth while both were in church, and the donkey's owner tied her to the cart; the first peasant said his baby boy; prince: so it is, because it is more likely that the donkey's owner tied her to the cart than the cart's owner tying it to a donkey; the prince's wife advised the donkey's owner to throw a net in the middle of the square and tell the prince that it's easier to fish with square than a cart to give birth to a donkey; the prince tells his wife to take what she loves more and return to her father; she put sleeping pills in the prince's wine and took him to her place; explained that he is the most for her expensive; they are reconciled]: 311-314; Calvino 1980, No. 72 (Tuscany) [=Kotrelev 1991:84-89; a peasant found a golden mortar, brought it to the king, he demands a pestle; daughter Katerina warned him in advance that so will be; peasant: she guessed it! the king gives linen, let K. immediately weave shirts to the warriors; K.: three fires fell out of linen, let the king make a loom out of them; king: let him come naked, dressed, full, hungry, or day, night, walk or horse; K. wrapped herself in a seine, ate one bean, came on a goat at dawn; the king married K.; ordered not to appear in court; if he broke the order, he would return to his father, having seized the most precious thing; the peasant tied the cow to the cart, the cow calved at night, the owner of the cart said that he had given birth to a cart; the king decided in favor of the owner of the cart; the queen advised the owner of the cow fishing with a seine in a dried lake: if the cart gives birth, the fish is also on land; at dinner, K. gave her husband a drink, ordered her to be carried to her father; told her husband that he was her dearest; the king returned wife and did not appear in court without her]: 261-266.

Western Europe. The Germans [the king gave the peasant a plot of land; he wants to give back a golden mortar he found in the meadow; his daughter advises not to do this - they will demand a pestle; so it happened, peasant imprisoned, regrets that he did not listen to his daughter, the king orders her to be brought; let her come naked, dressed, neither on horseback, nor on a wagon, nor by way, but still by road; the girl wrapped in a net, tied her to the donkey to drag her; the king married her, let her father go; the foal bothered the oxen, the peasants argued who gave birth to him, the king judged in favor of the owner of the ox; the owner of the mare came to the queen; She advised me to fish in the middle of the street with a net; if a foal was born from an ox, then a fish on land; the king tortured the peasant until he confessed that he had been told by the queen; the king drove his wife away allowing him to take what was most expensive; she got him drunk and brought him home; the king celebrated his wedding again]: Grimm, Grimm 2003, No. 94:319-321 (=Grimm, Grimm 1987:261-263); Irish [peasant I found a golden mortar: this is on royal land, I must give it back; daughter: no need, he will ask for a pest; but the peasant took the mortar; the king planted it on bread and water until he brought a pest; he continuously groans: why did he not listen to his daughter; the king demanded a daughter, he liked her mind; tells her to come naked and undressed, neither on horseback, nor on foot, nor in a wagon, nor on anyone's shoulders; she came on a donkey wrapped in a net; the king married her; seven years later, two peasants arrived; one had a mare and a foal, the other had two oxen; the foal was between oxen and their owner claimed that the foal's parents are his oxen; the king agreed; the next day, the king went on business and came across the owner of the foal, who pretended to throw a net on a dusty road; since the foal was given birth oxen and fish live on land; three days without food, water or sleep, the man admitted that he had been taught by the queen; the king told her to leave, but she could take the most precious thing with her; she offered for the last time to feast together, the husband got drunk, fell asleep and she brought him to her father's house; the husband is the most precious thing; the king brought his wife back]: Kennedy 1875:91-94.

Tibet is the Northeast of India. Meitei [Chandrakangan found the golden lotus and his grandfather gave it to the king; the king demanded another one for the queen; C. went in search, reached the lower world, and returned with three Indra's daughters and many lotuses; then the king tells C. to collect rice poured into the pond and mustard seeds trampled in the mud; his wives Nganu Leima (duck leader) and Khunu Leima (leader of the ducks) pigeons) told their subjects to complete the task; the king orders C. to bury and make a hot fire in this place, and if he survives, he will receive half the kingdom; the third wife of Sabi (a sharp-toothed animal) dug the underground passage through which C. left and when he returned told the king that he could see his ancestors if he went through the same procedure; the king burned down]: Singh 1993:10-11; Meitei [when the widow's son reached At the age of 14, she began to work fishing; one day, instead of fish, he fished for an ice flower that turned old people into young people; the widow gave it to her brother and he gave it to the king; the king told the young man to get it the second flower is for the queen; the young man went in search; on the way he married the daughter of the rat king; princess Nganuleima; the daughter of the king of pigeons; he showed where such flowers grow; the young man returned with a flower and with three wives; the royal barber advises the king to tell the young man to collect mustard seeds scattered among small stones (pigeons collected); the same with two other tasks (not named); go to the country death and find out about his royal ancestors there; the young man says he has been to the land of death and is waiting for the king's barber; the young man became royal minister]: Oinam et al. s.a.

The Balkans. Hungarians [the king tells his subjects to refresh the millstone; demands that the peasant who brought the golden mortar bring the pestle to it; the rich and poor peasant quarrel, the king will decide in favor of who will say that the fastest, fattest and softest girl in the world: let the king first remove blood from the millstone; warns her father in advance that the king will demand him to pest; says that the fastest thought, the fattest is the earth, the softest is the hand of man; the king tells the girl to weave a handful of threads; she asks that the king make a spindle and a spinning wheel out of a piece of wood; the king orders to repair it a leaky jug so that no traces remain; girl: let the king first turn the jug inside out; the king tells the girl to come to him and not come, come naked or dressed, neither on a wagon nor on foot ( not on horseback), neither on the road nor off-road, with or without a gift, greet him and not greet him; the girl wrapped herself in a piece of cloth, drove a donkey or goat along the side of the road, bringing the hidden between two bowls, the bird, at dusk, bows to the king, but does not say a word; the king marries her on the condition that in his absence she will not interfere in affairs; otherwise he will leave the palace, but he may take the most precious thing with you; one person claims that the calf (foal) did not give birth to another cow (horse), but his bull, or the owner of the cart says that she gave birth; the king decides in favor of the owner bull (cart); the queen replies that her husband is not there - he chases fish from the millet field; or advises the victim in front of the king to fish in the sand; the queen leaves, but takes the king with him, to whom she gave sleeping pills; when he wakes up, he returns his wife]: Benedek 1884, No. 875:388-390

Central Europe. Czechs [the shepherd found a golden mortar, the daughter advised me not to tell the king; the shepherd told me, the king demanded a pestle; the shepherd: my daughter told me correctly; king: let your clever daughter come neither on foot, not on horseback, naked, naked, not dressed, day, night, noon, or morning - then I will marry her and forgive her; my daughter wrapped herself in a net, sat on a goat, walking on the ground, arrived at dawn; the king married her, but promised to divorce if she gave advice to others; at the fair, the man's mare necklaces, the foal approached the man with gelding; the king agreed: he gave birth to gelding; the queen advised the first man to fish on the road; "How could a gelding necklace"; the king drove his wife away, allowing him to take the most precious thing with him; she gave her husband a drink, brought her to her house, and explained in the morning that he and there is the most precious thing; the king returned the queen to the palace]: Talova 1956:114-116; the Poles [1) a peasant found a golden mortar in the field and, contrary to his daughter's warning, gave it to the king; he tells bring a golden pestle; 2) the judge asks what is the most pleasant, stronger and richer; the daughter of a peasant: spring, winter, autumn; 3) the king (judge) marries a girl who fulfills absurd requirements; appear naked or dressed (wrapped in nets); get the chickens out of boiled eggs (let the king grow millet from boiled grain); the king (judge) marries a girl on the condition that she does not interfere in his cases; she decides who should own the foal (advises the owner of the mare to sow boiled peas, fish in the field); an angry husband tells his wife to return to her father, allowing him to return to her father pick up the most precious thing; she takes her sleeping husband; he forgives his wife]: Krzyżanowski 1962, No. 875:267-268; Belarusians, Kashubians, Luzhitans [motive known]: Vries 1928:62.

Caucasus - Asia Minor. Georgians [the peasant plowed, found a golden mortar; the daughter does not order to give it to the king, the peasant gave it, the tsar demands a pestle; the peasant laments, the king orders to bring his clever daughter to him; orders she should arrive naked, naked, neither on foot nor on horseback; the girl wrapped herself in a net, tied her to a donkey; the king returned the mortar, married the girl; the shepherd's mare necked, the other stole the foal, tied it to the leg of his bull; the king decided in favor of the thief; the wife advised the victim to start throwing a net in a dry place in front of the palace: if there are no fish on land, the bull did not give birth to a foal; the king decided to part with wife, but allowed him to take what she cared about; she drank him, brought him to his father's homes: you are the most important to me; the tsar did not leave his wife]: Kurdovanidze 1988 (2), No. 109:189-193.

Baltoscandia. The Swedes [the poor man found a golden mortar in the field; the daughter advised not to take it to the king, but the father did not obey; the king demanded a pestle, put the poor man in a hole; he regrets out loud that he did not listened to her daughter; the king tells her to appear day or night, on horseback, or on foot, naked, or dressed, neither on the road, nor near, nor full, nor on an empty stomach; after eating an onion at dawn, the girl wrapped herself in a fishing net, tied a bull to its horns, who dragged it along the rut; the king let the poor man go, married his daughter; the man's mare necklaces, the foal stood next to another man's bull, he began to demand the foal for himself; the queen advised the owner of the mare to stand in a dry place with a fishing rod; he replies to the king that it is no more difficult to catch a fish on land than to necklace a bull; the king is angry with his wife, told go to her father, taking her favorite with her; the Queen drank with the king, adding a sleepy potion to him, took him to her father's house; in the morning she said that he was the most important to her; the king returned his wife to the palace]: Suritz 1991:148-149; Danes, Estonians [bell and bell language], Finnish Swedes, Finns [motive known]: Vries 1928:62.