Yu.E. Berezkin, E.N. Duvakin

Thematic classification and distribution of folklore and mythological motifs by area

Analytical catalogue translated by Jon F White

Introduction
Bibliography
Ethnicities and habitats

N28D. Sea cover. .23.29.34.

Among the things that don't exist in the world are a cover or roof for the sea, ocean, or river.

Kashmiris, Varnishes, Turks, Trans-Baikal Buryats, Barguts (?).

South Asia. Kashmiris [riddle: "What is that without a covering? What is that without a pillar (i.e. support)?" (river and sky)]: Knowles 1887, No. 2:127 (quoted in Taylor 1954:408; translated into Zhurinsky 2007:328).

Caucasus - Asia Minor. Lucky ["There is no cover to close the sea and stairs to go up to the sky"]: Ramazanova 2005:193; Turks: Zhurinsky 2007 ["On There are no four things in this world," she said. "A camel doesn't have horseshoes, a mule has no children, no stairs in the sky, no roof for the sea"]: 323; Taylor 1954 ["A bird came and said, "Hak!" and said "Hyk!" and said "There are three things which do not exist in the world: a camel's horseshoe, a stairway to the sky, a lid for the sea"]: 407.

Southern Siberia - Mongolia. Buryats: Bazarov 1902a, No. 116 (Aginsky) ["There are three shortcomings in the world - what are they? - 1) sky without support; 2) water without a roof; 3) a mountain without a belt"]: 29 (English translation in Taylor 1954, No. 1007:365); Budaev 1988 ["There are three drawbacks in the world: a mountain without a belt, a sky without support, the sea without a cover" (p. Mogoytuy, Mogoytuy District, Aginsky District); there are three amazing ones in the world: "It's amazing that the mountain is without a belt, it's amazing that the sky is without support, it's amazing that the river is without a cover" (the recording place is not indicated); there are three drawbacks in the world: "The sea without a cover is a flaw, the sky without support is a flaw, a land without a belt is a lack" (option: "Sky without support, sea without roof, mountain without a belt"; the place of recording is not specified)]: 26, 181-182; Barguts or Agin Buryats (also possibly: Uzumchins or Arukhorchins): Bazarov 1902b, No. 12 [from "riddles collected by Sh.-Lh. Bases. Bazarov among the Barga- and Agin Buryats, as well as partly in the Uzumuchin and Aru-Khorchin Khoshuns in the summer of 1899, during the expedition of Gr. Nick. Potanina": "Three "nothing" in the world. Mount Sumeru without a belt is "nothing"; a "sea of milk" without a lid is "nothing"; a sky without a column is "nothing"]; No. 13 ["Two shortcomings in the world. There are no stairs to reach the sky; there is no cover to cover the sea"]: 104 (English translation in Taylor 1954, No. 997, 1006:365).