Folklore Database · Distribution
Traditions by narrative count
Each bubble's area is proportional to the number of narratives recorded for that tradition,
so the radius grows with the square root of the count — a tradition with four times as many
narratives draws a bubble twice as wide, not four times. Colour marks the area the tradition is
assigned to. Bubbles are packed for legibility only; position carries no meaning, and the
geography is on the map.
The 100 traditions plotted account for
115,645 narrative–tradition records, 55.4% of the
208,710 recorded across all traditions.
Underlying figures are in the sortable traditions table.
Cite this figure
The 100 traditions holding the most narratives in the Folklore Database, bubble area proportional to narrative count. Data and figure by Jonathan Fielder-White, Folklore Database, release 1.26206.1 (25 July 2026), https://www.folkloredatabase.com/db_traditions_bubbles.php (accessed 12 August 2026). Tradition names for catalogue-derived entries follow the Berezkin–Duvakin Analytical Catalogue of Folklore Motifs.
Reading this chart
A large bubble means a great many narratives have been recorded for that tradition, which is not the same as that tradition having a great many narratives. Collection history, publication language and the reach of the source catalogues all shape these counts, so the chart is a map of the record rather than of the tradition itself. Sparsely represented traditions are, on the whole, sparsely collected ones.
Log in to follow a bubble through to the motifs recorded for that tradition. The same figures can be sorted and searched in the traditions table.
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How to cite: Fielder-White, Jonathan (2026). The Folklore Database. https://folkloredatabase.com
0009-0006-1672-4451
Where applicable, users should also cite the relevant original sources, catalogues, and classification systems, including Berezkin, ATU, Thompson, and other cited authorities, alongside the page accessed and the last time accessed.
Editorial annotations and database enhancements © Jonathan Fielder-White licensed under CC BY 4.0. Berezkin-derived narrative and metadata licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Full rights information can be found here.
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