Folklore Database · Distribution
Traditions by narrative count
Each rectangle's area is proportional to the number of narratives recorded for that
tradition, and each block is an area of the world holding the traditions drawn inside it.
Select an area's title bar to see that area on its own.
The 100 traditions shown account for
115,645 narrative–tradition records, 55.4% of the
208,710 recorded across all traditions.
A further 944 traditions are not drawn, so the blocks are sized by what is on screen rather than by the whole of each area.
Underlying figures are in the sortable traditions table.
Cite this figure
The 100 traditions holding the most narratives in the Folklore Database, drawn as a squarified treemap grouped by area, rectangle 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_treemap.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 rectangle 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.
Blocks are sized by the traditions drawn within them, not by everything the area contains, so an area's share here is a share of the selection rather than of the corpus. Log in to follow a rectangle through to the motifs recorded for that tradition.
The same figures are also available on the map and as a bubble chart.
If you wish to get access to data for projects and research, then please contact us, we do our best to help
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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