Mountain Motifs in Folktales, Myths and Legends

Elizabeth Byers, The Mountain Institute

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Compare mountain motifs from different countries

Mountain cultures have given rise to a number of interesting folklore motifs that can be linked to the danger and hardship of life in a vertical landscape, such as avalanches, hunger, cold, or wild beasts. Common mountain motifs also reflect the rich spirituality of mountain cultures (e.g. mountain gods, pilgrimages, magical beings, resourceful women, devotion to family) and the globally important biodiversity of mountain ecosystems (e.g. healing herbs, strong connections to animals and nature). Mountains serve as refuges and sanctuaries in the real world, and not surprisingly, these are also common motifs in folk literature.

It is interesting to see the use of similar motifs and story themes in widely separated mountain cultures. I hope you will enjoy exploring the many fascinating mountain cultures through their folktales!

Folktale, myth, or legend?

A traditional prose narrative regarded as fictional by the storyteller is called a folktale.

Myths are accounts of what happened in a remote or ancient storyteller’s culture. From the original storyteller’s point of view, they would have been considered truthful. Myths most often deal with the activities of gods and demigods, the creation of the world and its inhabitants, and the origin of religious ritual. For example, an "explanatory myth" might explain why bears do not walk on two legs, or why a particular taboo must be maintained.

A creation myth represents the current state of knowledge of a culture and meets that culture’s needs. One could say that the “creation myth” of the 21st century is the Big Bang theory of stellar evolution. Other cultures have more colorful creation myths, such as the Kikuyu who tell the story of the creator descending through a dense cloud to the black crystal of Mount Kenya. From this sacred abode, he directed the first Kikuyu to descend and make his home where the fig trees grew in the rich red earth below.

Legends, like myths, are also regarded as true by the original teller, but legends are often secular, set in the historical past, and most commonly assign humans the major narrative roles. A legend might contain a believed account of human behavior that sheds light on correct human behavior.

Folklorists commonly view all three of these traditional prose narratives types as one way that people attempt to make sense of a mysterious or confusing world.

The recurring themes, story elements, and characters that make up folk literature are referred to as motifs. The ultimate reference for folk motifs is the Stith Thompson Motif-Index of Folk-Literature.

Common mountain motifs, by country

Here is a list of some common mountain motifs, with the countries whose folktales and legends typically contain them. All of these motifs occur in the mountain folktales on this website.