Backward feet
In short: A motif in which a character’s feet point away from the direction they are travelling.
Motif
How does it work in the tale?
Cipitío’s association with ash draws attention to footprints. In the Burrell Boom story from Belize, Peter tries to recognise Tata Duende by looking at his feet. The same feature shapes tracking in one story and a face-to-face encounter in the other.
What do backward feet do in two different stories?
In the Burrell Boom story from Belize, Peter notices the little man’s feet from behind a pine tree. John sees his hands. Their father recognises Tata Duende from these observations. In El Salvador, Clará de Guevara describes backward-footed Cipitío as a mischievous boy who looks for ashes in kitchens with wood fires. In one account, the feet help solve a strange encounter. In the other, they help readers picture a character.