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Aarne–Thompson–Uther index
About this index and how to read it
The ATU index classifies international folktales by type. Each row gives the type number, its title and summary, followed by the references it inherits: Arne Thompson is the earlier Aarne–Thompson type number, and Thompson lists the motif references from Thompson's Motif-Index of Folk-Literature associated with that type.
Cross-references inside a summary open the relevant tale-type or motif record. Thompson motif references in the final column are linked directly to the corresponding entry in the Stith Thompson Motif Index when that reference exists in the database. Any column heading can be clicked to sort by it, and clicking again reverses the order. Following a type number opens that type on its own page.
Realistic Tales 850–999
| ATU | Title | Summary | Arne Thompson ▲ | Thompson |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 898 | The Daughter of the Sun | The Speechless Maiden; the Puppet Bride). I. Virgin in the Tower. To avoid fulfillment of a prophecy that a princess shall be impregnated by the sun and bear a child, she is confined in a tower. Nevertheless the prophecy is fulfilled. [T381, T521].… | , 898 | R131.11.3., S313., T381., T521. |
| 899 | Alcestis | Wife sacrifices self for husband when his parents refuse. [T211.1]. | , 899 | M341.1.1., T211.1. |
| 900 | King Thrushbeard | A princess disdains all her suitors. Names one of them Thrushbeard. Her father marries her to a beggar. Her pride is broken. The beggar reveals himself as King Thrushbeard. I. The Suitors. (a) A king sends abroad invitations for suitors to woo his… | , 900 | H181., H311., H461., H465., K1361., K1816.0.3., K1817.1., L113.1.0.1., L431., Q483., T45., T62., T72.2.1., T76. |
| 901 | Taming of the Shrew | The youngest of three sisters is a shrew. For their disobedience the husband shoots his dog and his horse. Brings his wife to submission. Wager: whose wife is the most obedient. Cf. Type 1370. | , 901 | H386., L50., N12., T251.2. |
| 910 | Precepts bought or given correct | Drie mannen, een molenaar met een kwaad wijf, een koopman die het ondanks goede zaken slecht gaat, en een arme dokter, vragen een waarzegster om raad. Zij geeft hen elk een briefje met resp. deze voorschriften: 1. luister naar je molen; 2. koop een… | , 910A, 910B, 910C, 910D, 910E, 910F, 910G | 21.4., C320., D758., H588.7., J1021., J154., J163.1., J1655.2., J21.1., J21.10., J21.15., J21.2., J21.22., J21.24., J21.26., J21.27., J21.28., J21.3., J21.46., J21.47.1., J21.5., J21.6., J21.9., J571., J865., K2155., K2213.3., N545.1., Q20.2. |
| 920 | The son of the king (Solomon) and of the smith | The children are exchanged. In the children's play Solomon acts as king. Shows his cleverness. I. Expulsion of the Prince. (a) The prince is expelled from home because (a1) he reports from his mother's womb her scandalous conduct. (b) He is ordered… | , 920B, 920C | H486.2., J412.1., L13. |
| 921 | The king and the peasant's son | The youth's clever answers to the king' questions (1 1/2 men and the horse's head, etc. [H561.4, H583]). Among the riddles are: (a1) What do you see? - 1 1/2 men and horse's head (himself, the legs of the king who is horseback in the door way, and… | , 921, 921A, 921B* , 921C*, 921D* | H583., H583.1., H583.2., H583.3., H583.4., H583.5., H583.6., H585.1., J1252., L144.2., NA |
| 922 | The king and the abbot | Falsely accused minister reinstates himself by his cleverness [K2101, P111]. Cf. Type 981. | , 922 | H512., H541.1., H561.2., H634., H681.1., H691.1., H696.1., H701.1., H702., H703., H705.1., H705.2., H711.1., H713.1., H797., K1961., Q113.4. |
| 923 | Loving the Salt | The youngest of three daughters says that she loves her father like salt. The sick father is driven forth, etc. [592.1]. See analysis of Type 510: I c; II a; III c; V. | , 923 | H592.1., M21. |
| 924 | Discussion by sign language | No examples in the Database yet | , 924 | H607.1., J1804. |
| 926 | Judgment of Solomon | Two women claim a child. Judge offers to cut it in two. The real mother refuses. [J1171.1]. | , 926, 926C | J1141., J1141.1., J1141.1.4., J1154.2., J1171.1., J1172.1., J1179.6. |
| 927 | Out-riddling the judge | The accused is set free when the judge cannot solve the riddles propounded to him. The riddles: (a) what has seven tongues in one head? (bird's nest with seven young found in a horse's head); (b) formerly I was a daughter, now I am a mother; (c) or… | , 927 | H542., H792., H793., H804., H805., H806., H807. |
| 930 | The Prediction | Cf. Types 461, 1525R*. I. The Prophecy. (a) It is foretold that a poor boy is to become the king's son-in-law. II. Sale and Abandonment. (a) The king buys the boy from his parents. (b) He abandons the boy in a box on a river (or in a forest). (c) He… | , 930, 930A | H51., K1355., K511., K978., M312.1., M312.1.1., M359.2., M370., N101., R131., S115.2., S143., T22.2. |
| 931 | Oedipus | As foretold by the prophecy, the hero kills his father and marries his mother. | , 931 | M343., M371.2., N323., R131., S354., T412. |
| 935 | The Prodigal's Return | The fortunate marriage and the visit home. The youngest of three brothers [L10] is a prodigal [N172]. He goes abroad as a soldier and swindles his father into sending him money. Through cleverness he makes his fortune and marries the princess [L161].… | , 935 | K1815., K1837., L161. |
| 938 | Placidas | He is converted by a vision. All his goods are destroyed, his wife seized by a ship captain, his young sons carried off by a lion and a bear [N251]. He finally recovers them all [N121]. | , 938 | J214., N251. |
| 945 | Luck and Intelligence. Which is More Powerful? | Test: peasant who has intelligence in his head is brought to court. Luck saves trim. I. Introduction. (a) Intelligence end Luck dispute as to which is the more powerful. (b) As a test a gardener is endowed with intelligence. II. The Wooden Doll. (a)… | , 945 | D435.1.1., F1023., F954.2.1., H343., H621., N141., Z16.1. |
| 950 | Rhampsinitus | Rhampsinitus. The theft in the treasury (bank). The head of one of the thieves cut off. The other thief (brother) sought in vain. The lamentation of the relatives betrays the thief, etc. Cf. Type 1525. I. Theft from the treasury. (a) The king's… | , 950 | H58., J1142.4., J1143., K315.1., K332., K407.1., K415., K425., K730. |
| 952 | The King and the Soldier | A soldier prepares to testify before the king against his superior officer. Accompanies the king, whom he does not know, to the robbers' house [K1812.1]. The soldier kills the robbers (or renders them harmless) [N884.1]. The robbers are usually… | , 952 | D2072., K1812.1., K422., N884.1. |
| 953 | The Old Robber Relates Three Adventures | The old robber relates three adventures to free his sons [R153.3.3, J1185]. Each adventure is more frightful than the last [R151.1]. The tales: (1) an adventure with ghostlike cats, (2) Odysseus and Polyphemus (cf.Type 1137), (3) an ogre fooled by… | , 953 | J1185., K1011., K527., Q53., R153.3.3. |
| 955 | The Robber Bridegroom | The maiden in the den of robbers. While hidden under the bed she sees another maiden murdered. The severed finger serves her as a token. The girl usually strews her path into the forest with ashes or pees [R145]. When the bridegroom appears, she uses the severed finger of the murdered girl to expose him [H57.2.1]. Cf. Type 311. | , 955 | B143.1., H57.2.1., K1916., R135. |
| 960 | The Sun Brings All to Light | The murderer repeats as he sees the ray of the sun the last words of the dying man [D1715]. In this way the crime is brought to light [N271.1]. Or the murder is revealed by the unusual names of boys [N271.2]. Cf. Types 883C, 1376C*, 1530*. | , 960, 960A | D1715., N271.1., N271.3. |
| 968 | Miscellaneous Robber and Murder Stories | No examples in the Database yet | , 968 | K343.0.1., K434.1., K434.3., S121. |
| 980 | Old Grandfathers and Their Grandsons | Ungrateful Son Reproved by Naive Actions of Own Son: Preparing for Old Age [W121]. | , 980, 980A, 980B, 980C, 980D | D444.2., J121., J121.2., NA |
| 982 | Ungrateful Heirs | They think that the chest of stones contains the inheritance. [P236.2, Q281.1]. | , 982 | P236.2., Q281.1. |
| 877 | The Old Woman who was Skinned | La Vecchia Scorticata. King marries woman whose finger he has seen and whose voice he has heard. She turns out to be old woman. He has her thrown out. She hangs in a tree. Swan fairies change her into beautiful girl. The king takes her as wife. Her… | 877 | D1880. |
| 887 | Griselda | The king marries a maiden of the lower class. She promises to be always complacent. The king puts her to the proof by making her believe that he has killed their children and married another wife [H461]. Cf. Types 712, 881, 900. | 887 | H461. |
| 947 | The Man Followed by Bad Luck | He escapes from one trouble only to meet with another. Finally, apparently safe, he is killed by a falling stone wall. [N253]. | 947 | N253. |
| 956 | Robbers' Heads Cut Off by One as They Enter House | Robbers' Heads Cut off One by One as they Enter House [K912]. Cf. Type 304. | 956A | K912. |
| 958 | The Shepherd Youth in the Robbers' Power | The Shepherd Youth in the Robbers' Power calls on his him for help. The helpers come. [K551.1]. | 958C*, 958E* | K311.1., K437.2. |
| 976 | Which was the Noblest Act? | The bridegroom, the robber, and the lover. A bridegroom permits his bride to fulfill a promise to visit her lover on her wedding night. On the way she meets robbers. When he hears her story one of the robbers conducts her to her lover. On hearing her… | 976 | H1552.1. |
| 981 | The Killing of Old Men | Wisdom of Hidden Old Man Saves Kingdom. In famine all old men are ordered killed. One man hides his father. When all goes wrong in the hands of the young rulers, the old man comes forth, performs assigned tasks, end aids with his wisdom. [J151.1].… | 981 | J151.1. |
| 986 | The Lazy Husband | Forced by his wife to work he joins a caravan and finds in a desert spring a pomegranate and a beautiful girl. He sends the pomegranate to his wife. Out of it fall jewels which make them rich. He returns the stolen girl to her father. | 986 | NA |
| 987 | False Magician Exposed by Clever Girl | No examples in the Database yet | 987 | NA |
| 990 | Revived from Apparent Death by a Grave-Robber | The Woman gets a ring stuck in her throat. A man enters the grave to steal a ring from the finger of the dead. The woman wakes up and goes home. [K426] | 990 | K426. |
| 992 | The Eaten Heart | Adulteress is caused unwittingly to eat her lover's heart. (Sometimes other parts of his body) [Q478.1]. | 992, 992A | NA, Q478.1. |