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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

86 tale types

Sorted by Thompson references, ascending

Showing 51–86 of 86 · Page 2 of 2

ATU Title Summary Arne Thompson Thompson ▲
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.
888 The Faithful Wife I. The Husband Threatens to Beat his Wife. (a) A prince (merchant's son) says he will marry only a girl who will submit to a beating (with a hose) each day [M134]. (b) The prince marries the girl and she refuses to allow him to beat her, saying he… , 888, 888A H431.1., H80., J1545.6., K1837., M134., R152.1., R61., T320.1.
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.
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.
853 Contest in Repartee Takes along a dead crow and other objects which he has found. I. The Contest. A princess is offered in marriage to the youth who outwits her in repartee. II. The Clues. On the way to the contest the hero picks up a dead crow, an egg, and other… , 853, 853A H507.1., H507.1.0.1., K1331.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
879 The Basil Maiden (The Sugar Puppet, Viola) I. The Sprinkler of Basil. A princess before leaving her schoolmistress is used to sprinkling a vase of flowers. II. Questions and Counter questions. A prince ridicules her with a rhyme but the girl learns from her teacher a rhyme which scorns him in… , 879 H702., H705.3., K1837., K525.1.
882 The wager on the wife's chastity A ship captain marries a poor girl. Makes a wager with a merchant on the chastity of his wife. Through treachery, the merchant secures a token of unfaithfulness (ring). The captain leaves home. The wife follows him in men's clothing. They reach home… , 882 H94., K1342., K1837., K2112.1., N15.
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.
890 The Pound of Flesh The wife as judge saves her husband. I. A merchant buys a bride in Turkey for her weight in gold. II. He gets the money by giving as security a piece of his own flesh. III. (a) The husband is abroad and (b) while he is away three merchants fall in… , 890 J1161.2., K1825.2., K443.2., T52.3.
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.
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.
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.
889 The Faithful Servant A lord makes a wager with his neighbor on the faithfulness of his servant [N25]. The servant is sent to the neighbor's house, where he is made drunk, etc. The neighbor loses the wager. Sometimes joined with Type 930 III a. , 889 J751.1., N25.
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.
880 The Man Boasts of his Wife Is imprisoned in the royal castle. The wife in man's clothing is betrothed to the princess [K1837]. Escapes with her husband [R152.1]. , 880 K1837., R152.1.
859 The Penniless Bridegroom Pretends to Wealth After marriage he takes the bride to look at his land. He puts on soiled clothes. She looks at the land; he points to the patch on his clothes. »That patch is mine.» [K1917.1]. , 859 K1917., K1917.1., K1917.2., K1917.4.
892 The children of the king While the young prince is traveling, his sister is to govern the country, both their parents being dead. Staying in the service of another king, the boy is told lies about the conduct of his sister by a knight who by treachery has obtained proofs of… , 892 K2112.1., Q261.
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.
968 Miscellaneous Robber and Murder Stories No examples in the Database yet , 968 K343.0.1., K434.1., K434.3., S121.
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.
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.
899 Alcestis Wife sacrifices self for husband when his parents refuse. [T211.1]. , 899 M341.1.1., T211.1.
931 Oedipus As foretold by the prophecy, the hero kills his father and marries his mother. , 931 M343., M371.2., N323., R131., S354., T412.
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.
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
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.
982 Ungrateful Heirs They think that the chest of stones contains the inheritance. [P236.2, Q281.1]. , 982 P236.2., Q281.1.
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.

Showing 51–86 of 86 · Page 2 of 2





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