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Stith Thompson Motif Index
About this index and how to read it
Stith Thompson's Motif-Index of Folk-Literature classifies recurring narrative elements in folktales, myths, legends, ballads and related traditional narratives. Each entry below gives Thompson's motif reference and the description recorded in the index.
The index is large, so this browser displays 250 entries per page. You can search by motif reference or by words in the description, restrict the results to one of Thompson's main letter categories, and click motif references mentioned inside descriptions to follow cross-references. Individual motif pages also show any ATU tale types whose concordance explicitly cites that Thompson reference.
All
A
Mythological Motifs
B
Animal Motifs
C
Motifs of Tabu
D
Magic
E
The Dead
F
Marvels
G
Ogres
H
Tests
J
The Wise and the Foolish
K
Deceptions
L
Reversals of Fortune
M
Ordaining the Future
N
Chance and Fate
P
Society
Q
Rewards and Punishments
R
Captives and Fugitives
S
Unnatural Cruelty
T
Sex
U
The Nature of Life
V
Religion
W
Traits of Character
X
Humor
Z
Miscellaneous Groups of Motifs
| Thompson reference ▲ | Description |
|---|---|
| B16.1.4.2 | Giant devastating sow. Irish myth: Cross; Icel.: MacCulloch Celtic 187, *Fb "sø" III 450a. |
| B16.1.5 | Man-eating cattle. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B16.1.5.1 | Monster ox (bull) killed. Babylonian: Jensen Gilgamesch-Epos VI 94ff., cf. 120—21, 129ff.; Greek: Fox 29, 62, 84, 102; Icel.: MacCulloch Eddic 85, *Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B16.1.5.2 | Destructive cow possessed by demons. Irish myth: Cross. (Cf. B17.1.3.) |
| B16.1.5.3 | Devastating bull. Greek: Grote I 189. |
| B16.1.6 | Destructive sheep. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B16.1.6.1 | Devastating supernatural lamb. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B16.2 | Devastating wild animals. |
| B16.2.1 | Devastating fox. Monthly human sacrifice.—*Frazer Apollodorus I 171 n. 2. |
| B16.2.2 | Devastating tiger. India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham. |
| B16.2.2.1 | Hostile tiger killed. Icel.: *Boberg. |
| B16.2.3 | Giant lion overcome by hero. Babylonian: Jensen Gilgamesch-Epos VIII; Greek: Fox 80; Icel.: *Boberg; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| B16.2.4 | Giant devastating wolf overcome by hero. Icel.: Boberg. |
| B16.2.5 | Devastating bear killed. Icel.: Boberg. |
| B16.2.6 | Devastating elephant. Icel.: *Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys; Chinese-Persian: Coyajee JPASB XXIV 188. |
| B16.2.7 | Destructive deer. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B16.2.8 | Giant man-eating mice. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B16.2.9 | Devastating bison (buffalo). German: Grimm No. 197; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B16.3 | Devastating birds. (Cf. B33.) |
| B16.4 | Devastating fish carries off daily victim. India: Thompson-Balys; Greek: Grote I 189. |
| B16.4.1 | Leviathan casts up gorge which spreads disease. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B16.4.1.1 | Leviathan causes cataclysm by striking earth with tail. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B16.4.1.1.2 | Sea-beast: when it belches landward, it causes disease; upward it kills birds; downward, fishes and sea animals. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B16.5 | Devastating reptiles. |
| B16.5.1 | Giant devastating serpent. India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 144f.—Africa (Chaga): Stamberg Zs. f. Eingeborenen-Spr. XXIII 296ff., Gutmann Volksbuch der Wadschagga 82f. No. 41, (Ganda): Baskerville King of the Snakes 1ff., (Senegambia): Béranger-Feraud Recueil de Contes Populaires de la Senegambia II 185ff. No. 2, (tribes of Western Sudan): Tauxier Le Noir du Yatengo 496 No. 1. |
| B16.5.1.1 | Devastating serpent with fiery breath. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B16.5.1.2 | Devastating (man-eating) sea-monster (serpent). Irish myth: Cross. |
| B16.5.1.2.1 | Serpent sucks man's breath (blood). India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| B16.5.2 | Devastating crocodile. India: Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX II No. 188. |
| B16.5.3 | Devastating shell-fish. Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 119f. |
| B16.5.4 | Man-devouring turtle. Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 145. |
| B16.6 | Devastating insects. |
| B16.6.1 | Giant man-eating ants. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B16.6.2 | Blood-sucking chafer. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B16.6.2.1 | Fierce black chafer. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B16.6.3 | Destructive locusts (with wings of iron) eat wheat crop. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B16.6.4 | Devastating spider. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B16.6.5 | Devastating centipede. Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 232f. |
| B17 | Hostile animals. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B17.1 | Hostile beasts. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B17.1.1 | Ferocious animals loosed against attackers. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B17.1.2 | Hostile dog (hound). Irish myth: Cross. |
| B17.1.2.1 | Bloodhounds decapitate victim. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B17.1.2.2 | Hostile hound killed by reaching through hollow log in its jaws—and tearing heart out. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B17.1.2.2.1 | Hero kills hostile hound (monster) by tearing (forcing) out its entrails (heart). Irish myth: Cross. |
| B17.1.2.3 | Transformed man as hostile dog. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B17.1.3 | Hostile cattle. Irish myth: Cross. (Cf. B15.1.5.2.) |
| B17.1.4 | Hostile horse. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B17.1.4.1 | Infuriated horses kill driver. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B17.1.5 | Hostile cat. Irish myth: Cross (B16.1.4). |
| B17.2 | Other hostile animals. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B17.2.1 | Hostile sea-beasts. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B17.2.1.1 | Hostile sea-rat. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B17.2.1.2 | Hostile eel attacks hero. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B17.2.1.3 | Hostile sea-cat. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B17.2.2 | Hostile griffin. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B17.2.3 | Hostile raven. |
| B17.2.3.1 | Raven plucks out men's eyes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B17.2.4 | Hostile scorpion. |
| B17.2.4.1 | Scorpion scoops out men's eyes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B18 | Behemoth: mythical gigantic animal. Jewish: Neuman. |
| B19 | Other mythical beasts. Fb "solulv". |
| B19.1 | Brazen-footed, fire-breathing bulls. (Cf. B15.6, B15.5)—Frazer Apollodorus I 109 n. 4, 110 n. i. |
| B19.2 | Nectar-yielding cow. Hindu: Keith 37. |
| B19.2.1 | The cow Audhumla. Icel.: MacCulloch Eddic 324. |
| B19.3 | Horse born of egg. Mythical hero will come riding on such a horse.—Fb "Holger Danske" I 640b, "æg" III 1142b. |
| B19.3.1 | Immortal horses. Greek: Grote I 11. |
| B19.3.2 | Mythical horse belonging to water-spirit. S. A. Indian: Toba Métraux MAFLS XL 50. |
| B19.4 | Glowing animals. Horses, swine, etc. which glow. (Cf. B15.4.2.) —*Wuttke Der deutsche Volksaberglaube der Gegenwart 59; *Hdwb. d. Abergl. s.v. "glühend"; *Fb "gloende".—Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman; Icel.: Boberg. |
| B19.4.1 | Burrowing swine heat ground. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B19.4.2 | Fiery serpent. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B19.4.3 | Sheep with fiery collar. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B19.4.4 | Hound flame of fire by night. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B19.5 | Horse with golden mane. Icel.: MacCulloch Eddic 66, 153. |
| B19.6 | Herd which came from heaven. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B19.6.1 | Cows of the sun. (Cf. Odyssey.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B19.7 | The goat Heidrun. Icel.: MacCulloch Eddic 313—14. |
| B19.8 | Mythical antelope. Jewish: Neuman. |
| B19.9 | Eternal bats. S. A. Indian (Guarani): Métraux BBAE CXLIII (3) 93. |
| B19.10 | Mythical tiger. Jewish: Neuman. |
| B19.11 | Mythical donkey. Jewish: Neuman. |
| B20 | Beast-men. Combinations of bestial and human form. |
| B20.1 | Army of half-animals, half-men. Jewish: Neuman. |
| B20.2 | Beast-men in the lower world. Jewish: Neuman. |
| B21 | Centaur: man-horse. Trunk and head of man, body of horse.—**P. V. C. Baur Centaurs in Ancient Art (Berlin, 1912); *Frazer Apollodorus I 191 n. 3, 261 n. 1; Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 413; Howey Horse in Magic and Myth 225ff.; **Dumézil (G.) Le Probleme des Centaures (Paris, 1929); Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman; Hindu: Penzer I 202. |
| B21.1 | Norse man-horse: "fingalkn" or "fingalp". Icel.: Boberg. |
| B21.2 | Body and hands human, head and ears those of a horse. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B21.3 | Man with horse's mouth. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B22 | Man-ass. Body of man, hoofs of ass.—*Chauvin VII 82 No. 373bis, n. I; Jewish: Neuman. |
| B22.1 | Body of man, head of ass. Jewish: Neuman. |
| B22.2 | Ass with human intelligence. German: Grimm No. 144. |
| B23 | Man-bull. |
| B23.1 | Minotaur. Body of man, head of bull. Result of union of woman with bull.—Icel.: Boberg; Greek: Fox 61; Roscher Lexikon s.v. "Acheloos"; Frazer Apollodorus I 307 n. I, II 120 n. I.—Chauvin VII 87 No. 373bis n. 3.—Chinese: Ferguson 30. |
| B23.2 | Bull with man's head. Persian: Carnoy 333. |
| B23.3 | Man with (two) horns on his head. Irish myth: Cross; Icel.: Boberg. |
| B24 | Satyr. Combination of man and goat.—Greek: Fox 268; Jewish: Neuman. |
| B24.1 | Satyr reveals woman's infidelity. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| B24.2 | Man with goat's head. (Cf. A1614.1.2.) Irish myth: Cross (B29.5). |
| B25 | Man-dog. Icel.: *Boberg; American Indian and Siberian: *Jochelson JE VI, 1912, 336; Eskimo (Greenland): Rasmussen I 205, III 226, 246, Holm 50, Rink 47, 111, (Central Eskimo): Boas RBAE VI 633; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 205. |
| B25.1 | Man with dog's head. *Chauvin VII 77 No. 121; H. Cordier RTP V 72ff.; Fb "hundetyrk".—Loomis White Magic 114; Irish myth: Cross; Icel.: Boberg; Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 72. |
| B25.1.1 | Dog-headed man has mane of horse (cattle). Irish myth: Cross. |
| B25.1.2 | Dog-headed people. Peasants persecuted by one-eyed and dog-headed savages.—Estonian: M. J. Eisen Estnische Mythologie (Leipzig 1925) pp. 202—206; Livonian: Loorits FFC LXVI 73 No. 232; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3911. |
| B25.2 | Dog with human head. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B26 | Man-tiger. Hindu: Keith 96, Thompson-Balys. |
| B26.1 | Girl with tiger's legs and ears. Indo-Chinese (Wa tribe): Scott 291. |
| B27 | Man-lion. Man with lion's head.—Greek: *Grote I 7; Jewish: Neuman; Chauvin VII 87 No. 373bis n. 3. |
| B28 | Man-elephant. Man with elephant's head.—Hindu: Keith 181. |
| B29 | Other combinations of beast and man. |
| B29.1 | Lamia. Face of woman, body of serpent (or body of sow, and legs of horse).—*Bolte FFC XXXIX 5 n. 1—Icel.: Herrmann Saxo II 603; Czech: Máchal Slavic 265; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B29.2 | Echidna. Half woman, half serpent.—Frazer Apollodorus I 131. |
| B29.2.1 | Serpent with human head. Jewish: Neuman. |
| B29.2.2 | Man with serpent's head. Jewish: Neuman. |
| B29.2.3 | Snake body-woman's head. Aurora (New Hebrides): Codrington No. III 12. |
| B29.3 | Man-hog. Irish myth: Cross; Chinese: Werner 335. |
| B29.4 | Man-cat. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B29.4.1 | Man with cat's head. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B29.4.1.1 | Man with head and tail of cat. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B29.5 | Man-wolf. Icel.: Boberg. |
| B29.6 | Man-elk. Hrolfs saga kr. ch. 20. |
| B29.7 | Man-bear. Jewish: Neuman. |
| B29.8 | Man-hedgehog. Upper half of body like hedgehog.—German: Grimm 108. |
| B29.9 | Man-ape. Jewish: Neuman. |
| B30 | Mythical birds. Penzer VII 56 n.; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 29. |
| B30.1 | Mythical white albatross. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 92. |
| B30.2 | Mythical cock. Icel.: MacCulloch Eddic 276, 303, 313, 331, Boberg. |
| B31.1 | Roc. A giant bird which carries off men in its claws.—Irish myth: Cross; German: Grimm Nos. 51, 161; Penzer I 103ff., II 219; Chauvin VI 3 No. 181 n. 3; Burton I 154 n., V 122f., VI 16n, 48ff., S III 186, S VII 249.—Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 45.—N. A. Indian: Thompson Tales 318 n. 151. |
| B31.1.0.1 | The bird Ziz, Hebrew counterpart of roc. Jewish: Neuman. |
| B31.1.1 | Roc's egg. *Chauvin VI 93 No. 256, VII 10 No. 373B. |
| B31.1.2 | Roc drops rock on ship. Rock is so large that it destroys ship.—*Chauvin VII 21 No. 373E n. 1; *Basset 1001 Contes I 158. |
| B31.2 | The Bird Gam. Throws sand in a stream and makes a lake. Appears at turn of century. Also carries men. Leaps into the sea and sleeps.—Fb "Fugl Gam", "Gam" IV 173b.—Kristensen Danske Sagn II (1893) 131ff., (1928) 94.—Icel.: *Boberg. |
| B31.3 | Giant ravens. They sit on mountain; when they fly, avalanche comes. —Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 323 No. 139. |
| B31.3.1 | Giant swimming raven. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B31.4 | Giant bat. *Chauvin VII n. 9. |
| B31.5 | Simorg: giant bird.—Chauvin VII 12; Malone PMLA XLIII 404. |
| B31.6 | Other giant birds. Penzer I 104, VI 123 n.—Chinese: Giles Strange Stories of a Chinese Studio (New York, 1927) 547.—Africa (Basuto): Jacottet 222 No. 33. |
| B31.6.1 | Giant blackbird. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B31.6.2 | Giant bird pulls up oak tree by roots. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B31.6.2.1 | Giant bird alighting on oak tree causes it to tremble. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B32 | Phoenix. *Hdwb. d. deutschen Aberglaubens I 180; *Gunkel Das Märchen im alten Testament 36f.; Roscher Lexikon III 3450 s.v. "Phoinix".—Fb "phoenix". —Medieval Romance: Wells Manual of Writings 105 (Prose Alexander).—Chinese: Ferguson 98, Eberhard FFC CXX 117 No. 73; Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
| B32.1 | Phoenix renews youth. Fb "ørn" III 1183b; Egyptian: Müller 165f. |
| B32.1.1 | Phoenix renews youth when 1,000 years old. Jewish: Neuman. |
| B33 | Man-eating birds. Irish myth: Cross; Greek: Fox 84; S. A. Indian (Toba): Métraux MAFLS XL 72. |
| B33.1 | Other devastating birds. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B33.1.1 | Devastating birds wither everything with their breath. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B33.1.2 | Devastating birds destroy grass. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B33.1.3 | Black birds destroy crops. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B33.1.4 | Devastating birds with poisonous spells on their wings. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B34 | Bird of dawn. Golden plumage; three feet.—Chinese: Werner 186. |
| B35 | Camrosh. Giant bird which collects seeds and sees that they are properly placed. Carries off the people's enemies.—Persian: Carnoy 289; Penzer I 103. |
| B36 | Milk-producing bird. Africa (Zulu): Callaway 101; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B37 | Immortal bird. (cf. B32.) Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
| B39 | Other mythical birds. |
| B39.1 | Bird from paradise. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B40 | Bird-beasts. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "ailes". |
| B41 | Bird-horse. |
| B41.1 | Pegasus. Winged horse.—Greek: Fox 34, 39, 213. |
| B41.2 | Flying horse. Sometimes represented as having wings, sometimes as going through the air by magic.—*Chauvin V 228 No. 130; Fb "hest" IV 211a; BP II 134; *Hdwb. d. deutschen Märchens s.v. "Arabische Motive"; Penzer II 224; Rösch FFC LXXVII 110—Icel.: MacCulloch Eddic 43 (Sleipnir), 185 (Hofvarpnir).—Arabian: Burton I 160, V 246 n., VI 8, VII 46, 53, S II 85; India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 838, 1358; Indo-Chinese: Scott Indo-Chinese 314. |
| B41.2.1 | Angel horse. Horse draws angels' chariot.—*Howey Horse in Magic and Myth 17ff. |
| B42 | Griffin. Half lion, half eagle.—*Chauvin VII 13 No. 313B; *Hdwb. d. Abergl. III 1129f.; Penzer I 104, 141 n. 2; Irish myth: Cross; Icel.: *Boberg; Jewish: Neuman. |
| B42.1 | Hippogriff. Horse with fore-quarters of griffin.—Howey Horse in Magic and Myth 232. |
| B43 | Winged bull. Spence Myths of Bab. & Assyr. 289f.; India: Thompson-Balys; Jewish: Neuman. |
| B43.1 | Flying buffalo. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| B44 | Bird-bear. Icel.: Herrman Saxo II 174ff., *Boberg. |
| B45 | Air-going elephant. Hindu: Tawney I 328, II 540; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| B46 | Vasa Mortis. Bird with four heads, middle like a whale, feathers and feet of a griffin.—Old English: Solomon and Saturnus (Grein-Wülcker) III (2) 58—82, lines 262ff. |
| B47 | Winged camel. Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B48 | Flying crustacean. (Cf. B62, B94.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B49 | Bird-beasts—miscellaneous. |
| B49.1 | Bird with crocodile head. Jewish: Neuman; |
| B49.2 | Flying ape. Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 235. |
| B49.3 | Flying fox. Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 235. |
| B50 | Bird-men. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B51 | Sphinx. Has face of woman, body and tail of lion, wings of bird.—**Laistner Rätsel der Sphinx; *Frazer Apollodorus I 349 n. 1; **J. Ilberg Die Sphinx in der griechischen Kunst und Saga (Leipzig, 1896); Köhler-Bolte I 115. |
| B52 | Harpy. Bird with arms and breasts of woman.—Greek: Fox 111, *Grote I 216f.; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 564. |
| B53 | Siren. Bird with woman's head.—*Encyclopaedia Britannica s.v. "sirens"; Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XIX 310 n. 1 (here considered as half fish, half woman); Roscher Lexikon s.v. "Seirenen"; Penzer VI 282 n. 6; *Frazer Apollodorus I 21, II 291 n. 2; *Weicker Der Seelenvogel in d. alten Literatur und Kunst.—Slavic: Máchal 260; Livonian: Loorits FFC LXVI 41 No. 26.—Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "sirène"; Gascon: Bladé II 342 No. 10; Jewish: Neuman. |
| B53.0.1 | Siren in mermaid form. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B53.1 | Drowning man rescued by siren. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "noyé". |
| B53.2 | Man suckled by siren. Dickson Valentine and Orson 110 n. 26, 112. |
| B53.3 | Gold thrown on shore by siren. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "or". |
| B53.4 | Siren's song causes sleep. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B55 | Man with bird's head. Chauvin VII 77 No. 121. |
| B56 | Garuda-bird. Lower part man, upper part bird.—*Penzer I 103, VII 56 n. X 159; Chauvin V 228, VII 12.—Siberian: Holmberg Siberian 345.—Indonesian: Dixon 224.—Panchatantra (trans. Ryder) 94ff.; Penzer-Tawney X 159 "Garuda". |
| B57 | "Finngálkn", bird with a man's head. Icel.: *Boberg. |
| B60 | Mythical fish. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| B60.1 | Parent of all fishes. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 24. |
| B61 | Leviathan. Giant fish.—Hebrew: Job 41:1, Psalms 104:26, Isaiah 27:1; Jewish: *Neuman.—Irish myth: Cross; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B62 | Flying fish. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B63 | Mythical octopus. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 22; Marquesas: Handy 74. |
| B64 | Mythical eel. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 102f. |
| B65 | Mythical shark. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 128—132. |
| B68 | Horned water-monster. S. A. Indian (Chaco): Beliaeff BBAE CXLIII (1) 379. |
| B70 | Fish-beasts. *Loomis White Magic 64f. |
| B71 | Sea horse. Horse living in sea.—*Chauvin VII 7 No. 373a n. 1; *Howey Horse in Magic and Myth 133ff.; Tobler Epiphanie der Seele 97.—Irish myth: Cross; Scotch: MacDougall and Calder 309ff.; Livonian: Loorits FFC LXVI 42 No. 31.—Chinese: Ferguson 30. |
| B72 | Sea cow. Cow living in sea.—Irish myth: Cross.—Livonian: Loorits FFC LXVI 42 No. 32; Danish: Kristensen Danske Sagn (1893) 153ff., (1928) 105ff.; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B72.1 | Three sea-cows: one red, one white, one black. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B73 | Sea-cat. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B80 | Fish-men. Tobler Epiphanie der Seele 98. |
| B80.1 | Seal-man. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B80.2 | Monster half-man, half-fish. S. A. Indian (Toba): Métraux MAFLS XL 30. |
| B81 | Mermaid. Woman with tail of fish. Lives in sea.—BP III 324; *Fb "havfrue" I, 569, IV 204a; Thien Motive in König Rother 42; Tobler Epiphanie der Seele 98.—Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "poisson". Icel.: *Boberg; Estonian: Hartland Science of Fairy Tales 201; Irish myth: Cross; Livonian: Loorits FFC LXVI 41 No. 26; Lappish: Qvigstad FFC LX 46 Nos. 58—63; North Carolina: Brown Collection I 636; Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B81.0.1 | Mermaids are like fishes in the water, like men on land. Icel.: Boberg. |
| B81.0.2 | Woman from water world. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B81.1 | Mermaids from Pharoah's children. They were drowned in the Red Sea.—Livonian: Loorits FFC LXVI 41 No. 27. |
| B81.2 | Mermaid marries man. Fb "havfrue" IV 204a.—Krappe Archiv für das Studium der neueren Sprachen 159 (1931) 161—175; Irish myth: Cross; Livonian: Loorits FFC XLVI 40 No. 25; Lappish: Qvigstad FFC LX 45f. Nos. 55, 57. |
| B81.2.1 | Mermaid has son by human father. *Fb "havfrue" I 569b, IV 204a; Icel.: *Boberg. |
| B81.2.2 | Mermaids tear their mortal lovers to pieces. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B81.3 | Mermaid leads people astray. Fb "havfrue" I 569b. |
| B81.3.1 | Mermaid appears at midnight, entices people into water. England: Baughman. |
| B81.3.2 | Mermaid appears once each year, sings in choir, entices young man to follow her. England: Baughman. |
| B81.4 | Mermaid captures a maiden. *Fb "havfrue" IV 204a. |
| B81.5 | Mermaid sits on knight's bedpost. *Fb "havfrue" I 569b. |
| B81.6 | Mermaid has human midwife. *Fb "havfrue" I 569b. |
| B81.7 | Mermaid warns of bad weather. *Fb "havfrue" I 569b, IV 204a. Danish: Kristensen Danske Sagn II (1893) 143ff., (1928) 101ff. |
| B81.7.1 | Mermaid prophesies. Icel.: Boberg. |
| B81.8 | Mermaid cannot pass through ice. *Fb "havfrue" I 569b. |
| B81.9 | Appearance of mermaid. Fb "havfrue" IV 204a; Irish myth: Cross. |
| B81.9.1 | Mermaid's hair reaches her waist. *Fb "hеr" I 771b. |
| B81.9.1.1 | Mermaid has wooly hair. U.S.: Baughman. |
| B81.9.2 | Mermaid has large breasts. *Fb "havfrue" IV 204a; Boberg. |
| B81.9.3 | Mermaid half-beautiful, half-monstrous. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B81.9.4 | Giant mermaid. Irish myth: Cross. (Cf. [b]B81.13.13.) |
| B81.9.5 | Skin of mermaid. |
| B81.9.5.1 | Mermaid has white skin. Scotland: Baughman. |
| B81.9.5.2 | Mermaid has brown skin. England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| B81.10 | Mermaid swallows man. Irish myth: Cross; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| B81.11 | Mermaid's singing causes sleep. Girl tumbles from boat and drowns. —Irish myth: Cross. |
| B81.12 | When mermaid appears. |
| B81.12.1 | Mermaid appears at midnight. England: Baughman. |
| B81.12.2 | Mermaid appears once each year. England: Baughman. |
| B81.13 | Miscellaneous actions of mermaid. |
| B81.13.1 | Mermaid asks captain to move boat which blocks entrance to her dwelling. England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| B81.13.2 | Mermaid is washed up on beach. Wales, England: *Baughman. |
| B81.13.3 | Sight of mermaid bathing makes man immortal. England: Baughman. |
| B81.13.4 | Mermaid gives mortals gold from sea bottom. England: Baughman. |
| B81.13.5 | Giant mermaid (man) cast ashore. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B81.13.6 | Mermaid sings divinely in church (before enticing man away). England: Baughman. |
| B81.13.7 | Mermaid appears as omen of catastrophe. Ireland, England: *Baughman. |
| B81.13.8 | Curse by mermaid. Ireland, England: *Baughman. |
| B81.13.9 | Mermaid ruins seducer of her adopted daughter. England: Baughman. |
| B81.13.10 | Mermaid prevents raising of sunken church bell. (See C401.4.) England: Baughman. |
| B81.13.11 | Mermaid captured. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B81.13.11.1 | Mermaid caught by fishermen. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B81.13.12 | Mermaid lives for three hundred years under lake. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B82 | Merman. Fb "havmand" IV 205a; *Chauvin V 7 No. 3.—Arabian: Burton V 215, VII 254, 264, 270, IX 169 n., 179, 182ff.; Icelandic: Hálfs saga ok Hálfsrekka (ed. Andrews) 82; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 723; Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B82.1 | Merman marries maiden. Fb "havmand" I 571a; English ballad: *Child I 366; Danish: Grundtvig Danmarks Gamle Folkeviser No. 38.—Literary treatment: Arnold "The Forsaken Merman". |
| B82.1.1 | Merman demands princess. *Fb "havmand" I 571a; Gaster Thespis 176. |
| B82.1.2 | Harp music makes merman restore stolen bride. *Fb "havmand" I 571a, II 725. |
| B82.2 | Merman demands cattle as offering. *Fb "havmand" I 571a. |
| B82.3 | Youth takes service with merman. *Fb "havmand" I 571a. |
| B82.4 | Merman teaches music. *Fb "nökke" II 725a. |
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