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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 ▲ |
|---|---|
| E411.0.2.1 | Return from dead to do penance. Alphabet Nos. 363, 616.—Lithuanian: *Balys Ghosts; U.S.: Baughman. |
| E361.2 | Return from dead to give consoling message. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| E366 | Return from dead to give counsel. (Cf. V229.1.) *Type 510; Irish: *Cross, O'Suilleabhain 101, Beal XXI 332; Icelandic: *Boberg; Sicilian: Gonzenbach I 10 No. 3; Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 4 no. 29; Jewish: Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 191; Korean: Zong in-Sob 133ff.—N. A. Indian (Iroquois): Smith RBAE II 104, (Onondaga): Jewitt RBAE XXI 148, 262, (Skidi Pawnee): Dorsey MAFLS VIII 49 No. 10, (Arapaho): Dorsey and Kroeber FM V 49, 259 Nos. 15, 110; Eskimo (Greenland): Rasmussen II 219; S. A. Indian (Brazil): Oberg 110; Africa (Jaunde): Heepe 260, (Fang): Tessman 99f., 173, 193. |
| E230 | Return from dead to inflict punishment. |
| E379.5 | Return from dead to make up enough men to perform ritual. Jewish: Neuman. |
| E367 | Return from dead to preach repentance. Wesselski Arlotto I 201 No. 29; Irish: Beal XXI 332, O'Suilleabhain 100; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 3 No. 23. |
| E375 | Return from dead to prevent flight of thief. Irish myth: Cross. |
| E367.3 | Return from dead to prophesy coming of Christ. (Cf. M363, M364.7.2.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| E379.3 | Return from dead to protect friends. S. A. Indian (Guaporé River): Lévy-Strauss III 378. |
| E235.6 | Return from dead to punish disturber of grave. England, U.S.: Baughman; Jewish: bin Gorion II 160, 348, 360, Neuman. |
| E235 | Return from dead to punish indignities to corpse, or ghost. Ireland: Baughman; New York: Jones JAFL LVII 245; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3532; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E235.5 | Return from dead to punish kicking of skull. (Cf. C13.) N. A. Indian (Tlingit): Swanton BBAE XXXIX 247 No. 86. |
| E235.4.3 | Return from dead to punish theft of bone from grave. *Type 366; Fb "menneskeben" II 579a; Köhler-Bolte I 133; England, U.S.: Baughman; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "os". |
| E235.4.1 | Return from dead to punish theft of golden arm from grave. *Type 366; Köhler-Bolte I 47, 133.—Gascon: Bladé II 324 No. 4; English: Baughman. |
| E235.4.2 | Return from dead to punish theft of leg from grave. *Type 366; BP III 480; Köhler-Bolte I 133; Fb "rædehistorie".—English: Baughman; French: Cosquin Lorraine II 76 No. 41; Gascon Bladé II 328 No. 5. |
| E235.4.4 | Return from dead to punish theft of liver from man on gallows. *Type 366; *BP III 478; Fb "lever" II 404b. |
| E235.4 | Return from dead to punish theft of part of corpse. (Cf. E419.7.) Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 6 No. 49. |
| E235.4.5 | Return from dead to punish theft of skull. England, Wales, U.S.: *Baughman; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV 115 Nos. 14, 15; Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 328 No. 29. |
| E235.4.6 | Return from dead to punish theft of teeth. U.S. (S. Carolina): Baughman. |
| E340 | Return from dead to repay obligation. |
| E371.2 | Return from dead to repeat forgotten epic. (Cf. A581, J1563.7.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| E379.1 | Return from dead to rescue from drowning. Irish myth: Cross. |
| E311 | Return from dead to return and ask back love tokens. English: Child II 228. |
| E371 | Return from dead to reveal hidden treasure. (Cf. E276, E291, E419.11.2.) *Fb "spøgelse" III 521b; Tobler 34f.; Loomis White Magic 53; England, Wales, Ireland, Canada, U.S.: *Baughman; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 827. |
| E231 | Return from dead to reveal murder. Fb "gjenganger" I 443b, "lig" II 411b; Wimberly 261; England, U.S.: *Baughman; New York: Jones JAFL LVII 245; North Carolina: Brown Collection I 677; West Indies: Flowers 429; Jewish: bin Gorion V 213, 306, *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda.—N. A. Indian (Fox): Jones PAES I 93ff., (Seneca): Curtin-Hewitt RBAE XXXII 173 No. 33, 670 No. 129; Eskimo (Greenland): Holm 39, Rasmussen III 145, Kroeber JAFL XII 181, (Cumberland Sound): Boas BAM XV 236; Africa (Fang): Tessman 118. |
| E371.1 | Return from dead to reveal whereabouts of stolen goods. Irish myth: Cross. |
| E232.1 | Return from dead to slay own murderer. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| E377 | Return from dead to teach living. Jewish: Neuman. |
| E415.1.2 | Return from dead to uncover secretly buried treasure. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E236.4 | Return from the dead because last will was not fulfilled. Lithuanian: Balys Ghosts. |
| E235.7 | Return from the dead to capture thief. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| E372 | Return from the dead to seek hidden treasure. U.S.: Baughman. |
| E232 | Return from the dead to slay wicked person. Alphabet No. 772; Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; S. A. Indian (Brazil): Oberg 111. |
| E361 | Return from the dead to stop weeping. *BP II 485; Wimberly 110, 230ff.; Hdwb. d. Märchens I 433a s.v. "Eddamärchen"; Hdwb. d. Abergl. II 831; Legenda Aurea (ed. Grässe) 132; *Fb "hеnd" I 765a, "tеre" III 947a, "græde" IV 187b; Dieterich Zs. f. Vksk. XII 147.—Icelandic: *Boberg; English: Child II 234ff., 512., III 513, V 62, 294; Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 2 No. 18; Persian: Carnoy 345. |
| E236.3 | Return from the dead to warn thief that he will be punished. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| E365.1 | Return of the dead to grant forgiveness. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| E374.1 | Return of the dead to keep promise and tell of land of the dead. Two friends promise each other that the first to die will do so. Italian Novella: Rotunda; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3570. |
| E423.2.9 | Revenant as "man-monkey". England: *Baughman. |
| E426.2 | Revenant as a rolling cask. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| E422.3.2 | Revenant as a very large man (giant). (Cf. F531.) Scotland, Canada, U.S.: *Baughman; Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| E425.2.4 | Revenant as American Indian. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| E422.1.11.1 | Revenant as an eye. U.S.: Baughman. |
| E423.1.4 | Revenant as ass. Tobler 89; England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| E423.3.11 | Revenant as bean-goose. Wales: *Baughman. |
| E423.2.1 | Revenant as bear. (Cf. E522.2.) Tobler 56. |
| E423.3 | Revenant as bird. Tobler 34; Krappe Balor 96—97; Irish: Cross, Beal XXI 332, O'Suilleabhain 99; England, U.S.: *Baughman; New York: Jones JAFL LVII 243. |
| E422.1.11.5 | Revenant as blood. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| E423.1.8.1 | Revenant as calf. (Cf. E521.4.) Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| E423.1.2 | Revenant as cat. Type 326; Rosén Om Själavandringstro 16; *Fb "kat" II 107b; Tobler 42, 47, 56; England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| E423.6 | Revenant as centaur. U.S.: Baughman. |
| E425.3 | Revenant as child. Tobler 66f.; England: *Baughman; Irish: O'Suilleabhain 100, Beal XXI 332. |
| E423.1.8 | Revenant as cow. Tobler 50.—Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 334b s.v. "Geister"; England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| E423.3.8 | Revenant as crow. Krappe Balor 97. |
| E423.2.6 | Revenant as deer. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| E423.1.1 | Revenant as dog. (Cf. E421.3.6.) *Rosén Om Själavandringstro 14; *Fb "spøgelse" III 521a, "hund" I 675b, 676a, "præst" II 886a; Tobler 49, 54, 68; Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 313 No. 92; German: Grimm No. 4; England, Scotland, Wales, U.S.: *Baughman; New York: Jones JAFL LVII 243; North Carolina: Brown Collection I 675, 684. |
| E423.1 | Revenant as domestic animal. |
| E423.3.1 | Revenant as dove. Tobler 30; Krappe Balor 96—97; Irish myth: Cross; U.S.: Baughman. |
| E423.3.10 | Revenant as duck. Type 403; England: Baughman. |
| E424 | Revenant as dwarf. *Gould They who await the Second Death (Scandinavian Studies and Notes IX 167); Tobler 65. |
| E423.9 | Revenant as eel. Irish: O'Suilleabhain 93. |
| E422.1.11.2 | Revenant as face or head. England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| E423.7 | Revenant as fly. England: Baughman. |
| E423.2.3 | Revenant as fox. Fb "ræv" III 113a; Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 310 No. 24. |
| E423.4 | Revenant as frog. Tobler 86. |
| E423.1.9 | Revenant as goat. England. U.S.: *Baughman; New York: Jones JAFL LVII 243. |
| E423.3.7 | Revenant as goose. Type 403; Tobler 34; England: *Baughman. |
| E423.1.3.3 | Revenant as headless horse. (See E422.1.1, E535.1.) England, Wales: *Baughman. |
| E423.2.4 | Revenant as hedgehog. Hartland Science 247. |
| E423.3.6 | Revenant as hen. Sometimes with chickens. Tobler 33. |
| E425.1.6 | Revenant as horrible female figure. Covered with snakes and toads. English: Wells 61 (The Awntyrs off Arthure at the Terne Wathelyne). |
| E423.1.3 | Revenant as horse. (Cf. F401.3.1.) Rosén Om Själavandringstro 16; *Handwb. d. Abergl. VI 1614f., IX Nachträge 168; New York: Jones JAFL LVII 243; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E425.1.1 | Revenant as lady in white. *M. Waehler Die Weisse Frau (Erfurt, 1931); Fb "jomfru" II 43a; Tobler 68, 90; New York: Jones JAFL LVII 239; England, Scotland, Wales, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| E423.1.6 | Revenant as lamb. Tobler 56; England: Baughman. |
| E425.2.2 | Revenant as man with horse's head. England: Baughman. |
| E425.2 | Revenant as man. Irish: O'Suilleabhain 101, 103, Beal XXI 332f. |
| E423.1.3.2 | Revenant as mare. Herbert III 380. |
| E423.2.11 | Revenant as mouse. Africa (Wachaga): Gutman 35. |
| E425.1.2 | Revenant as naked woman. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 228; Tobler 67. |
| E426 | Revenant as object. |
| E425.2.1 | Revenant as old man. German: Grimm No. 4; Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 334b s.v. "Geister". |
| E423.3.5 | Revenant as owl. Tobler 31f.; Krappe Balor 96—97; U.S.: *Baughman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E422.1.11 | Revenant as part of body. |
| E423.3.3 | Revenant as partridge. Tobler 32. |
| E425.2.5 | Revenant as piper. Irish: O'Suilleabhain 62. |
| E425.2.3 | Revenant as priest or parson. (Cf. E338.5, E417.) England, Ireland, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| E423.2.2 | Revenant as rabbit (hare). *Fb "hare" I 556a; Rosén Om Själavandringstro 15; Tobler 52; England: *Baughman; Irish: O'Suilleabhain 56. |
| E423.1.7 | Revenant as ram. Tobler 51. |
| E423.2.8 | Revenant as rat. England, Ireland: *Baughman. |
| E423.3.4 | Revenant as raven. Swiss: Jegerlehner Obervallis 329 No. 56; Danish: Kristensen Danske Sagn II (1893) 127ff., 132, (1928) 91ff.; Krappe Balor 96—97. |
| E423.3.9 | Revenant as sea-gull. Krappe Balor 97. |
| E423.2.5 | Revenant as seal. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| E425.1.3 | Revenant as seductive woman. Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 303 No. 24. |
| E422.1.11.4 | Revenant as skeleton. U.S.: Baughman. |
| E422.3.1 | Revenant as small man. Wimberly 244; Tobler 64, 89; England: *Baughman. |
| E423.5 | Revenant as snake (serpent). Tobler 22, 55f.—Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 334b s.v. "Geister"; New York: Jones JAFL LVII 243. |
| E423.8 | Revenant as spider. England: Baughman. |
| E423.2.12 | Revenant as squirrel. Africa (Wachaga): Gutman 35. |
| E423.3.2 | Revenant as swan. Tobler 34; England: Baughman. |
| E423.1.5 | Revenant as swine. Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 316 No. 134f.; England, Ireland, U.S.: *Baughman; Irish: Beal XXI 310, O'Suilleabhain 31. |
| E423.1.3.1 | Revenant as three-legged horse. Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 313 No. 81, 326 No. 18. |
| E423.1.3.4 | Revenant as white horse. England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| E423.2 | Revenant as wild animal. |
| E423.2.7 | Revenant as wolf. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| E425.1.4 | Revenant as woman carrying baby. Tobler 90; U.S.: Baughman. |
| E425.1.5 | Revenant as woman riding hog. Walz MLN XVI 130ff. |
| E425.1.7 | Revenant as woman with seal's head. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| E425.1 | Revenant as woman. |
| E422.2.4 | Revenant black. Irish: Cross, O'Suilleabhain 63, Beal XXI 324. |
| E461.1 | Revenant challenged to combat. Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 298 No. 12; Wales: Baughman. |
| E439.5 | Revenant forced away by fire. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| E439.1 | Revenant forced away by shooting. Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 335b s.v. "Geister"; Africa (Cameroons): Mansfield 227. |
| E422.2.3 | Revenant gray. Tobler 64, 89. |
| E422.2.2 | Revenant green. Wimberly 240. |
| E423 | Revenant in animal form. *Rosén Om Själavandringstro; *Fb "spøgelse" III 521a; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "mort"; Scotland, England, U.S.: *Baughman; New York: Jones JAFL LVII 243. |
| E422.4.4 | Revenant in female dress. England, Scotland, U.S., Wales: *Baughman. |
| E425 | Revenant in human form. |
| E422.4.5 | Revenant in male dress. England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| E422.4.6 | Revenant in red cap. North Carolina: Brown Collection I 670. |
| E423.2.10 | Revenant in tiger form. Chinese: Graham. |
| E568.1 | Revenant leaves impression of body in bed. England, U.S. *Baughman. |
| E568 | Revenant lies down and sleeps. U.S.: Baughman. |
| E462 | Revenant overawed by living person. *Fb "student"; Icelandic: Boberg; Welsh: Baughman. |
| E422.2.1 | Revenant red. Fb. "rød" III 117a. |
| E585.3 | Revenant revisits earth every day. U.S.: Baughman. |
| E585.3.1 | Revenant revisits earth nightly. Africa (Fang): Trilles 269. |
| E585.4 | Revenant revisits earth yearly. S. A. Indian (Brazil): Oberg 109. |
| E465 | Revenant rewards its conqueror. Irish: Curtin Myths and Folklore of Ireland (Boston, 1889) 127; Egypt (ancient): Petrie II 87. |
| E472 | Revenant sleeps in same bed with living but without contact. U.S.: Baughman. |
| E464 | Revenant tricked or jeered into a bottle, corked up and put in safe place. (Cf. D2177.1.) England: *Baughman. |
| E422.1.5 | Revenant with bad breath. *Wimberly 233. |
| E422.1.1.2 | Revenant with ball of fire in place of head. England: Baughman. |
| E422.1.6 | Revenant with chicken feet. Gaster Germania XXV (1880) 290ff. |
| E422.1.7 | Revenant with chip of resin between teeth. Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV 116 No. 18; Finnish: Aarne FFC XXXIII 40 No. 18. |
| E422.1.4 | Revenant with cold lips. Wimberly 235. |
| E422.4.1 | Revenant with hat of birch. Wimberly 243. Note: in the motifs immediately following, it is frequently impossible to tell whether the spectral ghost (E421) or the living corpse (E422) is thought of. |
| E422.1.3 | Revenant with ice-cold hands. *Fb "hand" I 765b; Kristensen Danske Sagn V (1897) 554ff., (1934) 400ff.; England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| E422.1.8 | Revenant with peculiar nails. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| E422.1.6.2 | Revenant with thin legs. Irish: O'Suilleabhain 96. |
| E437.1 | Revenants banished to glaciers and uninhabited places. Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 296 No. 27. |
| E437 | Revenants banished. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| E541.4 | Revenants drink. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E541 | Revenants eat. (Cf. E499.1.) *Fb "lig" II 412b, "spøgelse" III 518ab.; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E467 | Revenants fight each other. *Krappe Balor 145ff.; Fb "spøgelse" III 520b; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| E460 | Revenants in conflict. |
| E578.1 | Revenants want to warm themselves. Type 326. |
| E501.1.3 | Rich man as wild huntsman. Schweda 38. |
| E411.0.5.1 | Rich man dragged from grave by demons in hallowed ground and flung into grave in unblessed ground. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| E771 | Ring with life in it. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "animisme". |
| E755.1.2 | River in heaven burns wicked and gives joy to righteous. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| E272 | Road-ghosts. (Cf. E332ff., E582.) Ghosts which haunt roads. Lappish: Qvigstad FFC LX 40 No. 10; England, U.S.: *Baughman; New York: Jones JAFL LVII 248; North Carolina: Brown Collection I 674. |
| E168.1 | Roasted cock comes to life and crows. English: Child I 233—242, 505, II 8, 501b, III 502f., IV 451f., V 212a, 288a. |
| E722.2.3 | Roof taken off above sick man who cannot die. This done so that the soul can escape. Zachariae Zs. f. Vksk XVIII 445; *Fb "engel" I 250. |
| E631.1.2 | Rose from grave. *Fb "rose" III 80a. |
| E545.15 | Saint after his death gives directions where he wants to be buried. *Loomis White Magic 53. |
| E501.1.6 | Saint as leader of wild hunt. RTP XVII 504f. |
| E1.1 | Saint cut into pieces or decapitated comes back to life. *Loomis White Magic 83f. |
| E376.1 | Saint returns from dead to exonerate cleric. Irish myth: Cross. |
| E367.2 | Saint returns from dead to give blessing. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| E756.4 | Saint wrests soul from demons. (Cf. V229.5.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| E411.0.8 | Saint's body miraculously moves so that it is laid properly north and south, not northeast and southwest. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E754.2 | Saved soul goes to heaven. Fb "sjæl" III 213b; Wells 50, 175; Alphabet No. 316; Irish: *Cross, Beal XXI 307f., 322, O'Suilleabhain 24, 27, 99; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| E722.2.5 | Saved soul leaps from body on hearing heavenly music. (Cf. E754.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| E756.5 | Saved soul of woman assists her husband's soul in battle against demons. (Cf. E754.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| E754 | Saved souls. *Frazer Golden Bough III 55ff.; Irish: *Cross, Beal XXI 327. |
| E600.2 | Science of reincarnation taught. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E271.2 | Sea-ghost predicting death. Norwegian: Solheim Register 17. |
| E271 | Sea-ghosts. Ghosts which haunt the sea. Lappish: Qvigstad FFC LX 40ff. Nos. 6, 17—22. |
| E11.1 | Second blow resuscitates. First kills. Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 93. |
| E439.4 | Seeds of poppy poured into revenant's mouth. Lithuanian: Balys Ghosts. |
| E723.2 | Seeing one's wraith a sign that person is to die shortly. (Cf. F405.4.) England, U.S., Wales: *Baughman. |
| E533.2 | Self-tolling bell. England: Baughman. |
| E715.3.1 | Separable soul in bee. BP III 440; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| E715.1 | Separable soul in bird. BP III 440; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| E715.1.2 | Separable soul in crop of sparrow. Penzer I 131f. |
| E715.4.1 | Separable soul in deer. Eskimo (Greenland): Rasmussen III 55. |
| E715.1.1 | Separable soul in duck. *Fb "and" IV 12b. |
| E715.2 | Separable soul in fish. (Cf. B175.) BP III 440; Irish myth: *Cross; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E715.3.2 | Separable soul in fly. Africa (Bambara): Equilbecq II 88ff. No. 25. |
| E715.3.3 | Separable soul in hornet. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E715.6 | Separable soul in hydra's head. Penzer I 132. |
| E715.3 | Separable soul in insect. |
| E715.1.3 | Separable soul in parrot. India: *Thompson-Balys, Penzer I 131. |
| E715.4.4 | Separable soul in seal. Eskimo (Greenland): Rasmussen III 55. |
| E715.5 | Separable soul in snake. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E715.5.1 | Separable soul in toad. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E715.4.3 | Separable soul in walrus. Eskimo (Greenland): Rasmussen III 55. |
| E715.4 | Separable soul in wild animal. |
| E715.4.2 | Separable soul in wolf. Eskimo (Greenland): Rasmussen III 55. |
| E715 | Separable soul kept in animal. *Krappe in Penzer Ocean of Story VIII 107; Fb "liv" II 438b. |
| E714.2 | Serpent's life in its gold crown. Type 672B; *BP II 463; Chinese: Graham. |
| E604.1 | Seven reincarnations. *Zachariae 33ff.; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E783.4 | Severed head opens eyes. Irish myth: Cross. |
| E783.3 | Severed head reddens and whitens. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| E783.2 | Severed head regrows. Penzer III 268 n. 1.—Greek: Fox 81. |
| E613.0.5 | Severed heads of monster become birds. Hindu: Keith 88. |
| E782.4.2 | Severed leg(s) regrow(s). Africa (Somali): Kirk A Grammar of the Somali Language (Cambridge [Eng.], 1905) 162f., (Ishhak): Kirk FL XV 391ff. No. 3, (Saho): Reinisch Die Saho-Sprache I 76ff. No. 3. |
| E788 | Severed pap regrows when woman bears child. Child V 177. |
| E741.1.2 | Shooting star signifies a birth. Stars are the dead. When they fall they are being reborn. At death they are replaced in the sky. *Hdwb. d. Abergl. IX N. 770f.; Siberian: Holmberg Siberian 395; N. A. Indian (Mandan): Alexander N. Am. 96. |
| E741.1.1 | Shooting star signifies that someone is dying. One star for each person. At his death it falls. *BP III 235; *G. Bellucci Le stelle cadenti e le lore leggende (Perugia, 1895); *Handwb. d. Abergl. IX n. 770f.; Fb "lys" II 483a, "stjerne" III 577b.—Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3906; Slavic: Máchal 273; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E772 | Sickle with life in it. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "animisme". |
| E561.1 | Sight of dead woman spinning drives people insane. *Fb "spinde" III 492a. |
| E501.18.7 | Sight of wild hunt blinds person. Plischke 70. |
| E501.18.10 | Sight of wild hunt causes death. Schweda 32; Ireland: Baughman. |
| E501.18.9 | Sight of wild hunt causes one to stick axe or knife in foot. Plischke 71. |
| E501.18.8 | Sight of wild hunt causes swelling of head. Plischke 71. |
| E501.18.6 | Sight of wild hunt renders person insane. Plischke 70. |
| E64.1.1.1 | Silver stick kills; gold one restores to life. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E411.0.4 | Sinner wanders between earth and heaven. Fb "selvmord" III 183b. |
| E755.1.4 | Sixty thousand Jewish souls in heaven. Jewish: Neuman. |
| E422.3 | Size of revenant. |
| E446.4 | Slain ghost carried off by other ghosts. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E155.5 | Slain pigs revive nightly. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| E155.1 | Slain warriors revive nightly. Continue fighting the next day. *Krappe Balor 132ff.; Hdwb. d. Abergl. III 546; Irish myth: *Cross, Beal IV 342, 454, V 210; Icelandic: De la Saussaye 176, Fb "kamp", Panzer Hilde-Gudrun 327ff., Herrmann Saxo II 364, *Boberg; Hindu: Tawney I 476. |
| E721.1.1 | Sleeper not to be awakened, since soul is absent. *Frazer Golden Bough III 37ff.; Tobler 38. |
| E643.1 | Smoke from funeral fires of two lovers mingles in sky. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E765.4.6 | Snake can die only if it gives away hoarded treasure. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E501.2.6 | Soldiers in wild hunt. Plischke 29. |
| E155.1.2 | Soldiers of magic army constantly revived. Irish myth: *Cross; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E714.7 | Soul (life) in left hand. Penzer I 127, VIII 109 n. 3. |
| E714.1 | Soul (life) in the blood. *Fb "blod" IV 46b, "sjæl" III 213b; Paris Zs. f. Vksk. XIII 12 n. 1; Finnish: Holmberg Finno-Ugric 4; Jewish: Neuman. |
| E714.6 | Soul (life) in the breath. Finnish: Holmberg Finno-Ugric 7; Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian: *Hultkrantz 179—208. |
| E714.4 | Soul (life) in the heart. Finnish: Holmberg Finno-Ugric 4; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E714.5 | Soul (life) in the liver. Finnish: Holmberg Finno-Ugric 4. |
| E714.7.1 | Soul (life) in thumb. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E714 | Soul (or life) kept in special part of body. *Krappe in Penzer Ocean of Story VIII 107; Greek: Frazer Apollodorus II 117 n. 3; N. A. Indian: *Hultkrantz 166-178. |
| E722.1.2 | Soul as black or white entity. Black if condemned. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| E722.1.1 | Soul as black or white spirit over coffin. Black if condemned. Can be seen by peeping between horse's ears. Fb "sjæl" III 214b. |
| E745.5.2 | Soul as bulb. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| E744.2 | Soul as cloud. Tobler 87f. |
| E745.1 | Soul as feather. Tobler 51; Fb "sjæl" III 214b (shower of feathers). |
| E745.4 | Soul as flower. BP II 394; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| E745.5 | Soul as fruit. |
| E745.6 | Soul as ghi (clarified butter). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E742 | Soul as light. *Type 332; Fb "sjæl" III 214b, "lys" II 482a; BP I 377ff., *388; Icelandic: *Boberg; Irish: Plummer cxxxviii, Cross, Beal XXI 315, O'Suilleabhain 41; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "vie"; French Canadian: Barbeau JAFL XXIX 24; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 82 No. 708A*; Jewish: Neuman; Eskimo (Greenland): Rasmussen III 48; N. A. Indian: *Hultkrantz 260ff.; Africa (Fang): Trilles 133. |
| E745.4.1 | Soul as lotus flower. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E747 | Soul as mannikin (child). Frazer Golden Bough III 26ff.; Tobler 67; Meyer Germanische 66; N. A. Indian: Hultkrantz 262—266. |
| E744.1 | Soul as mist (fog). Fb "sjæl" III 214b. |
| E745.2 | Soul as needle. Tobler 51. |
| E745 | Soul as object. (Cf. E765.) N. A. Indian: Hultkrantz 268; Eskimo (Kodiak): Golder JAFL XXII 11, (Greenland): Rasmussen 1 136. |
| E743.2 | Soul as reflection or image. N. A. Indian: Hultkrantz 309—316. |
| E743 | Soul as shadow. Tobler 89; Meyer Germanische 66; Fb "skygge" (1) III 347b, "sjæl" III 214b; Wundt Völkerpsychologie IV 125ff.; *Hdwb. d. Abergl. IX Nachträge 137; *Frazer Golden Bough III 77ff.; Finnish: Holmberg Finno-Ugric 6, 12; Jewish: Neuman; N. A. Indian: Hultkrantz 257ff, 302ff. |
| E747.1 | Soul as small replica of body. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E743.1 | Soul as smoke. Tobler 87; Fb "sjæl" III 214b. |
| E745.3 | Soul as straw. Tobler 51. |
| E742.1 | Soul as taper (candle). Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 313 No. 82. |
| E727.2 | Soul as vital principle. N. A. Indian: *Hultkrantz 149—179. |
| E744 | Soul as weather phenomenon. |
| E744.3 | Soul as whirlwind. Tobler 89. |
| E742.2 | Soul as will-o-the-wisp. Appears as a ball or fire or a figure in a fiery garment.—Tobler 82—86 passim; Meyer Germanische 63; Fb "ild" II 11b; Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 313 No. 84; Lithuanian: Balys Ghosts; Slavic: Máchal 229ff.; North Carolina: Brown Collection I 677. |
| E722.2.1 | Soul borne away on cloud. (Cf. E754.6.) Chinese: Werner 267. |