Folklore Database · Browse
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 ▲ |
|---|---|
| H522.1.1 | Test: guessing nature of certain skin—louse-skin. Louse (flea) is fattened and its skin made into coat (drum, etc.) *Type 621; BP III 484; *Taylor MPh XV 224 n. 2; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "bète"; Italian: Basile Pentamerone I No. 5; India: *Thompson-Balys; Filipino: Fansler MAFLS XII 114. |
| H522.1.2 | Test: guessing nature of certain skin—wolf-skin. BP I 444, III 484. |
| H523.2 | Test: guessing nature of devil's cloth. Answer: goat-skin. *Type 812; BP III 12ff. |
| H523.3 | Test: guessing nature of devil's gold cup. Answer: cup of pitch. *Type 812; BP III 12ff. |
| H523.1 | Test: guessing nature of devil's horse. Answer: he-goat. *Type 812; BP III 12ff. |
| H523.7 | Test: guessing nature of devil's plate. Answer: stone. *Type 812; BP III 12ff. |
| H523 | Test: guessing nature of devil's possessions. *Type 812; BP III 12ff. |
| H523.8 | Test: guessing nature of devil's purse. Answer: whip. *Type 812; BP III 12ff. |
| H523.4 | Test: guessing nature of devil's roast meat. Answer: dead dog. *Type 812; BP III 12ff. |
| H523.5 | Test: guessing nature of devil's spoon. Answer: whale rib. *Type 812; BP III 12ff. |
| H523.6 | Test: guessing nature of devil's wine glass. Answer: horse's hoof. *Type 812; BP III 12ff. |
| H522.1.3 | Test: guessing origin of animal lungs. Lungs of fattened lizard are further inflated. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| H522.1 | Test: guessing origin of certain skin. |
| H524 | Test: guessing person's thoughts. *Anderson FFC XLII 219ff.; Fb "konge" II 264b, "gjætte" I 452a, "liv" II 438b; Irish myth: Cross; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H525 | Test: guessing princess's birthmarks. *Type 850. |
| H516 | Test: guessing trolls' names in order to save one's life. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| H522 | Test: guessing unknown animal (plant). |
| H521.1 | Test: guessing unknown propounder's age. *Type 500; Chinese: Graham. |
| H521 | Test: guessing unknown propounder's name. *Type 500; *BP I 490; Africa (Angola): Chatelain 141 No. 14. |
| H522.3 | Test: identifying what type of rice is in sack. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1508 | Test: long praying. |
| H507.2 | Test: making senseless remarks. King brought to say, "What is the sense in that?" Anderson FFC XLII 357; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| H1537 | Test: playing game with ferocious beast. |
| H1132.1.1.1 | Test: recovering ring from water. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1508.1 | Test: repeating incantation continuously for months. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1505 | Test: sewing clothes into boy's hands and tearing them off together with the skin. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| H1461 | Test: sitting up with corpse. Wake. Type 480; *Roberts 177. |
| H1472 | Test: sleeping by princess three nights without looking at her or disturbing her. *Type 400; BP II 335ff. |
| H1504 | Test: sleeping naked on floor in cold. (Suitor test.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1451 | Test: speechless vigil in church. Wesselski Mönchslatein 101 No. 86; cf. Type 307. |
| H509.4.1 | Test: supplying missing half-stanza. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H1511.1.1 | Test: swallowing heated brass and iron ornaments. Chinese: Graham. |
| H509.5.1 | Test: telling five lies which should so closely resemble the truth the tester will believe them himself. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H509.5 | Test: telling skillful lie. |
| H252.0.1 | Test: telling true stories. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H509.1 | Test: threading needle. Guest of convent is given choice of nuns. On the morrow he is given three opportunities to thread a needle. Success means reward, failure confiscation of his belongings. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| H511.2 | Test: to guess which of veiled sisters has golden hair. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| H528.1 | Test: to prophesy offspring of cow and mare. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1460 | Test: vigil at tomb. |
| H255 | Test: which of twins is elder. Younger unthinkingly hands chopsticks to elder and thus betrays his junior rank. Burmese: Scott Indo-Chinese 356. |
| H300 | Tests connected with marriage. |
| H425 | Tests for cuckolds. |
| H310.1 | Tests for hero, husband of supernatural (divine) wife. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1574.1 | Tests for noble blood. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H422 | Tests for true husbands. |
| H421 | Tests for true lover. |
| H939.2 | Tests imposed on woman by prospective paramour. Nouvelles de Sens No. 4. |
| H510 | Tests in guessing. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H1569 | Tests of character—miscellaneous. |
| H1550 | Tests of character. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "épreuves"; Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H509 | Tests of cleverness or ability: miscellaneous. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1500 | Tests of endurance. |
| H1556 | Tests of fidelity. Irish myth: Cross; Hindu: Tawney I 86 n., 196, 357, II 57, 71, 606; Arabian: Burton Nights V 144, IX 325. |
| H1558 | Tests of friendship. Icelandic: *Boberg; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1552 | Tests of generosity. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H1565 | Tests of gratitude. |
| H1555 | Tests of honesty. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1557 | Tests of obedience. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H1553 | Tests of patience. Gaster Exempla 202 No. 84; Irish: O'Suilleabhain 37, Beal XXI 314. |
| H509.4 | Tests of poetic ability. (Cf. H503.) Irish myth: Cross; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1576 | Tests of possession of magic powers. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1510 | Tests of power to survive. Vain attempts to kill hero. *Types 461, 516 930; *Rösch FFC LXXVII 120ff.; Chauvin VIII 145 No. 145C; *Oesterley No. 20; *Herbert III 198.—Icelandic: Boberg; French Canadian: Barbeau JAFL XXIX 22; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham; S. A. Indian (Central Brazil): Ehrenreich International Congress of Americanists XIV 662; Africa: Werner African 214, (Ekoi): Talbot 208. |
| H1575 | Tests of sight. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1574 | Tests of social position. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H1584 | Tests of space. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1583 | Tests of time. |
| H1561.1 | Tests of valor: tournament. English: Hibbard 229, Wells 151 (Coer de Lyon); Icelandic: *Boberg; Jewish: Neuman. |
| H1561 | Tests of valor. Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| H1574.3.1 | The burning forge (smithy): he who salvages anvil will be king. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H461.1 | The clever wife in disguise wins a second wife for her husband. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H585.1 | The four coins. (Focus.) King: What do you do with the four coins you earn? Peasant: First I eat (feed self); second I put out at interest (give my children); third I give back (pay debts); fourth I throw away (give my wife.) Köhler-Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. VI 161 (to Gonzenbach No. 50); BP IV 137; Oesterley No. 57; cf. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 8; Anderson FFC XLII 356 n. 1.—Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 921A*; Russian: Andrejev No. 921 I*; Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys; Africa (Swahili): Steere 295. |
| H582.1.1 | The full moon and the thirtieth of the month. Prince sends servant to clever girl with a round tart, thirty cakes, and a capon, and asks her if it is full moon and the thirtieth of the month and if the cock has crowed in the evening. She replies that it is not full moon, that it is the fifteenth of the month, and that the capon has gone to the mill; but that the prince should spare the pheasant for the partridge's sake. She thus shows him that the servant has stolen half the tart, half of the cakes, and the capon. *BP II 361; Köhler Zs. f. Vksk. VI 59; Arab: Azov 401f.; Africa (Sahel): Frobenius Atlantis VI 79—86. |
| H1558.4 | The hare with many friends. In the final test none help and only her legs save her. Jacobs Aesop 216 No. 70. |
| H1440 | The learning of fear. Missouri French: Carrière; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| H620 | The unsolved problem: enigmatic ending of tale. |
| H1151 | Theft as a task. *Type 1525; BP III 379ff.; Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 123; Missouri French: Carrière; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H251.3.2 | Thief detected by psalter and key. Closed Bible with key inside at magic text loosely held by diviner and client. Name of suspected thief on end of key. As verse is spoken, if name is that of thief, book and key will turn around. Kittredge Witchcraft 196 nn. 65—82. |
| H251.3.3 | Thief detected by sieve and shears. Sieve put on open shears and then grasped by two fingers so as to balance. Charm recited. If sieve trembles when name is called, that person is guilty. Kittredge Witchcraft 198ff. nn. 83—94; England: Baughman; Danish: Kristensen Danske Sagn VI (1900) 389ff., (1936) 188ff. |
| H507.3.1 | Three brothers contest in wishing. Third wishes for all that the other brothers have wished for. Type 1951*. |
| H511.1 | Three caskets. Princess offered to man who chooses correctly from three caskets. Alphabet No. 412; Scala Celi 20b No. 127; Oesterley No. 251; Dunlop-Liebrecht 462 n. 74; *Wesselski Märchen 213 No. 18; India: Thompson-Balys; S. A. Indian (Carib): Alexander Lat. Am. 264; Africa (Angola): Chatelain 121 No. 10, (Benga): Nassau 219 No. 33. |
| H432.1.1 | Three roses fall as sign of unfaithfulness. *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XX 70 n. 12. |
| H871.1 | Three stupid things for men to do (various answers). Spanish: Childers. |
| H581 | Three young men arrested tell who they are. |
| H1463 | Three-night watch over grave to guard man from devil. *BP III 420; Scotch: Campbell Tales I 220; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3365, Legends Nos. 693—697, 700f.; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 201. |
| H1481 | Thumb cut and salt put on it in order to remain awake. Köhler-Bolte I 561; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1583.2 | Time measured by fit of ring. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1583.1 | Time measured by worn iron shoes. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| H1536 | Toboggan test. Attempt to kill hero on dangerous toboggan. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 326 n. 173. |
| H82.5 | Token sent as warning. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| H82.6 | Token sent with youth to relatives, that they may take care of him. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| H82.3 | Tokens between lovers. (Cf. H105.6.) Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| H84 | Tokens of exploits. |
| H82.1 | Tokens sent to jailor as warrant of king's authority. English: Child V 499 s.v. "tokens". |
| H105.2 | Tongue as proof that man has been murdered. *Fb "tunge" III 894a; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H105.2.1 | Tongue of slain giant as proof of slaying. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| H1573.3.3 | Transformation by saint as proof of Christianity before druid. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H586.2.1 | Traveler says he is going to seek a hind that he saw in the woods ten years before. (A maiden.) Wesselski Märchen 197 No. 7. |
| H586.2 | Traveler says he is going to the city to see what has become of the seed he sowed in the street. (What has become of the girl he left in the city to await his return.) Köhler-Bolte I 197; Nouvelles de Sens No. 3. |
| H586.2.2 | Traveler says he must look after his net to see if it has taken fish. (He has left his lady seven years before with a pledge of faithfulness. Net has taken fish—lady has had lovers.) English: Child I 191 n. |
| H71.10.1 | Tree bows before prince. De Vries FFC LXXIII 329; Irish myth: Cross; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H251.3.1 | Tree tests perjury. Irish: Plummer cliii, Cross. |
| H218 | Trial by combat. Guilt or innocence established in judicial combat. Thien Motive 41f.; *Schoepperle II 338ff.; Dickson 74, 77 n. 38, 78 n. 40, 130f., 153, 174, 226; *Ashdown Modern Lang. Review XVII 113ff.; Bell ibid. XVIII 22ff.; *Boje 88; *Hibbard 35ff., 132 n. 11.—Irish myth: *Cross; English: Child V 490 s.v. "ordeal", Wells 97 (Chevalere Assigne); Icelandic: *Boberg; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Jewish: Neuman; Hindu: Tawney I 396. |
| H79.1 | Troll's daughter after being cooked in kettle recognized by golden fingernail. Fb "guldnagle" I 514. |
| H80.1 | True redeemers to be recognized by tokens. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| H251.3.12 | Truth-testing vessel. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H71.10.5 | Two blocks of stone that move apart to allow passage of chariot of true king. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H1574.3.0.2 | Two deities test virtues of a king. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H317.2 | Two years of silence imposed on suitor. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| H411.11.1 | Unchaste woman dips arm into the water: skin boiled away. *Loomis White Magic 126. |
| H509.4.3 | Understanding poem as test. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H49.1 | Unique scent of their rice betrays abandoned children. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H41.5.1 | Unknown prince reared by fisher spends money on princely tastes. *Boje 126; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H41.5 | Unknown prince shows his kingly qualities in dealing with his playmates. Type 920; *De Vries FFC LXXIII 40ff., 323ff.; India: *Thompson-Balys; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| H991 | Unpromising hero last to try task (rescue from animal). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1242.1 | Unpromising hero succeeds in quest. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1385.0.1 | Unspelling quest: journey to disenchant (free) captives. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H1531.2 | Vain attempt to kill hero on stairway set with razors. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| H421.1 | Valley from which no false lover can escape until it has been entered by a true lover. Irish myth: *Cross; English: Child I 267. |
| H431.3 | Veil as chastity index. Flowers on veil fade on head of unchaste. Bédier Fabliaux 465. |
| H1462.1 | Vigil for dead father: youngest son alone endures frightful experiences. Ceiling, floors, and walls knock together. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 42 No. 302A*. |
| H1462 | Vigil for dead father. *Type 530; *BP III 111 n. 3; Rumanian: Schullerus FFC LXXVIII No. 365B*. |
| H1450 | Vigilance test. |
| H218.0.1 | Vindication by champion. Usually noble lady or king accused. Child II 34—48, 508a, 510b. See also most references to H218. |
| H493 | Virility test for husband. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| H216.2 | Voice from heaven testifies to innocence of accused. (Cf. F966.) Jewish: *Neuman. |
| H1450.1 | Waking contest. Type 513; *De Vries FFC LXXIII 311 n. 2; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 314 n. 137. |
| H1561.8 | Warriors battle against leader as test of valor. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H945.1 | Warriors go towards strong enemy as consequence of own boast. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| H1471 | Watch for devastating monster. Youngest alone successful. *Types 301, 550; BP I 503, *514; MacCulloch Childhood 350; *Hdwb. d. Märchens I 207b; Irish: MacCulloch Celtic 148f., *Cross; India: *Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian: Thompson CColl II 334ff. |
| H1471.1 | Watch for thieves in the king's garden. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H71.10.2 | Water stands still before prince. De Vries FFC LXXIII 329. |
| H384.1.1 | Wealthy (handsome) suitor disguised as beggar to test bride's kindness. India: Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham; S. A. Indian (Caraja): Métraux MAFLS XL 49. |
| H435 | Weapon as chastity index. |
| H38.2.4.1 | Weaver married to princess betrays his identity when he unconsciously waves his hands as though he were weaving and asks for his shuttle. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H38.2.4 | Weaver married to princess betrays trade by talking in his sleep. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1532 | Wedge test. Hero is caught in cleft of tree. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 313 n. 129. |
| H251.3.9.2 | Well rises for sheep only for rightful owner. Jewish: Neuman. |
| H64.2 | Werwolf killed and recognized by man's clothes under the wolf's skin or rosary on the neck. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3680. |
| H842.3 | What animal has one voice living and seven voices dead? (Ibis, from whose carcass musical instruments are made.) Jewish: Neuman. |
| H842.2 | What animal which lives in fire will burn if taken out of it? (Tegillus, now called salamander.) (Cf. B768.2.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H842.1 | What animal which lives in sea-water will drown if taken out of it? (Gním Abraein.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H659.3.1 | What are best and worst stones? Best: altar, whetstone, millstone; worst: hailstone, stone in the eye, gallstone. Anderson FFC LXII 228; BP III 220 n. 3; De Vries FFC LXXIII 95. |
| H659.18 | What are the most accursed things? |
| H659.18.1 | What are the most accursed things? A thriftless wife, a baldheaded daughter, a sour-faced daughter-in-law, a crooked axle, and a field which lies across the village road. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H797.2 | What does God do? God is astonished that I sit on a horse and the king on an ass (see H797.1.). Anderson FFC XLII 209. |
| H797.1 | What does God do? He brings low the proud and exalts the lowly (said by shepherd masking as bishop to king, who has exchanged places with him). (Cf. H562.) Anderson FFC XLII 207. |
| H659.2.1 | What four things are hardest to hold? Wolf by eyebrows, bear by claws, snake by tail, hawk by beak. Anderson FFC XLII 228. |
| H853 | What goodness did man find on earth that God did not find? (An overlord.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H768 | What house gives no hostages, cannot be burned, and cannot be harried? (The fairy stronghold [sídh] of brugh na Boinne.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| H659.5.1 | What is best religion—Christian or Mohammedan? They are equally good: as both eyes are equally dear to you, so are both religions to God. (Cf. J1262.9.) Anderson FFC XLII 237. |
| H648.1 | What is best? God. De Vries FFC LXXIII 95; BP II 358. |
| H648.2 | What is best? Water. De Vries FFC LXXIII 95. |
| H651.2 | What is brightest? Mother's eyes. (Cf. H662.) De Vries De Sage van het ingemetselde Kind (Nederlandsch tijdschrift voor volkskunde XXXII 192ff.). |
| H651.1 | What is brightest? The sun. De Vries FFC LXXIII 89. |
| H638.1 | What is costliest? The earth. Köhler-Bolte I 457f. |
| H643.1 | What is deepest? The heart of man. De Vries FFC LXXIII 92; BP II 358. |
| H659.14.1 | What is easiest? The natural. BP II 359. |
| H659.7.1 | What is greatest? Fame. BP II 358. |
| H646.1 | What is greenest? The Month of May. De Vries FFC LXXIII 94. |
| H637.1 | What is hardest? Parent's heart (said by child being sacrificed). *De Vries De Sage van het ingemetselde Kind (Nederlandsch tijdschrift voor volkskunde XXXII 192ff.); BP III 43; *Krappe Balor 165ff. |
| H645.1 | What is heaviest? Lead. De Vries FFC LXXIII 94. |
| H642.1 | What is highest? Sun, moon, and stars. De Vries FFC LXXIII 93. |
| H644.1 | What is longest? The way through the world. De Vries FFC LXXIII 93. |
| H631.6 | What is mightiest? Rain. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H659.8 | What is moistest? The south wind. Arab: Azov JPASB II 415f. |
| H641.2 | What is most beautiful? Earth. BP II 358. |
| H641.1 | What is most beautiful? The spring. *Type 875; *BP II 357; Köhler-Bolte I 457f. |
| H647.2 | What is most beloved? Health. De Vries FFC LXXIII 94. |
| H647.1 | What is most beloved? Life. De Vries FFC LXXIII 94. |
| H659.25 | What is most faithful thing in world? India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H659.26 | What is most faithless thing in world? India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H659.10.1 | What is most general? Hope. BP II 359. |
| H659.13.1 | What is most pleasant? Love. (In spite of childbirth pains women continue becoming pregnant.) Arab: Azov JPASB II 415f. |
| H659.12.1 | What is most shameful? Cowardice. BP II 359. |
| H659.11.1 | What is most useful? Excellence. BP II 359. |
| H659.1.1 | What is oldest? God. BP II 358. |
| H636.1 | What is richest? Autumn. Type 875; BP III 349; Köhler-Bolte I 457f. |
| H652.2 | What is softest? Mother's bosom. De Vries De Sage van het ingemetselde Kind (Nederlandsche tijdschrift voor volkskunde XXXII 192ff.) |
| H652.1 | What is softest? The hand. (In order to lie soft one places his hand between the head and the pillow.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 88; BP II 358. |
| H631.3 | What is strongest? Earth. Type 875; De Vries FFC LXXIII 85; *BP II 357; Köhler-Bolte I 457f. |
| H631.7 | What is strongest? Necessity. BP II 359. |
| H631.9 | What is strongest? The king. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| H631.5 | What is strongest? Truth. Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: Rotunda; Jewish: Neuman; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| H631.8 | What is strongest? Wine. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| H631.4 | What is strongest? Woman. Italian Novella: Rotunda; Jewish: bin Gorion Born Judas I 23, 360, Neuman. |
| H633.5 | What is sweeter than sugar? The princess's speech. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H633.3 | What is sweetest? Mother's breast. De Vries De Sage van het ingemetselde Kind (Nederlandsch tijdschrift voor volkskunde XXXII 192ff); BP III 43; Krappe Balor 165ff.; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H633.4 | What is sweetest? One's own interest. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H633.2 | What is sweetest? Peace in heaven. *De Vries FFC LXXIII 81. |
| H633.1 | What is sweetest? Sleep. *De Vries FFC LXXIII 81. |
| H632.2 | What is swiftest? The eye. *De Vries FFC LXXIII 72. |
| H632.3 | What is swiftest? The sun. De Vries FFC LXXIII 72. |
| H632.1 | What is swiftest? Thought. *De Vries FFC LXXIII 71; *BP III 233. |
| H659.4.1 | What is the best fowl? The goose, since it makes the cabbage sweet and the bed soft. Type 922; BP III 233. |
| H653.1 | What is the fattest? The earth. De Vries FFC LXXIII 77; BP II 357f.; Anderson FFC XLII 232 n. 3. |
| H659.24 | What is the finest jewel? India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H659.7.4 | What is the greatest villainy? Stealing. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| H659.7.2 | What is the greatest? A sense of shame. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| H659.7.3 | What is the greatest? Charity. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| H659.15.1 | What is the hardest to skin? The male member. De Vries FFC LXXIII 96. |
| H637.2 | What is the hardest? Death. De Vries FFC LXXIII 94. |
| H822.1 | What is the land that has seen the sun only once? (The land on which the waters were gathered after the creation.) Jewish: Neuman. |
| H659.19 | What is the most difficult to find and the most difficult to lose? The truth. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| H631.1 | What is the strongest? A horse. *De Vries FFC LXXIII 85; Arab: Azov JPASB II 415f. |
| H631.2 | What is the strongest? God. De Vries FFC LXXIII 85. |
| H634.1 | What is the sweetest song? Angel song. Anderson FFC XLII 233. |
| H635.1 | What is the sweetest sound? Bell-ringing. Anderson FFC XLII 233; De Vries FFC LXXIII 91; BP II 357. |
| H635.2 | What is the sweetest sound? God's Word. De Vries FFC LXXIII 90. |
| H823 | What is the tree that became flesh? (Moses's staff.) Chauvin V 195 No. 114. |
| H659.9.1 | What is wisest? Time. BP II 358. |
| H659.6.1 | What kind of work occupies most men? Healing, for every sick man practices this. Anderson FFC XLII 228. |
| H828 | What three not born of male and female ate and drank on earth? (Angels who visited Abraham.) Jewish: Neuman. |
| H852 | What two trees do not fade until they wither? (Yew and holly.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H832 | What was not born, yet life was given to it? (The golden calf.) Jewish: Neuman. |
| H707.1 | When were you born? Its beginning is like its end, its top like its bottom (1691). Trog Am Urds-Brunnen IV 105. |
| H681.3.2 | Where is the center of the earth? Here, for the earth is round and any point can serve as center. Anderson FFC XLII 158. |
| H681.3.1 | Where is the center of the earth? Here; if you don't believe it, measure it yourself. Anderson FFC XLII 158; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H659.22 | Which is best, domestic or ascetic life? With good wife domestic life is best. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H659.23 | Which is the best of flowers? Cotton. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1552.1.1 | Which was most generous—husband, lover, or magician (similar)? Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| H1552.1 | Which was the most generous—husband, robber, or lover? Woman has promised her lover to go to him on her wedding night. Husband lets her go. On way she meets robbers and tells her story. Robbers take her to her lover. She tells what has happened. Lover returns her immediately to her husband. *Type 976; *Köhler-Bolte I 214—216; *Chauvin VIII 123f. No. 110; Penzer VII 7ff.; Chaucer's "Franklin's Tale"; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H659.20 | Who are really irresistible? Meat and drink. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H659.21 | Who are really meek? Cows and daughters. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H659.16 | Who are the best painters? Women (in the art of make-up). Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| H674 | Who is greater than God? Man's purpose. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H355.0.1 | Who will find the most marvelous thing? Each finds some marvelous thing. It turns out, that to save the girl's life all the things must be used together. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 467*. |
| H479.1 | Widow prepared for suttee can lift by little finger heavy stone by temple. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H934.1 | Wife assigns husband tasks. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1556.4.2.1 | Wife tests her husband's fidelity by tempting him in the guise of another woman. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H479 | Wife tests—miscellaneous motifs. |
| H460 | Wife tests. Chinese: Graham. |
| H467.2 | Wife's faithfulness tested by proposal in another's name. Olrik Zs. f. Vksk. II (1892) 254ff.; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| H601 | Wise carving of the fowl. Clever person divides it symbolically: head to head of house, neck to wife, wings to daughters, legs to sons; keeps rest for himself. *Type 875; *BP II 360 n. 1; *Taylor JAFL XXXI 555; Köhler-Bolte II 645ff.; Scala Celi 37a No. 205; Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 58.—Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1580*; Russian: Andrejev No. 1580*; Livonian: Loorits FFC LXVI No. 1533*; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Jewish: *Neuman; Filipino: Fansler MAFLS XII 63, 253, 351. |
| H601.1 | Wise division of the goat (similar). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H501.2 | Wise man answers questions of many with single speech. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H507.4 | Wit combat among three sisters for additional dowry. Replies to husbands when their premarital pregnancy is noticed. Nouvelles Recreations No. 5. |
| H507 | Wit combat. Test in repartee. Type 1093; Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; Finnish: Kalevala rune 3; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H935 | Witch assigns tasks. Type 480, *Roberts; BP I 207; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1137A*. |
| H1573.3.4 | Wizard (druid) burned, saint saved in test of power of Christianity. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H152.1.1 | Woman entertains every traveler in the hope of finding her husband. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H551.2 | Woman gives self to solver of riddles. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1381.2.1 | Woman seeks unknown father of her child. *Type 551; BP II 394ff.; Icelandic: Boberg; Missouri French: Carrière; India: Thompson-Balys; S. A. Indian (Chiriguano): Métraux BBAE CXLIII (3) 484; (Tupinamba): Métraux BBAE CXLIII (3) 132. |
| H1578.1.4.1 | Woman throws apple to man in woman's dress. He puts his legs together to catch it. (Cf. H1578.1.4.) England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| H63.1 | Woman transformed to flower is recognized by the absence of dew on petals. Type 407; BP III 259; German: Grimm No. 160. |
| H582.3 | Woman's question to her husband disguised as woman, how many men she had in one night. This is properly understood as, how many helpers he had, and answered by lifting ten fingers. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| H252.4.2 | Women swear falsely by their husbands and children, who immediately fall dead. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1596.3 | Women to appear naked in beauty contest. Jewish: Neuman. |
| H241 | Worn-out shoes as proof of long journey. *Köhler-Bolte I 574f.; Fb "sko" III 288b; Icelandic: Saga och Sed 1940 p. 35, *Boberg; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 114. |
| H218.2 | Wrestling to test legitimacy of son. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1242 | Youngest brother alone succeeds on quest. *Type 402, 471, 550, 551, 577; BP 260, 503; Irish myth: Cross; Missouri French: Carrière; India: *Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian: Thompson CColl II 398; Chile: Pino Saavedra 402—405. |
If you wish to get access to data for projects and research, then please contact us, we do our best to help
How to cite: Fielder-White, Jonathan (2026). The Folklore Database. https://folkloredatabase.com
0009-0006-1672-4451
Please cite the relevant sources, catalogues, and classification systems, including the Folklore Database, Berezkin-Duvakin Catalogue, ATU, Thompson, alongside the page accessed and the last time accessed. Please respect copyright and licenses.
Editorial annotations and database enhancements © Jonathan Fielder-White licensed under CC BY 4.0. Berezkin-Duvakin derived narrative and metadata licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Full rights information can be found here.
All rights are reserved in the database structure, selection, arrangement, metadata, classifications, software, interface design, and original editorial content.
Important: The Folklore Database expressly reserves all rights in relation to text and data mining, automated extraction, scraping, machine learning, dataset creation, and the training, development, validation, or improvement of artificial intelligence technologies or systems. No part of this website or database may be scraped, copied, reproduced, harvested, downloaded in bulk, or otherwise used for AI training or commercial data extraction without prior written permission.
Designed and Developed by Jonathan Fielder-White.
© 2024–2026 Crecganford / Jonathan Fielder-White. All rights reserved.