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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 ▲ |
|---|---|
| K351.3 | Trickster permitted to try on ornaments. Goes off with them. Cook Islands: Beckwith Myth 445. |
| K158 | Trickster persuades dupe to sacrifice animal and give it to him as payment for supposed services. Chinese: Graham. |
| K283 | Trickster persuades girl to reveal hidden gold by promising to make it into ornaments. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K714.1.1 | Trickster persuades policeman to take his place in the stocks. Then tricks policeman's wife into giving him jewels. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K619.3 | Trickster persuades pursuers to play fatal deceptive game. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K676 | Trickster persuades pursuers to ride in his basket. Leaves basket on limb of tree and escapes. Tonga: Gifford 45, 198. |
| K351.1 | Trickster persuades tailor to leave his goods. Makes him believe he will get order to clothe fifty poor. Trickster makes away with goods. (Or tries on boots and makes away with them.) Nouvelles Récréations No. 23; Pierre Faifeu No. 21; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K355 | Trickster pollutes house so that he is left in possession. He is in upper room and throws filth on those below (Cf. K344.) American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 26 No. 6; Bahama: Parsons MAFLS XIII 84, Edwards MAFLS III 74; West Indies: Flowers 504. |
| K932 | Trickster pollutes nest and brood of bird. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 303 n. 109a. |
| K341.19 | Trickster poses as entertainer: steals meat while host assembles friends. Africa (Cameroon): Lederbogen 80. |
| K1983 | Trickster poses as helper and eats women's stored provisions. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 303 n. 109c. |
| K1382 | Trickster pretends lameness and is taken on woman's back: violates her. Indonesia: Coster-Wijsman 47 No. 58; N. A. Indian: **Schmerler JAFL XLIV 200; Africa (Yoruba): Ellis 270 No. 5. |
| K1036 | Trickster pretends to give dupe magic power to produce food. Injures him. Chinese: Graham. |
| K355.1 | Trickster pretends to have spit in wine accidentally. Is allowed to drink it. Korean: Zong in-Sob 104 No. 56. |
| K1715.6 | Trickster pretends to hunt certain tree with which his ancestors have killed tigers. Tiger frightened away. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K341.8.1 | Trickster pretends to ride home for tools to perform tricks. Rides away on horse. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1532*; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV No. 1528*; Rumanian: Schullerus FFC LXXVIII No. 1332*. |
| K1349.9 | Trickster pretends to seek lost ball by woman's bed: seduces her. N. A. Indian (California): Gayton and Newman 81. |
| K374 | Trickster pretends to teach dance: flees with valuables. (Cf. K571.) Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 445. |
| K1715.9 | Trickster purports to be deity's messenger to procure demon-skins for his drum. Demons bribe him instead of devouring him. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K344.1.4 | Trickster puts filth in food. May take it all. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K335.0.3 | Trickster quarrels with owner of goods, feigns death, and frightens owner away. Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 255 No. 35. |
| K455.10 | Trickster receives huge sum on trifling credit by chain of borrowings. Pays small sum in advance for first sum borrowed. Pays this borrowed sum in advance for larger, etc. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K341.1 | Trickster reports lost money; searchers leave him in possession of premises. Unable to find a place by the inn fire the trickster mentions that he has lost money on the road. One by one the guests slip out to search and leave him the fire. *Wesselski Arlotto I 203 No. 34; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K482.2 | Trickster reports treasure's owner dead: receives it from children. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K231.6.2.1 | Trickster returns a bottle of water instead of the bottle of rum he has just purchased. French (literary), U.S.: Baughman. |
| K1241.1 | Trickster rides dupe a-courting. Feigns sickness and persuades dupe to carry him. Thus wins the girl. Type 72; Africa (Nupe): Frobenius Atlantis IX 115 No. 3, (Yoruba): Frobenius ibid. X 280ff. No. 40, (Nyanja): Possett Fables of the Veld (London, 1929) 111ff., (Mbundu): Chatelain MAFLS I 203 No. 28, (Xosa): Waters Cameos from the Kraal (Lovedale, n. d.) 24f. |
| K1241 | Trickster rides dupe horseback. Usually by feigning sickness he induces the dupe to carry him and then boasts that the dupe always acts as his horse. *Types 4, 72; *BP II 117; Krohn Bär (Wolf) und Fuchs (JSFO VI) 59ff.; *Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 66; Missouri French: Carrière; Spanish Exempla: Keller; India: Thompson-Balys; Africa: Frobenius Atlantis IX 115, (Nigeria): Tramearne 322, (Yoruba): Ellis 265, (Angola): Chatelain 203 No. 28; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Remus 24 No. 6, Jones Negro Tales from the Georgia Coast Nos 7, 13, (Virginia): Bacon and Parsons JAFL XXXV 265 266, Speers JAFL XXV 285f., (North Carolina): Parsons JAFL XXX 173, (South Carolina): Parsons JAFL XXXIV 5, MAFLS XVI 54, (Louisiana): Johnston JAFL IX 195; American Negro and American Indian: *Thompson CColl II 440, 447; Jamaica: *Beckwith MAFLS XVII 235; West Indies: Van Cappelle Mythen en Sagen van West-Indie Nos. 12, 16. |
| K1431 | Trickster saws legs of table so that it collapses. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 658. |
| K499.1 | Trickster sells mother's wine to merchant without asking her permission. Mother saves part of wine because purchaser is dilatory in removing casks. Pierre Faifeu No. 35. |
| K282 | Trickster sells what is not his to sell. |
| K831.1.1 | Trickster sends dupe to well for drink of water; pushes him in. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1573 | Trickster sends his master running after the paramour. Though the master does not know of the adultery, the lover is thoroughly frightened. *Type 1725; BP II 131; Christiansen Norske Eventyr 136. |
| K1388 | Trickster sends letter ordering bearer detained and meanwhile steals bearer's wife. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 150 No. 1850, Keller. |
| K1554.1 | Trickster sets fire to barrel of tow in which paramour is hidden. The paramour, naked, runs out carrying wisps of burning tow. The trickster tells the husband that he has raised the devil. England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| K1867 | Trickster shams death and eats grave offerings. |
| K1867.2 | Trickster shams death and eats grave offerings. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 303 n. 109d. |
| K495 | Trickster shams sickness so that partner does all the work. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1318 | Trickster shifts married couples in bed. Old man married to young woman and young man married to old woman. The shift is satisfactory to the young couple. *BP III 394 (3); Anderson FFC XLII 364; Köhler-Bolte II 305ff. |
| K341.27 | Trickster starts argument and steals from arguers. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2425*; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K258.1 | Trickster steals farmer's cow and then sells her to the farmer. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 710. |
| K331.5 | Trickster steals magic doll while owner is asleep. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K234 | Trickster summons all creditors at once, precipitates fight, and escapes payment. Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 258 No. 45. |
| K461 | Trickster takes goods given in charity to his family. Africa (Kaffir): Theal 159. |
| K1068 | Trickster teaches a dupe a strange language. |
| K1084.1 | Trickster tells lies to fishes and causes them to fight. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 304 n. 109j. |
| K134.8 | Trickster temporarily lames valuable horse and buys him for trifle. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1746 | Trickster threatens to throw weight into a cloud: ogre intimidated. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| K1383 | Trickster throws corpse into river and accuses princess of murder: marriage to avoid scandal. *Type 1655; *BP II 201; Norwegian: Christiansen Norske Eventyr 141 No. 1655. |
| K371.1 | Trickster throws fish off the wagon. The fox plays dead; a man throws him on the wagon of fish. The fox throws the fish off and carries them away. *Type 1; BP II 116; Dh IV 225, 304; Krohn Bär (Wolf) und Fuchs (JSFO VI) 46ff. — Lappish: Qvigstad Lappiske Eventyr II 3, III 3; Louisiana Creole: Fortier MAFLS II 115; Japanese: Ikeda; N. A. Indian: Thompson CColl II 438; Africa (Hottentot): Bleek 16 No. 8; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 17 No. 4, 306 No. 52, (South Carolina): Parsons MAFLS XVI 39, Stewart JAFL XXXII 395, (Virginia): Parsons JAFL XXXV 276; Bahama: Parsons MAFLS XIII 10. |
| K1013.4 | Trickster to give wings to tiger. Wounds him fatally. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2153 | Trickster wounds self and accuses others. India: *Thompson-Balys; Marquesas: Handy 87, 110. |
| K126 | Trickster, as watchman, exchanges worthless bag for bag of gold at night. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K606.0.3 | Trickster, pretending not to see attacking enemy, sings song of friendship. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1766 | Trickster's boasting scares his powerful opponent from contest. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K451.4 | Trickster's confederate gives fabulous appraisal to worthless piece of glass. Priest is duped into buying it as a diamond. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1693 | Trickster's eggs become an omelet. Tries to avoid paying tax by hiding eggs in his breeches. The collectors make him sit down. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K941 | Trickster's false report of high prices causes dupe to destroy his property. |
| K1838.1 | Tricksters change man's furniture. He thinks it is the work of demons. He sells them his house cheaply. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K361.2 | Tricksters eat up food given them for bear. Escape. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K356 | Tricksters feign death of their father. Collect rent and flee. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1315.6.1 | Tricksters persuade women that they must share their marital intimacies with them. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K754.1 | Trojan wooden horse. Permits capture of the city by concealing soldiers. *Fb "stud" III 619b; *Penzer II 133 n. 1; Wesselski Archiv Orientální II 431; Greek: *Frazer Apollodorus II 229 n. 1, 231 n. 1. |
| K1736 | Troll bluffed away from christening. He is invited but told that guests will include the Virgin Mary, Thor the Thunderer, etc. He stays away but sends the finest present. *Type 1165; Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Finnish, Estonian, Livonian, Latvian, Lithuanian: *Balys Tautosakos Darbai VI 137—161. |
| K2138 | Trouble-maker in night-lodging. Comes riding a wolf and asks for hospitality. Wolf kills sheep. Beehive in bed. Bees sting family and cause father to kill son. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1878*. |
| K2130 | Trouble-makers. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K522.4.1 | Trout pretends to be dead. Fisherman ignores him. Bødker Exempler 283 No. 28; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K1911.2.2.1 | True bride lives in fish's belly. *Type 450. |
| K1911.2.2 | True bride pushed into water by false. *Types 408, 450; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| K1911.3.4 | True bride reincarnated as reed reveals truth. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1911.3.5 | True bride reinstated by acting as mysterious housekeeper. Africa (Hottentot): Karutz Des schwarzen Menschen Märchenweisheit (London, 1929) 140f. No. 27. |
| K1911.2.2.2 | True bride sits spinning at the bottom of river. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1911.3.2 | True bride takes house near husband. Thus eventually secures his attention. Spanish: Espinosa Jr. Nos. 70, 74; Italian: Basile Pentamerone Int.; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1911.2.1 | True bride transformed by false. *Type 403, 450; *BP I 79ff., 99ff.; *Fb "and" IV 12b; Spanish: Espinosa II Nos. 120f., Espinosa Jr. Nos. 80, 106—110; India: *Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian: Thompson CColl II 383ff.; Africa (Zulu): Callaway 119. |
| K1911.2.3 | True bride's children thrown away at birth (by false bride). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1886.7.1 | Tuatha Dé Danann cause island to appear to be "hog's back". Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1344 | Tunnel entrance to guarded maiden's chamber. Icelandic: Boberg; Italian: Basile Pentamerone II No. 2; Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys; S. A. Indian (Chiriguano): Métraux RMLP XXXIII 142, MAFLS XL 159. |
| K551.26 | Turtle allowed to go to pool to pick flowers before death. Escapes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1022.5 | Turtle induced to rob in a man's garden. Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 18. |
| K582.1 | Turtle persuades an animal to swallow him: causes the animal's death and escapes. Africa (Hottentot): Bleek 29 No. 14, 30 No. 15. |
| K1825.7 | Twelve men in disguise as carpenters are engaged to build hall for the king's wedding: they abduct the bride. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K1433 | Twisting twine: trickster cuts it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K421.3 | Two cheats exchange articles as genuine and both find themselves cheated. (Cf. K306.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1976.1 | Two friars take arm from corpse and allege it is a miracle-producing relic. One of the tricksters questions its powers in public. Feigns being struck dead. Feigned resurrection. Tricksters enriched as a result. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K137.1 | Two jars full of live black wasps sold as interpreters of foreign language. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1921.2 | Two mothers exchange their children, a boy and a girl. Type 975*; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K2142 | Two persons separately informed about each other's death. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K527.4 | Two rival parties of fifteen each on ship. When food is exhausted, it is agreed that half the company be thrown overboard, "every ninth man as they stood to be selected." Clever sister of leader of one party arranges men so that enemies are chosen and so drowned. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1883.3 | Two soldiers slay each other thinking they are slaying a common enemy. Irish: Plummer clxix, *Cross. |
| K528.3 | Two wicked men put to a fiery test ask for a third (pious) man to be tested together with them. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| K2383 | Tying cat to balky horse's tail to make him move. Nouvelles Récréations No. 41. |
| K1447 | Tying the cattle: trickster ties them so tightly they are strangled. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1982 | Ubiquitous beggar. In disguise obtains alms three times from the same person. Herbert III 282; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. Nos. 210f. |
| K1815.2 | Ugly disguise. India: *Thompson-Balys; Samoa: Beckwith Myth 254. |
| K1918.1 | Ugly fish borrows skin of handsome fish for courtship and marriage. Africa (Wakweli): Bender 57f. |
| K1984.4 | Ugly women complain of falling flowers. King hearing them supposes them delicate and beautiful. Italian: Basile Pentamerone I No. 10. |
| K419.3 | Umpire awards his own stolen coat to thief. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1525K*; Russian: Andrejev No. 1525 I*. |
| K361.5 | Uncle entrusted with niece's patrimony slanders her so marriage will be broken off and he will not have to part with her money. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K315.0.1 | Underground passage gives entrance to closed chamber. Italian: Basile Pentamerone I No. 2; Jewish: Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1523 | Underground passage to paramour's house. (Inclusa.) Woman goes from one to the other. Her husband is made to believe that the woman next door is her sister. *Fischer-Bolte 219; Wesselski Märchen 188 No. 2; *Chauvin V 213 No. 121, VIII 96 No. 67; *Köhler-Bolte I 393; Campbell Sages cx; *Krappe Archivum Romanicum XIX (1935) 213—226; Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 1; Icelandic: *Boberg; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1083 | Undesignated present starts quarrel for its possession. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1549.5 | Unfaithful wife communicates with lover by pouring milk into stream. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K952.1.2 | Ungrateful rat defecates upon head of (or kills) octopus that rescues him from sea. Oceania: *Lessa MS. |
| K952.1 | Ungrateful river passenger kills carrier from within. Crawls inside during the passage. (Porcupine and buffalo.) India: Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 302 n. 104. |
| K771 | Unicorn tricked into running horn into tree. *Type 1640; *BP I 148ff., 164; Missouri French: Carrière; N. A. Indian: Thompson CColl II 432; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Remus 41 No. 9 (cow). |
| K362.0.1 | Unique weapon got by misrepresenting to guardian use to which it is to be put. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1667 | Unjust banker deceived into delivering deposits by making him expect even larger. |
| K1657 | Unjust official outwitted by peasant who quarrels with him and thus turns the attention of the ruler to the abuses. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 847; Nouvelles de Sens. No. 1; Lithuanian: Balys Historical. |
| K451 | Unjust umpire as trickster's confederate. (Cf. K455.7.) Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K451.1 | Unjust umpire decides a religious dispute. His confederate thus wins an absurd wager. *Type 613; *BP II 468ff.; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 489; **Christiansen FFC XXIV 46ff.; Jewish: Gaster Exempla 191 No. 29, Neuman; N. A. Indian: Thompson CColl II 395. |
| K452.2 | Unjust umpire keeps the stakes when contest cannot be decided. U.S.: Baughman. |
| K452 | Unjust umpire misappropriates disputed goods. Chauvin VII 38ff.; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2152 | Unresponsive corpse. Corpse is set up so that dupe addresses it and when it does not respond knocks it over. He is accused of murder. Most references to K2151 apply to this motif as well. *Cox 501; Christiansen Norske Eventyr No. 1536; *Clouston Tales II 242; Spanish: Espinosa III Nos. 176, 189; Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys; Korean: Zong in-Sob 197 No. 96; N. A. Indian (Micmac): Rand No. 57, (Zuсi): Cushing 255, (Ojibwa): Schoolcraft Hiawatha 246. |
| K2022 | Unsuccessful suitor pretends friendship with woman's husband. Kills him while on a hunt. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K197 | Until the log burns out: time given servant for Christmas holidays. Soaks the log so that it burns a week. North Carolina: Brown Collection I 702. |
| K511 | Uriah letter changed. Falsified order of execution. A messenger is sent with a letter ordering the recipient to kill the bearer. On the way the letter is changed so that the bearer is honored. *Types 428, 930; *Aarne FFC XXIII 69ff., 91; *BP I 282; *Fb "brev" IV 61ab; *Chauvin VIII 143ff. Nos. 145ABC; *Cosquin études 143ff.; Gunkel Märchen im alten Testament (Tübingen, 1921) 132; *Boje 79; *Penzer I 52, II 113f., III 277ff.; Alphabet No. 593; *Dickson 235 n. 33; Tupper and Ogle Walter Map 271.—Icelandic: Hdwb. d. Märchens I 326 nn. 16-26, Herrmann Saxo II 262ff. I, *Boberg; Greek: *Frazer Apollodorus I 151 n. 2; Jewish: Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 828; Japanese: Ikeda; Africa: Frobenius Atlantis IV 290. |
| K978 | Uriah letter. Man carries written order for his own execution. *Types 428, 930; *Aarne FFC XXIII 64ff., 91; Irish: *Cross, O'Suilleabhain 38, Beal XXI 314; Icelandic: Herrmann Saxo II 262ff., Boberg; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 828, II 267; Japanese: Ikeda. See also all references to K511. |
| K1317.6 | Use of drugs to usurp lover's place. |
| K443.11 | Usurer blackmailed. Shrewd suitor persuades usurer to charge him 100 per cent interest, then has him arrested. Thus gets daughter for wife. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K950 | Various kinds of treacherous murder. *Type 709; *Böklen 100ff. |
| K1821.3.1 | Veiled adulteress flees with paramour who has enlisted duped husband's aid. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1317.3 | Vengeful paramours send syphilitic man to substitute in woman's bed. *Schwartz Zs. f. Vksk. XXVI 136. |
| K1211 | Vergil in the basket. A lover who is to be pulled up to his mistress's window is left hanging in the basket in the public gaze. **Spargo Virgil the Necromancer 136ff., 368ff.; *Comparetti Vergil in the Middle Ages (tr. Benecke) 326ff.; *Lee Decameron 259f.; *Penzer I 42; Clouston Tales II 308; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K745 | Victim burned in building. Mono: Wheeler No. 34; Alu: ibid. 17, 35; Papua: Ker 7, 17, 36, 73; Aurora: Codrington No. III 12; Lepers Island: ibid. No. III 17. |
| K812 | Victim burned in his own house (or hiding place). Icelandic: *Boberg; India: *Thompson-Balys, Panchatantra III 16 (tr. Ryder) 364; Japanese: Ikeda; Indonesia: DeVries's list Nos. 32, 75. |
| K743 | Victim captured in a noose. Maori: Beckwith Myth 250, Clark 100. |
| K772 | Victim enticed into dancing: captured. Africa (Yoruba): Ellis 257 No. 4. |
| K839.3 | Victim enticed into drinking by over-salting his food: killed when off guard. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K839.1 | Victim enticed into eating: killed when off guard. N. A. Indian (California): Gayton and Newman 87. |
| K710 | Victim enticed into voluntary captivity or helplessness. |
| K834 | Victim killed while asleep in killer's house. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K831 | Victim killed while being bathed. Greek: *Frazer Apollodorus II 269 n. 2 (Agamemnon); India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K837 | Victim killed while load is being taken from his back. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K815 | Victim lured by kind words approaches trickster and is killed. *Type 242; Wienert FFC LVI 50 (ET 101), 97 (ST 112); Halm Aesop No. 263; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 33 No *127A; India: *Thompson-Balys, Panchatantra III 13 (tr. Ryder) 368; Africa (Basuto): Jacottet 276 No. 41, (Kaffir): Theal 177; West Indies: Flowers 528. |
| K839.2 | Victim lured into approach by false token. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K714.7 | Victim lured into following deer sent by demon to cave. Dies of suffocation. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K811 | Victim lured into house and killed. *Type 56B; Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 32; West Indies: Flowers 528. |
| K838 | Victim lured into trough: is pounded up with poisoned fish. India: Thompson-Balys; Africa (Hausa): Frobenius Atlantis IX 277ff., 287ff., Nos. 74, 75. |
| K818 | Victim persuaded to disarm. Killed. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K825 | Victim persuaded to hold out his tongue: cut off. Robbers induced by various excuses (to learn to sing, to learn foreign language, to have a hair taken off the tongue). Type 1653; *Cosquin I 244f.; Norwegian: Christiansen Norske Eventyr 141 No. 1654; Spanish: Espinosa III Nos. 147, 181—8; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K825.1.1 | Victim persuaded to hold out tongue: bitten off. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K832.5 | Victim persuaded to look for certain tree: pushed over cliff. Chinese: Graham. |
| K832.1.1 | Victim persuaded to look into well or pond: pushed in. Type 408; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K925 | Victim pushed into fire. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 60 No. 435*; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K926 | Victim pushed into water. India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 1260. |
| K815.19 | Victim told to stand ready by tree to catch bee nest as it falls; trickster throws club at him instead. S. A. Indian (Toba): Métraux MAFLS XL 75. |
| K730 | Victim trapped. India: Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 47. |
| K714.4 | Victim tricked into entering basket. Chinese: Graham. |
| K714.2 | Victim tricked into entering box. M. Bloomfield in Penzer VII xvii; Missouri French: Carrière; India: Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 294, Dixon 197; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Remus 62 No. 13, (Virginia): Bacon and Parsons JAFL XXXV 267, (North Carolina): Parsons JAFL XXX 175, Brown Collection I 704. |
| K714.2.1 | Victim tricked into jumping in a box by making him think he is going to heaven. (Cf. K842.) Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| K714.1 | Victim tricked into prison and kept there. *Wesselski Arlotto I 209 No. 50; Irish myth: Cross; Africa (Thonga): Junod 216. |
| K818.3 | Victim's arrows made harmless. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2112.4 | Villain brings (threatens to bring) naked servant to woman's house. Threat of false accusation of indiscretion forces woman to yield. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K2285 | Villain disguised as ascetic or nun. **M. Bloomfield "On False Ascetics and Nuns in Hindu Fiction" JAOS XLIV 202ff.; *Penzer III 211 n. 1, V 102 n. 2, VI 12 n. 1, IX 23 n. 2; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K2200 | Villains and traitors. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1837.7 | Virgin living disguised as a man and unrecognized in a monastery becomes abbot (St. Eugenia). *Loomis White Magic 110f.; Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1841.3 | Virgin Mary substitutes for woman whom husband has pledged to the devil. Devil flees. Wesselski Mönchslatein 132 No. 114; *Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 35; *Loomis White Magic 113; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1167*; Rumanian: Schullerus FFC LXXVIII No. 827*. |
| K1841.2 | Virgin substitutes in tournament. A knight hears masses so long that he absents himself from a tournament. The Virgin takes his place. *Ward II 662 No. 5; *Loomis White Magic 123. |
| K114.3.1 | Virtue of oracular pill proved. The dupe takes it. "It is dog's dung," he says and spits it out. The trickster says that he is telling the truth and demands pay. *Wesselski Gonnella 99ff. Nos. 4, 4a, 105 No. 9; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1732 | Wages: as much as he can carry. To get rid of the boy the troll offers him as large wages as he is able to carry. Boy says that this will be too much, that he will be contented merely with what the troll can carry. Type 1153. |
| K553.2 | Wait for the fat goat. Troll lets the first two goats pass on the bridge so that he may eat the biggest one. He is thrown in the water. Type 123*. |
| K51 | Waking contest won by deception. Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 25; cf. DeVries FFC LXXIII 400ff. |
| K51.1 | Waking contest won by giving opponent soporific. Tuamotu: Stimson MS (z-G. 3/1142). |
| K2052.4.2 | Wanted: a husband to manage estate. Widow who claims to abhor intimacy rejects a eunuch with business qualifications. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1969.2 | Warrior buries oversized armor so as to convince posterity of soldiers' gigantic size. Addison-Steele Spectator No. 127. |
| K2378.2 | Warrior consents to flee for the sake of future victory. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1845.1 | Warrior deceived into attacking substituted pillar-stone. Stone bears enemy's dress (crown). Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K2116.5 | Warrior falsely accused of having killed his sleeping adversary. Not supposed to have been able to do it if latter was awake. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K2319.2 | Warrior proposes to fight in single combat. Fights with aid of sons and grandsons. They belong to him. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1839.6 | Warriors whitewash weapons thus disguising identity of one of their number who bears white-handled battle-axe. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1462 | Washing the grandmother—in boiling water. *Type 1013; Spanish: Espinosa III Nos. 181—8; India: *Thompson-Balys; New Britain: Dixon 122. |
| K318 | Watchdog enticed away. Trickster brings rabbit under his coat. When the king's watchdog gives chase the trickster enters and robs. DeVries FFC LXXIII 208f. |
| K1451 | Watching the goats: "Hit them if they wander." Trickster kills them. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K623 | Watchman outwitted by having rope stretched across the road while fugitives escape. Bolte Frey 251 No. 90. |
| K1042 | Water bird takes dupe to sea: shakes him off into water. *Type 226; *Fb "and" IV 12b; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 69, Dixon 193 *n. 20. |
| K476.3 | Water sold as wine. Wine-casks partitioned: one half wine, other half water. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K2314.2.1 | Water-monster allows saint to place cauldron over its head until Luan. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1022.2.1 | Water-monster, trying to pull horse into water, is dragged to house where he begs for his life and is spared. Japanese: Ikeda. |
| K287 | Watered milk sold. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K661.4 | Waxen statue left instead of abducted queen. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1715 | Weak animal (man) makes large one (ogre) believe that he has eaten many of the large one's companions. The latter is frightened. Types 126*, 1149; *BP I 160 n. 1; *Krappe Neophilologus XV 274ff.; Russian: Andrejev No. 126; Spanish: Espinosa III Nos. 249f.; India: *Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: *Dixon 191 nn. 15, 16, 192 n. 17; Africa: Weeks Jungle 394, Werner African 223, (Kaffir): Kidd 230 No. 2, (Vai): Ellis 191 No. 7, (Hottentot): Bleek 24; Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 317, 320, 322; West Indies: Flowers 543; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 44 No. 9, 291 No. 49. |
| K1715.1 | Weak animal shows strong his own reflection and frightens him. Tells him that this animal is threatening to kill him. (Usually hare and lion.) *Penzer V 49 n. 1; Chauvin II 88 No. 25; India: *Thompson-Balys; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Friends 134 No. 18, (Virginia): Parsons JAFL XXXV 264 No. 12. |
| K1715.1.1 | Weak animal shows strong his own reflection and makes him believe that it is the head of the last animal slain by the weak. B[ö]dker Exempler 282 No. 27; Indonesia, Malay, Hindu: Dixon 191 n. 16, *DeVries Volksverhalen I 362 No. 14. |
| K2357.5 | Weapons disguised permit entry to enemies' camp. Jewish: Neuman; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 390. |
| K815.10 | Weasel induces cuckoo to tell him that it cries at night when asleep. Hence weasels can kill cuckoos. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1969.4.1 | Weaver poses as deity. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1777 | When he is looked at too threateningly hero feigns failing ability to go on horseback. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K2043 | When wolf pretends to slander tiger fox agrees; later tells tiger he was trying to test wolf's malice. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1418 | Whetting the knife: the whole blade whetted away. *Type 1015. |
| K1371.6 | While chief is performing suitor task, rival steals the bride. Easter Island: Métraux Ethnology 57. |
| K476.5 | While swimming with the lizard, toad exchanges own ugly daughter for lizard's pretty one. Africa (Luba): DeClerq ZsKS IV 209. |
| K813.1 | Whimbrel sends his adulterous mate to meet him in cave. He has arranged with lion to be there to eat her. Spanish Exempla: Keller; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K445.2 | Whoever hears singing snake must die. Killed by deaf man. (Cf. B214.1.10.) Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 145. |
| K475.3 | Why go all the way to fair? Man robbed of his plate of cakes half way to fair asks another vendor, "Why go to the fair, when half way up people come demanding your plate?" Vendor goes on and meets with same fate. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1223.3 | Wife (mistress) substitutes for mistress (wife). The woman has been asked for a rendezvous. She tells the suitor's wife and they exchange places. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K579.1 | Wife accused of plan to escape weeps and threatens suicide so as to allay suspicion and escape. Africa (Fjort): Dennett 51 No. 8. |
| K1971.4.1 | Wife behind tree advises husband against having his wife work. *Type 1405; BP III 44; *Hdwb. d. Märchens II 148a nn. 381-391. |
| K1971.6.1 | Wife behind tree advises the husband about his marital duties. Von der Hagen II xv No. 29. |
| K2213.16 | Wife betrays husband in revenge for his once having taken a second wife. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1528 | Wife confesses to disguised husband. She suspects the fraud and persuades him that she knew the ruse and was testing him. He begs forgiveness. Bédier Fabliaux 290, 453*; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1843 | Wife deceives husband with substituted bedmate. Icelandic: Boberg; Jewish: *Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1814.3 | Wife disguised as fakir makes her husband, the king, fulfill her will. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1837.5 | Wife disguises as a man and outwits landlord of inn when he tries same trick he has played on her husband to get all of his goods, etc. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1514.17.1 | Wife drugs husband and visits paramour. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1538.1 | Wife feigns death and slips out to lover. Heptameron No. 60, 61. Italian Novella: Rotunda (K1862). |
| K1514.7 | Wife has hiding husband carried off in basket by thieves. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1516.8 | Wife has husband look for hole in pot she has bought, allowing lover to escape unseen. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K1843.4 | Wife has maidservant impersonate her while she goes to her lover. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 35; B[ö]dker Exempler 280 No. 24; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1521.4.1 | Wife hides lover under bed. When husband comes in she drops candle and sends him out for another, allowing lover to escape unseen. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K1510.2 | Wife of philanderer gets revenge by having an affair herself. Heptameron No. 15. |
| K2213.3.2.2 | Wife plots to kill her husband, but her paramour answers that he could never touch murderess. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1613.2 | Wife poisons husband who in turn poisons her. Before he dies he forces her to drink from the same cup. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1843.1.1 | Wife sends mistress to her husband disguised as herself. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1516.9 | Wife shows husband her milk-filled breasts and squirts milk in his eyes allowing lover to escape unseen. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K1843.3 | Wife substitutes an old woman for herself in her husband's bed. Italian Novella: Rotunda; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K1843.2.4 | Wife substitutes for her sodomist husband. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1814.2 | Wife substitutes for princess, who has been jailed with husband. Before judge says: "What harm is there in a man being with his own wife?" India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1549.2 | Wife surprised in adultery feigns death. Comes "back to life" on hearing husband say he has seen nothing. (Cf. K1538.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1271.3.1 | Wife surprises husband in adultery and shames him into giving her all she desires. Heptameron No. 59. |
| K1218.10 | Wife takes lover beneath tree where she has told husband to hide. When he begins to kiss her, husband shouts "Keep a little for me." Lover, shamefaced, runs away. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1843.2.2 | Wife takes mistress's place in bed but is deceived in turn. Husband had tired of the mistress and had previously substituted servant. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1843.2.1 | Wife takes mistress's place in husband's bed: husband sends message of death. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1843.2 | Wife takes mistress's place in husband's bed. Brings about reconciliation. *Penzer I 162; Boccaccio Decameron III No. 9 (Lee 101); Heptameron No. 8; Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 9; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys; Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 183. |
| K1843.2.3 | Wife takes mistress's place in husband's bed. The husband, unaware of the substitution, asks his friends to share his good fortune. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1585 | Wife takes servant's place and discovers husband's adultery. The husband says that he is going into a state of meditation with a cloth over his face. He substitutes a servant and goes to his mistress. The wife finds the deceit and takes the servant's place. On his return the husband tells the supposed servant of his adultery. Japanese: Anesaki 361. |
| K1514.8 | Wife throws husband down precipice so she can be with lover. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 886. |
| K1516.7 | Wife washes husband's hair hiding his eyes while lover escapes unseen. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K2338 | Wife, to drive away parasite priest, tells him husband has gone to get drunk and will kill him with rice mortar on his return. He leaves in haste. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1549.6 | Wife's attendants on trip chase wrong man as suspected lover and miss real lover. Heptameron No. 15. |
| K133 | Wild animal sold as watch-dog. |
| K551.3.4 | Wild boar given permission to squeal before wolf eats him. Rescue arrives. *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. IX 87; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 173; Rumanian: Schullerus FFC LXXVIII No. 91; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2351.7 | Wild fawn sent by saint into hostile army, so that all follow it and leader (enemy of saint) is slain. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K2351.6 | Wild horses with bags containing stones tied to their tails, driven into enemy's camp to cause stampede. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K731 | Wildboar captured in church. *Type 1640; BP I 148ff. |
| K1818.3.1 | Wise man disguised as buffoon. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K3.4 | Wise man disguised as monk beats learned heretic in debate. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1994 | Wise man sent by king to rival to give him interested advice. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1816.9.1 | Wise men disguise as peasants. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K547.13 | Witch frightened by seeing victim cleave boulder with one blow of sword. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K764 | Witch pretends to be starving beggar woman in order to capture child. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K606.1.4 | Witch put off guard by playing on jew's harp. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K711.4 | Witch tells boy to pass down some of fruit from tree, catches hold of him and puts him in her sack when he bends down. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K811.1.1 | With help of captor's daughter, prisoners slay many of his soldiers at a banquet. (cf. K781.) English: Wells 85 (The Sowdone of Babylone). |
| K941.1.1 | Wives killed when large price for his mother's (wife's) corpse is reported by trickster. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1545 | Wives wager as to who can best fool her husband. *Type 1406; *Liebrecht 124; Bédier Fabliaux 265ff.; *Crane Vitry 227 No. 231, cf. 238 No. 248; Boccaccio Decameron VII No. 9 (Lee 231); Christensen DF XLVII 229; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1121 | Wolf (lion) approaches too near to horse: kicked in face. *Type 47B; *BP III 77; *Baum MLN XXXVII 350ff.; Crane Vitry 147f. No. 33, 197 No. 152. |
| K1121.1 | Wolf (lion) as sham doctor looks at horse's foot: kicked in face. *Baum MLN XXXVII 350; Herbert III 13; *Crane Vitry 197 No. 152; Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. IX 87; *Wesselski Märchen 250 No. 58; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K579.5.1 | Wolf acts as judge before eating the rams. They are to go to the end of the field and run to him. They run at him and kill him. *Wesselski Märchen 251 No. 58; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. Nos. 30, 31. |
| K494 | Wolf announces dawn prematurely to collect debt. The contract is to be fulfilled at daybreak. The wolf imitates the cock and crows, but is caught. Cape Verde Islands: *Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 6 n. 1. |
| K1022.4 | Wolf brings cake from the window-sill. He imitates the fox in so doing, but rings a bell, so that he is beaten. Type 160***. |
| K651 | Wolf descends into well in one bucket and rescues fox in the other. *Type 32; BP IV 320; Chauvin III 78 No. 57; Fb "ræv" III 113b; *Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 43; English: Wells 184 (The Fox and the Wolf); Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Remus 75 No. 16, (Pennsylvania): Parsons JAFL XXX 214, (South Carolina): Parsons JAFL XXXIV 16, Stewart JAFL XXXII 394. |
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