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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 ▲ |
|---|---|
| N411.2 | Sickle sold for fortune in land without sickles. *Types 1650, 1202; *BP II 69ff., 72 n. 1. |
| N394.1 | Sign of prisoner's reprieve changed by wind. A flag to be flown in certain way, but wind catches it just at the wrong moment so that prisoner is executed. Korean: Zong in-Sob 61 No. 34. |
| N2.6.1 | Sister as wager. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N818 | Sky as helper. Africa (Thonga): Junod 266ff. |
| N741.3 | Slandered queen chances to be in Rome at the same time as her estranged husband. Reconciled by the Pope. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N863 | Slave (swineherd) as helper of princess. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| N734.1 | Slaves ordered married discover they are brother and sister. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N661 | Sleeping king abducted by fairies wakes when his foot touches water. They free him. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| N573 | Sleeping king in mountain as guardian of treasure. *Norlind 4ff.; Hartland Science 207. |
| N855.1 | Smith as foster father. *Von Sydow Sigurds strid med Fеvne 19ff.; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N332.3.2 | Snake in jug bites would-be thief. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N182 | Snake turns to gold in answer to dream. Woman tells dream of pot of gold. Robbers overhear but finding only snake in pot turn it loose on woman's bed. It turns to gold. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N852 | Soldier as helper. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| N338.3 | Son killed because mistaken for someone else. (Cf. N321.) Icelandic: Boberg; Italian Novella: Rotunda (N366); Greek: Grote I 242; Jewish: Neuman; Philippine (Tinguian): Cole 98. |
| N321 | Son returning home after long absence unwittingly killed by parents. (Cf. N338.3.) Type 939*; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 939*; Livonian: Loorits FFC LXVI No. 9391. |
| N681.4 | Son returns on day his mother is to be married to another (though her husband still lives). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N832.2 | Sons as helpers. Type 551; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N454.1 | Speaking bed-legs overheard. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N537 | Speaking bird tells where treasure is buried. Italian Novella: Rotunda; Jewish: Neuman, *bin Gorion Born Judas IV 29, 275; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N542 | Special conditions for finding treasure. Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 77 Nos. 642—644, 648; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| N131.3 | Spilling salt brings bad luck. |
| N777.4 | Spindle dropped into well leads to adventures. Type 480; *Roberts 125. |
| N134.1.4 | Spirit of adversity brings bad luck to house. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N121.1.1 | Spirit of new-born child in uniform. God has determined fates of everyone. Type 934*; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 934C*; Livonian: Loorits FFC LXVI No. 934I. |
| N255.1 | Stag escapes from hunters to be eaten by lion. Wienert FFC LVI *49, 55 (ET 86, 152), 116, 136 (ST 261, 417); Halm Aesop No. 129, 252. |
| N2.0.2 | Stakes not claimed by winner, who insists on another game. Scottish: Campbell-McKay No. 17. |
| N643 | Stinging of buttocks as cure for cough. Patient applies stinging medicine and makes himself sore. He represses his cough to keep from hurting his hindquarters and is finally cured. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N662 | Storm blows down tree and frees marooned tortoise. Africa (Nyang): Ittman 53. |
| N683 | Stranger accidentally chosen king. Picked up by sacred elephant. *Cosquin Contes indiens 320 n. 4; India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 68. |
| N534.1 | Stumble reveals depository of treasure. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N342.2 | Stumbling over bloody corpse brings accusation of murder. Man gets blood on himself. *Chauvin V 136 No. 64. |
| N691.1.2 | Stupid man grabs tiger in the dark, ties it up, and saddles it, believing it to be a horse. It happens to be the tiger for whose capture a reward has been offered. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N340.1 | Suicide in remorse over hasty condemnation. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N818.1 | Sun as helper. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N3 | Supernatural adversary in gambling (witch or giant). Norse: Boberg. |
| N811 | Supernatural godfather. A king chooses as the godfather of his son the first man he meets. The godfather proves to be supernatural. *Type 652; *BP I 377ff., II 121ff., III 18. |
| N810.4 | Supernatural helper comes from sky. Korean: Zong in-Sob 65 No. 35. |
| N819 | Supernatural helpers—miscellaneous. |
| N810 | Supernatural helpers. Irish myth: *Cross; Missouri French: Carrière; Spanish: Espinosa II Nos. 111f., Espinosa Jr. Nos. 117, 138, 140, 149, 202—204; Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N819.4 | Supernatural medicine-man as helper. S. A. Indian (Tupenamba): Métraux RMLP XXXIII 168. |
| N810.5 | Supernatural person disguised as servant as helper. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| N278 | Supernatural voice points out criminal. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 352; *Wesselski Mönchslatein 182 No. 140. |
| N572.2 | Swan maidens as guardians of treasure. *Norlind 71f. |
| N511.1.0.2 | Sword hidden by old man. Herrmann Saxo II 306. |
| N513.2 | Sword hidden under water. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| N553.5 | Tabu: fear of threatening animals while treasure is being raised. Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 76 No. 636. |
| N553.1 | Tabu: incontinence while treasure is being raised. Winter 77. |
| N553.4 | Tabu: looking around while raising treasure. Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 78, 80 Nos. 658, 668. |
| N553 | Tabus in effect while treasure is being unearthed. |
| N778 | Taking refuge in a grave leads to adventure. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| N527.2 | Talisman found in bird's stomach. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N127 | The auspicious (lucky) day (days). (Cf. N53.) Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| N384.0.1.1 | The cadaver arm. Medical students (or student nurses or hospital employees) play trick on one of their number by suspending a cadaver arm or leg from the light cord in the person's room (sometimes the object is placed in the person's bed). Some circumstance keeps them from being on hand to observe the person's reaction; the next day they remember the joke and go to the victim's room to investigate. They have to break down the door. They find the victim sitting on the bed—her hair is snow white—and she is gnawing on the cadaver arm. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| N170 | The capriciousness of luck. Icelandic: *Boberg; Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N122.0.1 | The choice of roads. At parting of three roads are equivocal inscriptions telling what will happen if each is chosen. Brothers each choose a different road. Köhler-Bolte I 537ff.; India Thompson-Balys. |
| N271.3 | The Cranes of Ibycus. Murdered man calls on cranes, the only witnesses of the murder, to avenge him. The cranes follow the murderer and point him out. *BP II 532; *Amalfi Zs. f. Vksk. VI 115ff.; *Zachariae ibid. IX 336; Scala Celi 100b No. 539; Hertz Abhandlungen 334; Köhler-Bolte II 563; Chauvin II 123, VII 146; *Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 27. — England: Baughman; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 209; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| N633 | The early pupil finds the gold. An innkeeper hears that education makes one rich and enters school. He is scolded for coming late. He comes very early and in twilight finds a purse of gold. Type 1645*; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1665*; Russian: Andrejev No. 1665*; Livonian: Loorits FFC LXVI No. 1645@1. |
| N345 | The falcon of Sir Federigo. An impoverished suitor has only a falcon to catch birds with. His lady's sick son wants the falcon and she goes to ask for it. The suitor serves dinner for her—his falcon. When she makes her request it is too late. *Bédier Fabliaux 153f.; Boccaccio Decameron V No. 9 (*Lee 170); Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| N231 | The fourteen lucky daughters. The husband leaves his wife, who has given birth to fourteen girls, thinking he is persecuted by bad luck because of failure to have a son. On the seashore, the girls find precious stones. The wife, now prosperous, finds her husband among beggars. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1668*. |
| N200 | The good gifts of fortune. |
| N136 | The judge's bad-luck bringing boots. The wealthy merchant becomes a beggar, due to the judge's boots he acquired through exchange (theft). Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2447*. |
| N135.3 | The luck-bringing shirt. The king is to become lucky when he puts on the shirt of a lucky man. The only man who says that he is lucky has no shirt. *Type 844; **Köhler Aufsätze 119ff.; H. C. Andersen's "Lykkens Galocher"; Edwin Markham's "The Shoes of Fortune." |
| N251.6 | The luckless son and his envious father. Seeing a luck-bringing animal at his son's house, the wizard father orders it to be destroyed, but the grandchildren eat of its meat and become fortunate. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 738*. |
| N1.2.1 | The miracle of broken die at gambling saves man. Krappe Hispanic Review XIV (1946) 164ff. |
| N396 | The sleeping guard. Watchman falls asleep as enemy approaches. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N271.1 | The sun brings all to light. The murderer repeats as he sees the rays of the sun, the last words of the dying man, thus betraying the crime. *Type 960; *BP II 531; *Hdwb. d. Märchens I 98b, *Zachariae Kleine Schriften 134; *Basset 1001 Contes II 381. |
| N635 | The triple tax. A poet is given by the king the right to demand a coin of the first hunchback he meets, from the first man of a certain name, and from the first man of a certain city. He sees a hunchback and demands the coin. A quarrel arises in which it appears that the hunchback also has the required name and residence. With each revelation the poet demands a new coin. *Type 1661; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 194 No. 382; *Basset 1001 Contes I 521; Herbert III 87f., 249, 329, 509, 671; *Chauvin IX 19 No. 5; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 285; Alphabet No. 234; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N339.15 | Thief crushed to death by fallen fragments of wall he has bored. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N611.4 | Thief hears owner of house singing "Bore and throw out the earth" and thinks himself detected. Offers owner money to purchase his silence. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N275.4 | Thief imagines that group of people in street are talking and laughing at him; he confesses. U.S.: Baughman. |
| N331 | Things accidentally fall and kill person. |
| N135.1 | Thirteen as unlucky number. **Böklen Die "unglückezahl" Dreizehn (Leipzig, 1913); Hdwb. d. Abergl. s.v. "Zahlen" B 13; *Fb "tretten"; **Kyriakiodos To Dysoionon tou Arithmou 13 (Athens, 1953). |
| N647 | Thorn accidentally removed from cobra's throat by woman's finger. Grateful cobra. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N127.3 | Thursday as lucky day. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N555 | Time favorable for unearthing treasure. *Winter 69. |
| N333.1.1 | To give child a slap to stop its crying, numskull kills it. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N622.1 | Tortoise jumps from tree and breaks rhinoceros's back. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N335.7 | Tortoise lands on elephant's back so that elephant's back is broken. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N261.1 | Train of troubles for seven brothers for having destroyed bird's nest. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N258 | Train of troubles from lost horseshoe nail. Master tries to go on in spite of the loss. *BP III 335ff. |
| N261 | Train of troubles from sparrow's vengeance. A man runs over the dog, friend of the sparrow. Through the sparrow's vengeance the man loses his horse, his property, and finally his life. *Type 248; *BP I 515; Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 254 No. 34. |
| N7 | Trained rat upsets pieces in gambling game: trained (or transformed) cat chases it away. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N819.2.1 | Transformed mother as helper. Chinese: Graham. |
| N819.2 | Transformed person as helper. Chinese: Graham. |
| N324.1 | Transformed prince unwittingly killed. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N251.4 | Travelers pursued by misfortune. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N527 | Treasure (money) carried by bird to nest. English: Wells 114 (Sir Isumbras); Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 937*. |
| N516 | Treasure at end of rainbow. *Fb "regenbue" III 31b, "skat" III 235a; African: Werner African 234. |
| N511.1.0.1 | Treasure buried by dying man. Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV 128 No. 63; Finnish: Aarne FFC XXXIII 5 No. 63. |
| N511.1 | Treasure buried by men. Irish myth: *Cross; North Carolina: Brown Collection I 692; Danish: Kristensen Danske Sagn III (1895) 425ff., (1931) 297ff.; Icelandic: *Boberg; Jewish: Neuman. |
| N511.1.2 | Treasure buried in ancient settlements. *Winter 16. |
| N511.1.8 | Treasure buried in chest, cask, kettle, or cannon barrel. (Cf. N525.) U.S.: *Baughman. |
| N511.1.3 | Treasure buried in extraordinary topographical formations. *Winter 27. |
| N511.1.1 | Treasure buried in graves. *Winter 11; Icelandic: *Boberg; Chinese: Graham. |
| N513.5 | Treasure buried in sunken ship. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| N511.1.5 | Treasure buried in woodshed. Type 935***. |
| N511.1.12 | Treasure buried on island. Canada, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| N511.1.11 | Treasure buried on top of mountain. U.S.: Baughman. |
| N511.1.10 | Treasure buried under flower. U.S.: Baughman. |
| N511.1.13 | Treasure buried under stump. U.S.: Baughman; Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| N511.1.9 | Treasure buried under tree. U.S.: Baughman; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N557 | Treasure disappears after being uncovered. U.S.: Baughman. |
| N541.4 | Treasure discovered at the Nativity of Christ. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N534 | Treasure discovered by accident. Irish myth: Cross; Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 78 Nos. 652—656; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham; West Indies: Flowers 565. |
| N533.1 | Treasure discovered by clairvoyant vase. (Cf. D1323.2.) *Chauvin V 259 No. 154. |
| N533.3 | Treasure discovered by hand of unborn child. Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 7 No. 645. |
| N533 | Treasure discovered by magic object. |
| N531 | Treasure discovered through dream. Type 834*; Scotland, England, U.S.: Baughman; North Carolina: Brown Collection I 693; Icelandic: *Boberg; Danish: Kristensen Danske Sagn III (1895) 481ff., (1931) 323ff.; Jewish: bin Gorion Born Judas V 18; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham; Africa (Fjort): Dennett 39 No. 5; West Indies: Flowers 564. |
| N553.3 | Treasure finders must not take all of money. Fb "penge" II 803a. |
| N533.2 | Treasure found by clairvoyant mirror. (Cf. D1323.1.) *Winter 83. |
| N534.6 | Treasure found by man when he obeys call of nature. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N542.1 | Treasure found if one goes with one-night old colt on to one-night old ice. Finnish: Aarne FFC XXXIII 45 No. 65**. |
| N524 | Treasure found in beggar's hat. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| N526 | Treasure found in bundle of rags. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N525 | Treasure found in chest (kettle, cask). (Cf. N511.1.8.) Type 968*; *Fb "skat" III 236b; Icelandic: Boberg; Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 78 Nos. 652—656; Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N528 | Treasure found in hollow of tree. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| N511.1.6.1 | Treasure found in ruined wall. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N511.4 | Treasure found in snake hole. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N541.3 | Treasure found on Hallowe'en. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N538.2 | Treasure from defeated giant. (Cf. F531.6.7, G610, D838.6.) Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| N581.1 | Treasure guarded by magic millstone. U.S.: Baughman. |
| N581 | Treasure guarded by magic object. (Cf. D1560.) |
| N562.1 | Treasure having removed itself eventually returns. North Carolina: Brown Collection I 695. |
| N511.1.7 | Treasure hidden by retreating army. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3740. |
| N523 | Treasure hidden in a stone. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N517 | Treasure hidden in building. |
| N522 | Treasure hidden in pillow under dead man's head. Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV 129 No. 66; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3622; Finnish: Aarne FFC XXXIII 45 No. 66. |
| N514 | Treasure hidden in religious shrine. *Winter 14. |
| N513.4 | Treasure hidden in river. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| N514.1 | Treasure hidden in sanctuary. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N517.1 | Treasure hidden in secret room in house. England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| N513.3 | Treasure hidden in spring. U.S.: Baughman. |
| N513 | Treasure hidden under the water. *Winter 19; *Fb "skat" III 235a; Danish: Kristensen Danske Sagn III (1895) 442ff., (1931) 305ff.; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| N517.2 | Treasure hidden within wall (under floor) of house. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N511.1.6 | Treasure in cellar of ruined house. Italian: Basile Pentamerone I No. 7. |
| N511 | Treasure in ground. Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; U.S.: Baughman; Chinese: Graham. |
| N514.2 | Treasure in temple. Jewish: Neuman. |
| N512 | Treasure in underground chamber (cavern). *Type 676; *Winter 23; *Hartland Science 174, 176, 189; Irish myth: *Cross; U.S.: Baughman; Icelandic: Boberg; Missouri French: Carrière; Jewish: *Neuman; Chinese: Graham, Eberhard FFC CXX 39f., 221; Japanese: Ikeda; West Indies: Flowers 564. |
| N535 | Treasure indicated by statue (stone) with inscription, "Dig here". *Spargo Virgil the Necromancer 363 n. 3; *Fb "skat" III 235a; *Oesterley No. 107; Danish: Blinkenberg Danske Studier (1928) 97ff.; Spanish Exempla: Keller; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N535.1 | Treasure indicated by stone cross on the ground. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| N521 | Treasure left in stick. It accidentally falls apart. *Chauvin II 129 No. 137; Icelandic: *Boberg; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV 129 No. 67. |
| N551.2 | Treasure may be unearthed only by man who on the spot has sexual relations with a woman in the manner of dogs. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| N555.2 | Treasure nearest to surface at full of moon. North Carolina: Brown Collection I 695. |
| N511.3.1 | Treasure of mountain spirit. *Winter 36. |
| N552.1 | Treasure opens itself for destined hero. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N552 | Treasure opens itself. |
| N511.3 | Treasure placed in ground by supernatural beings. |
| N511.3.2 | Treasure placed in old fortifications by supernatural beings. *Winter 38. |
| N536 | Treasure pointed out by angels. Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman, bin Gorion Born Judas I 188, 374. |
| N538.1 | Treasure pointed out by soul which has left body for this purpose. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| N538 | Treasure pointed out by supernatural creature (fairy, etc.). Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 75 No. 60; India: Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 299, 624f., II 979. |
| N562 | Treasure removes itself from time to time. North Carolina: Brown Collection I 695. |
| N541.2 | Treasure reveals itself once a century. Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 295 No. 21. |
| N541 | Treasure reveals itself only at certain times. |
| N541.1 | Treasure reveals itself only on Christmas at midnight (or Christmas Eve). Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 294—308 passim; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3611. |
| N563 | Treasure seekers find hole from which treasure has recently been removed. (Often they have delayed searching for one reason or another, arrive too late.) U.S.: *Baughman. |
| N543.1 | Treasure to be found by hand that hid it. Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 77 Nos. 638, 639; Finnish: Aarne FFC XXXIII 45 No. 64; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3611; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV 128 No. 64. |
| N543.3 | Treasure to be found by man who marries original owner's daughter. Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV 129 No. 68. |
| N543.2 | Treasure to be found by man who plows with cock and harrows with hen. North Carolina: Brown Collection I 693; Finnish: Aarne FFC XXXIII 45 No. 65; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3615; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV 129 No. 65. |
| N542.2 | Treasure to be found when three-legged cat shrieks over the burial place. Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV 129 No. 69. |
| N590 | Treasure trove—miscellaneous motifs. |
| N500 | Treasure trove. **Norlind Skattsägner (bibliography 67f.); **Kittredge Witchcraft 204ff., 516ff.; *Fb "skat" III 234ff.; *Wehrhan 80f.; RTP XIV 71, 568, XVIII 418, XIX 306; *S. Hirschberg Schatzglaube und Totenglaube (Breslau, 1934); **Hurley WF X 197—216. — Danish: Kristensen Danske Sagn III (1895) 419ff., (1931) 293ff., A. Olrik Nordisk Aandsliv (Copenhagen, 1907) 8—87; Norwegian: Solheim Register 20; Irish myth: *Cross; Livonian: Loorits FFC LXVI 69ff. Nos. 199—221; German: **Winter Die deutsche Schatzsage; Missouri French: Carrière; U.S. (Texas): *Dobie Coronado's Children; Chinese: Graham. |
| N511.6 | Treasure under stone. A. F. Schmidt DF XXXIX 106ff. |
| N556 | Treasure-finders always frightened away. North Carolina: Brown Collection I 692; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3642; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N271.9 | Tree follows murderer. Scotland: Baughman. |
| N127.1 | Tuesday as auspicious day. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| N131.2 | Turning right-handwise in certain place brings luck. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N733.4 | Two returning brothers unwittingly purchase bird, which is transformed youngest brother, as present intended for him. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N211.2 | Unavailing attempt to get rid of slippers; they always return. *Chauvin VI 130 No. 283. |
| N738.1 | Uncle and nephew unwittingly about to kill one another. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N547 | Understanding of animal languages leads to discovery of a treasure. India: Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 42. |
| N731.2.2 | Undesired combat between sworn (blood) brothers (foster brothers). Irish myth: *Cross. |
| N550 | Unearthing hidden treasure. Irish myth: *Cross; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| N335 | Unexpected death at hands of an animal. |
| N761 | Unexpected encounter in oasis. Malone PMLA XLIII 398. |
| N731 | Unexpected meeting of father and son. Irish myth: *Cross; Missouri French: Carrière Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N741 | Unexpected meeting of husband and wife. Irish myth: *Cross; Missouri French: Carrière; Spanish: Espinosa II Nos. 99—103; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N764 | Unexpected meeting with wild man. (Cf. F567.) Dickson 122 n. 72; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| N385 | Unintentional injuries bring unfortunate consequences. (Sometimes the injuries are mere breeches of tabu.) *Penzer II 147, VII 92 n. 1. |
| N731.1 | Unknown son returns to father's court. Irish myth: Cross; Greek: Fox 119 (Paris). |
| N300 | Unlucky accidents. Norwegian: Solheim Register 21. |
| N256 | Unlucky classes. |
| N128 | Unlucky days ("cross-days"). Irish myth: *Cross. |
| N553.2 | Unlucky encounter causes treasure-seekers to talk and thus lose treasure. *Fb "skat" III 236b; Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 78f. Nos. 659, 664—672; Danish: Kristensen Danske Sagn III (1895) 439ff., 447ff., (1931) 304ff., 307ff.; North Carolina: Brown Collection I 692f. |
| N122.1 | Unlucky places. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| N134.1.1 | Unlucky to have man in house while cloth is being dyed. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N171 | Unprotected son makes fortune; protected son has bad luck. Type 935*. |
| N766 | Unwitting adultery with blood-brother's wife. *Type 1364; Wesselski Märchen 187 No. 2. |
| N365.3 | Unwitting brother-sister incest. Irish myth: *Cross; Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 201; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (T-G. 3/59); Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 516. |
| N767 | Unwitting combat between sons of friends. Recognition and reconciliation. (Cf. N731.2.) Greek: Fox 128 (Glaukos and Diomedes). |
| N365.2 | Unwitting father-daughter incest. Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; Greek: Fox 198 (Myrrha); Tuamotu: Stimson MS (z-G. 13/116). |
| N325 | Unwitting murder because of insane illusion. |
| N339.5 | Uxorious king is burned to death while taking an alcohol bath. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N440 | Valuable secrets learned. Missouri French: Carrière. |
| N576.1 | Voice of ghost scares away treasure seekers. Canada, England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| N51.1 | Wager about tree names: learned and common names. Brahmin gives learned names but servant's common names are confirmed by illiterate peasants. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N15.2 | Wager on nun's chastity. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 996. |
| N72 | Wager on second marvelous object. First object has proved to be ordinary. King induced to make large wager that second is ordinary. He loses. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N16.1 | Wager on sex of unborn child. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N12 | Wager on the most obedient wife. The husband tames his shrewish wife so that he wins the wager. *Type 901; *Wesselski Märchen 216 No. 24; von der Hagen I lxxxii; *Köhler-Bolte I 137; Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew"; N. A. Indian (Zuсi): Boas JAFL XXXV 76. |
| N25 | Wager on truthfulness of servant. The servant is sent to a neighbor's where he is made drunk and is seduced by the neighbor's wife. He tells the master all. *Type 889; Wesselski Märchen 200; Wesselski Mönchslatein I No. 1; Fb "lyve" II 491a, "sandhed" III 157b; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N11 | Wager on wife's complacency. Though the man has foolishly bargained everything away, she praises him and he wins the wager. Type 1415; *BP II 199; *Hdwb. d. Märchens I 187 n. 131. |
| N61 | Wager that falsehood is better than truth. Left to unjust umpire, so that falsehood wins. *Type 613; *BP II 468ff.; **Christiansen FFC XXIV 47; Chauvin V 11 No. 8, 13 No. 9, 14 No. 158; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 489; India: *Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian: Thompson CColl II 395. |
| N92 | Wager to win or lose according to whether jackal howls or ass brays before game is finished. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N77 | Wager: bullock to defeat elephant. Elephant is frightened and flees. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N66 | Wager: fortune made from capital or from working at vocation. Test: money given to workman is stolen or lost; lead for his work given him is lent to fisherman who rewards him with a fish in which is a diamond. *Chauvin VI 32 No. 202. |
| N53 | Wager: it is an auspicious day. In spite of all misfortunes wagerer insists that he is right. (Cf. N127.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N63 | Wager: more doctors than men of other professions. The trickster feigns toothache. Everyone suggests remedies. He takes down their names as doctors and wins the wager. *Wesselski Gonnella 110 No. 11; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| N12.1 | Wager: raja's daughter will bring servant dinner in field. Merchant ignorant that she is his wife. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N71 | Wager: to begin sermon with illustration from card-playing. Card-playing parson wins the wager. Type 1839B. |
| N75 | Wager: to swallow egg with one gulp. Tricksters give numskull egg with chick in it. Fool hears chick peep as he starts to swallow his egg, but he says that the chick peeped too late. Spanish: Childers. |
| N51 | Wager: who can call three tree names first. The bear names different varieties of the same tree, so that the fox wins the wager. *Type 7; Dh I 193; Krohn Bär (Wolf) und Fuchs (JSFO VI) 65ff.; Fb "træ" III 867b; N. A. Indian (San Carlos Apache): cf. Goddard PaAM XXIV 24. |
| N73 | Wager: whose hunger is it more difficult to appease—that of man or that of beast? When nuts are strewn before master's well-fed guests, they snatch and eat them. Herdsman wins wager. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1545*. |
| N67 | Wager: woman can be forced to give alms. Trickster announces that only those who have deceived their husbands are exempt. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N56 | Wager: woman to turn somersault in middle of public square. It is performed not exactly in the center of the square; hence she loses. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N9 | Wagers and gambling—miscellaneous. |
| N90 | Wagers and gambling—miscellaneous. |
| N0 | Wagers and gambling. *Penzer II 232 n., VII 72 n. 2; Paton Encyc. Rel. and Ethics s.v. "Gambling"; *Fb "kort" II 278; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| N16 | Wagers on unborn children. |
| N10 | Wagers on wives, husbands, or servants. |
| N657 | Warriors discover in the last moment that it is their own chief they are about to murder by burning. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N349.1 | Warriors erroneously slay allies in night battle. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| N655 | Waves break caul of abandoned child. He is rescued. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N835 | Wealthy (powerful) man as helper. French Canadian: Barbeau JAFL XXIX 14. |
| N141.4 | Weaver married by Wealth to a princess to show Wisdom that he is the more powerful. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N127.2 | Wednesday as auspicious (inauspicious) day. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| N688 | What is in the dish: "Poor Crab". A sham wise man named Crab is put to a test of his powers of divination. He is to tell what is in a covered dish (crabs). In despair he says, "Poor Crab!" and is given credit for knowing. *Type 1641; *BP II 401ff., 409; Louisiana French: Fortier MAFLS II 116; India: *Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 302; Philippine: Fansler MAFLS XII 7f., 144; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Friends 24ff. No. 3; Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 182 No. 62. |
| N529 | Where treasure is found—miscellaneous. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N510 | Where treasure is found. Chinese: Graham. |
| N264 | Whether man begs all day or for an hour he gets only a small basket of grain. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N141.3 | Which is more beautiful, nymph of Luck or of Ill-Luck (Luck when coming, Ill-Luck when going). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N141.1 | Which is more important, learning or wit? India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N141.2 | Which is more powerful, wealth or wisdom? India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N411.1 | Whittington's cat. A cat in a mouse-infested land without cats sold for a fortune. *Types 1650, 1651; *BP II 69ff.; *Fb "kat" II 108, IV 255b, "mus" II 632a; *Brueyre RTP III 36; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N551 | Who may unearth a treasure. |
| N2.5 | Whole kingdom (all property) as wager. *Fb "spille" III 487b, "konge" II 264b; Icelandic: Boberg; India: *Thompson-Balys; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 429. |
| N384.3 | Wicked stepmother falls into the fire because of fright. (Cf. M431.6.) Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N2.6 | Wife as wager. *Fb "spille" III 487b; Irish myth: *Cross; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 216 No. 165; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 354 n. 276. |
| N134.1.2 | Wife brings bad luck to the husband's family. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N343.2.1 | Wife dies, believing husband dead. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N681.1 | Wife finds lost husband just as he is to marry another. Type 425; Tegethoff 52; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N339.14 | Wife throwing husband's corpse into river (according to custom) is caught by corpse's arm and drowned. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N812.1 | Wise giant as foster father of hero. Icelandic: Olrik Sakses Oldhistorie I (1892) 40ff., *Boberg. |
| N828 | Wise woman as helper. Italian: Basile Pentamerone V No. 3. |
| N201 | Wish for exalted husband realized. Girls make wish that they may marry king (prince, etc.). It so happens. *Type 707; *BP II 380ff., 393; Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian: Thompson CColl II 388. |
| N202.1 | Wish realized that all women should fall in love with man at sight. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 724. |
| N202 | Wishes for good fortune realized. Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 87, 420, II 824. |
| N572 | Woman as guardian of treasure. |
| N392.2 | Woman errs on to the road-of-the-tiger: carried off. S. A. Indian (Chiriguano): Métraux RMLP XXXIII 161. |
| N343.3 | Woman feigns death to meet exiled lover. It leads to his death. Lover hears of her supposed death, returns and submits to execution. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
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