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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 |
|---|---|
| P555.1 | Submission indicated by defeated lying with conqueror's sword between teeth. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P555.2 | Corpses of dead foes dismembered. Tupper and Ogle Walter Map 93. |
| P555.2.1 | Heads of fallen enemies piled up after battle. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P555.2.1.1 | "Publication of slaying." Heads of slain enemies displayed. Irish myth: Cross; *Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P555.2.1.2 | Jawbone cut from slain opponent. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 422. |
| P555.3 | Gate of captured town (castle) to be widened until overlord's spear can pass through crosswise. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P556 | Challenge to battle. Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
| P556.1 | Challenge by turning left side of shield toward enemy. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P556.2 | Challenge to battle by hurling javelin skyward. Virgil Aeneid IX 53. |
| P557 | Military customs. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P557.1 | Warrior not entitled to ransom if captured without arms. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P557.2 | Pledge with enemy to be kept. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P557.3 | Stones erected where enemy falls. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P557.4 | Customs concerning single combat. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P557.4.1 | First to reach field of combat has choice of weapons. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P557.4.2 | Warrior who begins combat has right to desist. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P557.4.3 | Choice of weapons alternates each succeeding day. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P557.4.4 | "Men's truth" (fir fer). Challenger to single combat must submit to same conditions as person challenged. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P557.4.4.1 | Warrior engaged in combat with one-armed opponent allows one hand to be bound to his side. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P557.5 | Warrior disgraced by slaying of those under his protection. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P557.6 | Warrior dies with face toward foe. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P557.7 | Divorce given to wives before leaving for battle. Jewish: Neuman. |
| P561 | Tournaments. **R. C. Clephan The Tournament (London, 1919); *O. Mueller Turnier und Kampf in den altfrz. Artusromanen (Erfurt, 1907); Jewish: Neuman. |
| P561.1 | King is persuaded to rescind ban on tournaments. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| P561.2 | Tournament: to avenge death of king. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P600 | Customs.1 Jewish: *Neuman. |
| P611 | Women meet when bathing. Icelandic: Snorra Edda Skaldsk. XLI (Nibel), *Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P612 | Trumpet blown before house of one sentenced to death. *Crane Vitry 151 No. 42; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| P613 | Charon's fee: putting coin in dead person's mouth to pay for ferry across Styx. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| P616 | Newcomers forced to pass the night with ruling princess. Given sleeping potion. Goods confiscated for failure to consummate marriage. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| P617 | People weep when child is born. They sing and laugh at burials. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| P621 | Bridle goes with horse when horse is bought. *Wesselski Märchen 245f. No. 55. |
| P622 | Servant must keep horns and hide of his cattle that are slain. Wesselski Märchen 200. |
| P623 | Fasting (as a means of distraint). Irish myth: Cross. |
| P623.0.1 | Fasting against God. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P623.0.1.1 | Clerics fast against God for revelation. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P623.0.2 | Fasting against the Devil. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P623.0.3 | Fasting against fairies. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P623.0.4 | Fasting against saints. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P623.0.5 | Fasting by saints causes tree worshipped by pagans to fall. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P623.0.6 | Fasting to enforce saint's dues. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P623.0.7 | Calves not let to cows during fast. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P631 | Strangers to be given precedence over man at home. Duke permits visiting duke to go through narrow path first. This sets custom. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 515. |
| P632 | Customs concerning recognition of rank. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P632.1 | Couches provided for men of high rank. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P632.2 | Cuts of meat distributed according to rank. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P632.2.1 | "The champion's portion." The choicest portion assigned to the bravest at feasts. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P632.3 | Rank among children recognized by quality of appointments and food. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P632.4 | Color worn signifies rank. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P632.4.1 | Precedence shown by position of shield (flag). Irish myth: Cross. |
| P632.5 | Long hair prized by Irish heroes. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P633 | Young not to precede old. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P634 | Feasts. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P634.0.1 | Customs connected with eating and food. Jewish: Neuman. |
| P634.1 | Feast (hospitality) endures for three days and three nights. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P634.2 | Feast (hospitality) endures for seven days and seven nights. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P641 | Injured husband will not kill a naked man. Child V 489 s.v. "naked". |
| P642 | Only the brave to wear beards. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P643 | With only opponent's arms. Hero goes to encounter unarmed except for the arms he wrests from his opponent. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P644 | Hero unwilling to answer questions before he is dressed. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P651 | Customs concerning bells. |
| P651.1 | Bells hung at every corner of ship. Child IV 462a. |
| P651.2 | Bells on horse's mane. Child I 323, II 183—191, 344, IV 410, 413. |
| P651.3 | Bells rung backward as alarm. Child III 26. |
| P661 | Hut for invalid to prevent noxious odor. *Schoepperle 367ff. |
| P665 | Custom: boasting of sexual prowess. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P671 | Woman veils self as expression of surprise. Chauvin V 149 No. 73 n. 1. |
| P672 | Pulling a man's beard as an insult. E. Hinojosa Homenaje a Menéndez y Pelayo I 568ff.; R. Menéndez Pidal Cantar del Mio Cid II 498; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| P672.1 | Fur made of beards of conquered kings. Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 185. |
| P672.2 | Cutting off a man's (woman's) hair as an insult. Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P672.3 | Rubbing shaved head of hero with cow dung as insult. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P672.4 | Insult: lighting lamp with king's moustache. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P673 | Footwashing as sign of reconciliation. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P674 | Old person commits suicide when strength fails. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P675 | Touching head as sign of acceptance of bargain. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P676 | Feet (legs) seized in supplication. Greek: Iliad XXII 337 and passim; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P677 | Customs connected with dueling. |
| P677.1 | Duel: shooting and catching arrows in turn. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P678 | Pulling out hair as sign of grief. Jewish: Moreno Esdras (P673.1). |
| P678.1 | Tearing garments as sign of grief. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| P681 | Mourning customs. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| P682 | Greeting customs. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| P682.1 | Greeting in God's name. Jewish: Neuman. |
| P682.2 | Voyagers have right to ask landsman first question. Marquesas: Handy 56, 72. |
| P710 | Nations. |
| P711 | Patriotism. Irish myth: Cross; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| P711.1 | Wolves of his own country dearer than dogs of another. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 420. |
| P711.2 | Mother of invalided soldier says of his limping: "Every step will remind you of your virtue." Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| P711.3 | Common citizen saves the honor of his country. Gives his own funds. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| P711.4 | Scipio plunges into burning pit to save Rome from destruction. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| P711.5 | Roman undertakes to kill Hannibal. Kills another by mistake. Burns off his hand for having failed. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| P711.6 | National unity preserved by expulsion of all foreign elements. Jewish: Moreno Esdras, Neuman. |
| P711.7 | Aristotle rises from sick bed to rush into battle for his country. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| P711.8 | Aversion to burial in foreign soil. Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
| P711.9 | Patriotism: king learning that nation will triumph whose king dies in battle, allows self to be killed. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| P715 | Particular nations (races). |
| P715.1 | Jews. **Goebel Jüdische Motive in märchenhafte Erzählungsgut (Gleiwitz, 1932) 281—288; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| P720 | Population. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P721 | Diseases (plague) invoked to combat overpopulation. Irish myth: Cross. |
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