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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 |
|---|---|
| Q491.5 | Skull used as drinking cup. (Cf. Q478.1.2.) DeCock Volkssage 96ff.; Icelandic: *Boberg; Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q491.6 | Corpse of murderer mutilated. (Cf. Q211.) Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Greek: Grote I 275, 278. |
| Q491.6.1 | Murderer's corpse cut into pieces. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q491.7 | Punishment: throwing dead body into river. Africa (Fang): Trilles 270. |
| Q492 | Woman must relight magic fires as punishment. Magician in revenge for ill-treatment causes the lights of the city to go out. They can be relighted only from the naked body of the woman in the public square. None can be relighted until all have applied their torches. Spargo Virgil the Necromancer (Cambridge, Mass., 1934) 199ff.; *Oertel Studien zur vgl. Literaturgeschichte VIII 113; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| Q493 | Punishment: being saddled and ridden as horse. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Q493.1 | Adulteress transformed to mare and stirruped. (Cf. Q241.) *Penzer VI 8. |
| Q494 | Loss of social position as punishment. Jewish: Neuman. |
| Q494.1 | Line of kingship taken from king who defies saint. (Cf. Q227.) Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
| Q494.1.1 | Uncharitable king loses power. (Cf. Q286.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q494.2 | Removal from priesthood as punishment. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| Q495 | Punishment: unseemly exposure of body. Jewish: Neuman. |
| Q495.1 | Lazy wife taken naked in bundle of straw to a wedding. (Cf. Q321.) Type 902*; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 902*; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV No. 902*; Russian: Andrejev No. 902*; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| Q497 | Beard shaved as punishment for murder. (Cf. Q211, P672.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| Q497.1 | Moustache pulled out as punishment. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q499 | Other humiliating punishments. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q499.1 | Humiliating kiss as punishment. |
| Q499.1.1 | Humiliation through kissing a leper as punishment. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q499.2 | Humiliating death as punishment. (Cf. Q411.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q499.2.1 | Humiliating death as punishment for adultery. (Cf. Q241.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q499.2.2 | Humiliating death as punishment for taking concubine. (Cf. Q243.3.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q499.3 | Sacrament refused as punishment for desecration of holy place. (Cf. Q222.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q499.4 | Satirizing as punishment for refusal to grant request. (Cf. Q287.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q499.4.1 | Satirizing as punishment for breaking treaty. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q499.5 | Debtor clerics forbidden churchly offices. (Cf. Q271.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q499.6 | Penance for three years and a half for eating horseflesh. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q499.7 | Humiliating marriage as punishment. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Q499.8 | Humiliating penance: king to rub nose five times on red hot griddle. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q500 | Tedious punishments. |
| Q501 | Unremitting torture as punishment. |
| Q501.1 | Punishment of Sisyphus. Must keep rolling a great stone up hill. It continually falls down. Reinach Revue Archéologique 1903 (4) Series I 154ff.; Greek: Frazer Apollodorus I 78 n. 3. |
| Q501.2 | Punishment of Tantalus. Stands in a pool that ever recedes from his thirsty lips; branches of fruit spring away from him; stone over his head continually threatens to fall. Reinach Revue Archéologique 1903 (4) series I 154ff.; *Frazer Pausanias V 392; Greek: *Frazer Apollodorus II 154 n. 2; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| Q501.2.1 | When hungry man tries to gather fruit it flies out of his reach. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q501.2.2 | Punishment: delicious food always fills with maggots just as man is about to eat it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q501.3 | Punishment of Loki. A serpent above him continually drops venom in his face. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| Q501.4 | Punishment of Prometheus. Chained to a mountain with eagle preying on his vitals, which are restored nightly. (Punishment for theft of fire.) Greek: *W. Schmid Untersuchungen zum gefesselten Prometheus (Stuttgart, 1929), Fox 13, *Frazer Apollodorus I 228 n. 2; Jewish: Neuman. |
| Q501.5 | Punishment of Ixion. Lashed to a wheel which revolves continually. Greek: Fox 144, *Frazer Apollodorus II 148 n. 1. |
| Q501.6 | Punishment of Io. Transformed to cow with gadfly ceaselessly pursuing. Greek: Fox 29. |
| Q501.7 | Unremittent thirst as punishment. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q501.7.1 | Salt food without drink as punishment for man who accepts Christianity. (Cf. Q232.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q501.8 | Ceaseless humming (singing) as punishment for immoderate request. (Cf. Q338.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q501.9 | Spirit in hell must bathe people endlessly. (Cf. Q578.) Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| Q502 | Wandering as a punishment. |
| Q502.1 | The Wandering Jew. Ceaseless wandering with inability to die as punishment for blasphemy. (Cf. Q221.3.) Type 754**; **L. Neubaur Die Sage vom Ewigen Jude (Leipzig, 1893); **Zirus Ahasverus, der Ewige Jude (Stoff- und Motivgeschichte der deutschen Literatur No. 6 [Berlin, 1930]); Gielen de Wandelende Jood (Amsterdam, 1931); *K. Nyrop Den evige Jøde (København, 1907); **Neubaur Zs. f. Vksk. XXII 33, Zentralblatt für Bibliothekswesen XXVIII 495ff.; *Dübe Zs. F. Vksk. XVII 143; *Bolte ibid. XIX 308; G. Paris. Légendes du moyen âge (1904) 149ff.; *Fb "Jerusalems skomager" II 40, IV 246a; *Wehrhan 50; Taylor MLN XXXIII 394ff.; Anderson Journal of English and Germanic Philology XLVI 367—82; Braddy California Folklore Quarterly IV 82f.; Bagatti Franciscan Studies IX 1—9.—Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 105 No. 933; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 778*; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV No. 754*. |
| Q502.2 | Punishment: wandering till iron shoes are worn out. *Types 400, 425; *BP II 272; Missouri French: Carrière; Italian: Basile Pentamerone V No. 4. |
| Q502.3 | Tribe's long wandering in wilderness as punishment. Jewish: Neuman. |
| Q503 | Wandering after death as punishment. |
| Q503.1 | Skull of suicide must roll in dust until it has saved a life. Man uses the skull to kill an owl that was about to kill a rabbit; thus after 777 years of rolling it has saved a life and is freed. (Cf. Q211.5.) Köhler-Bolte I 406. |
| Q511 | Punishment: carrying corpse of murdered man. (Cf. Q211.) RTP II 267, VIII 586; FL IX 375ff. No. 3; Zs. f. österreichische Volkskunde VII 197; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q511.1 | Punishment: carrying corpse of murdered man until stone as long as murdered man is found. This is to be put on the grave. Irish: MacCulloch Celtic 72, Cross. |
| Q511.2 | Punishment: carrying corpse of murdered man until another can be induced to take it. Africa (Gold Coast): Barker and Sinclair 66 No. 9. |
| Q512 | Punishment: performing impossible task. (Cf. H1010.) |
| Q512.0.1 | Performing impossible task as punishment for murder. (Cf. Q211.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q512.1 | Punishment: filling leaky vessels with water from a bottomless jar. (Cf. H1023.2.) Greek: Fox 31. |
| Q512.2 | Punishment: binding together sand and string. (Cf. H1021.1.) Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 304 No. 24. |
| Q512.3 | Punishment: ridding country of pests. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q520 | Penances. *Types 756ABC; *BP III 463; **Andrejev FFC LIV, LXIX 126ff., 234ff.; *Toldo II 87; Irish: Beal XXI 316, *Cross; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| Q520.0.1 | Substitutions for penances. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q520.1 | Murderer does penance. (Cf. Q171.1.1, Q211.) *Types 756BC; **Andrejev FFC LIV, LXIX 85, 118ff., 238ff.; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| Q520.2 | Robber does penance. (Cf. Q212.) *Types 756B; **Andrejev FFC LXIX 81, 118ff., 236ff; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| Q520.3 | Life-long penance for brother-sister marriage. *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XXVIII 75. |
| Q520.4 | King who loved to give death sentence accepts penance of always postponing sentence until thirty days period of examination has passed. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| Q520.5 | Penance in wilderness as punishment for men who left holy orders to marry. (Cf. Q226.) Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| Q520.6 | Warrior retires to a cloister which he later defends against robbers. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| Q521 | Tedious penances. (Cf. H1110, Q500.) |
| Q521.1 | Doing penance till green leaves grow on a dry branch. *Types 756ABC; *BP III 463; **Andrejev FFC LIV 34, LXIX 126, 129ff., 241ff.; Irish: O'Suilleabhain 49; Spanish: Espinosa II Nos. 79f., Espinosa Jr. No. 186; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 143. |
| Q521.1.1 | Penance: crawling on knees and watering a dry staff until it blooms. Types 756BC; **Andrejev FFC LIV 34, LXIX 132; *BP III 471 n. 1; Scala Celi 136a No. 755; Alphabet No. 568. |
| Q521.1.2 | Penance: carrying water in mouth from a distance and watering dry staff until it blooms. *Types 756BC; **Andrejev FFC LIV 34, LXIX 133; *BP III 471 n. 1. |
| Q521.2 | Penance: carrying bag of stones (one for each murder) on the back until it falls off. (Cf. Q211.) *Type 756C; *Andrejev FFC LIV 35. |
| Q521.3 | Penance: carrying iron hoop on head until it falls off. *Types 756C; *Andrejev FFC LIV 35. |
| Q521.4 | Penance: pasturing black sheep until they become white. *Types 756C; *Andrejev FFC LIV 35. |
| Q521.5 | Penance: ferryman setting people over a stream until relieved by another. *Types 460, 461; *Aarne FFC XXIII 138. |
| Q521.6 | Penance: holding midnight mass until someone will make responses. *Sébillot RTP X 584, XIII 179, XV 621; Ireland: Baughman, O'Suilleabhain 27, Beal XXI 308; Spanish: Espinosa II Nos. 70f. |
| Q521.7 | Penance to be done until seven spires of Benares are reduced to powder and rebuilt. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q522 | Self-torture as penance. *Andrejev FFC LXIX 127, 156. |
| Q522.1 | Self-crucifixion as penance. (Cf. Q462.) *Andrejev FFC LXIX 156f. |
| Q522.2 | Penance: killing oneself with wooden knife. *Andrejev FFC LXIX 156. |
| Q522.3 | Penance: creeping naked through thorns. *Type 756B; *Andrejev FFC LXIX 127; Hdwb. d. Märchens I 202a; Irish: O'Suilleabhain 44, Beal XXI 316; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| Q522.4 | Penance: pilgrimage with hands and loins weighted with iron. Child II 128. |
| Q522.5 | Penance: iron band forged round a man's waist. Child I 172. |
| Q522.6 | Penance: hanging for a thousand years head downward over a fire of chaff. Hindu: Keith 168. |
| Q522.7 | Penance: wearing friar's cord about bare skin. Heptameron No. 41. |
| Q522.8 | Penance: man wears huge serpent coiled around him in lieu of clothing. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| Q523 | Humiliating penances. (Cf. Q470.) |
| Q523.1 | Penance: crawling to Rome on knees. *Andrejev FFC LXIX 127. |
| Q523.1.1 | Penance: crawling to grave on knees. Irish: O'Suilleabhain 48. |
| Q523.2 | Penance: walking on all-fours like beast. Herbert III 131, 339, 465, 571; *Williams 10; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| Q523.3 | Penance: eating food offered to dogs. *Dickson 257 n. 80; English: Wells 136 (Sir Gowther); Irish: Beal XXI 330; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 86 No. 756B. |
| Q523.4 | Penance: living under stairs as mendicant. *Dickson 255 n. 77; Alphabet No. 600 (Alexius). |
| Q523.5 | Penance: planting garden and offering free hospitality to all. (Cf. Q481.) *Type 756C; *Andrejev FFC LIV. |
| Q523.6 | Penance: slain cats, dogs, etc. to be hung up and covered with grain by man who has killed them. Köhler-Bolte I 261. |
| Q523.7 | Penance: seven years' service for seven days' neglect of religious duty. (Cf. Q223.) Jewish: bin Gorion Born Judas I 179f., 374. |
| Q523.8 | Penance: performing all services asked for by anyone. Klapper Erzählungen des Mittelalters 112 No. 101. |
| Q523.9 | Penance: king to take off crown and lick spittle from ground. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q523.10 | Penance: fasting in sackcloth and ashes. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| Q524 | Fearful penances. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q524.1 | Penance: spending lonely night in cave. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q524.2 | Penance: lying the first night with every corpse brought to certain church. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q525 | Dangerous penances. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q525.1 | Penance: staying on rock in dashing sea. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q526 | Pilgrimage as penance. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q527 | Penance: inviting one Brahmin for dinner every Wednesday. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q535 | Negative penances. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q535.1 | Penance: not to speak. *Krappe Balor 181ff.; *Toldo II 91; *Dickson 255 nn. 76, 77; English: Wells 136 (Sir Gowther); Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 86 No. 756B, Keller. |
| Q535.2 | Penance: lioness foregoes meat. Her two cubs are killed. The jackal tells her that he has had the same experience. She gives up eating meat and lives on grass. Chauvin II 105 No. 68; Bødker Exempler 302 No. 71; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| Q535.3 | Refraining from sexual intercourse as penance. (Cf. C110.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q535.4 | Lone fasting as penance. Jewish: Neuman. |
| Q537 | Penance: resisting temptation. (Cf. T330.) |
| Q537.1 | Penance: adulteress masks as monk and lives chastely in monastery. (Cf. Q241.) Toldo Zs. f. Vksk. XIV 52 (St. Theodora). |
| Q537.2 | Cleric tempts self among beautiful women, lives chastely. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q541 | Sitting (standing) in uncomfortable position as penance. |
| Q541.1 | Penance: sitting in water. *Dickson 91f. nn. 57—69; *Toldo II 94f.; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q541.1.1 | Standing in (Jordan and Tigris) rivers as penance (by Adam and Eve). (Cf. A1331.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q541.2 | Penance: standing in water for forty days. Dh I 228ff.; Irish: O'Suilleabhain 49, Beal XXI 318. |
| Q541.3 | Penance: Gregory on the stone. Standing on a stone (pillar) as penance for incest. (Cf. Q242, T415.) *Type 933; Köhler-Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. VI 173 to Gonzenbach No. 85; *Baum PMLA XXXI 562 n. 59; *Toldo II 89. |
| Q541.4 | Penance: keeping self suspended on two iron hooks placed under armpits. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q541.5 | Penance: staying for ten months rooted to one spot, with eyes closed, while birds build nests in one's hair. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q542 | Penance: giving all earnings to poor. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 86 No. 756B. |
| Q544 | Penance: being locked in cellar (well) with key thrown into water. *Type 756B; *Andrejev FFC LXIX 127, 248. |
| Q545 | Murderer's penance complete when he kills a greater murderer and prevents a crime. (Cf. Q211.) *Type 756C; **Andrejev FFC LIV; Wesselski Archiv Orientální II 39ff. |
| Q550 | Miraculous punishments. |
| Q550.1 | Supernatural manifestations at death of wicked person. Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 1 Nos. 7, 8, 9. |
| Q551 | Magic manifestations as punishments. |
| Q551.1 | Undutiful son punished by toad clinging to face. (Cf. Q281.1.) *BP III 167; Köhler-Bolte I 473ff.; *Ward II 664; Herbert III 343; Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 437; Irish: Beal XXI 317. |
| Q551.1.1 | Betel-nut grows upon a person's knee as a punishment. Philippine (Tinguian): Cole 56. |
| Q551.2 | Punishment: animal skin grows on man's back. He had masked in the skin in order to cheat. *Type 831; Irish myth: *Cross; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q551.2.1 | Magic adhesion to object as punishment (for opposition to holy person). (Cf. D2171.1, Q227.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q551.2.2 | Miraculous adhesion of objects to human hand as punishment for working on holy day. (Cf. Q223.6.) *Loomis White Magic 55. |
| Q551.2.3 | Thief rendered unable to remove burden of stolen goods from his back. (Cf. Q212.) *Loomis White Magic 55, 98. |
| Q551.2.4 | Corpse of murdered man sticks to murderer's back. (Cf. Q211.) *Loomis White Magic 55. |
| Q551.2.5 | Instrument or tool for unlawful work becomes attached to person holding it. *Loomis White Magic 55. |
| Q551.2.6 | Sacrilege and blasphemy punished by magic adhesion. (Cf. Q221.3.) *Loomis White Magic 55f. |
| Q551.2.7 | Priest's concubine is unable to rise from stone. She is finally freed by prayers and repentance. (Cf. Q243.1.) England: Baughman. |
| Q551.2.8 | Punishment for stinginess: bundle of fuel (pitcher of lime) sticks to man's head. (Cf. Q276.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q551.2.8.1 | Punishment for cupidity: rich man's foot caught in church door: extricated only when he sends money to beggar. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q551.3 | Punishment: transformation. (Cf. D661.) Greek: Grote I 32. |
| Q551.3.1 | Punishment: transformation of lovers into lion and lioness for desecrating temple. They have had sexual relations in the temple. It was believed that lions do not mate with each other; hence their sin could not be repeated. Greek: *Frazer Apollodorus I 401 n. 2. |
| Q551.3.2 | Punishment: transformation into animal. (Cf. Q226.2.) S. A. Indian (Toba): Métraux MAFLS XL 31. |
| Q551.3.2.1 | Punishment: Loki's son transformed into wolf which tears his brother to pieces. Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 146. |
| Q551.3.2.2 | Punishment: woman transformed into bird. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q551.3.2.3 | Punishment: transformation into frog. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q551.3.2.4 | Punishment: transformation into monkey. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Q551.3.2.5 | Punishment: man transformed to a mass of worms. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q551.3.2.6 | Punishment: transformation to ass. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q551.3.2.7 | Punishment: transformation to dog. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q551.3.2.8 | Punishment: transformation to calf. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q551.3.3 | Punishment: calf's head in murderer's hand turns to corpse's head. (Cf. Q211.) *BP I 276 n. 2, II 535. |
| Q551.3.3.1 | Punishment: melon in murderer's hand turns to murdered man's head. Africa (Fulah): Equilbecq II 205ff. No. 43. |
| Q551.3.4 | Transformation to stone as punishment. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q551.3.4.1 | Scoffers turned to stone by saint. (Cf. Q225.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q551.3.4.2 | Man curses wind; he is turned to stone, along with sack from which he is sowing. (Cf. Q221.) England: *Baughman. |
| Q551.3.4.3 | Nun breaks her vow. She is turned to stone. (Cf. Q226.) U.S.: Baughman. |
| Q551.3.5 | Punishment: transformation into other object. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q551.3.5.1 | Punishment: transformation into falling star. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q551.3.5.2 | Punishment: transformation into tree. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q551.4 | Punishment: animals become sick. |
| Q551.4.1 | Punishment: horses become sick. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Q551.5 | Reincarnation as punishment. (Cf. E600, Q584.3.) India: Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 222, 342, 424, 479, 597, 740, 1148, II 355, 670, 691, 792, 918, 1028, 1272. |
| Q551.5.1 | Reincarnation into degraded form as punishment. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Q551.5.1.1 | Punishment: man reborn as girl. (Cf. Q292.1.) India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Q551.5.1.2 | Punishment: king and queen reborn as children of scavenger. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q551.5.1.3 | Dying priest looks greedily on ripe plum: is reincarnated as insect feeding within plum. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q551.6 | Magic sickness as punishment. Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; Jewish: *Neuman; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 187. |
| Q551.6.0.1 | Punishment: men stricken with leprosy. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Q551.6.0.2 | Punishment: death from unknown disease before end of three days for having obtained food by force from monastery. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q551.6.1 | Magic sickness as punishment for lying (perjury). (Cf. Q263, Q583.4.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q551.6.2 | Magic sickness as punishment for opposition to holy person. (Cf. Q227, Q572.3.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q551.6.2.1 | Magic sickness as punishment for tanning shoes with bark from saint's tree. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q551.6.3 | Magic sickness as punishment for ingratitude. (Cf. Q281.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q551.6.4 | Magic sickness as punishment for theft. (Cf. Q212, Q557.4, Q572.1.) *Loomis White Magic 98; Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q551.6.5 | Magic sickness as punishment for desecration of holy places (images, etc.). (Cf. Q222.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q551.6.5.1 | Magic manifestation: blood flows suddenly from mouth of blasphemer. (Cf. Q221.3.) Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| Q551.6.5.2 | Magic manifestation: eyes fall out of head of blasphemer. (Cf. Q451.7.0.2.) Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| Q551.6.6 | Emaciation caused by envy. (Cf. Q302.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q551.6.7 | Magic sickness (death) as punishment for inhospitality. (Cf. Q292.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q551.7 | Magic paralysis as punishment. Loomis White Magic 98f.; Irish myth: Cross; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| Q551.7.1 | Magic paralysis as punishment for opposition to holy person. (Cf. Q227, Q573.1, Q583.3.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q551.7.1.1 | Heretic suddenly becomes tongue-tied. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q551.7.2 | Magic paralysis as punishment for theft. (Cf. Q212.) *Loomis White Magic 98; Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q551.7.3 | Magic paralysis as punishment for quarrelsomeness. (Cf. Q306.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q551.8 | Deformity as punishment. Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
| Q551.8.1 | Deformity as punishment for false judging. (Cf. Q265.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q551.8.2 | Deformity as punishment for desecration of holy places (images, etc.). (Cf. Q222.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q551.8.3 | Deformity (putridity) as punishment for murder. (Cf. D2061.1.4, Q211.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q551.8.4 | Man's eye bursts forth when he urges saint to marry. (Cf. Q227, Q451.7.0.2.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q551.8.5 | Head falls off when man lies to saint. (Cf. Q263.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q551.8.6 | Magic punishment: tongue protrudes from mouth of sinner and blindness follows. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| Q551.8.7 | Punishment: face distorted. India: Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 600, 808. |
| Q551.9 | Miraculous burning as punishment. (Cf. Q414.) Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: *Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q551.9.1 | Miraculous burning as punishment for opposition to holy person. (Cf. Q227.) Irish myth: *Cross; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q551.9.2 | Magic burning to death as punishment for perjury. (Cf. Q263.) Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| Q551.10 | Person miraculously lifted into air and dashed to death as punishment for blasphemy. (Cf. Q221.3, Q417.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q551.10.1 | Person miraculously lifted into air and dashed to death as punishment for scoffing at church teachings. (Cf. Q225.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q551.11 | Magic forgetfulness as punishment. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| Q551.12 | Premature aging as punishment. (Cf. D1890.) Jewish: *Neuman. |
| Q552 | Prodigy as punishment. Irish myth: *Cross; West Indies: Flowers 569f. |
| Q552.0.1 | Death from elements as punishment for unjust judgment (by poets). Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q552.1 | Death by thunderbolt as punishment. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 458; *Blinkenberg The Thunderweapon in Religion and Folklore (Cambridge, Eng., 1911); *P. Saintyves Pierres magiques (Paris, 1936).—Irish: *Cross, Beal XXI 336, O'Suilleabhain 123; Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 18 Nos. 165, 173; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3267; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Greek: Frazer Apollodorus II 34 n. 2 (Iasion), 52 n. 2 (Asopus); Jewish: *Neuman. |
| Q552.1.0.1 | Destruction of property by thunderbolt as punishment. (Cf. Q595.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q552.1.0.1.1 | Thunderbolt demolishes fortress as punishment for disobedience (to saint). (Cf. Q227, Q325.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q552.1.0.2 | Thunder slays people for disregard of him. Lithuanian: Balys Tautosakos Darbai VI 135f. |
| Q552.1.1 | Lightning strikes monk who despises humility. (Cf. Q331.) Scala Celi 102b No. 152; Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 455; Alphabet No. 116. |
| Q552.1.2 | Ravisher killed by thunderbolt. (Cf. Q244.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| Q552.1.3 | Impostor killed by lightning. (Cf. Q262.) Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 110 No. 65. |
| Q552.1.4 | Death by thunderbolt as punishment for opposition to holy person. (Cf. Q227.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q552.1.5 | Death by thunderbolt as punishment for treachery. (Cf. Q261.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q552.1.6 | Death by thunderbolt as punishment for injustice. (Cf. Q296.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q552.1.7 | Woman who accused saint of raping her is struck by lightning. (Cf. Q263.) Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| Q552.1.8 | Infidel defies God to strike him with lightning. God does. (Cf. Q221.3.) U.S.: Baughman. |
| Q552.1.8.1 | Cattle thief calls on God to strike him with lightning if he has ever stolen a cow or calf. Lightning strikes him. U.S.: Baughman. |
| Q552.2 | Sinking of earth as punishment. Irish myth: Cross; Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 18f. Nos. 164, 188; India: Thompson-Balys; Tuamotu: Henry Ancient Tahiti (Honolulu, 1928) 511. |
| Q552.2.0.1 | Quaking of earth as punishment. (Cf. D2148.) Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| Q552.2.0.1.1 | Earth quakes when saint is opposed. (Cf. Q227.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q552.2.1 | Land sinks and lake appears as punishment. *Fb "sø" III 449b; Loomis White Magic 41, 101; England: Baughman; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 787*; Chinese: Werner 405. |
| Q552.2.2 | Grave sinks so that grave-robbers cannot get out. (Cf. Q212.2.) Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV 116 No. 17. |
| Q552.2.3 | Earth swallowings as punishment. (Cf. F940, Q221.4.3.) Irish: *Cross, Beal XXI 327, O'Suilleabhain 79; Lithuanian: Balys Index Nos. 3610, 3748, Legends Nos. 467f., 470f; Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Q552.2.3.1 | Girl sinks into earth for dancing in church. (Cf. C51.1.5, Q386.) Fb "kirkegaard" II 129. |
| Q552.2.3.1.1 | Earth swallows man who opposes saint (holy man). (Cf. Q227.) Loomis White Magic 44; Irish myth: *Cross; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 798, II 1220. |
| Q552.2.3.1.2 | Earth swallows man as punishment for sacrilege (blasphemy, heresy, etc.). (Cf. Q221.3.) *Loomis White Magic 101; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q552.2.3.1.3 | Man who angers saint sinks into earth to his knees. (Cf. Q227.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q552.2.3.2 | Earth swallows object as punishment. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q552.2.3.2.1 | Earth swallows mill in which saint's grain was refused grinding. (Cf. Q227.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q552.2.3.2.2 | Earth swallows heretical city. (Cf. Q225.1.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q552.2.3.2.3 | Island sinks for man's offense to saint. (Cf. Q227.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q552.2.3.3 | Saint causes parricide to sink into earth to his knees. (Cf. D1713, Q211.1.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q552.2.3.4 | Earth swallows man intending treachery. (Cf. Q261.1.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q552.3 | Failure of crops during reign of wicked king. (Cf. Q552.10.1.) Irish: MacCulloch Celtic 72, *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; Greek: Grote I 171, 203; Jewish: Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Q552.3.0.1 | Failure of crops as punishment for uncharitableness. (Cf. Q286.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q552.3.0.2 | Failure of crops as punishment for murder. (Cf. Q211.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q552.3.0.3 | Failure of crops and milk as punishment for adultery. (Cf. Q241.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q552.3.0.4 | Failure of crops for mistreating the dead. Africa (Cameroon): Mansfield 233. |
| Q552.3.1 | Famine as punishment. *Loomis White Magic 95, 102; Irish myth: *Cross; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q552.3.1.1 | Sterility of land as punishment for parricide. (Cf. Q211.1.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q552.3.2 | Famine as punishment for oppression by victors. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q552.3.3 | Drought as punishment. Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q552.3.4 | Food magically disappears. India: Thompson-Balys; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 431. |
| Q552.3.5 | Punishment for greed: streams of sugar, molasses, and milk from anchorite's tomb dry up and petrify because of townspeople's greed. (Cf. Q272.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q552.3.6 | Punishment: water famine. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Q552.3.7 | Murrain upon cattle as punishment. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| Q552.4 | Ear of stolen animal protrudes from thief's mouth. (Cf. Q212.) Irish: Plummer cxliii, *Cross; *Loomis White Magic 98. |
| Q552.4.1 | Stolen animal cries out from stomach of thief. *Loomis White Magic 98; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| Q552.5 | Monstrous births as punishment for girl's pride. (Cf. M437, Q331, T550.) Child I 210; Ireland, U.S.: Baughman. |
| Q552.5.1 | Man who cuts off tongue of swallow has dumb children. (Cf. Q285.1.1.) Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 19 No. 182; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| Q552.6 | Rich lord who robs poor widow of her cow chokes on first mouthful. (Cf. Q212.) Herbert III 35ff. |
| Q552.7 | Mary-image descends and chastises clerk who scoffs at its rude carving. (Cf. Q225.) Ward II 676 No. 61. |
| Q552.8 | Dead cock rises, crows, and spatters scoffers so that they become leprous. (Cf. Q225.) Alphabet No. 117. |
| Q552.9 | Punishment: woman who has prevented birth of children casts no shadow. (Cf. Q251.) *Type 755; *Fb "skygge" III 347ab; Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 19 No. 186. |
| Q552.10 | Plague as punishment. Irish myth: *Cross; Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 165; German: O. Busch Nordwestthüringer Sagen 145, E. Handreck Müllersagen 194, O. Schöppner Sagenbuch d. bairischen Lande I 72; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| Q552.10.1 | Recurrent plague during reign of wicked king. (Cf. Q552.3.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q552.11 | Punishment: meeting frightful apparition. (Ghost, mysterious animal, devil.) Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 17ff. Nos. 158—161, 167, 169-71, 179. |
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