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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 ▲ |
|---|---|
| S187 | Torturing by scratching. |
| S354.2 | Travelers find exposed baby girl and take her to emperor's court. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| S12.1.1 | Treacherous mother and paramour plan son's death. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| S12.1 | Treacherous mother marries ogre and plots against son. *Type 590; *BP III 1; N. A. Indian: Thompson CColl. II 392. |
| S376 | Tree feeds abandoned children with its sap. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| S262.2 | Tribute of youths regularly sent to foreign king. English: Wells 80 (Sir Tristrem). |
| S314 | Twins (triplets) exposed. (Cf. T587.) *Krappe Balor 17 n. 55; Dickson 103 n. 10; Gaster Thespis 255; Italian Novella: Rotunda; Greek: Grote I 103. |
| S311 | Undesirable children exposed, desirable preserved. *Frazer Old Testament II 437ff.; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| S413 | Unfaithful husband and his mistress persecute his wife. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| S401 | Unsuccessful attempts to kill person in successive reincarnations (transformations). Egyptian: Petrie Egyptian Tales (London, 1895) I 36ff., Von Sydow "Den fornegyptiska Sagan om de tvе Bröderna" Yearbook of the New Society of Letters of Lund, 1930, 53ff.; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| S241.1 | Unwitting bargain with devil evaded by driving dog over bridge first. The child has been unwittingly promised (the first thing that goes over the bridge). Kittredge Witchcraft 206, *518 n. 19; Hazlitt Shakespeare Jest Books I 86f. No. 67; Mensa Philosophica No. 11. |
| S252.2 | Vain attempt to save promised child by evasions. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| S252.1 | Vain attempt to save promised child by use of substitute. *Type 425. |
| S252 | Vain attempt to save promised child. |
| S181.1 | Victim bound to a bladed wheel. (Cf. Q423.) *Loomis White Magic 118. |
| S312.2 | Violated woman's child exposed. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| S251 | Virgin Mary rescues child promised to the devil. *Meyer Romania XXXIII 163ff.; Ward II 632 No. 29, Herbert III 504; Spanish: Espinosa II Nos. 99—103. |
| S411.4 | Wife banished because she eats by stealth. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| S411.2 | Wife banished for some small fault. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| S411 | Wife banished. India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 526. |
| S414 | Woman abandoned when with child. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 1038. |
| S312.4 | Woman abandons baby boy (of which she was artificially impregnated) in forest. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| S303.1 | Woman asks suitor to kill the child of his first wife. Africa (Cameroon): Mansfield 228. |
| S264.1.2 | Woman drowns herself as sacrifice to water-gods to save husband's boat from capsizing. (Cf. S263.5.) Japanese: Ikeda. |
| S262.1 | Woman given to devastating monster as wife to appease it. Irish myth: *Cross; Japanese: Ikeda; N. A. Indian (Creek): Alexander N. Am. 71. |
| S222.1 | Woman promises her unborn child to appease offended witch. Italian: Basile Pentamerone II No. 1. |
| S222.3 | Woman promises unborn child to tiger if he will spare her. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| S222.2 | Woman promises unborn daughter to snake as wife for ferrying her across stream. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| S181 | Wounding by trapping with sharp knives (glass). *Type 432; *BP II 261ff.; Italian: Basile Pentamerone II Nos. 2, 5; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| S180 | Wounding or torturing. |
| S221.2 | Youth sells himself to an ogre in settlement of a gambling debt. (Cf. M211, S215.) *Type 313; BP I 442. |
| S262.2.1 | Youths and maidens as yearly tribute to monsters (Fomorians). Irish myth: *Cross. |
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