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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 |
|---|---|
| T569 | Monstrous births—miscellaneous. |
| T569.1 | Queen delivered of a piece of flesh; abandoned and saved, it gradually separates into forms of boy and girl. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T569.2 | Woman gives birth to grinding-stone. Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 68. |
| T570 | Pregnancy. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T571 | Unreasonable demands of pregnant women. *Penzer I 97 n. 1, 221ff., II 31, III 60, V 127 n. 2, VII 201, IX 144; Cowell Jataka Index s.v. "pregnancy"; *M. Bloomfield in Penzer VII vii, JAOS XL 1; Child II 408f., 414; Loomis White Magic 20. — Irish: MacCulloch Celtic 176, *Cross; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda; Philippine (Tinguian): Cole 95, 98; Maori: Dixon 60; Indonesian, Polynesian: ibid 233 n. 42; Sumatran: ibid. 161; Batak: Voorhoeve 141; Eskimo (Greenland): Rasmussen III 51; Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 374, (Angola): Chatelain 83 No. 4, (Ila, Rhodesia): Smith and Dale II 414 No. 13; West Indies: Flowers 578. |
| T572 | Prevention of childbirth. |
| T572.1 | Magic prevention of childbirth. *Type 755; *Hauffen Zs. f. Vksk. X 436ff.; *Kittredge Witchcraft 113f., 442f. nn. 79—84; *Fb "sten" III 554a; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| T572.1.1 | Mother sits on stone to prevent premature birth. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| T572.2 | Abortion. *Encyc. Rel. Ethics VI 54ff.; *Penzer II 229; Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T572.2.1 | Abortion by vomiting up embryo. Irish: MacCulloch Celtic 84, *Cross. |
| T572.2.2 | Abortion by eating. Child I 341, 343f., 352, 354, III 387, 393, IV 456; Gaster Oldest Stories 121. |
| T572.2.3 | Hero an abortion thrown into the bushes. Maori: Dixon 42. |
| T572.2.4 | Abortion by fasting. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T572.2.5 | Abortion caused by fear. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T572.2.6 | Abortion by long bathing. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T573 | Short pregnancy. Jewish: *Neuman; Koryak: Jochelson JE VI 375; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 309 n. 116; S. A. Indian (Chiriguano): Métraux RMLP XXXIII 142, (Uru-Chipaya): ibid. 169, (Inca): Rowe BBAE CXLIII (2) 318. |
| T573.0.1 | Short pregnancy in animals. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| T573.1 | Woman conceives and bears same day. Irish myth: Cross; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T574 | Long pregnancy. Delayed by an enemy who bewitches the mother. *Toldo I 337, II 313; *Frazer Pausanias V 45f.; *Fb "føde" I 398; Tegethoff 41; Köhler-Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. VI 63 (to Gonzenbach No. 12); Child I 82ff., 489, III 497, V 285b. — Irish: Thurneyson I 274, *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; Finnish: Kalevala rune 1; Greek: *Frazer Apollodorus I 166 n. 2; Persian: Carnoy 331; Chinese: Wilhelm Chinesische Märchen Nos. 15, 18, 29; Batak: Frazer Golden Bough I 143; Philippine (Tinguian): Cole 180; Madagascar: Dandoyau Contes populaires des Sakalava No. 57. |
| T574.1 | Long pregnancy: twelve months. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| T574.2 | Long pregnancy: seven years. Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 208, II 1222. |
| T575 | Child speaks before birth. (Cf. A511.1.2.) |
| T575.1 | Child speaks in mother's womb. *Chauvin VII 112 No. 379bis n. 1, VIII 63 No. 27; *Fb "ufødt" III 962a; **Colson "L'enfant qui parle avant d'être né" Mélusine V No. 2; Gaidoz Mélusine IV No. 10; *Toldo I 338f.; DeVries FFC LXXIII 322, 325f.; Hdwb. d. Märchens I 102, 520; Child III 367 nn., IV 507a, V 298a; Krappe Zeitschrift für deutsches Altertum LXXII (1935) 161—71; Saintyves Saints Successeurs 253.—Irish: MacCulloch Celtic 207, *Cross; Jewish: *Neuman; Persian: Carnoy 335; India: *Thompson-Balys; S. A. Indian (Aztec): Alexander Lat. Am. 60, (Tupinamba): Métraux RMLP XXXIII 133, (Warrau): ibid. 145; Africa (Angola): Chatelain 85 No. 5, (Kaffir): Theal 89, (Zulu): Callaway 6. |
| T575.1.1 | Child in mother's womb reveals crime. BP II 535; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| T575.1.1.1 | Child in mother's womb reveals murder. BP II 535. |
| T575.1.1.2 | Child in mother's womb reveals adultery. DeVries FFC LXXIII 322, 325f. |
| T575.1.1.3 | Child in mother's womb reveals unjust judgment. DeVries FFC LXXIII 322, 325f.; Loomis White Magic 23f. |
| T575.1.2 | Future suicide weeps in mother's womb. Fb "selvmord". |
| T575.1.3 | Twins quarrel before birth in mother's womb. *Krappe Balor 31 n. 109; Greek: *Frazer Apollodorus I 145 n. 4; Jewish: *Neuman; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 279 n. 33. |
| T575.1.4 | Future poet chants spell in mother's womb. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T575.1.5 | Children in mothers' wombs praise God at birth of Christ. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T575.1.5.1 | Embryos in womb join melody and sing. Jewish: Neuman. |
| T575.1.6 | Child in mother's belly guides her. S. A. Indian (Warrau): Métraux RMLP XXXIII 145, (Karib): ibid. 146. |
| T575.1.6.1 | Unborn child directs his mother on journey. S. A. Indian (Karib): Métraux RMLP XXXIII 146, (Chiriguano): ibid. 154, 160, 165, (Tupinamba): Métraux BBAE CXLIII (3) 132. |
| T575.2 | Woman talks to her child before it is conceived. N. A. Indian (Blackfoot): Wissler and Duvall PaAM II 126. |
| T575.3 | Child speaks from dead mother's womb. (Cf. T584.2.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T575.4 | Child in mother's womb visible from outside. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 325, 609. |
| T576 | Prenatal influences. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T577 | Fetus exchanged from one woman to another. India: Thompson-Balys; Hindu: Keith 171, 223. |
| T577.1 | Male embryo transformed in womb to female. Jewish: Neuman. |
| T578 | Pregnant man. *Type 705; *Fb "frugtsommelig" I 376b; DeVries FFC LXXIII 268; von der Hagen II 53ff. No. 24; Christensen DF XLVII 227 No. 93, L 72.—Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 145 (Loki); Koryak: Jochelson JE VI 324; Eskimo (Greenland): Rink 444, (West Hudson Bay): Boas BAM XV 326; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 323 n. 166d; Africa (Basuto): Jacottet 196 No. 29. |
| T578.1 | Child incubated in man's thigh. Greek: *Frazer Apollodorus I 319 n. 3 (Zeus and Dionysus). |
| T578.2 | Man transformed to female (human or animal) bears offspring. (Cf. T554.0.1.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| T579 | Pregnancy—miscellaneous motifs. |
| T579.1 | Sheath and knife as analogy for mother and unborn child. Child V 486 s.v. "knife"; Eskimo: Rink No. 2. |
| T579.2 | Girl's blood examined to see if she is pregnant. Fb "blod" IV 48a. |
| T579.3 | Seven-year-old girl has child. Gaster Exempla 230 No. 247. |
| T579.3.1 | Seven-year-old boy begets child. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T579.4 | Mother of saint has healing spittle during pregnancy. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T579.5 | Saint performs miracles while yet unborn. (Cf. D1713.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| T579.6 | Worm swallowed at conception eats hand of babe before birth. (Cf. T511.5.2.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| T579.7 | King demands that his pregnant queen be chained to him. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T579.8 | Signs of pregnancy. |
| T579.8.1 | Transparent body of pregnant woman. Jewish: Neuman. |
| T579.8.2 | Girl paints face because pregnant. S. A. Indian (Chiriguano): Métraux RMLP XXXIII 154. |
| T579.8.3 | Girl betrays pregnancy by dropping milk on brother. Philippine (Tinguian): Cole 87. |
| T580 | Childbirth. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T580.1 | Jewess must entreat Virgin before she can bear her child. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T581 | Place and conditions of childbirth. |
| T581.1 | Birth of child in forest. Dickson 168 n. 19; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| T581.2 | Child born of woman abandoned in pit. Indonesian, Polynesian: Dixon 234 n. 43. |
| T581.2.1 | Child born to an apparently dead mother in her grave. *Bolte "Die Sage von der erweckten Scheintoten" Zs. f. Vksk. XX (1910) 353—81; H. Hauvette "La morte vivante" (Paris, 1933); Krappe "L'enfant de la morte" Lettres Romanes I (1947) 297—310. |
| T581.2.2 | Blind wives fall into a pool where they give birth to children. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T581.2.3 | Children born in dungeon. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T581.3 | Child born in tree. English: Child II 109; Indonesian, Polynesian: Dixon 234 n. 43. |
| T581.4 | Child born in stable. English: Child II 85—99 passim, V 221. |
| T581.5 | Child born during snowstorm. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T581.6 | Noise of battle precipitates birth. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T581.7 | Child born on flagstone. Loomis White Magic 20f.; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| T581.8 | Woman bears twins at end of footrace (with king's horses). Irish myth: *Cross. |
| T581.9 | Child born on beach. Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: örvar-Odds saga 2—5, Boberg. |
| T581.10 | Twins born in tent; mother abducted. Icelandic: FSS 246—48, Boberg. |
| T581.11 | Boy is born in a wrapping of fine cloth. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 1097. |
| T582 | Precautions at childbirth. *Penzer II 166ff.; *McDaniel Conception. Birth and Infancy (Miami, 1948); *H. A. Winkler Salomo und die Karina: eine orientalische Legende von der Bezwingung einer Kindbettdämonin (Stuttgart, 1931); Irish myth: Cross. |
| T582.1 | Avoidance of evil spirits at childbirth. Armenian: Ananikian 88f. |
| T582.2 | All locks in house to be shot during childbirth. English: Child II 498. |
| T582.3 | Knots to be untied at childbirth. Particularly knots in the woman's clothes. Aly Hdwb. d. Abergl. V. 19; cf. Frazer Pausanias V 45f.; English: Child I 85. |
| T582.4 | Knife (other sharp instrument) as childbirth precaution. Jewish: Neuman. |
| T583 | Accompaniments of childbirth. |
| T583.1 | Couvade. Father goes into confinement at time of childbirth. *Encyc. Religion Ethics II 635b; *Ploss Das Kind I 125; Bouwman Revue Anthropologique XXV 49ff., Lévy-Bruhl L'âme primitive 225ff.; Hdwb. d. Abergl. V 1573; Grimm Deutsche Rechtsalterthümer I 106. — Irish myth: *Cross; Latin American: Alexander Lat. Am. 37f.; Melanesia: Codrington 228ff. |
| T583.1.0.1 | Husband goes into seclusion at wife's pregnancy. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T583.1.0.2 | Couvade imposed on man during wife's menstruation. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T583.1.1 | Pains of woman in childbirth repeated in person of the man. English: Child II 109, V 292; U.S.: Baughman. |
| T583.2 | Calamities at birth of hero. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T583.3 | King leaves bell with his wife for her to ring so he will know when her child is born. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| T584 | Parturition. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| T584.0.1 | Childbirth assisted by magic. (Cf. D1501.2.) *Kittredge Witchcraft 114, 443f. nn. 85—102; Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| T584.0.2 | Husband acts as midwife when no woman is available. Boje 125ff. |
| T584.0.3 | Birth of holy person painless. Loomis White Magic 16, 20; Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
| T584.0.4 | Childbirth assisted by angel. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T584.0.5 | While saint's mother was giving birth to the child, she grasps a stout rod which roots and becomes a sturdy tree. Loomis White Magic 22f. |
| T584.0.6 | Childbirth assisted by sacred stone. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| T584.1 | Birth through the mother's side. *Hartland Primitive Paternity I 21; Toldo I 340; English: Child I 83, II 309ff., 373ff.; V 227ff.; Irish myth: Cross; Egyptian: Müller 390 n. 34; Persian: Carnoy 290, 331; Hindu: Keith 33; Malagasy: Sibree FLJ II 50; Haiti: Alexander Lat. Am. 29; Bakairi: ibid. 312. |
| T584.2 | Child removed from body of dead mother. *Schoepperle 280 n. 2; Loomis White Magic 21; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; Greek: Fox 286; India: Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda; Oceanic: *Dixon 132 n. 4; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 324 n. 166i; S. A. Indian (Yuracare): Alexander Lat. Am. 314, Métraux RMLP XXXIII 144, (Karib): ibid. 147, (Tupinamba): Métraux BBAE CXLIII (3) 132. |
| T584.2.1 | Child born of dead mother in grave. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T584.2.1.1 | Twins freed from dead mother's body as body rots. New Hebrides: Codrington 398. |
| T584.3 | Cesarean operation upon a woman at childbirth as a custom. Hatt Asiatic Influences 83f. |
| T584.4 | Piglings cut from bodies of sows and reared. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| T584.5 | Extraordinarily long labor at childbirth. |
| T584.5.1 | Prolonged labor: woman has childbirth pains for 100 days but is not delivered. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T584.6 | After-birth (placenta) becomes a demon. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T584.7 | Hero is born by splitting mother's womb. Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 93f. |
| T584.8 | Child helps mother in severing his navel string. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| T585 | Precocious infant. *Toldo I 329; Loomis White Magic 23; Gaster Oldest Stories 69; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; Greek: Fox 79 (Hercules), 92 (Hermes); India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| T585.1 | Child born full (nearly) grown. *Ranke FFC CXIV 156; Persian: Carnoy 287; Jewish: Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Korean: Zong in-Sob 5 No. 2; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 230; S. A. Indian (Aztec): Alexander Lat. Am. 60, (Inca): Rowe BBAE CXLIII (2) 318, (Chiriguano): Métraux RMLP XXXIII 161, 166, (Karib): ibid. 147; Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 126, (Fjort): Dennett 60 No. 12, (Zulu): *Callaway 9; Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 352. |
| T585.1.1 | Child stronger than mother on day of birth. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T585.2 | Child speaks at birth. (Cf. T575.1.) *Penzer II 39 n. 2; *Liebrecht 210ff.; Günter 242 s.v. "redend"; Cowell Jataka VI 157, 250; Chavannes 500 Contes I 30, 243, 427.—Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 151, II 944, 1247; S. A. Indian (Toba): Métraux MAFLS XL 97; Africa: Frobenius Atlantis II 57, IV 278, VII 148, 208, XII 125, (Benga): Nassau 184 No. 24 version 2, (Bahonga): Einstein 247, (Fang): ibid. 57, (Mkulwe): ibid. 18f. |
| T585.2.1 | Child two months old speaks. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T585.2.2 | Child speaks prematurely on first birthday. Moreno Esdras. |
| T585.3 | Infant born blind immediately drowns self. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| T585.4 | Infant saint rebukes mother's impiety. Loomis White Magic 23; Irish myth: Cross. |
| T585.5 | Child born with all his teeth. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T585.5.1 | Child born with hairy mane. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T585.6 | Newborn child kisses dying mother. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| T585.7 | Precocious hero leaves cradle to go to war. Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| T585.8 | Child stands (walks) at birth. Jewish: Neuman; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 789, II 299. |
| T585.9 | Child born circumcised. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| T586 | Multiple births. Irish myth: *Cross; India: Thompson-Balys; Eskimo (Greenland): Rasmussen III 85, 251. |
| T586.1 | Many children at a birth. BP I 432; Köhler-Bolte I 467; Jewish: *Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 420; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 200f.; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 310 n. 116a; S. A. Indian (Chibcha): Alexander Lat. Am. 199. |
| T586.1.1 | Four children at a birth. Haiti: Alexander Lat. Am. 30. |
| T586.1.1.1 | Six children at a birth. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T586.1.2 | Seven children at a birth. *Fb "gifte" I 432; *BP I 432; Wesselski Märchen 174 No. 64; *Loomis White Magic 87; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T586.1.2.1 | King and queen have seven sons, all named Maine. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| T586.1.2.2 | King has six (seven) sons, all named Lugaid. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| T586.1.3 | Nine children at a birth. Ward II 657 No. 9. |
| T586.1.4 | Five children at a birth for four successive years. All alive. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| T586.1.5 | Forty sons born in one day. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T586.2 | Extraordinary number of children in family. |
| T586.2.1 | King with fifty sons (daughters). Greek: Fox 20, 30. |
| T586.2.2 | King with 60,000 sons. Hindu: Keith 115. |
| T586.3 | Multiple birth as result of relations with several men. (Cf. T587.1.) Irish myth: Cross; S. A. Indian (Tenetehara): Wagley-Galvao BBAE CXLIII (3) 148, (Kaigua, Tembé, Apapocuvá-guarani): Métraux RMLP XXXIII 136. |
| T586.3.1 | Woman ravished by three brothers bears triplets. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| T586.3.2 | Triplets killed by tribe at birth. Africa (Fang): Einstein 56, Trilles 182. |
| T586.4 | Extraordinary number of animals at birth. |
| T586.4.1 | Four calves to one cow at a birth. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| T586.5 | Extraordinarily frequent childbirth. |
| T586.5.1 | Woman bears child every month. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| T586.5.2 | Child born each day for seven days. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T587 | Birth of twins. (Cf. T685.) Irish myth: Cross; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| T587.1 | Birth of twins an indication of unfaithfulness in wife. (Cf. T586.3.) *Harris Cult of the Heavenly Twins 10ff.; Krappe "Tyndare" Studi e Materiali di Storia delle Religioni XV (1939) 23—29; English: Child II 67 n., 511a, Wells 96 (Chevalere Assigne), 126 (Lai Le Freine), *Hibbard 295; Greek: Fox 79; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T587.2 | Twins born one with ear of other in mouth. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T587.2.1 | Immediately after birth of twins one puts the other in his mouth: this twin's body becomes made of iron. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T587.3 | Last born twin conceived first. Jewish: Neuman. |
| T588 | Motifs associated with the placenta. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T588.1 | Spirits make child from placenta. Philippine (Tinguian): Cole 185. |
| T589 | Childbirth—miscellaneous motifs. |
| T589.1 | Co-operative birth. Each of two wives bears a half-boy. They are placed together and form a real boy. Hindu: Keith 156. |
| T589.2 | Boy cut in two: each half becomes a boy. N. A. Indian (Shoshonean): Alexander N. Am. 133, (California): Gayton and Newman 92. |
| T589.3 | Birth trees. Spring forth as hero is born; act as life tokens, etc. (Cf. T589.7.1.) Type 303; Köhler-Bolte I 179; Fb "træ" III 865b; *Kittredge Arthur 171 n. 1; Irish myth: Cross. |
| T589.4 | Birth with veil brings luck. (Cf. T552.5.1.) Fb. "sejrsskjorte". |
| T589.5 | New-born child reincarnation of recently deceased person. Fb "sjæl" III 214a; N. A. Indian: *Alexander N. Am. 281 n. 20. |
| T589.6 | Where children come from. Explanations given to children. Hdwb. d. Abergl. IV 1342ff.; v. Wlislocki Germania N. R. XXII 134ff. |
| T589.6.1 | Children brought by the stork. *Fb "barn" I 50b. |
| T589.6.1.1 | Newborn boy placed in the lap of bathing queen by vulture. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T589.6.2 | Children brought by midwife. *Fb "barn" I 50b. |
| T589.6.3 | Children said to come from underworld. Kalevala-seuran Vuosikirjaa IV 243. |
| T589.6.4 | Children said to come from a well. Wuttke Deutsche Aberglaube Register s.v. "Kinderbrunnen". |
| T589.6.5 | Children said to come from cauliflower. Hdwb. d. Abergl. IV 1348. |
| T589.6.6 | Children said to come from stones. Schmidt DF XXXIX 92ff. |
| T589.7 | Simultaneous births. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T589.7.1 | Simultaneous birth of (domestic) animal and child. Type 303; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| T589.7.2 | Hero born in hour of Christ's Nativity. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| T589.8 | Woman strives to delay birth until auspicious day. Loomis White Magic 20f.; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| T589.9 | Child with several mothers. (Heimdal.) Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 153. |
| T590 | Conception and birth—miscellaneous motifs. |
| T591 | Barrenness or impotence induced by magic. *Kittredge Witchcraft 113, 441 n. 78; *Boje 107; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| T591.1 | Magic remedies for barrenness or impotence. (Cf. D1347, D1925, D2161.3.11.) Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| T591.1.1 | Magic potion as remedy for impotence. Greek: Frazer Apollodorus I 87 n. 3. |
| T591.1.2 | Milk of hornless, single-colored cow drunk by man to make wife fruitful. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T591.2 | Unlucky for a woman to look on the face of a childless person. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T592 | Milk suddenly appears in woman's dry breast. *Cosquin études 199ff., 238ff.; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T592.1 | Milk medicine fills woman's breasts with milk. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T595 | Sign hung out informing brothers whether mother has borne boy or girl. *Type 451; BP I 70ff.; Italian: Basile Pentamerone IV No. 8. |
| T596 | Naming of children. |
| T596.1 | Angel names child. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T596.2 | Children named by numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.). Hdwb. d. Märchens I 521a; Irish myth: Cross. |
| T597 | Ambitions of father transferred to child at moment of conception. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T600 | Care of children. **Ploss Das Kind; Fellinger Das Kind in der altfranzösischen Literatur (Göttingen, 1908); *McDaniel Conception, Birth and Infancy (Miami, 1948); Irish myth: *Cross. |
| T601 | Infant bathed in milk. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T602 | Weapons and horses procured for boy at his birth. Icelandic: Hervarar saga 85, Boberg. |
| T605 | Divine nurse. Greek: Grote I 52. |
| T610 | Nurture and growth of children. |
| T611 | Suckling of children. |
| T611.1 | Child nourished by sucking its own fingers. *Cosquin études 208, 256; Toldo I 341; Babylonian: Spence 54. |
| T611.1.1 | Child nourished by sucking thumb of a god. Egyptian: Müller 115; India: Thompson-Balys; Hindu: Keith 166. |
| T611.2 | Child miraculously suckled by his father. *BP II 296; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| T611.3 | Witch (fairy) suckles child. Hoffman-Krayer Zs. f. Vksk. XXV 121 n. 4; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3297, Legends No. 528. |
| T611.4 | Children magically prevented from suckling. Fb "patte" I 791a. |
| T611.5 | Child miraculously suckled by saint. (Cf. V211.1.8.1.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| T611.5.1 | Saint has two paps—a pap with milk and a pap with honey: with these he suckles two infants. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T611.5.2 | Saint feeds children by cutting off cow's teats and pouring milk into them. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| T611.5.3 | Children miraculously suckled by angel. Jewish: Neuman. |
| T611.6 | Milk magically appears in woman's breast so as to nourish orphan. (Cf. T592.) Loomis White Magic 22; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T611.7 | Abandoned child saved by seagulls; milk furnished by doe; angel brings bell as drinking utensil. Loomis White Magic 22. |
| T611.8 | One woman suckles many babies. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| T611.9 | Dead mother's breasts furnish sufficient nourishment for her baby during two years. *Loomis White Magic 108. |
| T611.10 | Man suckled by dog (wolf): called Mac Con (Son of Dog). Irish myth: *Cross. |
| T611.10.1 | Girl suckled by wolf has nail "like a wolf's nail." Irish myth: Cross. |
| T611.10.2 | Saint suckled by wolf. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| T611.11 | Child nourished by sucking the eyeballs of snake-mother (frog-mother) who left it. Japanese: Ikeda. |
| T612 | Child born of slain mother cares for itself during infancy. Oceanic: Dixon 132, 137; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 319 n. 152. |
| T614 | Diabolical child kills his wet-nurses. (Gowther, Robert the Devil.) *Hibbard 49ff.; *Wells 784. |
| T615 | Supernatural growth. (Cf. T585.) *Köhler-Bolte I 405, 544; *Child V 482 s.v. "growth"; Fb "pattebarn" II 792; Gaster Oldest Stories 130.—Irish: MacCulloch Celtic 26, *Cross; Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 95; Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 21, 74; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "croissance"; Greek: *Frazer Apollodorus I 175 n. 2, Fox 175; Persian: Carnoy 332; Babylonian: Spence 54; Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Ferguson 30, Werner 306, *Coyajee JPASB XXIV 179; Japanese: Mitford 189ff., Ikeda; Philippine: Dixon 234, (Tinguian): Cole 30 n. 3, 53, 102; Eskimo (Greenland): Holm 47, Rasmussen I 234, 238, III 153; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 307 n. 112, (California): Gayton and Newman 69; S. A. Indian (Carajá): Métraux MAFLS XL 49, (Toba): ibid. 89, 98, 157, (Tupinamba): Métraux BBAE CXLIII (3) 132, (Cashinawa): ibid. 684, (Yurakare): Métraux RMLP XXXIII 144, (Karib): ibid. 147, (Uru-Chipaya): ibid. 109; Africa: Werner African 221, (Benga): Nassau 185 No. 24, (Basuto): Jacottet 118 No. 17, 70 No. 11, (Ekoi): Talbot 33, 127, 312, (Zulu): Callaway 8ff., 73, 110, (Gold Coast): Barker and Sinclair 147 No. 29, (Boloki): Einstein 112, (Baluba): ibid. 183, (Fang): ibid. 57. |
| T615.1 | Precocious speech. (Cf. T585.) DeVries "De Sage van het ingemetselde Kind" Nederlandsche Tijdschrift voor Volkskunde XXXII (1917) 1; Irish myth: *Cross; Finnish: Kalevala runes 31, 50; Africa (Kaffir): Theal 72f. |
| T615.2 | Women old from their birth. Greek: *Frazer Apollodorus I 155 n. 4. |
| T615.3 | Precocious wisdom. Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham. |
| T615.4 | Precocious boy supports his widowed mother and himself by use of his wits. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T615.5 | Precocious young child demands weapons. (Cf. T617.1.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T617 | Boy reared in ignorance of the world. English: Wells 72 (Sir Percyvelle of Galles); Irish myth: *Cross; Missouri French: Carrière; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Jewish: Neuman. |
| T617.1 | Future hero as child isolated from world kills increasingly larger game with superior weapons. N. A. Indian (California): Gayton and Newman 69. |
| T617.2 | Hero learns his name at time of first adventure. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T621 | Orphan inquires about parents. (Cf. L111.4.1.) N. A. Indian (California): Gayton and Newman 69. |
| T640 | Illegitimate children. Irish myth: *Cross; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T640.1 | Illegitimate child of nun. (Cf. V465.1.2.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| T640.2 | Mother of illegitimate child given as pledge for his crime. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T642 | Test of legitimacy of children: exposure to asps. Asps will bite only foreigners. (Cf. H222.1.) Herbert III 168 No. 16. |
| T644 | Child betrays his own illegitimacy. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T645 | Paramour leaves token with girl to give their son. *Type 873; *Potter Sohrab and Rustem 6ff.; Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 86, 330, 478f. |
| T645.1 | Sword left for posthumous son to kill father's murderer. Krappe Balor 35; Marie de France "Yonec". |
| T645.2 | "Keep it if it is a girl; send it to me if it is a boy." Hero leaving girl says this of the prospective child. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| T645.2.1 | "Kill it if it is a girl." Indonesia: De Vries's list No. 203. |
| T645.3 | Father orders the mother to send the expected illegitimate boy to him when he can perform certain feats. Irish myth: Cross; Greek: Fox 97 (Theseus). |
| T645.4 | Hero leaves bedmate keys to treasure chamber for the son she is supposed to bear. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| T646 | Illegitimate child taunted by playmates. *Type 873; DeVries Edda (1923) 155ff., DeVries Studiën over Faerösche balladen 44ff.; Chauvin V 72; Irish: MacCulloch Celtic 52, *Cross; Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 200; Missouri French: Carrière; India and China: Cowell Jataka VI 21, Chavannes 500 Contes III 331; Chinese: Graham; Japanese: Ikeda; Korean: Zong in-Sob 78 No. 44; Oceanic: Dixon 67f., 82, 113; Africa: Frobenius Atlantis IV 273; Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 277 No. 89; West Indies: Flowers 579. |
| T646.1 | Child cries because his father is unknown. S. A. Indian (Uru-Chipaya): Métraux RMLP XXXIII 169. |
| T647 | Illegal to care for illegitimate child. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T670 | Adoption of children. *Encyc. Religion Ethics s.v. "adoption"; Icelandic: Boberg; Missouri French: Carrière; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T671 | Adoption by suckling. Ogress who suckles hero claims him as her son. *Cosquin études 199ff.; *Roberts 177. |
| T672 | Adopted child reproaches his foster mother and is returned to his real mother. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T673 | Rich but stingy couple adopt young man as their son: everybody is happy. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T674 | Adopted child deserted when own child is born to couple. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T675 | Real mother preferred to foster mothers. Kid abandoned by his mother suckles the whole flock but is not satisfied. Chauvin III 56 No. 15. |
| T675.1 | Children prefer foster mother. Gaster Thespis 252. |
| T676 | Childless couple adopt animal as substitute for child. India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| T676.1 | Childless woman adopts a serpent (transformed man). (Cf. D191.) Italian: Basile Pentamerone II No. 5. |
| T677 | Substitute for a child. Aged, childless couple carve themselves a child from wood, or make one from snow, clay, and the like. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 701*; Russian: Andrejev No. 703. |
| T678 | Adopted child identical with real child reared with him. *Ranke FFC CXIV 152—4. |
| T680 | Care of children—miscellaneous motifs. |
| T681 | Each likes his own children best. Snipe asks sportsman to spare its small ones, easily recognized as being the prettiest in the forest. To be on the safe side he shoots only the ugliest he can find. They are the young snipes. (Often told of the ape.) *Type 247; Dh II 242ff.; Fb "ugle" III 964a; Wienert FFC LVI 77 (ET 426), 146 (ST 509); Herbert III 39ff.; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T681.1 | Animals ridicule foolish pride of owl in the beauty of his son's really hideous feet. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| T682 | Hero a posthumous son. *Von Sydow Fеvne 40; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| T684 | Devil substitutes himself for new-born child. Köhler-Bolte I 148. |
| T685 | Twins. (Cf. T587.) Saintyves "Les Jumeaux, dans l'ethnographie et la mythologie" Revue anthropologique XXV (1925) 54—9; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| T685.1 | Twin adventurers. *Harris Cult of the Heavenly Twins passim; Dickson 98ff.; Italian: Basile Pentamerone I No. 7; India: *Thompson-Balys; New Hebrides: Dixon 132; N. A. Indian: Thompson Tales 320 n. 155, (Quiche): Alexander Lat. Am. 169ff. |
| T685.2 | Hostile twins. *Dickson 98ff.; *Krappe Balor 30, 143 n. 33, FL XXXIV 189ff.; Gaster Oldest Stories 168. |
| T685.3 | Twins who look exactly alike. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T685.4 | Twins: as twins are reared one born earlier becomes continually weaker, the other stronger. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T686 | Quadruplet heroes. Haiti: Alexander Lat. Am. 30. |
| T687 | Triplets (as heroes). Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| T688 | Children sleep in village dormitory. India: Thompson-Balys. |
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