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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 ▲ |
|---|---|
| F405.6 | Grain scattered as a means of dispersing spirits. Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 329 No. 50. |
| F817.4 | Grass covered with gold dust. Jewish: Neuman. |
| F979.18 | Grass grows anew every night. (Cf. F971.1.3.) Jewish: Neuman. |
| F817.2 | Grass grows anew every night. Jewish: Neuman. |
| F974 | Grass refuses to grow in certain spot. Extraordinary event has happened there. Fb "græs" I 499b, IV 188a; Taylor Attila and Modern Riddles, JAFL LVI (1943) 136—37; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| F974.1 | Grass will not grow where blood of murdered person has been shed. England: *Baughman. |
| F330 | Grateful fairies. *Hdwb. d. Märch. s.v. "Geschenke des kleinen Volkes"; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "fées". |
| F343.12 | Grateful fairy gives ring. Icelandic: Göngu-Hrуlfs saga 277. |
| F934.1 | Gravel rises from bottom as hero enters lake. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F531.6.13 | Graves of giants. Broderius § 12; **Höttges FFC CXXII 75ff., 256f.; Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: Arnason Legends of Iceland (London, 1864) I 40, 51, 53, 148; Danish: Kristensen Danske Sagn III (1895) 13ff., (1931) 8ff., VI 74; Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 67 No. 577; Faröe: Zs. f. Vksk. II 18. |
| F233.10 | Gray-bearded fairy. German: Grimm No. 182. |
| F451.3.11 | Great age of dwarfs. BP I 497; Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 271; German: Bindewald 56, Pröhle Unterharz. 112 Nos. 293, 295, Pröhle Harzsagen No. 137 II. |
| F455.2.10 | Great age of trolls. Often centuries old. Hartmann 67. |
| F982.1.1 | Great flock of birds lift grayhound and garments into air. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F960.2.4 | Great light appears on night of holy man's death. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F167.15 | Great tattooer in otherworld. Maori: Clark 136. |
| F178.2 | Green as otherworld color. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F545.1.1.1 | Green beard. Moe Samlede Skrifter III 289f.; English: Gawayne and the Green Knight. |
| F773.1 | Green chapel. Cave in green mound. Irish myth: *Cross; English: Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight. |
| F762.1 | Green city. Burton Nights II 283. |
| F233.1 | Green fairy. Wimberly 240 n. 4; Irish myth: *Cross; England, Scotland: Baughman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F531.1.7.1 | Green giant. *Kittredge Gawayne 195ff. |
| F527.2 | Green knight. *Kittredge Gawain passim; BP II 262f.; Dickson 180ff.; Irish myth: Cross. |
| F440.1 | Green vegetation spirit. *Kittredge Gawain 195ff.; *Fb "grön" I 504. |
| F12.2 | Grieving mortal taken by god of the dead up to otherworld to identify his son, who has just died. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F942.2 | Ground cut from under adversary. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F949.1.1 | Ground opens and swallows demoniac wasps. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F947 | Ground opens and swallows forest. Irish myth: Cross; England: Baughman. |
| F948.1 | Ground opens and swallows heathen idols. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F948.2 | Ground opens and swallows other object. Irish myth: Cross; Chinese: Graham. |
| F942.1 | Ground opens and swallows up person. Irish: *Cross, Beal XXI 327; Icelandic: *Boberg; Greek: Fox 63 (Althaimenes), 227 (Persephone), Frazer Apollodorus II 241 n. 5; Jewish: *Neuman; Africa: Werner African 200. |
| F942.1.1 | Ground opens to hide fugitive. U.S.: Baughman; Icelandic: *Boberg; Jewish: Neuman; Eskimo (Kodiak): Golder JAFL XVI 28. |
| F817.1 | Growing and ungrowing grass. Produces one pod daily till the fifteenth of the month; thereafter one pod shrinks each day. (Cf. F811.12.) Chinese: Ferguson 33. |
| F755.4 | Growing mountain. Grows concurrently with child reared upon it. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F802 | Growing rocks. RTP X 28. |
| F979.14 | Grub's urine waters tree. (Cf. D1027.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F140.1 | Guardian of spirit-land boundary. Maori: Clark 135. |
| F494.1 | Guardian spirit of land. Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 228, Herrmann Saxo II 22ff., *Boberg; Danish: Ellekilde Ellekongen i Stevns, Danske Studier 1929, 10ff. |
| F1041.1.3.10.1 | Guilty persons being confronted with their crimes become "insensate like trees." India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F164 | Habitable caves and mounds in otherworld. Siuts 65ff.; Patch Other World 375 s.v. "cave". |
| F721.2.1 | Habitable hill raised on four pillars. *Fb "höj" I 750a. |
| F721.2 | Habitable hill. *Type 870; *Fb "höj" I 740ab, "trold" III 852a; Winter Die deutsche Schatzsage 47; Hartland Science 170, 173, 177, 217; Hdwb. d. Abergl. I 1049f. s.v. "Berg"; Irish myth: *Cross; English: Child I 363. |
| F408 | Habitation of spirit. |
| F962.5.1.1 | Hailstones, each as large as a crabapple. Irish myth: Cross (F194.1.) |
| F555.8.1 | Hair above heart so stiff it rends five garments. Jewish: Neuman. |
| F398 | Hair burned to summon fairies. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F555.10 | Hair emits sound. Jewish: Neuman; Eskimo (Greenland): Holm 75. |
| F547.5.9 | Hair in vagina which becomes a mantis. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F555.3.0.1 | Hair recedes into head. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F555.9 | Hair so curly that nuts falling on it would be held. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F555.3.3 | Hair so long that girl can cover herself with it. Icelandic: Gunnlaugs saga Ormstunga ch. V 13, ed. Altnord, Text bibl. 1908, Boberg. |
| F555.8 | Hair so stiff that apples falling on it would be impaled. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F1041.7 | Hair turns gray from terror. *Chauvin VII 112 No. 379 bis n. 1; Korean: Zong in-Sob 81. |
| F961.2.2 | Hairy star. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F527.6 | Half red and half blue strong man. Icelandic: Hálfdanar saga Br. 561, Boberg. |
| F165.3.1 | Hall of glass in otherworld. Jewish: Neuman. |
| F441.2.3 | Hamadryad. Female spirit of a particular tree. Greek: Fox 270. |
| F1036 | Hand from heaven writes on wall. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| F822.1 | Handkerchief color of sun, moon, and stars. Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 111 No. 39, 278 No. 91, 281 No. 92. |
| F167.6 | Handless people in otherworld. Siuts 218. |
| F552.1 | Hands with unusual fingers. |
| F552.1.1 | Hands with unusual number of fingers. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F575.2 | Handsome man. Jewish: Neuman. |
| F531.6.2 | Haunts of giants. |
| F982.3 | Hawk carries hand of man to saint displeased by handclasp. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F162.5.2 | Head in otherworld well emits stream of water from mouth. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F531.1.2 | Head of giant. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F531.1.2.1 | Headless giant. (Cf. F511.0.1.) Broderius § 37; Irish myth: Cross; Hanover: Kuhn u. Schwarz Norddeutsche Sagen (Leipzig, 1848) No. 167.3; Pomerania: Rosenow 51 No. 46; N. A. Indian (Navaho): Alexander N. Am. 163. |
| F167.5 | Headless people in otherworld. Siuts 218. |
| F511.0.1.1 | Headless person with eyes (eye) and mouth on breast. *Chauvin VII 87 No. 373 bis n. 2; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg. Chinese: Werner 387. |
| F511.0.1 | Headless person. (Cf. F401.4, F531.1.2.1.) *Chauvin VII 77 No. 121; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| F511.0.1.2 | Headless persons cannot smell or hear. Chinese: Werner 387. |
| F950.9 | Healing by sprinkling water and replacing flesh. Chinese: Graham. |
| F1041.1.1.1 | Heart breaks at third drink from silver canister. Fb "hjærte" I 631. |
| F1041.1.1.3 | Heart breaks from sorrow. Hdwb. d. Märchens I 439a n. 267; Irish myth: *Cross; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 883. |
| F1041.1.1.2 | Heart breaks when girl hears lover kiss another. Italian: Basile Pentamerone III No. 3. |
| F1041.1.3.6 | Heart breaks when girl learns men are slain in battle on her account. Irish myth: *Cross; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| F1041.1.1.4 | Hearts break when lovers are told beloved is dead. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F1041.16.4 | Heat of saint's anger sets cowl afire. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F767.1 | Heathen city surrounded by a yellow river, furious and impassable. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F51.1.5.1 | Heavenly being's hair as sky-rope. Australia: Howitt-Siebert JAI XXXIV (1904) 121. |
| F961.0.5 | Heavenly bodies bear witness for and against man. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| F961.0.3 | Heavenly bodies lament. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| F883.1.6 | Heavenly books. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| F961.0.6 | Heavens bleed. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| F134.1 | Hebrides, Isle of Man (Falga) as otherworld. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F83 | Hell of women in south of otherworld. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F109.2 | Hell shown to Jonah by fish. Jewish: Neuman. |
| F456.1.2.2 | Helpful actions of knockers. England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| F482.5.4 | Helpful deeds of brownie or other household spirit. (Cf. F403.2.) England, Scotland: *Baughman. |
| F451.5.1 | Helpful dwarfs. *Types 403, 709; BP I 450 ff.; Böcklen Sneewittchenstudien 84f.; BP I 99, Dickson 218.—Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 270, 272, *Boberg; Danish: Kristensen Danske Sagn I (1892) 53ff., 437—38, (1928) 47ff.; German: Eckart 79, Ey 29, Haas Grimmen 46 No. 54, Haas Greifswald 36 No. 39, Bindewald 56, 84, Kapff 45; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 41 No. 301; Africa (Gold Coast): Barker and Sinclair 63 No. 9. |
| F460.4.2 | Helpful mountain-men. Norwegian: Hartmann 35. |
| F450.1.1 | Helpful spirit warriors dwell in rocks and hills. N. A. Indian (Cherokee): Alexander N. Am. 68. |
| F450.1 | Helpful underground spirit. |
| F817.3 | Herbs serve as perfume. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| F547.2.1 | Hermaphrodite pygmies. N. A. Indian (Tsimshian): Alexander N. Am. 257. |
| F547.2 | Hermaphrodite. Person with both male and female sexual organs. Greek: *Pauly-Wissowa s.v. "Hermaphroditos"; N. A. Indian (Navaho): Matthews MAFLS V 70; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| F147.2 | Hermit's hut at border of otherworld. *Siuts 45. |
| F1057 | Hero (giant) wades across sea. Irish myth: *Cross; Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 101. |
| F1088.1 | Hero (heroine) spared for his (her) beauty. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F691.0.1 | Hero battles under lake for a day and night. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F174 | Hero carried off to otherworld by his supernatural wives. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F636.5 | Hero catches a giant jug and pitches it about. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F625.1 | Hero drives spear through seven iron plates. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F420.5.2.1.3 | Hero drowned by water-spirits, who draw him down as he crosses ice. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 277 n. 23. |
| F176.1 | Hero fights giants who ruin fairyland. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F176 | Hero fights in otherworld and overcomes king (queen), or fairy. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F302.4.3 | Hero fights with fairy person, takes his wife and keeps her (for a year). Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F174.1 | Hero forces otherworld person's wife to tell him way to otherworld. Irish myth: *Cross (F174.2.). |
| F583 | Hero has lain motionless since birth. Koryak, Mongol Turk, Russian: Jochelson JE VI 363. |
| F612.3 | Hero leaves home with giant equipment. |
| F574.3.3 | Hero luminous. Cook Islands: Beckwith Myth 247. |
| F661.12 | Hero shoots arrow and cuts thread. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F102.1 | Hero shoots monster (or animal) and follows it into lower world. *Type 301; *Krappe Balor 100 nn. 22, 23; *De Vries Nederlandsche Tijdschrift voor Volkskunde (1924) 97—123.—Indonesia: De Vries's list No. 163, Dixon 213 n. 12; Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 99. |
| F129.5.1 | Hero takes a mare to ride to land of no return: mare has just foaled and brings him back in her anxiety over her foal. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F611.3.3.1 | Hero tests sword by cutting steer in two. Chinese: Graham. |
| F698.1 | Hero throws ball, bat, dart (playthings) and catches them before they reach ground. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F636.4.1 | Hero throws up a stone: before it falls, he drinks a full jar empty. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F1088.2 | Hero unharmed by serpent which coils around his waist. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F969.3.2 | Hero's light: appears around head of hero aroused to extraordinary feats of valor. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F1087 | Hero's marvelous sword falls and cuts off hand of enemy. (Cf. F833, N331.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F611.3.2 | Hero's precocious strength. Has full strength when very young. Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Herrmann Saxo II 69, Snorra Edda Prol. III, *Boberg; Norwegian: Christiansen 92, India: *Thompson-Balys; Lau Islands: Beckwith Myth 483; Marquesas: Handy 105. |
| F611.2.0.1 | Hero's unusual strength from drinking his own mother's milk. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F531.1.0.2 | Hideous giant. Broderius § 37; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Þiðriks saga I 360, *Boberg; Tirol: Zingerle Nos. 172, 181. |
| F759.3 | Hill on which snow always melts. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| F241.3 | Hogs follow fairies. Fb "rakker". |
| F167.11.2 | Hogs with bath of molten lead (iron) in otherworld. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F92.7 | Hole to underworld kingdom of snakes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F979.7 | Hollow in tree grows over, giving sanctuary to relics within. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F759.2 | Hollow mountain. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F809.2 | Hollow stone fits any person who lies in it. Wales: Baughman. |
| F811.10.1 | Hollow tree as residence for hero. Hdwb. d. Märch. I 206b n. 7; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F574.3 | Holy man (hero) emits light. |
| F574.3.2 | Holy man radiant. Jewish: *Neuman; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 802, 1015 (Buddha), I 427, 852, II 695 (ascetic). |
| F555.3.2 | Holy man's hair of enormous length, so long has he remained praying at one spot. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| F962.12 | Holy object falls from heaven. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F382.2 | Holy water breaks fairy spell. (Cf. G303.16.7.) U.S., Wales: *Baughman. |
| F482.3 | Home of brownies. |
| F451.4.4 | Home of dwarfs is endangered or destroyed. |
| F451.4 | Home of dwarfs. |
| F455.1 | Home of trolls. |
| F420.2 | Home of water-spirits. (Cf. F420.7.1.) |
| F531.3.8.3 | Homecoming giant heard far away. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| F531.6.3 | Homes of giants. Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Herrmann Saxo II 586ff., 595, MacCulloch Eddic 276, Boberg. |
| F866.7.1 | Hood holds wine as drinking horn. *Loomis White Magic 129. |
| F988.2 | Hoofs of horses drop from their feet because of heat. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| F836.2 | Hornbows. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| F545.2.2 | Horns on forehead. Jewish: Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (T-G 2/27). |
| F1041.2 | Horripilation. Hair rises on end in extraordinary fashion from joy, anger, or love. Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; Hindu: Penzer I 120, VII 60, 139 n. 2, 179, VIII 46 n. 1, 94 n. 1; Korean: Zong in-Sob 83; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| F989.1 | Horse jumps over high wall. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "cheval". Cf. Type 530. |
| F984.1 | Horse sewed in buffalo-hides. As protection against a greater horse, hero's horse is sewed in nine buffalo-hides. Köhler-Bolte I 469; *Cosquin Contes indiens 417ff. |
| F234.4.1 | Horse used by mortal under fairy spell changes to gray cat. Scotch: Macdougall and Calder 271. |
| F874.2 | Horse's forehead as golden chair. Fb "hestepande" I 603. |
| F874 | Horse's head for extraordinary use. Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| F874.1 | Horse's head nailed over gate (door). *Fb "hestehoved" I 602. |
| F874.2.1 | Horse's skull used as pillow. German: Grimm No. 71. |
| F989.1.1 | Horse's tremendous leap. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| F343.9.1 | Horses as fairy gifts. Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| F151.0.1 | Hospitable host entertains (guides, advises) adventurer on way to otherworld. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F473.2.4 | House burns for no apparent reason. U.S., Wales: *Baughman. |
| F165.5 | House in otherworld thatched with wings of birds. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F163.3 | House in otherworld. (Cf. F147.) Siuts 63ff. |
| F163.3.2.1 | House in underworld lined with human eyes. Tonga: Gifford 168. |
| F163.3.2.2 | House in underworld made of bones of dead. Tonga: Gifford 171. |
| F771.3.5.1 | House inside mountain. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F451.5.1.21 | House of dwarf's friend spared in fire. Dutch: Sinninghe FFC CXXXII 57 No. 83. |
| F221 | House of fairy. Missouri French: Carrière. |
| F163.3.1 | House of gold and crystal in otherworld. (Cf. F169.2.) Wimberly 146; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F771.1.5.2 | House of sapphire. Africa (Zanzibar): Bateman 127 No. 7. |
| F163.3.2 | House of silver in otherworld. (Cf. F163.1.5.) Irish myth: *Cross; Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| F771.1.9 | House of skulls. Murderer's abode. Type 756B; Andrejev FFC LXIX 86. |
| F771.1.5.3 | House of turquoise. Africa (Zanzibar): Bateman 127 No. 7. |
| F482.8 | House spirit as suitor. (Cf. F301.) Norwegian: Solheim Register 19. |
| F405.11 | House spirit leaves when gift of clothing is left for it. (Cf. F348.11.) England: *Baughman. |
| F482.7 | House spirits fight each other. Norwegian: Solheim Register 19. |
| F480.3.1 | House to make household-spirit (cobold) surrender his booty. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3476. |
| F481.2.2 | House-spirit furnishes inexhaustible supply of food. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F480.1 | House-spirit in form of a sow. Kittredge Witchcraft 216, 524 n. |
| F480.4 | House-spirit in form of baby. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F480.5 | House-spirit without bones or hair. Eskimo (Central): Boas RBAE VI 636. |
| F480 | House-spirits. *Kittredge Witchcraft 215f., 523f.; Meyer Germanen 213ff.; Meyer Altgermanische 109.—Icelandic: Boberg; Finnish: Holmberg Finno-Ugric 159ff.; *Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 30ff. Nos. 263—374 passim, 42 Nos. 337, 339; Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 324 No. 153; Slovenian: *L. Kretzenbacher Germanische Mythen in der epischen Volksdichtung der Slowenen (Graz, 1941) 49—79; Eskimo: Boas BAM XV 331, RBAE VI 636. |
| F488.1 | Household spirit herds sheep, has great trouble coralling the lambs (rabbits). (Cf. J1757.) England: *Baughman. |
| F147 | Houses at border of otherworld. (Cf. F163.3.) *Siuts 44ff. |
| F411 | How spirits travel. |
| F472 | Huckauf. A goblin which jumps on one's back. *Kittredge Witchcraft 220f., 528f. nn. 78—79; Dutch: Sinninghe FFC CXXXII 68 No. 291; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3425, Legends Nos. 827—832. |
| F1041.9.2.1 | Huge boil appears on forehead of youth keeping a secret. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F935.1 | Huge tank has no water in spite of plentiful rains. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F460.2.9 | Huldra have cattle. (Cf. F241.2.) Norwegian: Solheim Register 19. |
| F460.2.10 | Huldra have drinking-horn. Norwegian: Solheim Register 19. |
| F460.2.8 | Huldra have drum. Norwegian: Solheim Register 19. |
| F460.2.5 | Huldra have lake. Norwegian: Solheim Register 19. |
| F460.1.7 | Huldra invisible. Hartmann 37. |
| F460.2.6 | Huldra live like people. Have own churches, king, soldiers, etc. Hartmann 37. |
| F460.2.13 | Huldra sing songs. Norwegian: Hartmann 35, 37. |
| F460.2.11 | Huldra tend herds in mountains. Hartmann 35. |
| F460.4.2.5 | Huldra trade cattle with men. Norwegian: Hartmann 35. |
| F460.1.6 | Huldra-men with long teeth and nose. Norwegian: Hartmann 37. |
| F460.1.4.3 | Huldra-woman's cap. Norwegian: Solheim Register 19. |
| F460.1.5 | Huldra-women have cow's tails. (Cf. F232.8, F518, F531.1.6.14.) Norwegian: Hartmann 37. |
| F371 | Human being reared in fairyland. Irish myth: *Cross; Scotland: Baughman. |
| F368 | Human beings as game in fairy hunt. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F552.1.4 | Human fingers not separated. Jewish: Neuman. |
| F839.4 | Human head as weapon. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F953.1 | Hunchback cured by having hump severely beaten. India: *Thompson-Balys; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 233; Africa (Nyanja): Rattray Some Folk-Lore Stories and Songs in Chinyanja (London, 1907) 149ff. No. 24. |
| F451.2.1.4 | Hunchback dwarf. (Cf. F420.1.4.4.) Africa (Gold Coast): Barker and Sinclair 63 No. 9. |
| F515.0.2.1 | Hundred-handed giants. Greek: *Frazer Apollodorus I 3 n. 2. |
| F989.15 | Hunt for extraordinary (magic) animal. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F1034.1 | Husband concealed in wife's ear. Hindu: Tawney II 578. |
| F300.2 | Husband pursues fairy wife to heaven. Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 55. |
| F661.9.1 | Husband shoots arrows, barely missing wife's ears. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F842.1.2 | Ice bridge. Patch PMLA XXXIII 610 n. 30. |
| F935.2 | Ice forms while fish leaps from pool. Irish: O'Suilleabhain 74. |
| F561.2 | Ichthyophages. People who live on fish. *Chauvin VII 86 No. 373bis n. 4; Irish myth: Cross; India: Thompson-Balys; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| F962.9 | Icicles gathered by saint as firewood burn. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F236.0.1 | Ill-dressed otherworld person. Irish myth: *Cross |
| F956.2 | Illegitimacy of child discovered by urinalysis. *Campbell Sages lxxxiv (Medicus). |
| F1041.21.1 | Illness from excessive grief. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| F1041.9.2 | Illness from keeping a secret. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F1041.9.3 | Illness from shame of enemies' scorn. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| F855.4 | Image takes thousand men to carry it. Jewish: Neuman. |
| F855.1 | Image with pointing finger. Inscription says, "Dig here." Treasure etc. found when directions are followed. Oesterley Gesta Romanorum No. 107; Herbert III 191. |
| F959.6.2 | Immunity to poison by eating poisons. (Mithridates.) Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 284. |
| F965.3 | Impenetrable darkness. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| F481.3 | Impossible to rid oneself of cobold. (Cf. F482.3.1.) *Taylor MPh XV 736 n. 2; *BP II 422 n. 1; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3467. |
| F393.3 | Impoverished fairy seeks fortune among mortals. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F932.6.3 | In dead of night waters of stream cease flowing and stand perfectly still. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F451.4.6 | In dwarf land sunrise is at midnight. German: Eckart 7. |
| F767 | Inaccessible city. Chauvin V 33 No. 16; Jewish: Neuman. |
| F1009 | Inanimate object acts as if living. |
| F990 | Inanimate objects act as if living. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F471.2 | Incubus. A male demon who comes in sleep and has sexual intercourse with a woman. *Kittredge Witchcraft 116, 444ff. nn. 103—155 passim; *Loomis White Magic 77; Irish myth: Cross; Welsh: ibid.; Finnish: Aarne FFC XXXIII 44 No. 59; Germanic: De la Saussaye 293f.; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV 126 No. 59; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3682; S. A. Indian (Araucanian): Alexander Lat. Am. 328; Africa (Fang): Einstein 175. |
| F252.1.2 | Indra has control over fairies. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F964.5 | Indra's tank blazes like gold. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F675 | Ingenious carpenter. Penzer III 282—4, 296—300; Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
| F30 | Inhabitant of upper world visits earth. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F771.4 | Inhabitants of extraordinary castle. |
| F167 | Inhabitants of otherworld. *Siuts 107ff. |
| F1084.0.1 | Inlay melts from sword with heat of striking. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F147.4 | Inn at border of otherworld. *Siuts 46. |
| F1041.15 | Inordinate longing. (Cf. D1041.1.4.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| F167.1.3 | Insects in otherworld. |
| F831.1 | Invisible arrow. Visible to only one person. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 356 n. 287b. |
| F451.5.17.1 | Invisible dwarfs at christening feast made to speak by brewing beer in egg-shell. (Cf. F321.1.1.1, F481.4.) German: Pröhle Harz. No. 229. |
| F412.1 | Invisible spirit speaks. Tobler 93. |
| F455.5.2 | Invisible troll attends wedding and eats food. Hartmann 73. |
| F420.1.5.1 | Invisible water-spirit claps hands and speaks. Tobler 99. |
| F610.3.1 | Invulnerable berserk. (Cf. D1840.) Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| F875 | Iron bands around heart to keep it from breaking. When master is disenchanted, bands around heart of faithful servant snap one by one. *Type 440; *BP I 1ff.; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| F841.1.13 | Iron boat. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| F51.1.6 | Iron chain hanging from heaven. Korean: Zong in-Sob 10. |
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