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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 ▲ |
|---|---|
| K2116.2 | Man falsely accused of murder. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1787 | Man falsely claims to have killed elephant with his flat hand. Rewarded. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1265 | Man falsely reported insane. No one will believe him. *Wesselski Arlotto II 225 No. 92, Morlini 275; Alphabet No. 770; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys. Cf. Malvolio in Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night". |
| K911.2 | Man feigns death to stab brother who comes to grieve. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1349.1.5 | Man feigns sick in order to enter room of princess skilled in healing, and woos her for his friend. (Cf. K1818, T51.1.1.) Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K341.2.2.1 | Man feigns sickness in order to go back to steal hidden gold. (Cf. K325.) Chinese: Graham. |
| K832.4 | Man gets bear off guard by telling her to listen for hunters: kills her. Chinese: Graham. |
| K1371.5 | Man gets bridegroom drunk and enjoys the bride. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 424. |
| K330.1 | Man gulled into giving up his clothes. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 332 n. 199 (occurs in most versions). |
| K1271.1.4.1 | Man having seen woman and lover from roof threatens to tell about it; is paid to stop. *Type 1360B; Lappish: Qvigstad Lappiske Eventyr III No. 84. |
| K1971.14 | Man hidden behind idol in temple tells robbers they will have good booty but should leave half of it in the temple. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1271.1.4.2 | Man hidden in roof (or elsewhere) sees girl and lover: blows horn. They flee and leave him in possession. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1271.1.4 | Man hidden in roof sees girl and lover and falls: they flee and leave him in possession. *Types 1360, 1776; Wesselski Morlini 303 No. 54; Lithuanian: Balys Legends No. 890; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K547.3 | Man hides in hollow log, fires rifle while Indians are sitting on the log, scares them away. U.S.: Baughman. |
| K521.4.1.2 | Man in danger of life dressed by hostess as woman and set to baking. English: Child IV 151ff. |
| K521.4.1.3 | Man in danger of life dressed by hostess as woman and set to grinding corn. Icelandic: Hrуmundar saga Greipssonar 337, Boberg. |
| K521.4.1.4 | Man in danger of life takes his wife's place in the bed with her night-cap on. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K611.4 | Man in devils' power makes them believe he will return and is permitted to leave. Deceives them. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3303, Legends Nos. 578ff. |
| K1342.1.1 | Man in magic hiding box bought by girl's father. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1911.4 | Man in woman's clothing poses as bride for beggar. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1317.9 | Man intercepts love letter and takes lover's place in elopement. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K984 | Man is lured into sitting in a mechanical chair and is killed. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K776.2 | Man is made drunk and left in temple at mercy of demons. Chinese: Graham. |
| K1923.2 | Man is made to believe that his married daughter has borne a child. In reality it is a foundling. When the supposed mother dies her father is about to forfeit dowry, when the child's real parents claim him. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K306.3 | Man is robbed of gold chain while with prostitute. He swallows her string of pearls in revenge. (Cf. K302.1.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1347 | Man is ushered into maiden's room by maidservant. He then takes the latter's place in the mistress's bed. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K818.1 | Man killed with sword, which he himself is tricked into passing to captured enemy. Herrmann Saxo II 197—98; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K952.2.1 | Man kills giant bear by crawling inside and cutting his way out. Eskimo (Greenland): Rink 438. |
| K893.1 | Man leads pursuers to edge of thin ice, swerves suddenly; they fall through the ice. U.S.: Baughman. |
| K2297.1 | Man leaves his sweetheart in charge of friend. He tries to force his attentions upon her and then claims it was a test of fidelity. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K525.5 | Man leaves mantle so that only mantle is hit. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K833 | Man lured into aiding trickster who has feigned an accident or needs help. Is killed. Italian Novella: Rotunda; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (T-G 3/59); S. A. Indian (Toba): Métraux MAFLS XL 74. |
| K341.29 | Man lures fox-husband of girl away by means of cock-decoy and runs away with the girl. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K959.2.3 | Man murdered at his wife's side. (Cf. K873.1.) Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K918 | Man murdered while praying. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K233.4 | Man orders a bottle of beer, then returns it and takes a loaf of bread instead. He refuses to pay for the bread because he has returned the beer undrunk. He refuses to pay for the beer because he has not drunk it. U.S.: Baughman. |
| K1911.1.5.1 | Man palms off elder daughter as younger on wedding night. Jewish: Neuman. |
| K1162 | Man persuaded to go to store with scythe. Is tied up as madman. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K825.4 | Man persuaded to hold out hand for alleged letter from king. Hand cut off. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K567.2 | Man persuades robbers to postpone killing him until he can show them his treasure. Leads them into marsh and escapes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K751.2 | Man plays dead and hides in money chest: catches thief. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2010.1 | Man pretends friendship but attacks king to avenge violation of his wife. **A. H. Krappe The Legend of Roderick, the last of the Visigothic Kings and the Ermanarich Cycle (Heidelberg, 1923); Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K2021.2 | Man pretends to kiss relative: bites him instead. Jewish: Neuman. |
| K2112.2.1 | Man puts donkey's foal under princess's bed-cover and accuses her of lying with it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K231.10 | Man refuses to pay murderer for killing and kills him. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K521.1.1 | Man sewed in animal's hide carried off by birds. Penzer I 141 n. 2; Frobenius Das Zeitalter des Sonnengottes (Berlin, 1904) I 199ff; Jewish: Grünbaum Neue Beiträge zur semitischen Sagenkunde (Leyden, 1893) 234f. |
| K1715.1.3 | Man shows demon reflection and frightens him. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1715.1.2 | Man shows ghost its own reflection and frightens it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2121 | Man slandered as having deflowered princess. (Cf. K2114.) *Boje 74ff.; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K341.24 | Man stands on pillory to attract attention. Confederate picks pockets of men who come to jeer. England: Baughman. |
| K525.2 | Man steps aside so that only his shadow is caught. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 47 No. 325A*. |
| K2297.2 | Man takes his friend's mistress when the friend is away. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K547.2 | Man takes off wig, takes out false teeth, takes off wooden leg, overawes Indians. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| K2112.3 | Man taking refuge in woman's house causes her false accusation. *Bolte Frey 253 No. 95. |
| K952.2 | Man transforms self to gadfly to enter giant's stomach and kill him. S. A. Indian (Tehuelche): Alexander Lat. Am. 336. |
| K2384 | Man tricked to be one's sworn brother in order to secure his help against his mother. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1955.1.1 | Man undertakes to cure fat abbot of stomach ailment. Starves him until he admits he can eat anything. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K212.1 | Man whispers in devil's ear that his wife is approaching with her broom again. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2321.1 | Man who killed mother uses her corpse to get presents. Eskimo (Greenland): Rasmussen III 161. |
| K238.2 | Man who owes 1000 ducats has his creditor arrested for owing him ten. Thus he hopes to postpone payment of his own debt. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1917.5 | Man wins girl's love by pretending to wealth and nobility. Deception is discovered and impostor is banished. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1321.1.3 | Man wishes to learn and gains entrance to learned girl's presence in woman's disguise. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K974 | Man with deformed head slays his barbers. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1386 | Man won over by woman's obscene trick. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K2110.1.1 | Man's mistress accuses his wife of having leprosy. Chinese: Graham. |
| K415.1 | Many persons admit theft so that it is impossible to find real thief. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2369.1 | Marauder pretends beggary that king will underestimate his power. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K551.3.6.2 | Mare is allowed to dance before being killed; it dashes off to jungle with persecuted boy hidden in belly. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1919 | Marital impostors—miscellaneous. |
| K1910 | Marital impostors. |
| K415 | Marked culprit marks everyone else and escapes detection. *Type 950; BP III 395ff.; *Schoepperle I 214 n. 3; Boccaccio Decameron III No. 2 (Lee 62); *Penzer V 274f., 284, VII 36, 217ff.; *Chauvin V 83 No. 24 n. 2; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2440*; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys; Philippine: Fansler MAFLS XII 435; Africa: Werner African 223. |
| K1616.1 | Marooned egg-gatherer. The father-in-law has the youth hunt eggs on an island and deserts him, but the youth outwits him. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 326 n. 175. Cf. Spanish: Espinosa II No. 49. |
| K1616.2 | Marooned man hides himself in ogre's clothes and outwits him. Type 1118*; Russian: Andrejev No. 1118. |
| K1616 | Marooned man reaches home and outwits marooner. |
| K1317.1.1 | Master in serving-man's place in woman's bed. (Cf. K1569.7.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1963.3 | Master posing as magician plays tricks on his servant. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K634.2 | Master thief persuades captors to dive into water: steals their clothes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K341.13.1 | Master thief pretends to throw needle and thread in anger at his son. But it contains stolen cloth. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K331.2.1.2 | Master thief puts guards to sleep and steals meat. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K331.2.1 | Master thief puts watchers to sleep and cuts off their hair. (Cf. K301.) *Fischer and Bolte 215; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K301 | Master thief. Man undertakes to steal various closely guarded things. Succeeds by cleverness. *Type 1525; *BP III 379; *Fb "stjæle" III 575b; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 850; Werner Zs. f. Vksk. XXXIX 71ff.; Wesselski Theorie 17f. — Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; French Canadian: Sister Marie Ursule; Missouri French: Carrière; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Italian: Basile Pentamerone V No. 7; Greek: *Frazer Pausanias IV 192; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda; Indonesia: DeVries Volksverhalen II 385 No. 157; Philippine: Fansler MAFLS XII 71f.; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 349—51, 446f.; Africa: Weeks Jungle 43, (Duala): Lederbogen JAS IV 65, (Cameroon): Lederbogen 129f. |
| K1466 | Master's mother killed: wood heaved on her head. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2213.1 | Matron of Ephesus. (Vidua.) A woman mourns night and day by her husband's grave. A knight guarding a hanged man is about to lose his life because of the corpse he has stolen from the gallows. The matron offers him her love and substitutes her husband's corpse on the gallows so that the knight can escape. *Type 1510; **Grisebach Die Wanderung der Novelle von der treulosen Witwe durch die Weltliteratur (Berlin, 1889); *Crane Vitry 228 No. 232; *Chauvin VIII 210 No. 254; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 752; Irish myth: *Cross; Spanish: Espinosa II No. 93; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Jewish: *Neuman, bin Gorion Born Judas III 240ff.; *315. |
| K735.1 | Mats over holes as pitfall. India: *Thompson-Balys; Melanesia, Indonesia: Dixon 69 nn. 44, 45, DeVries's Volksverhalen II 385 No. 158; New Zealand: Dixon 61; Africa (Fjort): Dennett 53 No. 8, (Angola): Chatelain 91 No. 5; West Indies: Flowers 524. |
| K310 | Means of entering house or treasury. |
| K359 | Means of hoodwinking guardian or owner—miscellaneous. |
| K330 | Means of hoodwinking the guardian or owner. |
| K1460 | Members of dupe's family killed. |
| K929.7 | Men deceived into killing each other. Irish myth: Cross; Africa (Wute): Sieber ZsES XII 60ff. |
| K1321.4 | Men disguised as women enter convent and seduce impious nuns. (Cf. K1323.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1087.0.1 | Men disrobe and report they have been attacked: bring about war. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K581.2.1 | Men double up hare's legs and throw him on the ground as punishment. He escapes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K912.2 | Men lured into serpent pit one by one and killed. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K812.2 | Men lured to their death when their fields are set on fire. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K551.3.6.3 | Men ordered to dance before being killed. Dance figure arranged so as to defeat captors. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1077 | Men tricked into bathing in "disease-water". India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1816.0.3 | Menial disguise of princess's lover. *Types 301, 314, 900; *BP I 446; Child V 109ff., 116ff., 305a; Wells 14 (The Lay of Havelok) 19 (Sir Beves of Hamtoun), 147 (Ipomadon); Icelandic: *Boberg; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (z-G. 13/10, 221, 343). |
| K258.2 | Merchant buys the same article several times from the same or different seller. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| K1087.1 | Message falsified to bring about death of lovers. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1612 | Message of death fatal to sender. (Gang nach dem Eisenhammer.) A man is sent by the king to burners of a kiln who have been instructed to throw the first arrival into the fire. The intended victim goes elsewhere and the king's son (or the man's accuser), who next arrives, is burned instead. *Type 930; **J. Schick Das Glückskind mit dem Todesbrief (1932); *Aarne FFC XXIII 73ff.; *Penzer II 113; **Cosquin études 73ff., 129ff.; *Chauvin VIII 145; *Fb "teglovn"; *Wesselski Mönchslatein 40 No. 34; *Oesterley No. 283; Scala Celi 130b No. 713; *Herbert III 198, 589; *Gaster Exempla 239f., 246f. Nos. 320, 345; *Hilka Neue Beiträge zur Erzählungsliteratur des Mittelalters No. 6; *bin Gorion Born Judas V 226f.; Verdam Handelingen en Mededeelingen der Maatschappij der Nederlandsche Letterkunde (1898—99; bijlage) 1ff.; *Taylor MPh XV 177; BP IV 352; Hdwb. d. Märchens I 509; *Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 17 No. 8.—Icelandic: Sveinsson FFC LXXXIII xxiv, Boberg; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 229, Voorhoeve No. 151, 142. |
| K978.2 | Message of death lost. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K978.1 | Message of death. Man carries unwittingly an oral order for his own execution. See all references to K1612. |
| K1323.1 | Messenger from lover to girl-captive in harem poses as a singer who amuses the harem ladies in their apartments. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2351.3 | Mice and hogs let loose put elephant cavalry to flight. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 528; Spanish: Espinosa III Nos. 246—248; Jewish: Neuman. |
| K632 | Mice gnaw enemies' bow strings and prevent pursuit. *Fb "bue" IV 76b; Jewish: *Neuman; N. A. Indian (Hupa): Goddard U Cal I 154ff. |
| K1923.5 | Midwife takes child and substitutes it for king's stillborn child. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2369 | Military strategy—miscellaneous. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K2369.6 | Military strategy: city won by turning river from its course through city. Enemy soldiers march through empty bed into city. Spanish Exempla: Keller; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K2350 | Military strategy. |
| K231.6.1 | Milk bought on credit poured into one container. The trickster buys it from various women. After it is all poured together he says that each may have her own back. *Pauli (ed Bolte) No. 644. |
| K1175 | Minister dupes raja into entering body of dead parrot, then enters rajah's body. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1785 | Miracle must wait till one man is sacrificed. No one volunteers and it does not need to be performed. *Wesselski Mönchslatein 118 No. 99. |
| K1886.1 | Mirage. Illusory water and land. Hindu: Tawney I 260. |
| K2370 | Miscellaneous deceptions. |
| K341.28 | Miser enticed from his money by report of "money tree". India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2097 | Miser goes to mass before committing usury. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K711.2.1 | Miser induced to thrust his head into bag; noose pulled by thief afterwards. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1082.1 | Missile thrown among enemies causes them to fight one another. DeVries Tijdschrift voor Nederlandsche Taal- en Letterkunde XLVII 73; Icelandic: Boberg; Greek: Frazer Apollodorus I 317 n. 1; Indonesia: De Vries's list No. 286. |
| K1223 | Mistress deceives lover with a substitute. Type 1441*; Toldo Zs. f. Vksk. XIV 47; Boccaccio Decameron VIII No. 4 (Lee 254); Icelandic: Boberg; Russian: Andrejev No. 1441*; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1223.2 | Mistress sends man's own wife as substitute without his knowledge. *Gaster Exempla 222 No. 173; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1886.2 | Mists which lead astray. Irish myth: *Cross; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "brume". |
| K1286 | Mock initiation for dupe. Boccaccio Decameron VIII No. 9. |
| K1886.3.3 | Mock sunrise causes supernaturals (thieves) to drop burdens and flee. (Cf. F420.3.4.2.) Tahiti: Henry 589; Tonga: Gifford 88ff. |
| K1886.3.2 | Mock sunrise: dupe made to believe that flaunted bare buttocks are the rising sun. Tonga: Gifford 87—88. |
| K1886.3.1 | Mock sunrise: person causes cock to crow (simulates cock crow). Marquesas: Handy 32, 109; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 516; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (z-G. 3/1146, T-G. 1/78); Tahiti: Henry 589; Tonga: Gifford 90, 144. |
| K1886.3 | Mock sunrise. Contract is to be fulfilled at dawn. Wolf makes fire as mock sunrise. Is caught. Cape Verde Islands: *Parsons MAFLS XV(1) 6 n. 1. |
| K1962.1 | Mohammed puts seed in his ears and when doves trained to feed there come, he tells people that they bring messages from God. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K1642 | Mole as trickster killed in his own tunnel. He tricks the fox by going through the tunnel and eating the common food, but the fox sees the molehill and kills him. Africa (Angola): Chatelain 203 No. 29. |
| K443 | Money (or other things) acquired by blackmail. U.S.: Baughman; India: Thompson-Balys; West Indies: Flowers 512. |
| K443.4 | Money exacted from watcher who permits theft of wooden cow supposed to be real. *Type 1535; *BP II 1ff. |
| K443.3.1 | Money exacted from watchers who permit chest to be stolen. The chest is said falsely to be full of money and the watchers subject to severe punishment. *Type 1535; *BP II 10. |
| K443.3 | Money exacted from watchers who permit goods to be stolen. Japanese: Ikeda; Korean: Zong in-Sob 196 No. 95. |
| K482 | Money received to bury sham-dead person. |
| K1915.1 | Monk becomes husband to girl at night, so that his friend may have dowry. Heptameron No. 56. |
| K361.4 | Monk entrusted with care of getting husband for girl, takes dowry himself. Heptameron No. 56. |
| K1367 | Monk persuades a father to set daughter afloat in box: monk seduces her. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1043.1 | Monkey "shares" ointment with tiger: produces sores. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K644 | Monkey attracts attention of mowers until young birds can fly away from the harvest field. Japanese: Ikeda; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 82. |
| K461.2 | Monkey causes girl to cry as if from hunger: eats food given her. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K171.9 | Monkey cheats fox of his share of bananas. Climbs on a tree and tosses peelings down upon fox. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1839.3 | Monkey dresses in dead mistress's gown; frightens household. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K579.2 | Monkey in danger on bridge of crocodiles pretends that the king has ordered them counted. India: Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Anesaki 317, Ikeda; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 7, Dixon 190 n. 10. |
| K1625 | Monkey instead of girl in floating basket: hermit made laughing-stock. He has persuaded girl's foolish father to place her in the basket. Prince takes girl and leaves monkey in her place. (Cf. K1333, K1674.) Penzer II 445. |
| K831.2 | Monkey killed by girls who pretend to wash its buttocks. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K812.3 | Monkey lures tiger into tree-top and sets fire to it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1722 | Monkey pretends that his house always answers him. India: *Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 31. |
| K579.4 | Monkey saved from trap by feigning marriage. Chinese: Graham; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 6. |
| K645 | Monkey saves condemned birds through feigned dream. Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 81. |
| K891.3 | Monkey tricked into jumping in water and drowning self. Jackal hides in reeds which screen water. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K343.4 | Monkeys lure tortoise into a tree and carry away his load of salt. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1918 | Monster disguises and wins girl. Borrows wedding garments one by one; later returns them one by one and reveals monster form. Jamaica: *Beckwith MAFLS XVII 273 No. 85; West Indies: Flowers 548. |
| K1317.8 | Moorish (black) girl substituted for mistress (in the dark). Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1811.0.1 | Mortal entertained by disguised god. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1301 | Mortal woman seduced by a god. (Cf. K1315.1.) See references to D658.2. Irish: MacCulloch Celtic 62, 80, *Cross; India: Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 165f.; Africa (Fang): Einstein 94, Trilles 137. |
| K2111.5 | Mother falsely accuses son of incest with her. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K1945.1.1 | Mother-in-law's head is shaven, face blackened and she is led around city on ass-back as only cure for malady of daughter-in-law. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K331.4 | Mouse's tail in mouth of sleeping owner causes him to cough up magic object. India: Thompson-Balys; Africa (Kordofan): Frobenius Atlantis IV 134ff. No. 13. |
| K431 | Mouse's tail in mouth of sleeping thief causes him to cough up swallowed magic ring. *Type 560; *Aarne MSFO XXV 51; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K42.2 | Mowing contest won by trickery. The man takes the center of the field. The ogre is given a dull sickle and mows around the outside of the field. *Type 1090; Danish: Kristensen Danske Sagn I (1892) 456ff., (1928) 284ff. |
| K1423 | Mowing grass: the meadow torn up. Type 1203*. |
| K144.3 | Mud sold as fresh butter. India: Thompson-Balys |
| K1834 | Multiple disguise: one person disguising successively seems to be many. India: Thompson-Balys; Africa (Nyang): Ittman 62f. |
| K923 | Murder by bleeding: taking more blood than victim realizes. England: Baughman. |
| K957 | Murder by blinding. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K955.3 | Murder by burning arrow. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K955.2 | Murder by burning in hot oil. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K955 | Murder by burning. Type 930; Aarne FFC XXIII 85, 92; Jewish: Neuman. |
| K951 | Murder by choking. |
| K953.4 | Murder by crushing in false embrace. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 996. |
| K956 | Murder by destroying external soul. Type 302. |
| K958 | Murder by drowning. (Cf. K926.) Greek: Grote I 269; Papua: Ker 30, 52, 147; S. A. Indian (Chiriguano): Métraux RMLP XXXIII 163, (Tupinamba): ibid. 135. |
| K951.2 | Murder by feeding with bread full of pins. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 38 No. 285A*. |
| K951.6 | Murder by feeding with honey-covered sharpened cross-pieces of wood. S. A. Indian (Toba): Métraux MAFLS XL 71. |
| K929.6 | Murder by feigned quarrel. Peacemaker killed. Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| K951.1.1 | Murder by hot iron in mouth. India: *Thompson-Balys; Philippine (Tinguian): Cole 199; Africa (Boloki): Einstein 114, (Upoto): Einstein 141. |
| K953.1 | Murder by lacing corset tight. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 63 No. 453. |
| K929.1 | Murder by leaving poisoned wine. See all references to K1685. |
| K929.9 | Murder by pushing off cliff. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 356; Chinese: Graham; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 331; Africa (Wachaga): Gutmann 188. |
| K951.4 | Murder by putting clod into person's windpipe. Africa (Zulu): Callaway 55. |
| K959.1 | Murder by putting mouth of pot over victim's head. Africa (Bushman): Bleek and Lloyd 123, 125. |
| K955.1 | Murder by scalding. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K929.5 | Murder by slipping gold coins into meat customarily demanded by enemy. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K953 | Murder by squeezing. |
| K929 | Murder by strategy—miscellaneous. |
| K910 | Murder by strategy. Types 10**, 221, 228; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| K951.1.3 | Murder by throwing hot fruit into victim's mouth. Papua: Ker 103. |
| K951.1 | Murder by throwing hot stones in the mouth. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 38 No. 285A*; Japanese: Ikeda; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 33; Papua: Ker 103; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 324 n. 167; Africa (Wachaga): Gutmann 188. |
| K951.3 | Murder by throwing poisoned bread into mouth. Hdwb. d. Märchens I 334b. |
| K951.1.2 | Murder by thrusting spear (tongs) into mouth. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K953.2 | Murder by wrapping snake around man. Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 10. |
| K579.6 | Murder feigned to effect escape. Knight is refused permission to leave city. He rushes to city gates and pretends that he has just killed a public enemy. Is aided in his escape. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K914 | Murder from ambush. Icelandic: Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K959.4 | Murder from behind. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K959.2 | Murder in one's sleep. Italian Novella: Rotunda; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K986 | Murder induced by bribery (lands, riches, wives). Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K928 | Murder through transformation. |
| K2116.4 | Murderer makes outcry so that innocent person is accused of murder. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K619 | Murderer or captor beguiled—miscellaneous. |
| K600 | Murderer or captor otherwise beguiled. |
| K521.4.2.1 | Musician in danger puts on his musician's attire as if about to play; escapes. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 868. |
| K606.1.3 | Musician in hell playing for the devils, purposely breaks fiddle strings. Must return to earth to repair strings. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3276, Legends Nos. 467—471. |
| K231.1.2 | Mutual agreement to divide food. Trickster eats other's food and then refuses to divide his own. Christiansen FFC XXIV 46; India: *Thompson-Balys; West Indies: Flowers 501. |
| K231.1.1 | Mutual agreement to sacrifice family members in famine. Trickster refuses to carry out his part of the bargain. Louisiana Creole: Fortier MAFLS II 109; India: *Thompson-Balys; Africa: Meinhof 200, (Ekoi): Talbot 337, (Nigeria): Tremaine FL XXI 492, (Vandau): Curtis Songs and Tales from the Dark Continent (New York, 1920) 44; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 230ff. Nos. 39, 40, 41; Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 241 No. 14; Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 109 n. 2; West Indies: Flowers 499ff. |
| K304 | Nations of thieves. Jewish: Neuman. |
| K401.2.2 | Necklace dropped by crow into snake's hole leads men to kill snake which had eaten the crow's fledglings. Bødker Exempler 281 No. 25; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K266 | New bags for old! Recovery of the old bag (containing money or having magic power) which the stupid wife has given away. The husband exchanges a new bag for it. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 201 No. 393; Chauvin V 64 n. 1. |
| K2213.4.2 | Noah's secret betrayed by his wife. The devil persuades his wife to intoxicate him and then find out what he is doing (building the ark). Dh I 258. |
| K1816.10.1 | Nobleman disguises as cobbler to woo woodcutter's daughter. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1611.4 | Noose changed so that ogre's daughter is dragged to death. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K216.3 | Not to sleep for three successive nights. The sleepy man: "I am just thinking, that on earth there are more crooked trees than straight ones ... more hills than plains ... more water than land ..." The devil goes to ascertain these things, meanwhile the man sleeps. Unsuccessful imitation by another man. Lithuanian: Balys Index. No. 813*. |
| K476.2.1 | Nugget of supposed gold (lead) given to help build church: money then borrowed. *Wesselski Bebel I 230 No. 141. |
| K1923.1 | Nurse exchanges children so that the preferred child will be assured of wealth. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K2312.1 | Oath literally obeyed: to tell no Christian. Woman thus sworn to secrecy talks to her unchristened child. Scottish: Campbell-McKay No. 20. |
| K2312 | Oath literally obeyed. |
| K335.1.1 | Object falls on robbers from tree. They flee and leave money. India: *Thompson-Balys; Korean: Zong in-Sob 144, 147 No. 64. |
| K525.3 | Object substituted for murdered person so as to allay suspicion. Africa (Venda): Stayt The Bavenda (London, 1931) 343f. No. 6. |
| K1082.2 | Object thrown into air causes enemies to fight over it. Norse: Hdwb. d. Märchens I 440a n. 287. |
| K499.2 | Object with a hollow as instrument of cheats. |
| K1883.2 | Objects (animals) attacked under the illusion that they are men. Irish: *Cross, Plummer clxix; Icelandic: *Krappe études 131, *Boberg; Maori: Beckwith Myth 398. Cf. Sophocles's Ajax, Cervantes' Don Quixote. |
| K359.5 | Objects stolen by means of magic impersonation. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1218.9 | Obscene tricks are played on repugnant simpleton who wishes to marry. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1271.1.4.3 | Observer of intrigue insists on sharing in it (or enjoys the girl after putting the man to flight). Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 46; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K11.9 | Obstacle race between deer and hare. Hare accused of removing obstacles from his course. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2136 | Officers praised in reverse from their real merit: trouble for them and their master. Type 1579*. |
| K511.2 | Ogam inscription on shield orders that bearer (who does not know meaning) shall be killed. Poet (who recognizes the meaning) reports to king that inscription means a request for honorable treatment. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1710 | Ogre (large animal) overawed. Missouri French: Carrière; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 5; India: Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 14 Nos. 3, 4; Africa (Wachaga): Gutmann 191f.; West Indies: Flowers 542. |
| K713.1.5 | Ogre allows self to be tied so as to learn magic. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K522.2 | Ogre carries sham-dead man. "He smells already." Type 1139; cf. Indonesian: Coster-Wijsman 52 Nos. 77, 78. |
| K1827.0.1 | Ogre disguised as holy man. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2011.1.1 | Ogre father poses as mother and kills child. Africa (Rundi): Zuure L'Ame du Murundi (Paris, 1932) 340ff. No. E5, 345f. No. E7, (Luba): DeClerq ZsKS IV 213ff. No. 13. |
| K2345 | Ogre frightened at rustling. Man sets juniper afire. Type 1145; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| K547.6 | Ogre frightened away by beating tom-tom. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K711.3 | Ogre frightened into rolling self in mat: burned. Africa (Nubian): Rochemonteix Quelques Contes Nubiens (Cairo, 1888) 55ff. No. 5, (Swahili): Steere 13ff. |
| K1111.3 | Ogre helps tortoise who snaps jaws to and catches him. Africa (Fang): Tessman 16. |
| K1918.1.1 | Ogre imposes on widow by assuming form of dead husband. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1117 | Ogre induced to sit on reversed harrow. Type 1059*. |
| K1733 | Ogre made to believe hero has withstood fire. Hero escapes and after the room he has been in is burned he returns and is found sitting in the ashes. "It was a bit hot," he says. *Type 1116. |
| K1711 | Ogre made to believe small hero is large: overawed. India: Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 245; Africa (Ila, Rhodesia): Smith and Dale II 359 No. 12. |
| K1718 | Ogre overawed by hero's boasts about marvelous relatives. |
| K912.3 | Ogre suitor persuaded by woman to bury her murdered lover: she cuts off his head. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1756 | Ogre terrified by an iron man. In order to save the king's daughter from the ogre an iron man is forged. *Type 1162. |
| K1755 | Ogre terrified by woman's legs. He has formerly been caught in a vise. On his approach, the man's wife stands on her head and ogre thinks her legs are a vise. He flees. *Type 1159; *BP II 530 n. 3. Cf. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1154*, 1164C*. |
| K1111.1 | Ogre's (dwarf's) beard caught fast. *Types 1160, 426; BP III 259; Grimm No. 4 (type 326), 161 (type 426). |
| K1615 | Ogre's own moccasins burned. The ogre plans to burn the hero's moccasins while they are camping together, but the hero exchanges the moccasins. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 325 n. 172. |
| K1082 | Ogres (large animals, sharp-elbowed women) duped into fighting each other. Trickster strikes one so that he thinks the other has done it. *Type 1640; BP I 148ff.; Köhler-Bolte I 565; French Canadian: Barbeau JAFL XXIX 20; Greek: Fox 112 (Jason); India: Thompson-Balys; Korean: Zong in-Sob 175 No. 75; Indonesia: DeVries's list Nos. 42, 43, 44; Eskimo (Mackenzie area): Jenness 44; Koryak: Jochelson JE VI 37, 376; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 327 n. 181; Africa: Weeks Jungle 39ff. |
| K961.2.2 | Ogress wife demands eyes of six wives of raja or she will die. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K455.3 | Old beggar disguised as gentleman: much money borrowed on his credit. *Type 1526; *BP III 394 (4). |
| K1556 | Old Hildebrand. Hidden cuckold reveals his presence by rhymes. He responds to the rhymes made by the wife and paramour concerning their entertainment. *Type 1360C; **Anderson Der Schwank vom alten Hildebrand (Dorpat, 1931); *BP II 373; Hdwb. d. Märchens I 188a nn. 164—5; Spanish: Espinosa II No. 93, III No. 193. |
| K499.3 | Old man cheats crocodile by playing on its ignorance of agriculture. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K929.10 | Old wife provokes sparrow to speak and therefore drop new wife whom he is carrying in his beak. India: Thompson-Balys. |
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