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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 ▲ |
|---|---|
| L315 | Small animal overcomes large. *BP II 437. |
| L315.15 | Small animals dupe larger into trap. Africa (Bankon): Ittman 85, (Wachaga): Gutmann 190, (Cameroon): Lederbogen 19. |
| L311.5 | Small boy overcomes enraged gorilla. Africa: Stanley 281ff. |
| L113.6 | Smith as hero. Icelandic: Þiðriks saga I 73ff., 114—34 (Velent), Boberg. |
| L431.3 | Sneering princess is impregnated by magic. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| L212.2 | Solomon, offered any gift from God, chooses wisdom. Granted wisdom and wealth. Irish myth: Cross. |
| L142.3 | Son surpasses father in skill. Jewish: *Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| L114.2 | Spendthrift hero. Type 969; Missouri French: Carrière; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| L113.1.2 | Stable-boy as hero. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "garçon"; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| L461 | Stag scorns his legs but is proud of his horns. Caught by his horns in trees. *Type 77; Wienert FFC LVI 65 (ET 285), 140 (ST 465); Halm Aesop No. 128; *Crane Vitry 254 No. 274; Herbert III 23; Jacobs Aesop 206 No. 25. |
| L55 | Stepdaughter heroine. *Types 403, 425, 432, 450, 480, 510, 709; BP I 226; *Roberts 109; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 481*; Missouri French: Carrière; Italian: Basile Pentamerone I No. 6. |
| L121 | Stupid hero. (Cf. Z253.) Icelandic: *Boberg; Missouri French: Carrière; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 131; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| L141 | Stupid person surpasses clever. Missouri French: Carrière; Chinese: Graham; West Indies: Flowers 559. |
| L21 | Stupid youngest son becomes clever. Panzer Beowulf passim; N. A. Indian (Micmac, Shuswap): Thompson CColl II 416ff. |
| L160 | Success of the unpromising hero (heroine). Irish: *Cross, O'Suilleabhain 27, Beal XXI 309; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| L115 | Successful foolish son. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| L351.2 | Sun cursed by man for its burning rays, wind for its hot breath, but moon is blessed for its soft, cool, and beautiful light. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| L113.1.1 | Swineherd as hero. (Cf. P412.2.) Hdwb. d. Märchens I 186b n. 109; Irish myth: *Cross: |
| L113.9 | Tailor as hero. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| L451.1 | Tame bird and wild bird. The tame bird tells the wild one to look about him. He is shot. Type 245; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| L147.1 | Tardy bird alone succeeds at bird convocation. Chauvin V 38 No. 365 n. 1. |
| L147 | Tardy surpasses punctual. |
| L435.4 | The beggar on the cross in place of Christ. Is made to leave the cross for his impatience concerning the sinners. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 800A*. |
| L471 | The man scorns the storm: killed by it. Type 933*. |
| L465 | The mule's double ancestry. When well fed says, "My mother was a thoroughbred horse." Later, hard worked, says, "My father was a miserable ass." Wienert FFC LVI 64 (ET 275), 94 (ST 80); Halm Aesop No. 157. |
| L141.1 | The stupid monk recovers the stolen flocks. A nobleman steals the abbot's flocks, saying that the monks have no use for them since they eat no meat. The most learned of the monks tries to recover them, but without success. The most stupid is then sent. Asked to dinner, he eats till he can hold no more. He tells the nobleman that he ate as much as possible since he could take back with him only what he had in his stomach. The nobleman pleased with the reply returns the flocks. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 61; Alphabet No. 718; Mensa Philosophica No. 187. |
| L140 | The unpromising surpasses the promising. |
| L390 | Triumph of the weak-miscellaneous. |
| L300 | Triumph of the weak. Chauvin II 204 No. 59; Irish myth: Cross. |
| L110 | Types of unpromising heroes (heroines). |
| L112.9 | Ugly child becomes great poet. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| L145 | Ugly preferred to pretty sister. Type (4032); Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "laide". |
| L145.1 | Ugly sister helps pretty one. *Type 711. |
| L111.10 | Unpromising fourth son succeeds. Africa (Luba): DeClerq ZsKS IV 200. |
| L100 | Unpromising hero (heroine). Irish myth: *Cross; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| L101 | Unpromising hero (male Cinderella). Usually, but not always, the unpromising hero is also the youngest son. *BP I 183ff.; *Rank Mythus v. d. Geburt d. Helden; *Cosquin Contes indiens 494ff.; Cox 437—462, 519; M. Bloomfield in Penzer VII x; *Hdwb. d. Märchens I 184b nn. 13ff.; Chauvin II 83 No. 9.— Icelandic: *Boberg; English: Wells 25 (The Tale of Gamelyn); Missouri French: Carrière; Italian Novella: Rotunda; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 52 No. 32; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 408; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 327 n. 185; Africa (Fang): Trilles 251f. |
| L103 | Unpromising hero given great powers by deity. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| L156 | Unpromising hero kills those who scorn him. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| L134 | Unpromising hero must live in hut. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| L101.1 | Unpromising hero: aged man. Irish myth: Cross; N. A. Indian (Zuсi): Benedict II 336. |
| L102 | Unpromising heroine. Usually, but not always, the youngest daughter. See references to L50. *BP I 165ff.; **Cox passim; Irish myth: Cross; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "merle"; Missouri French: Carrière: Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (z-G. 13/346); N. A. Indian (Zuсi): Benedict II 336. |
| L215 | Unpromising magic object chosen. Hero refuses to take one that cries out "take me!" Roberts 204; Tonga: Beckwith Myth 25, Gifford 20; Africa (Benga): Nassau 114 No. 11; Jamaica: *Beckwith MAFLS XVII 269 No. 81. |
| L133 | Unpromising son leaves his home and goes into the world. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| L114.3 | Unruly hero. Types 301, 650; Icelandic: *Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian (California): Gayton and Newman 95. |
| L122 | Unsophisticated hero. *Dickson 128ff. nn. 94—99; Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
| L112.2 | Very small hero. Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: Hrуlfssaga Gautrekssonar passim; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. Nos. 133—135; Korean: Zong in-Sob 78 No. 44; Philippine: Fansler MAFLS XII 24. |
| L0 | Victorious youngest child. *Fb "yngst" III 1132a; *Saintyves Perrault 128ff.; *Jacobs's list s.v. "Youngest best"; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "cadet"; French Canadian: Barbeau JAFL XXIX 13; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| L50 | Victorious youngest daughter. *Types 361, 425, 431, 440, 480, 510, 511, 707, 901, 923; **Cox Cinderella passim; *BP I 185; Nutt FL IV 133; Jacobs FL IV 269; Lang FL IV 413; Cox FL XVIII 191; *Roberts 110; Tegethoff 10; *MacCulloch Childhood 357; *Saintyves Perrault 113. — Missouri French: Carrière; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 65 No. 471B*; Italian: Basile Pentamerone I Nos. 2, 8, II Nos. 2, 3, III No. 4, V No. 9, Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 248 No. 193; Indonesia: Dixon 210; N. A. Indian: *Thompson CColl II 382ff., 390, (Maliseet): Mechling GSCan IV No. 9, (Chinook): Boas BBAE XX 77ff. No. 4, (Kwakiutl): Boas and Hunt JE III 371, (Gros Ventre): Kroeber PaAM I 80ff. No. 19, (Wichita): Dorsey CI XXI No. 33. |
| L10 | Victorious youngest son. *Types 326, 402, 471, 513, 550, 551, 554, 569, 570, 571, 577, 580, 610, 935, 1650. See also references under each of these type entries in FFC LXXIV. *Hdwb. d. Märchens I 186a; Malone PMLA XLIII 398f.; *A. Christensen Danske Studier (1916) 46ff.; Chauvin II 115 No. 88.—Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 491; Tahiti: Henry Ancient Tahiti (Honolulu, 1928) 614; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (T-G. 3/403, 615); Easter Island: Métraux Ethnology 383; Polynesian: Dixon 41; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 327 n. 185, (California): Gayton and Newman 74; Africa (Jaunde): Heepe 262, (Fang): Tessman 107, (Zanzibar): Bateman 155ff. No. 8, (Ekoi): Talbot 207, 259, 355, (Fjort): Dennett 65 No. 13, (Gold Coast): Barker and Sinclair 171 No. 34; Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 110f. No. 39. |
| L311 | Weak (small) hero overcomes large fighter. *Type 328; A. Stender-Petersen Acta Jutlandica VI (1934) 166ff.; Irish myth: Cross; English: Child II 35ff.; Icelandic: *Boberg; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: Rotunda; Japanese: Anesaki 311; Jewish: Neuman, I Samuel 17:23 (David and Goliath); N. A. Indian (Southern Paiute, Shivwits): Lowie JAFL XXXVII 150 No. 17; Guatamala Indian (Quiche): Alexander Lat. Am. 168ff.; Tuamotu: Beckwith Myth 476. |
| L310 | Weak overcomes strong in conflict. |
| L111.3 | Widow's son as hero. *Jacobs's list s.v. "Widow's son"; *Krappe Balor 126ff.; Garnett FL III 265; Missouri French: Carrière; India: Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham. |
| L451 | Wild animal finds his liberty better than tame animal's ease. |
| L451.2 | Wild ass envies tame ass until he sees his burdens. Wienert FFC LVI 59 (ST 198), 124 (ST 328); Halm Aesop No. 321. |
| L451.3 | Wolf prefers liberty and hunger to dog's servitude and plenty. *Type 201; Crane Vitry 221 No. 217; Wienert FFC LVI 61 (ET 238), 124 (ST 326); Halm Aesop No. 278; Jacobs Aesop 206 No. 28; Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 433; Scala Celi 76b No. 435; Italian Novella: Rotunda; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| L412.1 | Woman casts ring into sea boasting that it is as impossible for her to become poor as for the ring to be found. Ring is found in fish: she becomes poor. W. Jones Finger-Ring Lore (London, 1898) 440; Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 19 No. 178. |
| L435.2.1 | Woman with three hundred sixty-five children. Punished for self-righteous condemnation of unchaste girl. *Taylor Notes and Queries No. 251 (Feb., 1923) 96; *K. Nyrop Grevinden med de 365 Born (København, 1909); Zs. f. Vksk. XIX 469; Child II 67f., IV 463b.; *Köhler Lais der Marie de France xc; *DeCock Volkssage 9ff. |
| L113.5 | Woodcutter hero. Africa (Nubian): Rochemonteix Quelques Contes Nubiens (Cairo, 1888) 48ff. No. 4, (Suaheli): Steere 13ff. |
| L41 | Younger brother given birthright of elder. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| L72 | Youngest animal in group overcomes adversary. N. A. Indian (Klikitat): Jacobs U Wash II 7—9. |
| L31 | Youngest brother helps elder. Types 516, 550; Rösch FFC LXXVII 96; Missouri French: Carrière; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 130; India: Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham. |
| L54.1 | Youngest daughter agrees to marry a monster; later the sisters are jealous. *Type 425; India: Thompson-Balys; Korean: Zong in-Sob 199 No. 76. |
| L63 | Youngest daughter avoids seducer. Elder sisters have been deceived. Type 883B; Italian: Basile Pentamerone III No. 4; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| L62 | Youngest daughter suspects impostor. Elder have been deceived. N. A. Indian (Pawnee): Dorsey CI LIX 166 No. 44, (Kwakiut): Boas and Hunt JE X 196ff.; (Takelma): Sapir U Pa II (1) 64 No. 4, (Modoc): Curtin Myths of the Modocs (Boston, 1912) 27ff., (Yana): Curtin Creation Myths (Boston, 1898) 353ff. |
| L70 | Youngest of group victorious. |
| L13.1 | Youngest wife's son restores eyesight to blinded six wives of raja and reinstates his mother. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| L472 | Zeus smites Capaneus while he is climbing a ladder. Greek: Frazer Apollodorus I 367 n. 3. |
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