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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 |
|---|---|
| P203 | Game with ancestors' bones. A boy interrupts a game played with the bones of his father or other murdered relative. N. A. Indian: Kroeber JAFL XXI 225. |
| P205 | Refusal to fight relatives. Hindu: Tawney I 175; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P210 | Husband and wife. |
| P211 | Wife chooses father's side in feud. Must choose between husband and father. S. A. Indian (Carib): Alexander Lat. Am. 266. |
| P211.1 | Wife chooses father rather than husband or son. (Cf. P253.3.) Only one can be saved; he alone is irreplaceable. Spanish: Childers. |
| P211.2 | Mother kills husband for murdering their daughter. Africa (Kamerun): Mansfield 228. |
| P212 | Wife more merciful than blood relations. They refuse to ransom condemned man; wife does so. Child II 349f., III 516, IV 481, V 231ff., 296. |
| P213 | Husband more merciful than blood relations. They refuse to ransom condemned woman; husband does so. Child II 346—53, III 511, IV 481f., V 231ff., 296. |
| P214 | Wife drinks blood of slain husband. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P214.1 | Wife commits suicide (dies) on death of husband. (Cf. P16.4.1.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| P216 | Wife only one able to persuade her husband. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P230 | Parents and children. Hdwb. d. Märchens I 527a s.v. "Eltern und Kinder"; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| P230.1 | Mother prefers son, father daughter. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P230.2 | Mother dislikes her children in forced marriage. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P230.3 | Queen dislikes son who is unlike her and loves a poor girl: plots against him. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P231 | Mother and son. |
| P231.1 | Boy sickens from grief at mother's death. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P231.2 | Son warns mother. (Hamlet.) Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P231.3 | Mother-love. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P231.4 | Mother kills sons who lack courage to help her revenge her father and brothers, and are likely to betray the plot. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P231.5 | Mother reveals fact that son is offspring of supernatural father. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P231.6 | Mother (eagle) casts out dull, stupid changeling; rears bold, energetic son. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P231.7 | Mother commits suicide when son wants to marry foreigner according to foreign rites. Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 267. |
| P232 | Mother and daughter. |
| P232.1 | Wicked mother and her sons do everything to prevent daughter's marriage with beloved. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P232.2 | Mother lets daughter unwittingly marry own father in order to avenge his raping. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P233 | Father and son. Irish myth: Cross; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| P233.1 | Son as pledge for father who has committed murder. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P233.2 | Young hero rebuked by his father. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P233.2.1 | Father drives away bad son whom the mother prefers. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P233.3 | Berserks scold their father who apparently without reason called their adversary invincible. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P233.3.1 | Hero's son by giantess scorns his father's feebleness: still it is the son who is slain. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P233.4 | Natural son preferred to legitimate. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P233.5 | Oldest son responsible to father for welfare of others. Jewish: Neuman. |
| P233.6 | Son avenges father. English romance: Malory X 21, 34, 36; Icelandic: *Boberg; Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys; Africa: Bouveignes 163. |
| P233.7 | Son must threaten father before he will recognize him as son, even though he brings ring from his mother. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P233.8 | Prodigal son returns. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P233.9 | Son chastizes father for scorning mother. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P233.10 | Father in vision reproves son about to succumb to temptation. Jewish: Neuman. |
| P233.11 | Birthright transferred by father from the oldest son to another. (Cf. P251.7.) Jewish: Neuman. |
| P234 | Father and daughter. Irish myth: Cross; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| P234.1 | Daughter marries her husband's slayer in order to save her old father from war. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P234.2 | Father and daughter die at same time. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P236 | Undutiful children. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P236.1 | Folly of father's giving all property to children before his death. They abandon him. *Oesterley No. 273; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 116 No. 980A. Cf. Shakespeare's King Lear. |
| P236.2 | Supposed chest of gold induces children to care for aged father. They think that the chest of stones contains the inheritance. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 435; Scala Celi 98b No. 528; Dunlop-Wilson II 185f.; von der Hagen II lviii No. 49; Hdwb. d. Abergl. IV 1290. —Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2452*; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 116 No. 980A; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Palestine: Schmidt-Kahle Volkserzählungen aus Palästina II No. 123; India: *Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: Jeynball Catalogus Maleische en Sundaneesche Hss. 173, ibid. Supplement Catalogus Javaansche en Madoereesche Hss. 22. |
| P236.3 | Not daring to curse father directly, son does so indirectly. Nouvelles Récréations No. 50. |
| P236.4 | Son deposes father and usurps throne. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P236.5 | Undutiful children ridicule father while he is drunk and naked. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| P236.6 | Undutiful son overawes his father by threats. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P236.7 | Undutiful son taught lesson showing his mother has suffered from him. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P237 | Daughters flogged by parents. Child I 192, II 435, V237a. |
| P241 | Parents descend to hell instead of sons. Irish: O'Suilleabhain 53. |
| P241.1 | Pious children save their parents from hell. Jewish: Neuman. |
| P242 | Children punished for fathers' sins. Jewish: Neuman. |
| P250 | Brothers and sisters. |
| P250.1 | Elder children to protect younger. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "aоnés". |
| P251 | Brothers. *Penzer III 272 n. 1; Irish myth: Cross; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| P251.1 | Friend unfaithful but brother faithful. Brought to test by actions at apparent death of hero. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P251.2 | Warrior will not fight where his brother was slain. Place considered defiled. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P251.3 | Brothers follow each other in exile. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P251.3.1 | Brothers strive to avenge each other. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P251.4 | Brothers scorn brother's wise counsel. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P251.4.1 | Brothers kill brother because they fail to understand his wise answer. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P251.5 | Two brothers. Type 303; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P251.5.1 | Two brothers follow and help each other on piracy, etc. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P251.5.2 | Two brothers are confusingly like each other. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P251.5.3 | Hostile brothers. Icelandic: *Boberg; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| P251.5.4 | Two brothers as contrasts. Hdwb. d. Märchens II "Formel"; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P251.5.5 | Brother unjustly imprisoned by brother. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P251.5.6 | Man's descendants shall serve those of his brother. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P251.6 | Several brothers. |
| P251.6.1 | Three brothers. Types 654, 655; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P251.6.2 | Four brothers. Types 653, 655. |
| P251.6.3 | Six or seven brothers. Type 451. |
| P251.6.4 | Eight brothers. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P251.6.5 | Nine brothers. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P251.6.6 | Eleven brothers. Type 451; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P251.6.7 | Twelve brothers. Type 451. |
| P251.7 | Older brother has birthright, entitling him to a double share. (Cf. P233.11.) Jewish: *Neuman. |
| P251.8 | Repudiation of relationship of birth between man and his bad brother. Africa (Wakweli): Bender 92f. |
| P252 | Sisters. |
| P252.1 | Two sisters. Type 480, 711, 426. |
| P252.1.1 | Sister kills sister. Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P252.2 | Three sisters. Types 311—12, 510, 511. |
| P252.3 | Seven sisters. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P252.4 | Eight sisters. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P252.5 | Nine sisters. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P252.6 | Ten sisters. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P252.7 | Eighteen sisters kill one another. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P253 | Sister and brother. Type 450; Irish myth: Cross; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| P253.0.1 | Sister's son. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P253.0.2 | One sister and two brothers. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P253.0.3 | One sister and three (four) brothers. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P253.0.4 | One sister and ten brothers. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P253.0.5 | One sister and six (seven, eleven, twelve) brothers. Type 451. |
| P253.1 | Brother about to drink blood of seemingly guilty sister. Köhler-Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. VI 61. |
| P253.2 | Sister faithful to transformed brother. *Types 450, 451; Child I 315f. |
| P253.2.1 | Brother faithful to persecuted sister. East Africa: Zuure L'Ame du Murundi (Paris, 1932) 331ff. No. 2. |
| P253.3 | Brother chosen rather than husband or son. Only one can be saved; he alone is irreplaceable. Chauvin II 190 No. 2; Tawney Journal of Philology XII 121; Aly Volksmärchen bei Herodot 35, 109; Philippine: Fansler MAFLS XII 257 No. 31. |
| P253.4 | Girl comes to brother's aid when he is attacked. She slays the assailant and is eventually acquitted. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| P253.5 | Sister avenges brother's death. India: Thompson-Balys; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P253.6 | Sister warns brothers. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P253.7 | Brothers persecute sister's lover and are in return killed by him. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P253.8 | Clever sister saves life of brother. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P253.9 | Woman dies of sorrow for death of brother. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P260 | Relations by law. |
| P261 | Father-in-law. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P262 | Mother-in-law. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P262.1 | Bad relations between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P263 | Brother-in-law. (Cf. K2211.1.) |
| P263.1 | Widower marries wife's sister. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| P264 | Sister-in-law. (Cf. K2212.2.) |
| P265 | Son-in-law. |
| P265.1 | Idle sons-in-law driven away by gradually reducing their food. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P270 | Foster relatives. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P270.1 | Foster parents fined for blemish on child. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P270.2 | Peasant and his wife as foster parents of exposed king's son. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P270.3 | Parents kill son for slaying their foster son. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P271 | Foster father. **C. Schubert Der Pflegesohn (Nourri) im Heldenepos (Marburg, 1906); Irish myth: Cross; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| P271.1 | Magician as foster father. (Cf. N845.) English romance: Malory, Book 1; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P271.2 | Fisherman as foster father. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P271.3 | Dwarf as foster father. (Cf. F451.5.1.) Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 267, *Boberg. |
| P271.4 | Living king's or nobleman's son as foster son of father's friend: considered an honor for the foster father. Weinhold Altnordisches Leben (1856) 285ff.; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P271.5 | Foster father as constant helper. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P271.6 | Foster children return foster father's love: avenge him, etc. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P271.7 | King's son named after his father's foster father. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P271.8 | Thor slays his foster father and takes himself the realm of Thrace. Icelandic: Snorra Edda Prol. III, MacCulloch Eddic. 314. |
| P272 | Foster mother. Irish myth: Cross; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| P272.1 | Witch foster mother. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P272.2 | Foster mother as helper. (See all items under P272.) Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P272.3 | Former mistress as sons' foster mother. Icelandic: Bosa saga 6ff. |
| P273 | Foster brother. *Valtyr Gudmundsson "Fуstbrædralag" in prjár Ritgjörethir (Kaupmannahöfn, 1892) 29—55; Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P273.1 | Faithful foster brother. *Type 516; *BP I 46; *Rösch FFC LXXVII 96; Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P273.1.1 | Foster brothers avenge each other. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P273.1.2 | King's son begs pardon for treacherous foster brother. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P273.1.3 | Foster brother as constant adviser. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P273.2 | Faithless foster brother. |
| P273.2.1 | Promise of marriage to king's daughter induces warrior to fight foster brother. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P273.2.2 | Earl's son seduces foster brother's sister and betrays himself. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P273.2.3 | King's son falsely accuses foster brother of attempt to seduce his sister. Icelandic: Lagerholm 161—63, introd. lxxviii, *Boberg. |
| P273.2.4 | Magic writing makes foster brothers enemies. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P273.3 | Unable to hit man himself, enemy kills his foster brother. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P273.4 | Children of Tuatha De Danann fostered by Milesians. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P274 | Foster sister. |
| P274.1 | Love between foster sister and foster brother. Icelandic: Herrmann Saxo II 80, *Boberg. |
| P275 | Foster son. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P275.1 | Foster son commits adultery with foster father's wife. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P280 | Steprelatives. |
| P281 | Stepfather. |
| P281.1 | Stepfather as foster father. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P281.2 | Stepfather murdered. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P282 | Stepmother. Irish myth: Cross; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| P282.1 | Realm ruled by stepmother, while king is absent. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P282.2 | Stepmother mourns her stepsons' death, not her own son's. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P282.3 | Stepmother in love with stepson. (Cf. T418.) Irish myth: Cross; Greek: Euripides Hippolytus; Chinese-Persian: *Coyajee JPASB XXIV 192. |
| P282.3.1 | Love of stepmother who has killed her husband refused. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P283 | Stepbrother. |
| P283.1 | Stepbrothers kill devastating monsters. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P284 | Stepsister. (Cf. K2212.1.) Icelandic: Boberg; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| P290 | Other relatives. |
| P291 | Grandfather. Irish myth: Cross; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| P291.1 | Grandfather as foster father. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P292 | Grandmother. Missouri French: Carrière. |
| P292.1 | Grandmother as foster mother. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P293 | Uncle. **W. O. Farnsworth Uncle and Nephew in the Old French Chansons de Geste (New York, 1913); Irish myth: Cross. |
| P293.1 | Mother's brother as foster father. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P293.2 | Mother's brother as helper. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P293.2.1 | Children take after their mother's brothers. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| P293.3 | Hero killed in fighting with father's brother. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P293.4 | Young prince sent to his father's mother's brother. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P293.5 | Father's brother avenged. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P294 | Aunt. *Rivers "The Father's Sister in Oceania" FL XXI 42. |
| P294.1 | Paternal aunt as aid. N. A. Indian (California): Gayton and Newman 82. |
| P295 | Cousins. |
| P296 | Godparents. |
| P296.1 | Godfather. Hdwb. d. Abergl. III 803; Missouri French: Carrière. See also N811 and all references and cross-references. |
| P296.2 | Godmother. |
| P297 | Nephew. *F. B. Gummere The Sister's Son (Oxford, 1901); C. H. Bell The Sister's Son in the Mediaeval German Epic (Berkeley, 1922); Irish myth: Cross. |
| P298 | Niece. |
| P310 | Friendship. *Type 516; *BP I 46; **Rösch FFC LXXVII 96; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| P310.1 | Friends want to divide good and evil. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P310.2 | Friends avenge each other. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P310.3 | Dying hero sends greetings to friends. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P310.4 | Friends want their children to be friends too. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P310.4.1 | Dying man asks friends to let his son inherit his friendship together with his father's weapons. Icelandic: Þiðriks saga II 358, Boberg. |
| P310.4.2 | Friends' children become enemies. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P310.5 | Defeated enemy turns true friend. (Cf. P311.1.) Icelandic: Lagerholm 108ff., *Boberg. |
| P310.6 | One friend dies shortly after the other. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P310.7 | Man wins wife for his friend. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P310.8 | Friendship possible only between equals. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P310.9 | Friends given the power of reading each other's secret thoughts. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P311 | Sworn brethren. Friends take an oath of lasting brotherhood. *Type 516; Rösch FFC LXXVII 98; *Hibbard 68 n. 7, 145 n. 3; Child IV 146f.; Wesselski Märchen 187 No. 2; *Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 17; *Abeles "Die Burgschaft als Motif in der jüdischen Literatur" Monatsch. f. Geschichte u. Wissenschaft der Juden LX 213ff., 263ff. — English: Wells 158 (Amis and Amiloun); Icelandic: Olrik Sakses Oldhistorie I (1892) 59ff., *Boberg; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Jewish: *Neuman, bin Gorion Born Judas IV 14, 20, 274; India: Thompson-Balys; Korean: Zong in-Sob 63 No. 35. |
| P311.0.1 | Friends exchange names. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P311.1 | Combatants become sworn brethren. Dickson 123 n. 73; Icelandic: *Boberg; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| P311.2 | Flower-friendship. Friends take oath of brotherhood by exchanging flowers. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P311.3 | Human sons of animal companions go together on adventures Africa. (Lamba): Doke MAFLS XX 14 No. 11. |
| P311.4 | Friends born at same moment. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P311.5 | Covenant of friendship. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P311.6 | Ceremonial friendship. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P311.7 | Saints exchange bachalls as mark of affection. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P311.7.1 | Saints exchange bells. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P311.8 | Friendship between a prince and common man. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| P312 | Blood-brotherhood. Friends take oath of brotherhood by means of mixing their blood. *Type 1364; **Encyc. Rel. Ethics II 717a, 857ff.; **H. C. Trumbull The Blood Covenant (London, 1887); *Chauvin VII 20 No. 373D; *Hibbard 145 n. 3; Fb "blod" IV 46b; Nitze MPh IX 291; DeVries Acta Philologica Scandinavica III 106; *Basset RTP VI 577—XXV 438 passim; *Julian Revue d'Ethnographie et de Trad. Pop. II 1ff.; **H. Tegnæus Blood-Brothers (Stockholm, 1952). — Irish myth: Cross: Icelandic: *Boberg; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (z-G 13/203); Africa: Stanley 274. |
| P312.0.1 | Saint makes blood covenant with animals. (Cf. B279.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| P312.1 | Drinking mixture of blood, milk, and wine as pledge of covenant. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P312.2 | Sworn brethren and blood brethren avenge each other. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P312.3 | Surviving blood brother to watch three nights in grave-mound. Icelandic: Egils saga ok Asm., Lagerholm 28 (cf. introd. xxiv—xxix). |
| P313 | Milk-brotherhood. Friends bound in brotherhood through partaking of milk from the same woman. *Cosquin études 247ff.; Wiedemann Am Urquell III 259ff. |
| P313.1 | Friendship starts at babyhood: two babies exchanged. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| P314 | Combat of disguised friends. Brown Iwain 17 and passim. |
| P315 | Friends offer to die for each other. (Bürgschaft.) Each falsely confesses crime so as to save the other. Neither guilty. Often combined with P325. **Abeles "Die Bürgschaft als Motif in der jüdischen Literatur" Monatschr. f. Geschichte u. Wissenschaft der Juden LX 213ff., 263ff.; **K. Kelling Das Bürgschaftsmotiv in der französischen Literatur (Leipzig diss., 1915); *Chauvin III 124 No. 113, V 215f., VIII 194ff. IX 16f.; *Hdwb. d. Märchens I 350a s.v. "Bürgschaft"; Köhler-Bolte II 557, 580f.; Gaster Exempla Nos. 362, 419; Basset 1001 Contes II 293ff.; Boccaccio Decameron X No. 8 (*Lee 330); Fischer Zs. f. deutsche Morgenländische Ges. LXXII 290; Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XXI 193 n. 4, 194; Scala Celi 10a, 11b Nos. 62, 68; bin Gorion Born Judas IV 20, 274; Alphabet Nos. 53, 57. — Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| P315.1 | Competition in friendship: prisoner and jailor. Officer in charge of prison offers to let his friend escape, though his own life will be forfeited. The friend refuses; tells officer to let king think he has escaped and if the king demands his life the officer can produce the prisoner. King hears of the generosity and forgives the prisoner. Chauvin V I No. 1. |
| P315.2 | Friend gives false witness to set free his accused friend. Africa (Wakweli): Bender 99f. |
| P316 | Friend sacrifices his life for the other. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 1369. |
| P316.1 | Man knowing of murder plot against his friend disguises and is killed in his place. (Cf. P361.1.) Scala Celi 9b No. 61; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| P317 | Refusal to believe that a friend has spoken ill of one. Alphabet No. 220; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| P317.1 | Refusal to believe that a friend will harm one. Alexander drinks cup said to have been poisoned by his friend. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| P318 | Man refuses to follow friend in wicked conduct. Scala Celi 11a No. 66; Alphabet No. 56; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| P319 | Deeds of friendship—miscellaneous. |
| P319.1 | Two friends captured by Moors have money to ransom only one. The ransomed one returns home, gets money and buys the other's freedom. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| P319.2 | Man who has counseled friend in assassination asks to be killed on the other's body. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| P319.3 | Friend's intercession saves man from execution. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| P319.4 | The sacred partnership. Man is abducted by pirates and kept in slavery forty years. Upon his return his friend divides his earnings with him. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| P319.5 | Hands of friends extend through sides of tombs and clasp in death. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P319.6 | Successful rival gives his lady to unsuccessful friend. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| P319.7 | "Friendship without refusal." Friends bind themselves each to grant every desire of the other. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P319.8 | Danger of one saint voluntarily incurred by another. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P320 | Hospitality. Relation of host and guest. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P320.1 | Hospitality for a whole winter. Icelandic: Lagerholm 10 n., *Boberg. |
| P320.2 | Hospitality for (three) years. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| P321 | Salt of hospitality. Eating a man's salt creates mutual obligation. *Chauvin VI 196 No. 368. |
| P322 | Guest given refuge. Murderer of a man's father takes refuge in his house and is saved by him. *Chauvin II 198 No. 31. |
| P322.1 | Nobleman forces escaping prisoner to accept his hospitality. Intercedes for his pardon. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| P322.2 | Guest in disguise or under false name. (Cf. K1831.) *Boberg. |
| P322.3 | Refugee entertained in holy place (church, monastery, etc.). Irish myth: Cross. |
| P323 | Hosts refrain from telling guest of death in household. Wesselski Archiv Orientální II 431; Greek: Euripides Alcestis. |
| P324 | Host greets guest with gifts. English romance: Malory passim; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P324.1 | Host treats guest with food and everything possible. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P324.2 | Guests fed before being questioned. Greek: Odyssey III 70 and passim. |
| P324.3 | Guests' life inviolable. Greek: Odyssey XIV 403 and passim. |
| P325 | Host surrenders his wife to his guest. The guest unwittingly falls in love with the wife. The host, on being informed, out of pure generosity repudiates the wife and has her marry the guest. (Often joined with P315.) Chauvin V 136 No. 64; also references to P315; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| P325.1 | Guest begets son with his host's daughter. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P326 | If host does not return, the house shall belong to the guest. So declares the host as he departs on a mission for the guest. *Chauvin V 209 No. 120 n. 1; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| P327 | Barmecide feast. Host places imaginary feast before guest, who accepts it in the same spirit. Guest's courtesy is rewarded by real feast. *Chauvin V 163 No. 86; Arabian: Burton Nights I 317. |
| P328 | Strangers entertained by family to whose hitching-ring they happen to tie their horses. Thus confusion avoided as to where strangers are to be entertained. Italian: L. de Francia Novellino (Torino, 1930), Rotunda. |
| P331 | Refusal to receive preferred help until series of stories has been told. Scottish: Campbell-McKay No. 5. |
| P332 | Selfish guest expels host. Porcupine asks rabbit for hospitality. When rabbit complains of being pricked, porcupine tells him to leave if he does not like it. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| P334 | Shabby hospitality forces guests to leave. Italian Novella: Rotunda (P329). |
| P334.1 | Guests accused of greediness. India: Thompson-Balys. |