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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 |
|---|---|
| V475.4 | Saint leaves his order because he is fond of music. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| V475.5 | Anchorite tempted by money to return to worldly life. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 807. |
| V510 | Religious visions. *Encyc. Rel. Ethics Index 632b; Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| V510.1 | God speaks in vision to devotee. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| V510.2 | Only man without sin can see God. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| V511 | Visions of the other world. |
| V511.1 | Visions of heaven. **Becker Medieval Visions of Heaven and Hell (Baltimore, 1899); **Ward II 396ff. passim; Alphabet No. 622, 743; Dickson 265; Scala Celi 66a, 138b Nos. 362, 777. — Irish: *Cross, O'Suilleabhain 57, Beal XXI 322; English: Malory Morte D'Arthur XV 3; Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 105 No. 932; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| V511.1.1 | Saints have visions of heaven. *Toldo IV 49. |
| V511.1.2 | Vision of angels defending road to heaven against devils. Irish myth: Cross. |
| V511.2 | Visions of hell. *Becker (see V511.1); Alphabet No. 610; Dickson 265; Herbert III 25; **Ward II 386ff.; *Crane Vitry 260f. No. 289; Scala Celi 34b, 74a, 85b Nos. 195, 422, 497. — Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| V511.2.1 | Vision of fires of hell. Irish myth: Cross. |
| V511.2.2 | Vision of gate of hell. Irish myth: Cross. |
| V511.2.3 | Girl sees vision of her mother in hell. She chooses to live the poor life of her father which leads to heaven. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| V511.3 | Visions of purgatory. *Dickson 265 n. 87; *Loomis White Magic 116; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| V511.4 | Visions of Land of the Saints. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| V512 | Vision of judgment. Man sees his own soul being judged. |
| V512.1 | His faith into the balance. A clerk sees his good and evil deeds being weighed. He asks them to throw his faith in Christ (the Virgin) into the scale. He is saved. Ward II 651 No. 5; *Herbert III 471. |
| V512.2 | Man whose only good deed was unintentional sees this deed outweigh all his evil in the scales of judgment. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| V513 | Saints have miraculous visions. Irish myth: Cross. |
| V513.1 | Saint incited (instructed) through vision. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| V513.2 | Vision of the earth in the devil's snares. Saint sees earth in snares. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| V514 | Non-religious visions. Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| V515 | Allegorical visions. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| V515.1 | Allegorical visions—religious. |
| V515.1.1 | Vision of chairs (thrones) in heaven. Chairs of gold, silver, crystal (glass) assigned to saints according to merit. (Cf. A661.0.3.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| V515.1.2 | Wife sees moon enter mouth of husband; husband sees star enter mouth of wife: famous child (saint) will be born. Irish myth: Cross. |
| V515.1.3 | Saint sees vision of flames covering Ireland quenched except for sparks; then great light appears, dispelling darkness. Flames are those of the faith brought by St. Patrick; they become less until restored by St. Columkill. Irish myth: Cross. |
| V515.1.3.1 | When shower falls, small stone becomes larger, large stone wastes away. Vision of present and future state of Irish church. Irish myth: Cross. |
| V515.1.3.2 | Vision in which swineherd sees yew tree upon a rock, with an oratory in front of it and angels ascending from it. Vision interpreted by druid as symbolizing founding of Cashel and the royal line of Munster. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| V515.1.4 | Constantine's vision of the Cross. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| V515.1.5 | Vision of dry bones. Jewish: Neuman. |
| V515.2 | Allegorical visions—political. Irish myth: Cross. |
| V515.2.1 | Vision in which chieftain sees pair of gray seals that sucked at his two breasts. They are two of his allies who are being overpowered by invaders. Irish myth: Cross. |
| V515.2.1.1 | Vision in which king sees whelp reared by him gather dogs of Ireland and Britain against him but suffer death in battle at last. The whelp is one of king's two foster sons. Irish myth: Cross. |
| V515.2.2 | Vision in which saint foresees allegorically the ramifications of king's family Irish myth: Cross. |
| V515.2.3 | Vision in which king sees his four sons changed into lion, greyhound, beagle, cur, which fight with alternating success, until lion subdues the other three. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| V516 | Vision of future. Jewish: Neuman. |
| V520 | Salvation. *Encyc. Rel. Ethics Index 517b; Irish myth: Cross. |
| V522 | Sinner reformed after visit to heaven and hell. Irish myth: Cross. |
| V523 | The only king ever saved in spite of himself. Irish myth: Cross. |
| V525 | Sinner who thinks of God saved; devotee who thinks of worldly things goes to hell. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| V526 | Worship of particular deity brings reward of birth in Brahma-world. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 13. |
| V530 | Pilgrimages. Irish myth: Cross; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| V531 | Pilgrimage to Holy Land. Irish myth: Cross. |
| V531.1 | Pilgrimage to follow roads Christ walked. Irish myth: Cross. |
| V532 | Pilgrimage to Mecca. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| V533 | Pilgrimage to Benares. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| V535 | Pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| V540 | Intervention of Providence saves person's life. (Cf. R341.) |
| V541 | Man is prevented from taking passage on ship which later sinks. U.S.: Baughman. |
| V542 | Man hears voice telling him to leave danger spot in mine. U.S.: *Baughman. |
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