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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 ▲ |
|---|---|
| Z92.1 | "A tree on island beyond the seven seas and the sixteen rivers." India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z62.2 | "Bridegroom like the sun and bride like the moon." India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z61.4 | "He struck him such a blow that he remembered the milk he drank on the sixth day after he was born." India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z49.1 | "I killed my grandmother because she refused to cook a hare. I killed a priest because he said my crime was bad. A friar absolved me to avoid being killed." (First ed. Z41.7.) *Taylor JAFL XLVI 87 No. 2037; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 155 No. 2026*. |
| Z14 | "Runs." Conventional passages of set form within a tale, usually recited in a different voice from the rest. *Hdwb. d. Märchens II 163; *Campbell-McKay 233ff.; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Z24.1.3 | "Solomon Grundy, born on Monday .... buried on Sunday." *Taylor JAFL XLVI 80 No. 2012D; Halliwell Nursery Rhymes of England 33 No. 49. |
| Z122.1 | "Time" overpowered when weight is taken from his clock. Italian: Basile Pentamerone IV No. 8. |
| Z49.5.1 | "Where is that grain?" — "The cock snatched it." — "Where is that cock?"—"He drowned in the sea."—"Where is that sea?"—"It is grown over with reeds." —"Where are those reeds?"—"The maids have cut them down", etc. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2018. |
| Z71.6.3 | (Nine) wonders of Ireland. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Z73 | A day and a night. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z72.1 | A year and a day. (Cf. Z71.0.2.) *Fb "еr" III 1195b; A Gobbe-Duval Essais de folklore juridique (Paris, 1920) 178ff.; Schröder und v. Künssberg Lehrbuch d. dt. Rechtsgeschichte@6 (1922) 789 n.; Liebermann Herrig's Archiv (1916) 401f.; Köhler-Bolte I 6. —Irish myth: Cross; English: Malory X 36, 39 and passim; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "an", "congé"; French Canadian: Barbeau JAFL XXIX 18, 24. |
| Z42.2 | Abraham learns to worship God. At nightfall Abraham worships a star, then the moon, then the sun, and finally gives up idolatry. *Taylor JAFL XLVI 85 No. 2031B; Hdwb. d. Märchens II 184b; Köhler-Bolte I 578; Koran Surah 6, 75—78; *Basset RTP VII 397; Jewish: Neuman. |
| Z311 | Achilles heel. Invulnerability except in one spot. **DeCock Studien 153ff. —Irish myth: *Cross; Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 97; Icelandic: *Boberg; Norse: De la Saussaye 144, Von Sydow Fеvne 27ff.; French Canadian: Barbeau JAFL XXIX 11; Greek: *Basset RTP XXV 124 n. 1, Frazer Apollodorus II 60 n. 2, 214 n. 1; Jewish: *Neuman; Hindu: Keith 125, Penzer I 127; Siberian: Holmberg Siberian 389; Eskimo (Mackenzie Area): Jenness 67; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 345 n. 246; Africa: Werner African 236, (Fang): Trilles 202. |
| Z135 | Adversity personified. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Z73.1 | After four days—another two days—another day. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z355 | All snakes but one placated by music. In snake den prisoner fails to placate one snake and loses his life. Hdwb. d. Märchens I 437a. |
| Z352 | All trees except aspen refuse to make Christ's cross. Dh II 209; North Carolina: Brown Collection I 635. |
| Z178 | Allegorical game. Witch, aided by dragon (lion) is vanquished by maiden, aided by lamb (ram). Witch is devil; maiden, church of Christ. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Z162 | Arthur's Round Table symbolic of round earth. English: Malory XIV 2. |
| Z132.0.1 | Battle carnage personified. Irish myth: Cross. (Z129.2.0.1.). |
| Z257 | Beardless hero. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Z10.1 | Beginning formulas. *Hdwb. d. Märchens II 161; *BP IV 14ff.; Korean: Zong in-Sob 14 No. 7. |
| Z24.1.2 | Bird advises man to treat his lazy children as she does her young: "In March I make my nest .... in August I have nothing more to do with my young." *Taylor JAFL XLVI 80 No. 2012C. |
| Z52 | Bird avenges caged mate. Builds cart, yokes frogs to it, arms himself with piece of reed, and proclaims war with king. Collects cat, ants, rope, club, and river. He is put by king into fowl house; cat eats up fowls. In stable rope and club beat up horses. In elephant-house ants get into their brains and kill them all. Tied to king's bed, river floods king in his bed. King gives bird back his mate. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z41.6 | Bird's pea gets stuck in socket of mill-handle. She goes to carpenter, king, queen, who refuse to help. She asks snake to bite queen, stick to beat snake, fire to burn stick, etc. Final formula: cat eats mouse, mouse cuts plant creeper, creeper snares elephant, elephant drinks up sea, sea quenches fire, fire burns stick, stick beats snake, snake bites queen, queen speaks to king, king chides carpenter, carpenter cuts mill handle, and pea is extracted. Questions in rhyme. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z49.6.1 | Birds fight and cause series of accidents to other animals and people. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z49.6.2 | Bite (prick) causes series of accidents. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Z49.8 | Biting a grain in half. Final formula: Forester attacks bear, the bear the wolf, the wolf the dog, the dog the cat, the cat the mouse, the mouse the grain—the grain is bitten in two. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2006*. |
| Z143.1 | Black as symbol of grief. *Fb "sort" III 407a; *Dickson 94 n. 75. |
| Z174.1.1 | Black dummy to indicate banishment. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z81 | Blowing the house in. I'll huff and I'll puff till I blow your house in. Type 124; *Taylor JAFL XLVI 78; BP I 40f.; Jacobs English Fairy Tales 251 No. 14. |
| Z144.1 | Blue as symbolic of martyrdom. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z43.5 | Boy changes self to nut; fowl eats nut; bush cat eats fowl; dog eats cat; dog swallowed by python. Africa: Weeks Jungle 462. |
| Z41.7.1 | Boy dirties his shoe and asks the hay stack to wipe it clean. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| Z251 | Boy hero. Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
| Z231 | Boyish exploits of hero. Irish myth: *Cross; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Z42.3 | Brahmin worships idol and sets sacrifices before it daily. Rat devours offerings and he sets it up as his idol as a being more powerful than his idol. When cat devours rat, he worships it instead. His wife accidentally kills the cat, so he sets her up to worship. He happens to slap her and she loses consciousness. Thereafter he worships himself as most powerful after all. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z140.4 | Bridegroom inadvertently buys for bride cloth suitable only for widows. She supposes he has died. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z210 | Brothers as heroes. Type 303; **A. Christensen "Trebrødre- og Tobrødre-Stamsagn" Danske Studier (1916) 45ff.—Irish: MacCulloch Celtic 158; India: *Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian: *Alexander N. A. Myth 295 n. 44. |
| Z146.1 | Brown hair as sign child is descended from goddess. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 285. |
| Z61.3 | Butterby Church—no church at all. If person says he has gone to Butterby Church, he has not gone to church. England: Baughman. |
| Z13.2 | Catch tale: teller is killed in his own story. Canada, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| Z13 | Catch tales. The manner of the telling forces the hearer to ask a particular question, to which the teller returns a ridiculous answer. Type 2200; England, U.S., Canada: *Baughman; West Indies: Flowers 586. |
| Z49.13 | Chain of killings: bulbul destroys flower and is killed by cat; cat shaken by dog; dog killed by boy; boy sentenced to death by king. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z21 | Chains based on numbers. |
| Z32 | Chains involving a death: animal actors. |
| Z30 | Chains involving a single scene or event without interdependence among the individual actors. |
| Z31 | Chains involving a wedding. Taylor JAFL XLVI 81 Nos. 2019—2020; Hdwb. d. Märchens II 176a. |
| Z51 | Chains involving contradictions or extremes. (First ed. Z23.) *Taylor JAFL XLVI 81 No. 2014, Hdwb. d. Märchens II 175b. |
| Z39 | Chains involving other events without interrelation of members. (First ed. Z31.4.) Taylor JAFL XLVI 84 No. 2029. |
| Z33 | Chains involving the eating of an object. (Members of the chain not interrelated.) Taylor JAFL XLVI 83 Nos. 2025—2028, Hdwb. d. Märchens II 178b. |
| Z40 | Chains with interdependent members. |
| Z136 | Civilization personified. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z156 | Cloud (mist) as symbol of misfortune. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z139.4.1 | Cold depreciated and praised. Depreciated, takes revenge by becoming colder; praised, makes reward, gives clothing. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3904. |
| Z139.4 | Cold personified. |
| Z65 | Color formulas. Hdwb. d. Märchens II 51a. |
| Z140.1 | Color of flag (sails) on ship as message of good or bad news. *Fb "sort" III 467; *Frazer Apollodorus II 134 n. 2, *Frazer Pausanias II 161; *Schoepperle 437f.; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z140.2.1 | Color symbolism of the cardinal points. Dixon JAFL XII 10—16. |
| Z140 | Color symbolism. Hdwb. d. Märchens II 51a s.v. "Farben im Märchen". |
| Z140.2 | Colors corresponding to the four world quarters. Siberian: Holmberg Siberian 347; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 317 n. 148. |
| Z41.3 | Conflict between fowl and thistle. Wind obeys and breaks the chain. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Z139.2 | Crime personified. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z41.2 | Crow must wash his bill in order to eat with other birds. Asks water; water must first have horn from stag, who must first have milk from cow, etc. *Wesselski Hessische Blätter f. Vksk. XXXII 33; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z20.1 | Cumulative nonsense tales. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z49.2 | Cumulative pursuit. Boys get help. One of them injures the helper. Pursued. Hidden by kind hen. One injures the hen. Hen pursues, etc. (First ed. Z41.8.) *Taylor JAFL XLVI 87 No. 2038; Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 264f. No. 70. |
| Z49.7 | Cumulative tale: bird who seeks carpenter to release young caught in closed tree. Beetle bites calf, calf bites cow, cow hoofs carpenter, carpenter beats wife, hunters save carpenter's cow, carpenter releases birds. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z50 | Cumulative tales—miscellaneous. |
| Z20 | Cumulative tales.1 Tales arranged in chains. (Kettenmärchen.) **Taylor JAFL XLVI 77ff.; *Types 2000—2199; Irish myth: *Cross; Spanish American: Boas JAFL XXV 219ff., 292f., Espinosa JAFL XXVII 222ff.; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 316; cf. Nouvelles de Sens No. 31. |
| Z32.4 | Cumulative: master to kill hen. She begs off; he goes to kill rooster .... goose, rabbit, toad, tiger. Chinese: Graham. |
| Z111.2.2 | Death (demons) glued to chair. Espinosa JAFL XXVII 119—29. |
| Z111.5 | Death (fate) assumes various forms to destroy men. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Z111.3.1 | Death allegorically personified as an animal made up of several different animals. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| Z111.3 | Death as eight-headed monster. Africa: Werner African 177. |
| Z111.1 | Death enclosed in a bottle. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "bouteille"; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z111.4 | Death excluded from sacred grove. Penzer VI 92 n. 2. |
| Z111.1.1 | Death imprisoned by a soldier in a magic knapsack, bottle or nutshell. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 330C*; Estonian: Loorits Grundzüge I 531f.; Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| Z111.2 | Death magically bound to tree. While he is bound no one can die. Wesselski Archiv Orientální I 301. Cf. Type 330; BP II 188. |
| Z292 | Death of hero. Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
| Z111 | Death personified. Hartland Science 192, 199; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3491; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 47, 50 No. 332, Espinosa Jr. Nos. 86—90; Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 611; Africa (Togo): Einstein 16f. |
| Z111.2.1 | Death stuck to tree. Mason JAFL XXXV 55. |
| Z111.6.1 | Death's messengers bribed with food. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z111.6 | Death's messengers. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z132.2 | Defeat personified. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z254 | Destined hero. (Cf. M311, T22.) Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
| Z211 | Dreadnaughts. Brothers deliberately seek dangers they have been warned against. Triumph. Greek: Fox 98; India: *Thompson-Balys; Oceanic: Dixon 131, 132 n. 2, 133; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (z-G. 3/1332; T-G. 3/818; z-G. 3/1122; z-G. 13/221); Marquesas: Handy 105; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 320 n. 156, (California): Gayton and Newman 69. |
| Z22 | Ehod mi yodea (One; who knows?); Le dodici parole della veritа, Las doce palabras retorneadas. The numbers from one to twelve are brought into relation with various objects, often of religious significance. **Espinosa Revista de Filologia Espaсola XVII 390ff.; *Taylor JAFL XLVI 79 No. 2010; *Greenleaf Ballads and Sea-songs of Newfoundland (Cambridge, Mass., 1933) 93 No. 41; **Hdwb. d. Märchens II 171ff.; *Newell "The Carol of the Twelve Numbers" JAFL IV (1891) 215—220; Köhler-Bolte III 370 n. 2; BP III 15 n.—Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2010*; Russian: Andrejev No. 812B*; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 156 No. 2045*; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| Z71.16.1.1 | Eight deadly sins. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Z71.16.1.3 | Eight miracles of Christ's body in the sacrament. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z71.16.1.4 | Eight unprofitable types of fasting. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z71.16.1.2 | Eight virtues. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Z221 | Eldest brother as hero. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z116.1 | Empire personified. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z10.2 | End formulas. *BP IV 24ff.; Hdwb. d. Märchens II 164; *Petsch Formelhafte Schlüsse im Volksmärchen (1900); India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Z11.1 | Endless tale: corn carried away grain at a time. England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| Z11.2 | Endless tale: hundreds of birds in snare fly away one at a time. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z11 | Endless tales. Hundreds of sheep to be carried over stream one at a time, etc. The wording of the tale so arranged as to continue indefinitely. *Type 2300; *BP II 209; Taylor Hdwb. d. Märchens II 190a; Irish myth: *Cross; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Z126 | Energy (strength) personified. Irish myth: Cross; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z72.5 | Every third year as period of tribute. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z71.5.5 | Exile for seven years. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z230 | Extraordinary exploits of hero. |
| Z131 | Falsehood personified. Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman |
| Z49.2.1 | Fat mouse cannot get into hole. "Carpenter, please pare off a little flesh from my ribs." Refused. Final formula: the scythe cuts the creeper loose. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z112.1 | Fever personified. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Z71.16.11.1 | Fifteen characteristics of a good (bad) woman. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z71.16.11.3 | Fifteen signs before Doomsday. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Z71.3.1 | Five sighs we should vent over our sins. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z71.3.2 | Five wounds of Christ. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z25 | Fly forgets her name; asks woodcutter, axe, tree, etc., in vain. Finally foal in mare's belly says her name is "fly". India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z43.4 | Fly frightens snake; snake frightens rats; rats frighten monkey, etc. Africa (Cameroon): Mansfield 228, (Fang): Tessman 79ff., (Duala): Lederbogen Märchen 124, (Swahili): Steere 287ff. |
| Z253 | Fool as hero. (Cf. L121.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z61.2 | Forever. "A day and a night." Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z91 | Formula for other world: "Where no man goes and no crow flies." India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z75 | Formula: as many children as holes in a sieve. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "enfants". |
| Z71.2.1 | Formula: north, south, east, west. (The cardinal directions.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z71.1.1 | Formula: three days and three nights. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Z72 | Formulas based on the year. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z92 | Formulas of distance. |
| Z63 | Formulas signifying fruitlessness, e.g. like putting a withe about sand, like mocking a beggar. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z0 | Formulas. |
| Z18 | Formulistic conversations. |
| Z76 | Formulistic exaggerations. |
| Z10 | Formulistic framework for tales. *Hdwb. d. Märchens s.v. "Formel"; Irish myth: *Cross; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Z19 | Formulistic frameworks—miscellaneous. |
| Z71.8.3 | Formulistic number: "twice twelve years". India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z71.16.1 | Formulistic number: eight. Irish myth: *Cross; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 154, 210, 411 s.v. "acht"; Polynesia: *Beckwith Myth 209f.; Hawaii: ibid. 233; Tahiti: ibid. 209; Cook Islands: ibid. 256, Samoa: ibid. 256; Easter Island: Métraux Ethnology 80, 376. |
| Z71.16.8 | Formulistic number: eighty thousand. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z71.16.6 | Formulistic number: eighty. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z71.7 | Formulistic number: eleven. Wuttke Volksaberglaube register s.v. "Elf"; Oldenberg Religion der Veda 514; Jewish: Neuman; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| Z71.16.11 | Formulistic number: fifteen. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z71.16.16 | Formulistic number: fifty-six. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z71.16.15 | Formulistic number: fifty-three. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z71.16.9 | Formulistic number: fifty-two lakhs. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z71.3 | Formulistic number: five. Irish myth: Cross; English: Gawayne and the Green Knight lines 623ff.; Hdwb. d. Abergl. s.v. "Funf"; India: Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian (Klikitat): Jacobs U Wash II 32ff. |
| Z71.12 | Formulistic number: forty. *Clouston Eastern Romances 456 n. 1; Dh I 228, 283, 284; Grimm Deutsche Rechtsalterthümer I 301; Wundt Völkerpsychologie VI 341; *Roscher Die Zahl 40 im Glauben der Semiten (Leipzig, 1909).— India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z71.2 | Formulistic number: four. Grimm Deutsche Rechtsalterthümer I 290ff.; Eisler Weltenmantel 337; Wundt Völkerpsychologie VI 354ff.; Brinton Myths of the New World 66ff.; India: Thompson-Balys; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| Z71.2.0.1 | Formulistic number: fourfold (e.g. 400, 4000). Jewish: Neuman. |
| Z71.16.10 | Formulistic number: fourteen. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z71.6 | Formulistic number: nine (99, 900, 999, 99,999, etc.). *Hdwb. d. Märchens I 419b, nn. 378—407; Grimm Deutsche Mythologie I 505f.; Ohrt Danske Trylleformler I 196ff.; Agrell Runornas Talmystik 70ff.; Grimm Deutsche Rechtsalterthümer I 84, 295; Wundt Völkerpsychologie V 82, VI 350; Hdwb. d. Abergl. I 1397; Wuttke Volksaberglaube, register.—Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; Jewish: Neuman; Persian: Carnoy 342 (99,999); India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 56, 206 No. 154; Philippine (Tinguian): Cole 56ff.; Africa (Wakweli): Bender 76f. |
| Z71.5 | Formulistic number: seven. *Nyrop Dania II 126; Grimm Deutsche Rechtsalterthümer I 292; Wundt Völkerpsychologie VI 349; *Roscher Die Sieben- und Neunzahl im Kultus und Mythus der Griechen (Leipzig, 1904); Aly Volksmärchen bei Herodot 241; *Fb "syv". —Irish: *Cross, O'Suilleabhain 45, 100, Beal XXI 316, 332; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "sept"; Icelandic: *Boberg; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. Nos. 157, 178; India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 457; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 49, 162, Graham; N. A. Indian (Seneca): Curtin-Hewitt RBAE XXXII 93 No. 6, 149 No. 24, 154 No. 26; Africa (Cameroon): Mansfield 224, 236, (Togo): Einstein 7, (Congo): Weeks Cannibals 217. |
| Z71.16.12 | Formulistic number: seventeen. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z71.15 | Formulistic number: seventy-seven. (Cf. Z71.5.0.1.) *Hdwb. d. Abergl. III 991; Wuttke Volksabergl. 525b s.v. "Sieben und Siebenzig"; Gaster Thespis 180, 192, 221. |
| Z71.14 | Formulistic number: seventy-two. (Cf. Z71.8.) Grimm Deutsche Rechtsalterthümer I 303, II 497; Hdwb. d. Abergl. III 989, 991; Schröder Germanentum u. Hellenismus 11f.; Thien Motive 2; Bojunga "Die 72 Völkerschalten in Widsith" Paul und Braune's Beiträge XVI 545ff.; R. Michel ibid. XV 377. — Chinese: Wilhelm Chinesische Märchen 364, 366, cf. 358, 363. |
| Z71.4 | Formulistic number: six. Hdwb. d. Märchens I 420a s.v. "Drie" nn. 408ff. |
| Z71.4.0.1 | Formulistic number: sixfold. Jewish: Neuman. |
| Z71.16.7 | Formulistic number: sixteen hundred. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z71.10 | Formulistic number: sixteen. E. Skard Maal og Minne (1931) 106f.; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z71.13 | Formulistic number: sixty. (Cf. Z71.4.) Hdwb. d. Märchens I 421a. |
| Z71.16.2 | Formulistic number: ten. Irish myth: Cross; Society Islands: Henry Ancient Tahiti (Honolulu, 1928) 430; Africa (Fang): Trilles 186. |
| Z71.9 | Formulistic number: thirteen. *Hdwb. d. Märchens I 424a; Grimm Rechtsalterthümer I 298; *Kyriakides To Dysoionon tou Arithmou 13 (Athenae, 1953); India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Z71.8.7 | Formulistic number: thirty-six. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z71.16.5 | Formulistic number: thirty-two. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z71.11 | Formulistic number: thirty. (Cf. Z71.1.0.1.) Hdwb. d. Märchens I 420b nn. 432ff. |
| Z71.1 | Formulistic number: three. **R. Mueller Die Zahl Drei in Sage, Dichtung u. Kunst (Teschen, 1903); Wundt Völkerpsychologie VI 341; Diels Sibyllinische Blätter 40; Aly Volksmärchen bei Herodot 240: Hdwb. d. Märchens I 412ff.; *H. Usener "Dreiheit" Rheinisches Museum f. Philologie N. F. LVIII (1903) 1—47, 161—208; *Fb "tre".—Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "trois"; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham; Africa (Bulu): Krug 120f. (Luba): DeClerq ZsKS IV 201; S. A. Indian (Chiriguano): Métraux RMLP XXXIII 166. |
| Z71.8.4 | Formulistic number: twelve plus thirteen. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z71.8.5 | Formulistic number: twelve score. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z71.8 | Formulistic number: twelve. *Hdwb. d. Märchens I 420b nn. 416ff.; Wundt Völkerpsychologie VI 353; Hoops' Reallexikon I 496; Thien Motive 8f.; Fb "tolv".—Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 64. |
| Z71.16.3 | Formulistic number: twenty-five. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z71.8.6 | Formulistic number: twenty-four. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z71.16.13 | Formulistic number: twenty-one. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z71.16.4 | Formulistic number: twenty-six. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z71.16.14 | Formulistic number: twenty-two. |
| Z71.16 | Formulistic numbers—miscellaneous. Henry Ancient Tahiti (Honolulu, 1928) 430. |
| Z71.0.2 | Formulistic numbers: a number plus one (101, 1001, etc.). R. M. Meyer Archiv f. Religionswissenschaft X (1907) 89ff.; *BP IV 397ff.; Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
| Z71.3.0.1 | Formulistic numbers: fivefold (e.g. 50, 500). Africa (Luba): De Clerq Zs KS IV 202. |
| Z71.5.0.1 | Formulistic numbers: sevenfold (e.g. 49, 70, 70,000, 7,777). (Cf. Z71.15.) Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 943; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 78 No. 43, 80 No. 46. |
| Z71.1.0.2 | Formulistic numbers: threefold (e.g. three times thirty). Jewish: Neuman; Africa (Fang): Einstein 49. |
| Z71 | Formulistic numbers. *Hdwb. d. Abergl. s.v. "Zahl"; Penzer I 242 n. 3, 255 n. 2, VI 14 n. 1; Feilberg Dania II 185ff. |
| Z80 | Formulistic rimes. |
| Z134.1 | Fortune personified as a matron in fine clothing. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| Z134 | Fortune personified. (Cf. N111.) India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Z16.1 | Four brothers construct a woman. Whose is she? India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z71.2.5 | Four categories of souls at Judgment. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z71.2.4 | Four places that cleanse the soul. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z71.2.6 | Four things that prevent the holy life. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z71.2.7 | Four things to which the glory of the world is compared. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z123.1 | Fury personified as demon which enters man's heart and counsels evil. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z123 | Fury personified. (Cf. A486.) Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
| Z19.1 | Game-tales. (Used as game.) *BP II 210. |
| Z261 | Giant heroes. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z312.2 | Giant ogre can be killed only with iron club he carries (with own sword). Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| Z39.7 | Girl left in tree by sisters: asks monkey, ape, bear, and tiger to put her down or else bite her. All refuse. Panther comes and devours her. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z41.6.1 | Gram (parched grain) sticks in post; parrot goes to raja, etc., for help. Final formula: at last creeper took pity on birds, and elephant feared creeper, and ocean feared elephant, and fire feared ocean, and stick feared fire, and snake feared stick, and carpenter feared snake; and carpenter split post which gave up the grain to the birds, who went away. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z155 | Gray hair the symbol of departed usefulness. *Penzer I 121; *Bloomfield JAOS XXXVI 57. |
| Z145.1 | Green as symbolic of martyrdom. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Z49.12 | Hermit must get cat to kill rats in hunt, cow to give cat milk, etc. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z215 | Hero "son of seven mothers". Seven mothers each with a child imprisoned. Six eat their children to keep from starving. Seventh does not. He rescues all the mothers and becomes hero. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z252 | Hero at first nameless. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Z255 | Hero born out of wedlock. (Cf. L111.2.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z235 | Hero with extraordinary animal companions (cock, goat, cow, horse). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z200 | Heroes. *Boggs "The Hero in the Folktales of Spain, Germany, and Russia" JAFL XLIV 27ff.; Dorson American Scholar X 389ff. |
| Z23 | How the Rich Man paid his Servant (Lönen hos den rike man). A farmer pays his servant in the first year a hen, in the second a cock, goose, goat, cow, horse, .... girl. farmstead. **Taylor JAFL XLVI 80 No. 2010 I; Kristensen Danske Dyrefabler 168—78 Nos. 392—418; *T. Norlind Svenska Allmogens Liv (Stockholm, 1925) 612. — Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2010 I*. |
| Z128.1 | Intelligence personified. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z174.1 | Inverted shoes at doors to indicate banishment. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z71.5.2 | Journey beyond seven seas. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z71.5.4 | King for seven years. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z71.5.7 | King with seven wives and seven mares. The seven wives pregnant for seven years, the seven mares seven years in foal. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z139.7 | Ladder as symbol of upward progress. |
| Z139.7.1 | Ladder to heaven as symbol of saint. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z177 | Lamb as symbol of Christ. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z175.1 | Language of flowers. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z311.1 | Left eye only vulnerable spot. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z41.5 | Lending and repaying: progressively worse (or better) bargain. Type 2034C*; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2009*; Africa (Tonga): Torrend Specimens of Bantu Folklore (New York, 1921) 169ff., (Ila): Smith and Dale II 392ff. No. 17, (Pende): Frobenius Atlantis XI 265 No. 4, (Bassari): ibid. 97ff. No. 12, (Ashanti): Rattray 268 No. 73. |
| Z311.3 | Leprosy cured by holy water except on thumb. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z113 | Life personified: old woman carrying healing potions and salves. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| Z24.1.1 | Life story in ten hours: "At one I was born .... at ten my child's soul was crowned in heaven." *Taylor JAFL XLVI 80 No. 2012B. |
| Z32.3 | Little ant finds a penny, buys new clothes with it, and sits in her doorway. Various animals pass by and propose marriage. She asks what they do at night. Each one replies with its characteristic sound, and none pleases her but the quiet little mouse, whom she marries. She leaves him to tend the stew, and he falls in and drowns. She weeps and, on learning the reason, bird cuts off its beak, dove cuts off its tail, etc. (First ed. Z31.2.3.) *Taylor FFC XLVI 82 No. 2023; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 154 No. 2023*; Italian: Crane Italian Popular Tales (1885) 376—77. |
| Z49.10 | Lizard eats cricket, frog eats lizard, snake eats frog, eagle eats snake, man shoots eagle; animals escape except lizard. Man takes eagle home. U.S.: Baughman. |
| Z210.1 | Lodge-Boy and Thrown-Away as joint adventurers. Of brothers (sometimes twins taken from body of slain mother) one is abandoned and becomes wild. Later he joins his brother. *Dickson passim; Krappe MLN XLVII 493ff.; Oceanic: Dixon 138 n. 12; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 319 n. 152, (California): Gayton and Newman 91, 95; S. A. Indian (Bakuiri): Métraux RMLP XXXIII 145. |
| Z33.4.1 | Louse and crow make covenant of friendship: louse eats crow despite crow saying, "If I strike you once with my beak you will disappear; how then can you talk of eating me?" Likewise louse eats loaf of bread, she-goat, cow, buffalo, five sepoys, wedding procession with one lakh of people, elephant, tank of water. A sepoy cuts louse in two with his sword and rescues all. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z31.2 | Louse and flea wish to marry. Mosquito, toad, ant, etc. volunteer to supply the wedding feast. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 154 No. 2020*. |
| Z175.2 | Lovers' assignation by symbolic messages. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Z127.2 | Lust personified. India: Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 615. |
| Z311.4 | Man can be injured only in armpits. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z43.6 | Man invites animals to come and work in his field. Rooster kills beetle; cat kills rooster; dog kills cat; leopard kills dog; hyena kills leopard; buffalo kills hyena; elephant kills buffalo, and lion chases elephant so that both fall into trap. Man calls wives to see meat he has killed. Africa (Wute): Sieber 60ff. |
| Z49.6.3 | Man sharpening his dao is bitten by a prawn. He cuts down a big bamboo; a fruit falls from bamboo and strikes a bird on the nape of the neck; the bird scratches up an ant's nest with his feet; the ant bites a wild boar in the eye; and the boar bears down upon a plantain tree where a bat dwells under a leaf; the bat seeks refuge in the ear of an elephant, and the elephant kicks down the house on an old woman. She rushes out and falls into a well. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Z115.1 | Man takes case against wind for damages. Wanting to have nothing to do with a court, the wind generously makes good the damages, and punishes the judge guilty of bribery. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3901. |
| Z141.2.1 | Martyrs called "red wheat"; saints, "Dei triticum" (God's wheat). Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Z174 | Message or orders given symbolic action. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z141.2.2 | Mill in which two men are slain said to grind "red wheat". Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Z185 | Mill turned by the water of the grace of God as symbol of saint. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z90 | Miscellaneous formulas. |
| Z49 | Miscellaneous interdependent chains. |
| Z139.6 | Modesty personified. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z122.2 | Mother of Time personified. Italian: Basile Pentamerone IV No. 8. |
| Z39.6 | Mother ties bell on child; cat cuts it off. "Why did you cut off the bell?"—"Why did you lay the block here, etc." Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| Z32.5 | Mourning about the dead ass (Tulsi Das): from washerman to the queen. "But who is Tulsi Das?" The report is traced back to the washerman, who says: "He was my ass." India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Z41.4.1 | Mouse bursts open when crossing a stream. Series of helpers similar to Z41.4. *Taylor JAFL XLVI 86 No. 2034A; *Wesselski Hessische Blätter f. Vksk. XXXII 28; BP II 107—8. |
| Z41.4.2 | My dog picked up a string, but did not wish to give it to me unless I gave her bread. Cupboard did not wish to give bread unless I gave it a key; smith, charcoal; charcoal-burner, calf's legbone; butcher, milk; cow, grass; meadow, water; clouds, dove's feather. Dove gave me a feather which I gave to clouds, etc. *Taylor JAFL XLVI 86 No. 2034B; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 156 No. 2030D. |
| Z100.1 | Names of giants (Fomorians) with sinister significance. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z61.1 | Never. "Till Ogham and pillar be blent together, till heaven and earth, till sun and moon be blent together." Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z61 | Never. Various ways of expressing this idea. When black sheep turn white, when a dry branch sprouts, etc. *Fb "aldrig" IV 9a; *Wehrhan 36; Hdwb. d. Märchens II 163a; *Gittee Zs. f. Vksk. III 442ff.; Weise Zs. f. hochdeutsche Mundarten III 47ff.; Stoett Nederlandsche Spreekwoorden, Spreekwijzen, Vitdrukkingen en Gezegden@4 (Zutphen, 1923) I 401ff. No. 1036; Berthold Nassauische Blätter V 199ff.; Treichel Der Urquell II 214; Heller Die Bedeutung des arabischen Antar-romans für die vergleichende Literaturkunde (Form und Geist XXI, Leipzig, 1931) 174ff.; Taylor English Riddles 54 No. 143; Müller-Fraureuth Die deutschen Lügendichtungen bis auf Münchhausen (Halle a. S., 1881) 19. — Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys; West Indies: Flowers 588. |
| Z71.6.4 | Nine materials used in building Tower of Babel. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Z71.6.2 | Nine whirlpools of the world. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z181 | Nudity as sign of anger. Penzer Pentamerone I 12; Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z181.1 | Nudity as sign of madness. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z43.3 | Nut hits cock in head: he thinks world is coming to an end. He sends the hen to tell the duck, the duck to tell the goose, etc. Final formula: Fox, who told you? —Hare. — Hare, who told you? —Goose, etc. For sequel see Type 20C. Sometimes the animals have queer names (cf. Z53). Taylor JAFL XLVI 85 No. 2033, Hdwb. d. Märchens II 185a; *Wesselski Hessische Blätter XXXII 19; Cowell Jataka III 49 No. 322; Fb "høne" I 750. — Danish: Danske Dyrefabler 103ff. Nos. 177—85; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2033; Africa (Kaffir): Kidd 240 No. 9; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 108 No. 20. |
| Z320 | Object will fit only one thing (or person). Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z71.0.1 | Odd numbers —formulistic. Roman: Pliny Natural History X 151, XXVIII 23; Hindu: Caland Verhandelingen der Koniglijke Akademie van Wetenschappen te Amsterdam XVII (4) 23 and NS I (6) 73, 103; Indonesian: Kruyt Het Animisme 514. |
| Z315 | Ogre vulnerable only when his face is turned away when he is struck. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z114 | Old age personified. Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| Z157 | Olive branch symbol of peace. English: Malory XX 14. |
| Z322 | Only one ferule fits certain staff. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z313.1 | Only one person can overtake hero. Maori: Beckwith Myth 231. |
| Z351 | Only one person refuses to weep at hero's death. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| Z316 | Only one way to besiege certain city. Jewish: Neuman. |
| Z21.1 | Origin of chess. Inventor asks one wheat-grain for first square, two for the second, four for the third, eight for the fourth, etc. The king cannot pay. **Taylor JAFL XLVI 79 No. 2009; *Livingston MLN XLV 246—51; Murray History of Chess (Oxford, 1913) 207—9, 755; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z60 | Other formulistic motifs. |
| Z150 | Other symbols. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| Z350 | Other unique exceptions. |
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