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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 ▲ |
|---|---|
| J1221 | Old man in love with young woman puts his critics out of countenance. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| T237 | Old man married to young, unfaithful wife. Irish myth: Cross; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| G311 | Old man of the sea. Burr-woman. Ogre who jumps on one's back and sticks there magically. *Chauvin VII 23 No. 373E; Fb "ryg" III 103ab; *Basset 1001 Contes I 190; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV 126 No. 58; Greek: Grote I 7; Eskimo (Central): Boas RBAE VI 626; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 330 n. 191e; Africa (Luba): DeClerq Zs. f. Kolonialsprachen IV 226. |
| G95 | Old man says his arm is getting thin—indicates desire for human flesh. Eskimo (Greenland): Rasmussen III 86. |
| J1714.5 | Old man silent in king's presence asks king what he himself does when in company with a fool. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F571.1 | Old man with hanging eyelids. So old that the eyelids hang down to his chin and must be lifted up. *Fb "öje" III 1167a; *BP II 398 n. 2, IV 148; Welsh, Irish: MacCulloch Celtic 187; N. A. Indian (Seneca): Curtin-Hewitt RBAE XXXII 213 No. 41. |
| A15.3.1 | Old man with staff as creator. (cf. A1.2.). Inca: Rowe BBAE CXLIII (2) 316. |
| J151.2 | Old men preferred as councillors. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 538. |
| J441.1 | Old ox yoked with young ox. Thus kept in order. Wienert FFC LVI 85 (ET 516), 146 (ST 511). |
| S110.1 | Old people killed in famine. *Wesselski Märchen 237 No. 48; Fb "gammel" IV 174a; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| H1233.1 | Old person as helper on quest. |
| N825 | Old person as helper. Spanish: Espinosa II Nos. 99—103, 119—121, 126—132. |
| P674 | Old person commits suicide when strength fails. Irish myth: Cross. |
| J14 | Old racehorse in mill laments vanity of youth. Wienert FFC LVI *72 (ET 365), 140 (ST 466); Babrius No. 29; Halm Aesop No. 174. |
| R153.3.3 | Old robber frees his three sons: relates frightful adventures. In order to free them he must relate three adventures, each more frightful than the last. *Type 953; *BP III 369; Wesselski Märchen 217 No. 29. |
| J1771.2 | Old sausage (roll) taken for frightening animal. Christensen DF XLVII 174 no. 2. |
| J2129.5 | Old shoes patched with new. Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 319 No. 18. |
| J955.4 | Old simpleton resolves to become a senator. He is made to believe that he is wanted as an archer and is so frightened that he dies. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J491 | Old sweetheart chosen in preference to new. Type 886. |
| T91.4.1.1 | Old teacher wishes to marry his young girl pupil. India: Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 860. |
| H1556.4.4 | Old uncle tests nephew's fidelity by sleeping with his beloved. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| H1221.1 | Old warrior longs for more adventure. Refuses to rest in old age. Chauvin II 152 No. 16, 157 No. 37; cf. Tennyson's "Ulysses." |
| K929.10 | Old wife provokes sparrow to speak and therefore drop new wife whom he is carrying in his beak. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1313 | Old wine. Man given his choice of old or new wine says, "We must honor old age." Wesselski Bebel I 163 No. 100. |
| K2323.3 | Old woman and tiger flee in terror from each other. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A15.1.1 | Old woman as creator. Lepers Is.: Codrington II 372f. |
| A955.12 | Old woman as guardian of floating islands of the gods. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 68. |
| M301.2 | Old woman as prophet. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 624; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| F575.1.2 | Old woman beautiful as in youth. Jewish: Neuman. |
| N825.3.2 | Old woman by spring as helper. *Type 480; Roberts 151; Italian: Basile Pentamerone IV No. 7. |
| G11.6.3 | Old woman calls beasts together to join her in feast on human flesh. Africa (Duala): Lederbogen Fables 61. |
| J2072.6 | Old woman demands something that she would remember all her life: her nose cut off. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| G303.25.6 | Old woman gives chickens to devils. They do not accept them. She gives them to priests and they eat them. Scala Celi 161b No. 916. |
| Q21.1 | Old woman gives her only cow believing she would receive a hundred in return from God. A bishop hearing of her faith sends her a hundred cows. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| F598 | Old woman gives miraculous amount of milk. Jewish: Neuman. |
| D2143.5.1 | Old woman has control over frost. Fb "frost". |
| D1857.1 | Old woman has lived for ages. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| N825.3 | Old woman helper. *Types 316, 400, 480, 707; *BP II 380ff., 466; *Cosquin études 563; Hdwb. d. Märchens I s.v. "Alte im Walde"; Roberts 150. — Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; Finnish: Kalevala rune 7; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "vieille"; Missouri French: Carrière; Italian: Basile Pentamerone V No. 9, Rotunda; Spanish: Espinosa II Nos. 99—103, 126—132, Espinosa Jr. Nos. 107, 109; India: *Thompson-Balys; Korean: Zong in-Sob 63, 166; Polynesia (general): Beckwith Myth chapt. 17 passim; Hawaii: ibid. 257—264, 491; Tahiti: ibid. 251; Tonga: Gifford 156; Maori: Dixon 59; Eskimo (Greenland): Rasmussen II 162; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 327 n. 180; Africa: Werner African 233, (Ekoi): Talbot 18, 207, 235, 364, (Basuto): Jacottet 118 No. 17, 142 No. 20, 204 No. 30, 226 No. 33, (Kaffir): Theal 48ff., 82, 145, (Zanzibar): Bateman 128 No. 7, (Angola): Chatelain 47 No. 1, 57 No. 2, 93 No. 5, (Zulu): Callaway 217. |
| H1233.1.1 | Old woman helps on quest. Type 400, 425; English: Wells 68 (The Weddynge of Sir Gawen and Dame Ragnell); India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| K1317.2.1 | Old woman intercepts letter and takes girl's place in man's bed. Hdwb. d. Märchens I 326a n. 15. |
| J215.2.1 | Old woman prays for safety of cruel tyrant for fear a worse one will succeed him. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| W116.1 | Old woman reaches town before vain fop who stops to adjust clothes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E481.1.1 | Old woman ruler of dead in lower world. (Cf. A481.9.) Finnish: Holmberg Finno-Ugric 75. |
| K1911.1.5 | Old woman substituted for bride in bridegroom's bed. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| H495.3 | Old woman suckles all babies at son's circumcision to prove she has borne child. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| A842.2 | Old woman supports earth on her head. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| M301.2.2 | Old Woman, "völva", prophesies at child's birth. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| M411.5 | Old woman's curse (satire). Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 106; Italian: Basile Pentamerone |
| S375 | Old woman's maledictions inform abandoned hero of his parentage and future. He has knocked her over (broken pots). *Cosquin Contes indiens 398. |
| J1809.1 | Old woman's sneeze mistaken for gunfire. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1556.4.5.1 | Old woman's willingness to die for daughter disappears when Death seems to arrive. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P14.15.1 | Old, wise counsellor of court. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P251.7 | Older brother has birthright, entitling him to a double share. (Cf. P233.11.) Jewish: *Neuman. |
| T92.13 | Older warrior preferred as suitor. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P233.5 | Oldest son responsible to father for welfare of others. Jewish: Neuman. |
| D1355.8 | Olive branch insures fidelity of husband. Wife to beat him with it. (Cf. D954.)—Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 51 No. 340. |
| Z157 | Olive branch symbol of peace. English: Malory XX 14. |
| D1812.5.2.8 | Omen at laying foundation of building. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| D1812.5.0.2 | Omens from flight of birds. *Kittredge Witchcraft 44, 398 n. 170; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| D1812.5.0.1 | Omens from sneezing. *Kittredge Witchcraft 44, 398 n. 170; *Pease Classical Philology VI (1911) 429ff; *Tylor Primitive Culture (First Am. ed.) I 97ff.; Knowlson Popular Superstitions (1910) 175ff.; Schweizer Volkskunde (1912) 20f.; Encyc. Rel. Ethics IX 398f.; Penzer III 303ff.; Gessler Bull. bib. et péd. du Musée belge XXX (1926) 193ff.; Saintyves L'Eternuement et le Baillement (Paris, 1921) 148; *Fb "nyse" II 704; Hdwb. d. Abergl. s.v. "niesen" VI 1076ff.; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T3 | Omens in love affairs. |
| A102.4 | Omnipotent god. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| A102.5 | Omnipresent god. Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| D1810.0.1 | Omniscience of a god. Irish myth: *Cross; Norse: De la Saussaye 280, Boberg; Greek: Aeschylus Prometheus Bound line 167, Grote I 6; Jewish: Neuman. |
| A102.1 | Omniscient god. Icel.: MacCulloch Eddic 47 (Odin); Irish Myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman.—So. Am. Indian (Chiriguano): Métraux RMLP XXXIII 173, (Guarani): Métraux BBAE CXLIII (3) 93. |
| E721.6 | On return to body soul crosses on scythe-blade as bridge. *Fb "høle" I 747a; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J1539 | One absurdity rebukes another—miscellaneous. |
| J1530 | One absurdity rebukes another. Brown JAOS XXIX 43 n. 40, Penzer III 241, 250f., V 64ff., IX 152, 155; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K521.7 | One animal escapes by shamming as another (jackal as goat). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2382 | One animal injures another by deception. B[ö]dker Exempler 281 No. 25; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| F916 | One animal jumps through body of another. |
| J1750 | One animal mistaken for another. |
| K641 | One animal saves another by frightening enemy away. Africa (Benga): Nassau 143 No. 16, (Ibo, Nigeria): Basden 279. |
| K649.1.1 | One animal swallows another to save him from pursuer. Africa (Cameroon): Lederbogen 18, (Bankon): Ittman 81ff. |
| F661.7.3 | One arrow shot into end of last one to make rope of arrows. Melanesia: Codrington 373, 397. |
| J1662.1 | One basket of wit better than twelve carloads of it. Female jackal saves herself and husband by quick thinking. (Cf. K622.1.) India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| A1006.8 | One bear-child escapes death, is ancestor of all bears. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| D1821.3.5.1 | One becomes ghost-seer after looking through hole in coffin. Lithuanian: Balys Ghosts. |
| J641.1 | One bird escapes as hunter bends his bow; other remains and is shot. (Told also of fish.) *Type 246; Wienert FFC LVI 61 (ET 233), 108 (ST 205); Halm Aesop No. 85; Chauvin II 88. |
| G551.4 | One brother rescues another from ogre. Type 303; German: Grimm Nos. 60, 85; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| F989.6 | One bull, one cow survive plague. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F545.3.1 | One cheek white, other red. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| J1881.1.2 | One cheese sent after another. Numskull lets one roll down hill; sends the other to bring it back. *Type 1291; BP I 521. |
| J972 | One cock takes glory of another's valor. Victor in cock fight crows over his victory. He is taken off by eagle. A second cock then comes out from hiding and struts about among the hens. Wienert FFC LVI 57 (ET 180), 92 (ST 56); Halm Aesop No. 21. |
| J2119.2.2 | One contestant chooses straight path through stones; other circles about and wins. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K232.2 | One day and one night: object borrowed for a day and a night retained. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K2314.1 | One day and one night: object borrowed for a day and a night retained. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K2314 | One day and one night. Saint has tribute remitted for a day and a night, i.e. forever, because there is but one day and one night in time. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F782.1.1 | One door for each world quarter. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| D1349.1.6.1 | One drop of blood when licked satisfies hunger. (Cf. D1003.)—India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1217.1 | One dueller fights with God's help; the other with his brother's. First claims that the odds are unfair; second agrees that he will fight without his brother if the first will fight without God. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 312. |
| J1289.8 | One ear saved for other litigant. Judge stops up one ear while first litigant presents his case. He is saving one ear for the second litigant. Spanish: Childers. |
| F541.6.1 | One eye brown, other blue. Irish myth: Cross. |
| J163.3 | One eye exchanged for wisdom. (Odin.) Icelandic: Boberg. |
| F1041.16.2 | One eye recedes, other protrudes when angered. (Cf. F541.5.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| J2566 | One fewer to pay for. A man carries blind men over a stream at a certain price per head. One falls down and drowns. He comforts the others that there is one fewer to pay for. Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 207 No. 14. |
| K2319.1 | One foot in Ireland, one in Scotland. Man carries sods of two countries with him that his whereabouts will be so defined. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| G551.4.1 | One foster brother rescues another from ogre. Type 303; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P310.6 | One friend dies shortly after the other. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| F531.6.8.4.1 | One giant invites another to a feast (wedding). Latter must be satisfied that food is plentiful. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3713. |
| F165.1.0.1 | One hundred doors in palace of otherworld king. Irish myth: Cross. |
| G303.16.19.3 | One is freed if he can set a task the devil cannot perform. Fb I 267a; **Wesselski Niederdeutsche Zeitschrift für Volkskunde X 1ff.; England: *Baughman; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| X901 | One lie a year. A man who tells but one lie a year is believed because of his general truthfulness. Amusing results. Chauvin V 278 No. 161; *BP II 371, 509; Köhler-Bolte I 322; India: Thompson-Balys; Africa (Vai): Ellis 239 No. 46. |
| K1517.1.1 | One lover disguised and carried out of house by other. The wife has the lover put on a robe and stand in the corner; she tells the husband that a tradesman has left the robe and will return for it. The other lover comes and she gives him the "robe". Africa (Vai): Ellis 229 No. 38. |
| S262.0.1 | One man disappears each night. English: Beowulf; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| E165.1 | One man prays either to keep friend from death or for both to die. Both allowed to live. Jewish: bin Gorion II 171f., 349. |
| J1833.1.2 | One man strikes at partridge which has lighted on second man's head. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| U140 | One man's food is another man's poison. Wienert FFC LVI 121. |
| A965.1 | One mountain in love with another stretches leg out to meet her: origin of a mountain chain. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C662 | One must eat "death vegetable" whenever one sees it. Otherwise god will be angry. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| G303.16.18 | One must not whistle after sunset, else the devil will go along with one. Fb I 267b. |
| J1772 | One object thought to be another. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| G303.4.1.5.2 | One of devil's teeth grows down to the earth; another to sky. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F541.5 | One of man's (giant's) eyes protrudes, other recedes. (Cf. F1041.16.2.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| A1045 | One pair escapes continuous winter and renews race. (Cf. A1006.1, A1038.)—*Olrik Ragnarök 479 s.v. "Fimbulwinter". |
| J1766 | One person mistaken for another. |
| E765.5 | One person's life dependent on another's. Penzer I 131. |
| A2616 | One plant transformed into another. India: Thompson-Balys; Eskimo (Labrador): Hawks GSCan XIV 152. |
| Q44.3 | One rupee given away for charity incidentally brings back ten rupees. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| D2106.2 | One sack of charcoal makes a hundred. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| D621.0.1 | One shape by day; another by night. Child V 490 s.v. "one". |
| J513 | One should let well enough alone. |
| J511 | One should not attempt to change his color. |
| J514 | One should not be too greedy. Type 555. |
| P253.0.5 | One sister and six (seven, eleven, twelve) brothers. Type 451. |
| P253.0.4 | One sister and ten brothers. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| P253.0.3 | One sister and three (four) brothers. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P253.0.2 | One sister and two brothers. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| A227.2 | One sun-god for night; another for day (Osiris, Horus). Egyptian: Müller 113. |
| K341.15 | One thief distracts attention of owner while other steals. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K307.2 | One thief entrusted with other thieves' money cheats them. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K307.1 | One thief hides in money bag; other carries it off. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1800 | One thing mistaken for another—miscellaneous. |
| Q112.0.4 | One third of kingdom and the king's daughter as reward for getting victory-stone during the night. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| H586.5 | One traveler to another (as they see corpse borne by): He is not entirely dead. (Has left good property.) Wesselski Märchen 197 No. 7. |
| H586.6 | One traveler to another (when asked how he crossed an unbridged stream): I cross on an ashen bridge. (Found a ford with an ashen staff.) Wesselski Märchen 197 No. 7; Nouvelles de Sens No. 8. |
| H586.7 | One traveler to another: Is this cup valuable or not? (Is your daughter married or not?) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H586.3 | One traveler to another: Let us carry each other and shorten the way. (Let us tell tales and amuse ourselves on the way.) *Wesselski Märchen 197 No. 7; Nouvelles de Sens Nos. 3, 8; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H586.4 | One traveler to another: That field (uncut) is already harvested. (Belongs to spendthrift who has already spent the money.) Wesselski Märchen 197 No. 7. |
| J133.1 | One wild goat steps over another. They thus pass each other uninjured on a cliff. This shows advantage of peaceableness. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 403. |
| D1761.0.2.2 | One wish granted. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T611.8 | One woman suckles many babies. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| J2661.3 | One woman to catch squirrel; the other to get the cooking pot. One falls from the tree and kills herself; the other breaks the pot. *Type 1227. |
| J1605 | One wrong and five hundred good deeds. A man steals a large sum, keeps half and distributes the rest among five hundred persons. He says that he has committed one wrong but has done five hundred good deeds. Chauvin II 208 No. 76. |
| T165.2 | One year to elapse between ceremony and consummation of marriage. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| F531.1.6.7 | One-armed giant. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| L112.10 | One-armed hero. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| G369.6 | One-breasted ogress. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F642.6 | One-eyed barber sees thread of silk stretching to sea. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| G369.7 | One-eyed demon. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K929.2 | One-eyed doe outwitted by approaching from her blind side. Accustomed to feed on a cliff with her sound eye next the land. Wienert FFC LVI 65 (ET 287), 140 (ST 463); Halm Aesop No. 126; Jacobs Aesop 216 No. 66. |
| G511.1 | One-eyed giant (ogre) blinded (and killed) by arrow. Irish myth: Cross. |
| G121.1.1 | One-eyed giant (ogre). Irish myth: *Cross. |
| A128.2 | One-eyed god. Odin.—Harrison (Jane E.) Prolegomena to the Study of Greek Religion 194; Holmberg Finno-Ugric 179.—Irish myth: Cross; Icel.: Boberg, De la Saussaye 226, MacCulloch Eddic 21; Jewish: Neuman. |
| J1675.4 | One-eyed king has rocks counted on pain of death. Clever man avoids saying "one" (which king considers a curse on his one eye) by saying that first is the rock that must not be called by name. Africa (Vai): Ellis 216 No. 30. |
| X122 | One-eyed man as appraiser of horse. Has appraised it at half a mark. "He saw only half a horse; otherwise he would have valued it at a mark." Bédier Fabliaux 123; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| X413 | One-eyed parson in dimly lighted church joins the wrong couples. Marries the old man to the girl and the old woman to the boy. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| B15.4.5 | One-eyed pig. Irish myth: Cross. |
| E501.4.3.1 | One-eyed sow in wild hunt. Plischke 31. |
| K2273 | One-eyed villain. Hdwb. d. Märchens I 477a; BP I 83 (Grimm No. 11); India: Thompson-Balys. |
| G213.1 | One-eyed witch. Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| B15.6.0.1 | One-footed animal. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F531.1.3.3 | One-footed giant. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B15.3.0.2 | One-horned ox. Jewish: Neuman. |
| F531.1.3.3.1 | One-legged giant. Irish myth: *Cross; Eskimo (Greenland): Rasmussen I 170. |
| F525.1 | One-sided man. Eskimo (Greenland): Rasmussen II 13, III 75, Rink 237, (Smith Sound): Kroeber JAFL XII 171. |
| J2083.1 | One-third for the price of one-fourth. In the grain sale the fool sells a third of a cask for the price of a fourth, thinking that he is cheating the buyer. Type 1266*. |
| J416 | One's own kind preferred to strangers. |
| P551.8.1 | Only 700 subjects of under-king required to serve under overlord on any one hosting. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N178.4 | Only crippled cow not driven away by robbers. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2236 | Only fault with the house. The latrine is too small for the dining room table to go in. Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 282 No. 334. |
| T550.6 | Only half a son is born by queen who ate merely half of mango. (Cf. F525, T589.2.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2342.5 | Only husband remains ignorant about his wife's infidelity. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F165.6 | Only joy felt in otherworld dwelling. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| L393 | Only love to offer. Bride asks suitors what they have to offer her. Poor youth who has nothing but love to offer gets her. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| V510.2 | Only man without sin can see God. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| D1651.1 | Only master is able to bend bow. (Cf. D1091.) Greek: Fox 139 (Odysseus.) |
| C655 | Only one certain gift must be accepted. |
| Z322 | Only one ferule fits certain staff. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H31.4 | Only one man can lift small pot from ground. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H31.12 | Only one man is able to pluck fruits from tree. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H31.7.2 | Only one man is able to read magic book. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| M115 | Only one oath binding. It must be by so and so or else it is worthless. Italian: Basile Pentamerone IV Nos. 6, 8, V No. 4. |
| Z313.1 | Only one person can overtake hero. Maori: Beckwith Myth 231. |
| D2161.4.10.0.1 | Only one person possesses power to heal certain wound. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Z351 | Only one person refuses to weep at hero's death. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| C714.1 | Only one present to be asked for at home of spirit son-in-law. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A2219.3 | Only one serpent had sting: fed poison to the rest. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z316 | Only one way to besiege certain city. Jewish: Neuman. |
| N543.0.1 | Only particular persons see hidden treasure in its true form; others see it as coal, serpents, scorpions, etc. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C655.1 | Only peacock on the steeple of the king's golden temple can be accepted as dowry. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| X521 | Only prostitutes can carry the corpse of a prostitute. (Cf. X514.) Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 405. |
| E421.1.1.2 | Only sorcerers can see ghosts. Eskimo (Greenland): Rasmussen III 181. |
| D1719.11.1 | Only ten measures of magic allotted to world. Jewish: Neuman. |
| P642 | Only the brave to wear beards. Irish myth: Cross. |
| L32 | Only the youngest brother helps his sister perform dangerous task. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| L71 | Only the youngest of group of imprisoned women refuses to eat her newborn child. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| X514 | Only usurers can carry the corpse of the usurer. It refuses to be moved by anyone else. (Cf. X521.) Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 190; Irish: Beal XXI 326, cf. O'Suilleabhain 74. |
| V62.2 | Only usurers to carry body of usurer to grave. Alphabet No. 793. |
| N551.1 | Only weak-minded person may unearth a treasure. Fb "sær" III 723b. |
| J551.6 | Only youngest son tells king truth when asked where they got their food: banished. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| D1421.1.14 | Opening bottle summons genie. (Cf. D1171.8.) German: Grimm No. 99. |
| F382.4 | Opening Holy Bible in presence of fairies nullifies their spells. England: Baughman. |
| D2165.4 | Opening in house made by magic so as to escape. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 101. |
| D1782.1.1 | Opening mouth makes door open wider. Eskimo (Cumberland Sound): Boas BAM XV 193. |
| A1171.1 | Opening of creator's eyes creates day. (Cf. A0.)—Chinese: Werner 78. |
| J2027 | Opium-smoker on journey asks his way about; ends up at his own house. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| M237.1 | Opponents agree not to fight and are thus undefeated. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| J917 | Opposing wise men humble themselves and become friends. Jewish: Neuman. |
| K1291 | Opposing witnesses's pockets filled with dung. Discredited. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A855 | Opposite of present. Everything on the earth—courses of rivers, height of mountains, human reproduction, etc.—are at first the reverse of the present condition.—N. A. Indian: Kroeber JAFL XXI 225. |
| A106 | Opposition of good and evil gods. Hindu: Keith 84; *Penzer I 197; India: Thompson-Balys.—Tarahumare (Mexican Indian): Alexander N. Am. 176; S. Am. Indians (Antioquians): Alexander Lat. Am. 197.—Jewish: Neuman. |
| U68 | Optimist becomes pessimist when his money is stolen. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| V134.1 | Oracles and auguries from holy well. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| B150 | Oracular animals. *Hopf (L.) Tierorakel und Orakeltiere in alter und neuer Zeit (Stuttgart, 1888).—Krappe JAFL LV 228ff.; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| D1311.7.1 | Oracular artificial head. (Cf. D1268.)—*Dickson 200 n. 94, 213 n. 145. |
| D1311.12 | Oracular bell. (Cf. D1213.) |
| D1311.7.2 | Oracular brazen lion. Dickson 197 n. 83. |
| D1311.5 | Oracular flame. (Cf. D1271.)—Norwegian: Dasent Popular Tales from the Norse (New York, 1888) 261. |
| D1311.3 | Oracular fountain. (Cf. D925.)—Irish: Plummer cli, *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| D1651.6 | Oracular image refuses information except to hero. (Cf. D1311.7.) Dickson 194. |
| D1311.7 | Oracular image. (Cf. D1268.)—*Dickson 193 (n. 75) ff. |
| K1972 | Oracular images occupied by spirits or priests who give the answers. *Dickson 192ff. nn. 69—73, 83; *Boje XIX 101. |
| D1311.20 | Oracular pubic hair. (Cf. D991.2.)—India: Thompson-Balys. |
| D1311.18 | Oracular ring. (Cf. D1076.) Icelandic: Boberg. |
| D1311.11 | Oracular river. (Cf. D915.) |
| D1311.16 | Oracular stone. (Cf. D931.) Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 89. |
| D1311.4 | Oracular tree. (Cf. D950.)—Irish: Plummer cliii, *Cross; India: Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham. |
| D1311.4.0.1 | Oracular twig. (Cf. D953, D1254.2, D1311.15, D1314.2.) —Irish myth: Cross; Norse: MacCulloch Eddic 86; Tacitus Germania Ch. 10. |
| D1733.3.1.1 | Oracular twigs work only if man has fasted. (Cf. D1311.4.0.1.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| H316.1 | Orange (lemon) thrown to indicate princess's choice. Cosquin Contes Indiens 317ff. |
| E499.2 | Orchestra of ghosts. U.S.: Baughman. |
| A1399 | Ordaining of human life—additional motifs. |
| A1390 | Ordaining of human life—miscellaneous. |
| H226 | Ordeal by balance. Defendant is weighed twice. He must be lighter second time. *Penzer VIII 195 n. 3. |
| H221.4 | Ordeal by boiling water. Basset RTP VII 281, 616, VIII 561; Irish: *Cross, O'Suilleabhain 50, Beal XXI 318; Icelandic: Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H232 | Ordeal by bread and cheese. Declaration: if I am not innocent may I choke on bread and cheese. Kittredge Witchcraft 237f., 543 nn. 85—91; England: *Baughman. |
| H221.1 | Ordeal by burning coal. Basset RTP VII 284; Jewish: Neuman. |
| H221.3 | Ordeal by burning oil. Basset RTP VII 282, VIII 20; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 22. |
| H228 | Ordeal by creeping under a sod partially detached from the earth without its falling down. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| H224 | Ordeal by crocodiles (snakes). Judgment depends on whether person is devoured or rejected by crocodiles. Basset RTP VII 286; English: Child V 490 "ordeal." |
| H236 | Ordeal by exposure. (Cf. S141, S331.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H221 | Ordeal by fire. Suspected person must pass through or jump over fire to determine guilt or innocence. Basset RTP VI 631; Scala Celi 6b, 46b Nos. 38, 259; Herbert III 605f., Alphabet Nos. 69, 221, 434; *Gaster Exempla 191 No. 28.—Irish: O'Suilleabhain 71; English: Child V 490 s.v. "ordeal"; Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Hindu: Keith 128; S. A. Indian (Brazil): Ehrenreich Int. Cong. Americanists XIV 661; Am. Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 248 No. 42; Jamaica: *Beckwith MAFLS XVII 238 No. 9. |
| H222.2 | Ordeal by holy water. If simpleton closes his eyes to holy water he is possessed; if he laughs he is merely an idiot. U.S.: Baughman; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| H221.2 | Ordeal by hot iron. *Penzer VIII 195 n. 3, 196 n.; Basset RTP VII 284, 615, VIII 20, 431, 561; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; Spanish Exempla: Keller; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H224.1 | Ordeal by kissing poisonous serpents. Irish: O'Suilleabhain 46. |
| H223 | Ordeal by poison. Penzer VIII 196 n.; Basset RTP VI 631, VII 278, 616; Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
| H221.2.2 | Ordeal by red-hot iron applied by druids. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H225 | Ordeal by rope-walking. Africa (Basuto): Jacottet 182, (Ekoi): Talbot 402; Jamaica: *Beckwith MAFLS XVII 238 No. 9. |
| H221.5 | Ordeal by spitting. Extinguishing fire is proof of innocence. England: *Baughman. |
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