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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 ▲ |
|---|---|
| J1291 | Question answered by absurd counterquestion. |
| H526 | Question: "What is under my cloak?" Questioner has branch of blackthorn laden with berries under her cloak. Irish myth: Cross. |
| J2381 | Question: did the man ever have a head? A man's head is snatched off by accident and his companions do not see what has happened. Debate: did he ever have a head? *Type 1225; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 192 No. 374; *Bolte Frey 220 No. 12; Christensen DF XLVII 192—93 No. 19; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1388.1 | Question: What is it women most desire. Answer: Sovereignty. English: Wells 68 (The Weddynge of Sir Gawen and Dame Ragnell), Child I 289—294, Chaucer's "Wife of Bath's Tale." |
| H1291 | Questions asked on way to other world. *Type 461; Irish: Cross Beal XXI 318f., O'Suilleabhain 50—52; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham. |
| E545.5 | Questions to dead are dangerous. *Fb "død" I 228a; Boberg. |
| H1211 | Quests assigned in order to get rid of hero. *Type 650; Dickson 51; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; Missouri French: Carrière; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. Nos. 116, 139—141; Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1319 | Quests for the unique—miscellaneous. |
| H1300 | Quests for the unique. |
| H1286 | Quests to fairyland. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H1280 | Quests to other realms. |
| H1290 | Quests to the other world—miscellaneous motifs. |
| H1250 | Quests to the other world. *Siuts Jenseitsmotive 226—232; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H1229 | Quests voluntarily undertaken—miscellaneous. |
| H1220 | Quests voluntarily undertaken. Irish: *Cross, Beal XXI 318, 320; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| J1252 | Quibbling answers. E.g., Where are you going?—Forward. Where are you going to cut the tree?—At the foot. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2357.4 | Rabbi feigns death to be carried out of the besieged city and to approach enemy. Jewish: Neuman. |
| W37.3 | Rabbi returns jewel found with bought ass. He had not paid for it. Jewish: Neuman. |
| A2238.1 | Rabbit (frog) eats seed-grain from fields: nose closed during sowing season. (Cf. A2335.2.4.)—Finnish: Aarne FFC VIII 21 No. 119; Lithuanian: Balys Legends No. 290. |
| B294.6 | Rabbit and elephant partners on trading expedition. Africa: Stanley 245. |
| A522.1.2 | Rabbit as culture hero. Central Algonquian tribes: Thompson PMLA XXXVII 130ff. |
| B240.2 | Rabbit as king of animals. Chuh (Indians of Guatemala): Kunst JAFL XXVIII 353 No. 1; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A2218.7 | Rabbit burns self under chin when he steals an ember. S. Am. Indian (Toba): Métraux MAFLS XL 109. |
| A2211.2 | Rabbit laughs: cause of hare-lip. (Cf. A2216.3, A2234.4, A2342.1.)—*Type 47A; *BP III 75 n. 1.—Finnish: Aarne FFC XXV 144 No. 35; Livonian: Loorits FFC LXVI 89 No. 71; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| L315.12 | Rabbit slays rhinoceros. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K131.1 | Rabbit sold as letter-carrier. Alleged to be a swift deliverer of letters. *Type 1539; *BP II 10; Köhler-Bolte I 323; *Herbert III 35; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J1757 | Rabbit thought to be a cow. Servant sent to bring in cows is found chasing rabbits. BP III 260 (Grimm No. 162); U.S.: Baughman. |
| J1812.2 | Rabbits think sound of waves is great danger to them. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| A2252.1 | Race of animals to see where each shall live. (Cf. A2433.1.1.)—*Dh III 145. |
| A2252.3 | Race of culture hero with ostrich: ostrich loses beautiful feathers. (Cf. A2402.2.)—Dh III 145. |
| A2252.2 | Race of ox and horse: ox must labor. Horse wins and ox must serve as draft animal. (Cf. A2515.1.)—*Dh III 144. |
| N775 | Race with fairies leads to adventures. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H331.5.1 | Race with princess for her hand. *Types 513, 514; Missouri French: Carrière; Italian: Basile Pentamerone III No. 8; Greek: Fox 59. |
| K11.7 | Race won by deception: blinding opponent by spitting pepper into face. Africa (Bankon): Ittman 97. |
| K11.8 | Race won by deception: bow and arrow. Certain goal to be touched. Man shoots arrow and wins. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K11.4 | Race won by deception: chariot disabled. A rival in a chariot race inserts linchpins of wax instead of those of bronze in the hero's chariot. The latter is dragged to death. Greek: *Frazer Apollodorus II 161 n. 3. |
| K11.6 | Race won by deception: rabbit as "little son" substitute. A man challenged by an ogre to a running race persuades the ogre to race with his little son instead. By this he means a rabbit. (Cf. K12.2, K15.1.) *Type 1072; *Köhler-Bolte I 58, 477ff. |
| K11.1 | Race won by deception: relative helpers. One of the contestants places his relatives (or others that resemble him) in the line of the race. The opponent always thinks the trickster is just ahead of him. (Told of animals or of men; often of the hare and the turtle.) *Type 1074; *Dh IV48; Chauvin III 32; *Parsons JAFL XXI 221 n. 2; BP III 340ff., *343. — North Carolina: Brown Collection I 703; Finnish-Swedish: Hackman FFC VI No. 275*; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 92*; Spanish: Espinosa III 457f.—India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Basset Contes Berbères 139; Japanese: Ikeda. — Indonesia: *Dixon 192, 334 n. 18, DeVries's list No. 120; Philippine: Fansler MAFLS XII 445, (Tinguian): Cole 198. — N. A. Indian: *Boas BBAE LIX 307, (Oaxaca, Mexico): Boas JAFL XXV 214; S. A. Indian (Araucanian): Lehman-Nitsche Int. Cong. Americanists XIV 686, (Amazon): Alexander Lat Am. 288.—Africa (Cameroons): Mansfield 224, (Benga): Nassau 95 No. 5, (Kaffir): Kidd 239 No. 8, (Ila, Rhodesia): Smith and Dale II 390 No. 15, (Suk): Mervin The Suk 38, (Ibo, Nigeria): Basden 274, Thomas 153, (Vai): Ellis 199 No. 16; Bahama: Edwards MAFLS III 69; Cape Verde Islands: *Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 308 n. 1; Jamaica: *Beckwith MAFLS XVII 261 No. 60, Jekyll 39ff.; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Remus 86 No. 18, (Virginia): Parsons JAFL XXXV 271, (North Carolina): Backus JAFL XI 284, Parsons JAFL XXX 174, (South Carolina): Stewart JAFL XXXII 394, Parsons MAFLS XVI 79, (Florida): Parsons JAFL XXX 225f. |
| K11.2 | Race won by deception: riding on the back. One contestant rides on the other's back. (Cf. K25.1.) *Types 221, 250, 275; *Dh IV 72ff., 91, 160ff.; Wienert FFC LVI *54 (ET 139), 114 (ST 248); BP III 278, *339.—Italian Novella: Rotunda; Chinese: Graham; Japanese: Ikeda; Indonesia: DeVries's list Nos. 102, 121; N. A. Indian: Thompson CColl II 441, (Kalispel): Curtis N. A. Indian VII iii, (Jicarilla Apache): Goddard PaAM VIII 236 No. 45; Africa (Vai): Ellis 189 No. 5, (Gold Coast): Barker and Sinclair 155 No. 30; Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 261 No. 60; American Negro (Virginia): Parsons JAFL XXXV 270f., (Pennsylvania): ibid. XXX 209, (North Carolina): ibid. XXX 189. |
| K11.5 | Race won by deception: sham-sick trickster. The trickster feigns lameness and receives a handicap in the race. He then returns and eats up the food which is the prize. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 298 n. 90. |
| K11 | Race won by deception. *Dh IV 46ff.; *BP III 339ff.; *Von den Steinen Zs. f. Vksk. XXV 275; *Fb "væddeløb"; Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 93, Boberg; Missouri French: Carrière; N. A. Indian (Southern Ute): Lowie JAFL XXXVII 70 No. 40. |
| A1614.2 | Races dark-skinned from bathing after white men. All peoples bathe in the river, the white man first, then in turn, the Spaniard, the Indian, and the negro—each becoming darker because of the condition of the water.—N. A. Indian (Biloxi): Swanton BBAE XLVII 32; Carib: Alexander Lat. Am. 271; American Negro: Harris Remus 163; Africa (Loango): Pechuël-Loesche 268, (Cameroon): Rosenhuber 57. Cf. Dh. I 247 (Danish). |
| V222.1.1 | Radiance fills church when saint dies. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| A813 | Raft in primeval sea. Creator is on the raft and there creates the earth. (Cf. A812.)—India: Thompson-Balys; Sumatra: Dixon 162. |
| K959.3.1 | Rafter supporting giant's house cut half through, so that it can be drawn down from the outside, and the giant killed. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| J953.18 | Rag accidentally in king's wardrobe thinks it is a ribbon. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| X1296.1 | Rag so full of lice it can move. Irish myth: *Cross (X1049.1). |
| D2143.1.0.1 | Rain caused to fall in certain place (by rain-god). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A1131.4 | Rain from container in sky. Gaster Thespis 192; Eskimo (Ungava): Turner RBAE XI 266, (Labrador): Hawkes GSCan XIV 153, (Central Eskimo): Boas RBAE VI 600, (East Greenland): Holm 95; S. Am. Indian (Chamacoco, Ashluslay): Métraux BBAE CXLIII (1) 366. |
| A1131.5 | Rain from rain-god (rain spirit). See all references to A287.—Greek: Fox 159 (Zeus); S. Am. Indian (Toba, Chamacoco, Mataco): Métraux BBAE CXLIII (1) 366, MAFLS XL 26f. |
| A1131.3 | Rain from sea in upper world. Fb "hav" IV 203a.—Jewish: Neuman; Eskimo (East Greenland): Rasmussen I 81; S. Am. Indian (Toba): Métraux MAFLS XL 26, (Cashinawa): Métraux BBAE CXLIII (3) 684. |
| A1131.1 | Rain from tears. Jewish: Neuman; Ekoi: Talbot 344; Kaska: Teit JAFL XXX 448; Maori: Clark 19. |
| A1131.1.1 | Rain from urine. Eskimo (Cape York): Rasmussen III 61, (Central Eskimo): Boas RBAE VI 600, (East Greenland): Rasmussen I 100; Koryak: Jochelson JE VI 142. |
| A1035.1 | Rain invoked to destroy world-fire. Maori, Melanesian: Dixon 49. |
| A1131.4.1 | Rain kept in waterskin dragged along sky floor. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F962.5.2 | Rain of fiery hailstones. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| F962.8.2 | Rain of jewels. Jewish: Neuman. |
| Q552.14.4 | Rain of stones as punishment. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| D1841.4.4 | Rain or snow avoids certain places according to the desire of a saint or monk. *Loomis White Magic 39, 43. |
| D2143.1 | Rain produced by magic. *Gaster Beiträge zur vgl. Sagen; und Märchenkunde 33ff.; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; Jewish: *Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Werner 353, Eberhard FFC CXX 237; Korean: Zong in Sob 64; Philippine (Tinguian): Cole 97; Eskimo (Greenland): Holm 66; Africa (Upoto): Einstein 123, (Hottentot): Bleek 29 No. 14, (Ekoi): Talbot 247, (Basuto): Jacottet 126 No. 18. |
| D2143.1.5 | Rain produced by plowing. Penzer II 117f. |
| D2143.1.1 | Rain produced by pouring water. (Cf. D1242.1.) *Fb "vand" III 1001b; Chrétien de Troyes "Yvain" lines 565ff.; Kölbing Zs. f. vgl. Littgsch. XI 442ff.; Lang Myth II 190f.; Holmberg Die Wassergottheiten 181ff.; *Hdwb. d. Abergl. III 1307; Andrews Les Fontaines des Génies (Alger, 1903); Wells 66 (Ywain and Gawain); Gaster Thespis 181; Irish myth: *Cross; Chinese: Werner 205. |
| D2143.1.3 | Rain produced by prayer. (Cf. D1391.1, D2141.0.7.1.) Irish myth: Cross; Greek: Frazer Apollodorus II 55 n. 2; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 412. |
| D2143.1.2 | Rain produced by singing. (Cf. D1275, D1781.) Africa (Gold Coast): Barker and Sinclair 64 No. 9. |
| D2143.1.4 | Rain produced by spitting blood toward sky. Chinese: Werner 264. |
| D2143.1.7 | Rain produced by striking rock. Irish myth: Cross. |
| A1131.6 | Rain shed by stars. Gaster Thespis 212. |
| A287.0.1 | Rain-god and wind-god brought back in order to make liveable weather. Have been banished by sun-god.—India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A287 | Rain-god. Gaster Thespis 122f.; *Smith Dragon vii ff., 77f., 86.—Greek: Fox 159 (Zeus); Hindu: Keith 39, 135, 233; India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 98, 412; Chinese: Werner 206; Maya: Alexander Lat. Am. 134; Antilles: ibid. 25; Aztec: ibid. 71; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 97; Samoa ibid. 19; Easter Is.: Métraux Ethnology 310. |
| A287.1 | Rain-goddess. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B192.2 | Rain-withholding deer killed: rain released. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A791.1 | Rainbow as bow of deity. Gaster Thespis 261 n. 21; Siberian: Holmberg Siberian 443f. |
| A791.10 | Rainbow as covenant between creator and men. Jewish: Neuman. |
| F829.1 | Rainbow as loincloth. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 508. |
| G306 | Rainbow as ogre. Africa: Werner African 236. |
| A791.2 | Rainbow as snake. African: Werner African 234; S. Am. Indian (Moré): Métraux BBAE CXLIII (3) 406, (Ashluslay): Métraux BBAE CXLIII (1) 366, (Toba): Métraux MAFLS XL 38, (Vilela): ibid. 40. |
| F152.1.1 | Rainbow bridge to otherworld. Fb "regnbue" III 32a; RTP VI 361, X 596; Mélusine II 16; Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 329; Celebes: Dixon 156; Hawaii, Indonesia: ibid. 67, Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 38, 321; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 333 n. 204a. |
| A791.8 | Rainbow comes out of an anthill. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F439.1.1 | Rainbow draws to itself fisherman and his boat. Livonian: Loorits FFC LXVI 37 No. 5. |
| A791.6 | Rainbow from gods' emptying their drinking cups. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A791.4 | Rainbow has three colors. Icel.: MacCulloch Eddic 329. |
| A791.5 | Rainbow is a transformed king; the lesser rainbow is the king's wife. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A791.7 | Rainbow is horse of rain-god. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A791.8.1 | Rainbow lives in a hole. S. Am. Indian (Toba): Métraux MAFLS XL 38. |
| A791.3 | Rainbow made as bridge by the gods. Icel.: MacCulloch Eddic 329. |
| F162.7 | Rainbow of honey appears regularly in otherworld. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F439.1.2 | Rainbow spirit as helper on journey. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 515f. |
| F439.1.3 | Rainbow spirit as messenger. Greek: Fox 241 (Iris); Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 521. |
| F439.1 | Rainbow spirit. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 135, 152. |
| F960.2.2 | Rainbow stretches from monastery to heaven at saint's death. Irish myth: Cross. |
| A288 | Rainbow-goddess. Greek: Fox 241 (Iris).—Chibcha: Alexander Lat. Am. 204. |
| F962.13 | Raindrops as large as man's hand. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q553.7 | Rains withheld until king remembers to have monks' huts roofed as promised. (Cf. Q266.) Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 288. |
| D2143.1.8 | Rainstorm produced by emptying contents of bag in road. U.S.: Baughman. |
| A1131.2 | Rainy weather sent by saint as punishment. *Dh II 176ff. |
| N558 | Raised treasure turns into charcoal (shavings). If one takes it along it will turn back into gold. *Norlind 56; Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 75f. Nos. 631—634; West Indies: Flowers 565. |
| A625.2 | Raising of the sky. Originally the sky is near the earth (usually because of the conjunction of the sky-father and earth-mother). It is raised to its present place. —Gaster Oldest Stories 133; Egyptian: Müller 30; Babylonian: Spence 81, 114; Mongolian: Holmberg Siberian 330; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 97.—Indonesian: Dixon 36, 178 nn. 124—133, (Rotti) Jonker Rottineesche Texten No. 58; Pleasant Island (Micronesia): Dixon 250; Central and Western Polynesia, Hawaii, Samoa: ibid. 50f.; Maori: ibid. 31; Chatham Is., Cook Group, Society Is., Samoa, Union Group, Hawaii: ibid. 35; Maori: Clark 13, 15, 171; Philippine: Gifford 23; Tonga: Gifford 18, 23.—N. A. Indian (Mohave): Alexander N. Am. 179; S. Am. Indian (Aztec): Alexander Lat. Am. 93, (Bakairi): ibid. 313, Lévi-Strauss BBAE CXLIII (3) 348, (Botocudo): Métraux BBAE CXLIII (1) 540, (Cashinawa): Métraux BBAE CXLIII (3) 684, (Yuracare): Métraux ibid. 504.—African: Frobenius Atlantis VII 304. |
| V115.1.2 | Raising sunken church bell. Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 73 No. 620. |
| A625.2.3 | Raising the sky: striking with broom. Old woman's hump strikes clouds as she sweeps. She strikes at sky with broom and thus raises it.—India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A727 | Raising the sun. Originally low, it is raised little by little by conjurors. —Cherokee: Alexander N. Am. 60; Navaho: ibid. 167ff. |
| T69.3.1 | Raja betroths his daughter to visitor's son as a compensation for murder. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F302.3.0.2 | Raja refuses to marry a Peri. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| S263.3.3 | Raja sacrifices his entire family so as to purify lake water. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K842.4 | Raja substitutes himself for condemned man. Made to believe that this will take him to heaven. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| M261.1.1 | Raja to marry girl when cut mango branch blooms. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| D1810.8.2.5 | Raja told in a dream the stranger he seeks to destroy is his own son. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| D1400.1.22 | Raja's guards magically transform stones and dry bones rained upon him by army of witches and turn them back. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| G369.1.2 | Rakshasa can be defeated by hero who has rakshasi blood in his veins. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| G369.1.4 | Rakshasa eats horse, dog, and child. Suspected Ranis ordered for execution. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| G369.1.3 | Rakshasa eats many of the domestic animals each night. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| G369.1.6 | Rakshasa hidden in deer's head swallows men. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| G369.1 | Rakshasa. Dog or ape-shaped; red hair and eyes; mouth reaching from ear to ear; ears pointed like spears; shape-changers; cannibals; three heads, five feet, four eyes, no fingers, bear-neck, horns. Attack women. Hindu: Keith 98, Penzer X 277 s.v. "Rakshasas"; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| G369.1.7 | Rakshasa's mistress with her head severed lying in a pool of blood. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| G369.1.1 | Rakshasas have power of extending bodies eighty miles. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K553.3 | Ram promises to jump into wolf's belly. Gives him a hard knock. The stunned wolf thinks he has swallowed the ram. (Cf. K579.5.1.) Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 122E*. |
| B211.1.1.1.1 | Ram stung by hornet on Sabbath says, "Damn!" Pious owner resolves to sell it next day.—U.S.: Baughman. |
| B101.3 | Ram with golden fleece. Cox 510 n. 54.—Icel.: *Boberg; Greek: Fox 108. |
| B731.9.1 | Ram with green feet and horns. Irish myth: Cross. |
| A132.14 | Ram-god. Icel.: Boberg; Jewish: Neuman. |
| W115.3 | Rancher is not recognized by his wife and family after he has cleaned up in town at hotel. U.S.: Baughman. |
| P632.3 | Rank among children recognized by quality of appointments and food. Irish myth: Cross. |
| A318 | Rank of the gods in Hades. Chinese: Werner 98. |
| T471 | Rape. Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F671.1 | Rapid boat-builder can build boat in twinkling of an eye. Africa (Hausa): Equilbecq II 171ff. |
| F555.3.4 | Rapid growth of hair as protection against being seen nude. *Loomis White Magic 95f. |
| K443.13 | Rascal extorts money for silence about breach of food tabu. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K443.10 | Rascal extorts money for silence about companion's poverty. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1854.1 | Rascal in dead man's place in bed makes dead man's will. Wesselski Theorie 14. |
| K1938 | Rascal pretends to be dead man's heir and receives money. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1285 | Rascals pull off judge's breeches and leave him exposed. Boccaccio Decameron VIII No. 5; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| B545.2 | Rat (mouse) gnaws net. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J681.1 | Rat and frog tie paws together to cross marsh. Carried off by falcon. *Chauvin II 123 No. 117; Scala Celi 73a No. 416; *Crane Vitry 135 No. 3; Spanish Exempla: Keller; India: Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 124 (cf. No. 125). |
| B621.4 | Rat as suitor. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| K1371.3 | Rat changes name and wins wife intended for leopard. Africa (Mpongwe): Nassau 41ff. N. 6. |
| B511.4 | Rat cures man of wound. S. A. Indian (Cashinawa): Métraux BBAE 143 III 685. |
| A2211.14 | Rat defecates on octopus's head: origin of tubercles on head. Tonga: Gifford 206. |
| B582.2.2 | Rat digs underground passage to girl's chamber for hero. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| B191.4 | Rat gives magic medicine. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J953.17 | Rat imagines himself owner of camel. He is attached to camel by string. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1182 | Rat leaves serpent behind, through spared to rescue him. The two are imprisoned together in a sevenfold cloth covering. The serpent refrains from eating the rat so that the latter can gnaw the cloth for them. The rat gnaws his own way out and leaves the serpent. Köhler-Bolte I 535. |
| B611.7 | Rat paramour. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K562 | Rat persuades cat to wash face before eating: escapes. *Type 122B; *Dh III 237f.; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B375.6 | Rat released: grateful. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B292.9.3 | Rat servants cut jungle down, till soil for master. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| M161.6 | Rather die in battle than in bed. Icelandic: cf. MacCulloch Eddic 305ff., *Boberg. |
| M161.5 | Rather die than go in the enemy's service. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| A1435.2.1 | Raths marked out with brooch. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K2172 | Rats cause cats to be killed. The rats unite and all go to houses together, increasing or decreasing their ravages with the increase or decrease in the number of cats. Thus the cats are suspected of the damage and are killed. *Chauvin II 110 No. 74. |
| B757 | Rats leave sinking ship. Fb "rotte" III 83a. |
| E756.3 | Raven and dove fight over man's soul. Type 756B; *Andrejev FFC LXIX 157f., *249ff.; Hdwb. d. Märchen I 356a. s.v. "Busse des Räubers"; England, Wales: Baughman. |
| B147.2.1.1 | Raven as bird of good omen. Irish myth: Cross; Icel.: Boberg. |
| B147.2.2.3 | Raven as bird of ill-omen. *Krappe Etudes 31ff.; Fb "ravn" III 22a; Irish myth: Cross; Icel.: Boberg. |
| A13.2.1 | Raven as creator. Eskimo: Nelson RBAE XVIII 454; Koryak: Jochelson JE VI 218. |
| A522.2.2 | Raven as culture hero. Krappe "Arturus Cosmocrator" Speculum 1945, 405ff.—Irish myth: Cross; N. A. Indian: *Boas RBAE XXXI 567ff. |
| B291.1.1.2 | Raven as devil's messenger. *Fb "ravn" III 21b. |
| B291.1.1 | Raven as messenger. |
| B143.0.4 | Raven as prophetic bird. Jewish: Neuman; Icel.: Boberg. |
| A2232.10 | Raven attempts to imitate dove: punished with awkward gait. Jewish: Neuman. |
| E752.3 | Raven carries off souls of damned. Tobler 31; Fb "ravn" III 22a. |
| A2218.1 | Raven caught in smoke-hole: hence is black. (Cf. A2411.2.1.5.)—Dh III 72, 77ff.—N. A. Indian: *Boas RBAE XXXI 652, (Tahltan): Teit JAFL XXXII 203 No. 1 (3). |
| A2234.1.1 | Raven does not return to ark in obedience to Noah: black color is resulting punishment. Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
| A2234.1 | Raven does not return to Noah: must suffer thirst and break bill. (Cf. A2231.2.1, A2411.2.1.5, A2435.4.3.)—Variant: he is cursed to be black or to eat carrion. *Köhler-Bolte I 3; Dh I 284; Irish myth: Cross. |
| J267.1 | Raven drowns his young who promise to aid him when he becomes old. He saves one who admits he will not help, because he will have to carry his own young. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *244; Finnish: Aarne FFC V No. 33*. |
| F911.2.1 | Raven dwells inside a whale. Eskimo (Bering Strait): Nelson RBAE XVIII 465. |
| W181.5 | Raven jealous of partridge's way of flying. Wienert FFC LVI 46 (ET 50), 90 (ST 25). |
| J1064.1 | Raven killed by apes who will not receive his teaching that a shining stone is not fire. Wienert FFC LVI 50 (ET 95), 118 (ST 284); Bødker Exempler 286 No. 34; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| B17.2.3.1 | Raven plucks out men's eyes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B547.2 | Raven rescues man from pit. French-Canadian: Sister Marie Ursule (B542.3). |
| J953.10.1 | Raven riding on bull's horns thinks he has brought bull home. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A2218.6 | Raven singes feet on hot stones: why its wings clap when it flies. (Cf. A2442.2.1.)—Dh III 72.—Finnish: Aarne FFC VIII 17 No. 91. |
| J2194 | Raven steals the robes of Red Willow Men and finds them useless. N. A. Indian (Tahltan): Teit JAFL XXXII 223 No. 1 (32); Boas RBAE XXXI 722. |
| J2413.9 | Raven tries to imitate dove's step but breaks his bones. Jewish: Neuman. |
| W181.3 | Raven wants to be as white as a swan. Wienert FFC LVI *46 (ET 49), 90 (ST 26); Halm Aesop No. 206. |
| A165.1.1 | Ravens as attendants of god. Grimm Deutsche Mythologie I 122.—Icel.: MacCulloch Eddic 65, Boberg. |
| B291.1.1.1 | Ravens carry message to enemies. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N271.3.1 | Ravens pursue murderer who has killed two children. England: Baughman. |
| A2223.7 | Ravens show Adam how to bury dead: are born with white feathers. Jewish: Neuman. |
| T313.1 | Ravished girl's virginity restored by saint. *Loomis White Magic 85; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| T313 | Ravished girl's virginity restored by Virgin Mary. Ward II 703 No. 33; *Hibbard 12ff. |
| Q244.0.1 | Ravisher is forced to marry girl and then is executed. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| Q552.1.2 | Ravisher killed by thunderbolt. (Cf. Q244.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| Q414.0.4.1 | Ravisher's grave and body miraculously burnt. Scala Celi 111a No. 619; Wright Latin Stories 112. |
| D1500.4.4 | Ray of sunlight causes leprosy. (Cf. D1162.) Jewish: Neuman. |
| D1601.8 | Razor whets itself. (Cf. D1173.1) Africa (Angola): Chatelain 45. |
| E337.2 | Re-enactment of tragedy seen. England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| F1041.21 | Reactions to excessive grief. (Cf. F1041.1.1.) |
| G257.2 | Reading Bible backwards causes witch to reveal herself. (Cf. D1985.2.) England: Baughman. |
| D1542.3.2 | Reading book causes river to dry up. (Cf. D1266.) Chinese: Graham. |
| D1571.3 | Reading from a book makes fallen tree stand up. Chinese: Graham. |
| D1484.2 | Reading from magic book causes road to appear. (Cf. D1266.) Chinese: Graham. |
| D1381.24.1 | Reading letter written by Christ protects against attack. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F695.1 | Reading without learning the alphabet. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| T675 | Real mother preferred to foster mothers. Kid abandoned by his mother suckles the whole flock but is not satisfied. Chauvin III 56 No. 15. |
| F1068 | Realistic dream. Irish: O'Suilleabhain 107, Beal XXI 334; Icelandic: Boberg; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| P282.1 | Realm ruled by stepmother, while king is absent. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1985 | Rearing the large-headed and large-eyed bird. When the one rearing the owl learns its age he kills it. Type 230. |
| A5 | Reason for creation. |
| E511.1 | Reason for Flying Dutchman's punishment. |
| A739.4 | Reason for variations in seasonal heat of sun. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N452.1.1 | Reason for withering of tree overheard in conversation of animals (demons). Type 613; **Christiansen FFC XXV 89ff. |
| G283.1.2 | Reason why witch raises wind. |
| S329 | Reasons for abandonment of children—miscellaneous. |
| S310 | Reasons for abandonment of children. (Cf. K2015, M371, M373, M375.) |
| A1621 | Reasons for difference in population sizes in different areas. New Guinea: Ker. 138. |
| S220 | Reasons for promise (sale) of child. |
| E606 | Reasons for reincarnation. (Cf. E693.) |
| E387 | Reasons for summoning of ghosts. |
| D640 | Reasons for voluntary transformation. |
| A1217.1 | Rebel angels oppose creation of man. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| A54 | Rebel angels. |
| A63.7 | Rebel god is author of all poisonous things. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 61. |
| A162.8 | Rebellion of lesser gods against chief. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 60, 118, 155. |
| E607.2.2 | Rebirth by crawling into woman's womb. Eskimo (Greenland): Rasmussen III 57. |
| J2521.2 | Rebuke for going with a naked head in public. The woman rebuked has lost her hair in sickness. Forthwith she covers up her head with her dress and exposes her body. Bolte Frey 245 No. 79; England: Baughman; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J1223 | Rebuke for telling a poor and long-winded story. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J1522 | Rebuke to the stingy. |
| R350 | Recapture of fugitive. |
| J1169.6 | Receiver of stolen goods. A tailor makes a Jew a coat of stolen goods. Accused of theft, he says that the Jew has the cloth. Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 257 No. 191. |
| M414 | Recipient of curse. |
| V52.14 | Reciting martyrology will prevent decomposition of body of one who recites it. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H11.1.1 | Recognition at inn (hospital, etc.) where all must tell their life histories. *Type 304; *BP II 255 n. 1, 505; bin Gorion Born Judas I 189, 374; *Chauvin V 90 No. 28 n. 1; Italian: Basile Pentamerone III No. 2. |
| H151.6.2 | Recognition because of imperfection of disguise. Type 510; German: Grimm No. 152. |
| H175 | Recognition by "force of nature". Unknown member of family immediately and magically recognized. *Dickson 16f., 69 n. 17; Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian (California): Gayton and Newman 86. |
| H19.1 | Recognition by ability to identify property. |
| H151.1.3 | Recognition by ability to perform marvels. Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H31.7.1 | Recognition by ability to shed pearls for tears. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H19.2 | Recognition by answer to conundrum (known only to two persons). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H57.5 | Recognition by artificial hands. *Type 706; *BP I 295ff. |
| H51.1 | Recognition by birthmark. *Types 400, 850; Dickson 49 nn. 58, 59; cf. Shakespeare's Cymbeline II, 2, 38; BP II 318, 528; German. Grimm No. 92; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 140; N. A. Indian (Blackfoot): Wissler and Duvall PaAM II 109. |
| H50 | Recognition by bodily marks or physical attributes. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H95 | Recognition by bracelet. Chinese: Graham. |
| H57.1 | Recognition by broken tooth. New Zealand: Dixon 84. |
| H16.1 | Recognition by brother king of lost brother brought about by model of their father's palace which lost brother builds of clay. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H133 | Recognition by calabash. Slave recognizes calabash and knows that girl lives. Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 27. |
| H151.4 | Recognition by cup in sack: alleged stolen goods. Cup is placed in the sack of Joseph's brethren, they are accused of theft; this gives occasion for recognition. *BP I 489; *Fb "sæk" III 720b, "bæger" IV 83a; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian: Basile Pentamerone IV No. 10; Jewish: *Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H125.4 | Recognition by dart. Maori: Beckwith Myth 482. |
| H16 | Recognition by describing or producing object of common knowledge. |
| H16.4 | Recognition by describing unique bed. Greek: Homer Odyssey XXIII 183ff. |
| H57.4 | Recognition by description of woman with missing hands. Nouvelles de Sens No. 12. |
| H94.11 | Recognition by earrings. Eskimo (Mackenzie Area): Jenness 35. |
| H35.3.2 | Recognition by embroidery. Chinese: Graham (H141.). |
| H36 | Recognition by exact fitting of clothes. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H32 | Recognition by extraordinary prowess. Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| H78 | Recognition by feather. |
| H91.2 | Recognition by gold wrapped in mantle. *Hibbard 9. |
| H75.4 | Recognition by golden hair. Types 314, 502; BP II 275.—Icelandic: Boberg. |
| H61.4 | Recognition by grain of gold under skin. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H75.3 | Recognition by hair found in a fish which has swallowed it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H56.1 | Recognition by hole burned in hand when woman removes glove. *Wesselski Märchen 198. |
| H132 | Recognition by knife. Man who is werwolf recognized by knife which was carried away by the wolf. Finnish: Aarne FFC XXXIII 46 No. 74; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV 131 No. 74. |
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