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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 ▲ |
|---|---|
| E423.1.3.1 | Revenant as three-legged horse. Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 313 No. 81, 326 No. 18. |
| E423.1.3.4 | Revenant as white horse. England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| E423.2 | Revenant as wild animal. |
| E423.2.7 | Revenant as wolf. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| E425.1.4 | Revenant as woman carrying baby. Tobler 90; U.S.: Baughman. |
| E425.1.5 | Revenant as woman riding hog. Walz MLN XVI 130ff. |
| E425.1.7 | Revenant as woman with seal's head. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| E425.1 | Revenant as woman. |
| E422.2.4 | Revenant black. Irish: Cross, O'Suilleabhain 63, Beal XXI 324. |
| E461.1 | Revenant challenged to combat. Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 298 No. 12; Wales: Baughman. |
| E439.5 | Revenant forced away by fire. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| E439.1 | Revenant forced away by shooting. Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 335b s.v. "Geister"; Africa (Cameroons): Mansfield 227. |
| E422.2.3 | Revenant gray. Tobler 64, 89. |
| E422.2.2 | Revenant green. Wimberly 240. |
| E423 | Revenant in animal form. *Rosén Om Själavandringstro; *Fb "spøgelse" III 521a; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "mort"; Scotland, England, U.S.: *Baughman; New York: Jones JAFL LVII 243. |
| E422.4.4 | Revenant in female dress. England, Scotland, U.S., Wales: *Baughman. |
| E425 | Revenant in human form. |
| E422.4.5 | Revenant in male dress. England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| E422.4.6 | Revenant in red cap. North Carolina: Brown Collection I 670. |
| E423.2.10 | Revenant in tiger form. Chinese: Graham. |
| E568.1 | Revenant leaves impression of body in bed. England, U.S. *Baughman. |
| E568 | Revenant lies down and sleeps. U.S.: Baughman. |
| E462 | Revenant overawed by living person. *Fb "student"; Icelandic: Boberg; Welsh: Baughman. |
| E422.2.1 | Revenant red. Fb. "rød" III 117a. |
| E585.3 | Revenant revisits earth every day. U.S.: Baughman. |
| E585.3.1 | Revenant revisits earth nightly. Africa (Fang): Trilles 269. |
| E585.4 | Revenant revisits earth yearly. S. A. Indian (Brazil): Oberg 109. |
| E465 | Revenant rewards its conqueror. Irish: Curtin Myths and Folklore of Ireland (Boston, 1889) 127; Egypt (ancient): Petrie II 87. |
| E472 | Revenant sleeps in same bed with living but without contact. U.S.: Baughman. |
| E464 | Revenant tricked or jeered into a bottle, corked up and put in safe place. (Cf. D2177.1.) England: *Baughman. |
| E422.1.5 | Revenant with bad breath. *Wimberly 233. |
| E422.1.1.2 | Revenant with ball of fire in place of head. England: Baughman. |
| E422.1.6 | Revenant with chicken feet. Gaster Germania XXV (1880) 290ff. |
| E422.1.7 | Revenant with chip of resin between teeth. Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV 116 No. 18; Finnish: Aarne FFC XXXIII 40 No. 18. |
| E422.1.4 | Revenant with cold lips. Wimberly 235. |
| E422.4.1 | Revenant with hat of birch. Wimberly 243. Note: in the motifs immediately following, it is frequently impossible to tell whether the spectral ghost (E421) or the living corpse (E422) is thought of. |
| E422.1.3 | Revenant with ice-cold hands. *Fb "hand" I 765b; Kristensen Danske Sagn V (1897) 554ff., (1934) 400ff.; England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| E422.1.8 | Revenant with peculiar nails. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| E422.1.6.2 | Revenant with thin legs. Irish: O'Suilleabhain 96. |
| E437.1 | Revenants banished to glaciers and uninhabited places. Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 296 No. 27. |
| E437 | Revenants banished. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| E541.4 | Revenants drink. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E541 | Revenants eat. (Cf. E499.1.) *Fb "lig" II 412b, "spøgelse" III 518ab.; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E467 | Revenants fight each other. *Krappe Balor 145ff.; Fb "spøgelse" III 520b; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| E460 | Revenants in conflict. |
| E578.1 | Revenants want to warm themselves. Type 326. |
| J1564.2 | Revenge by interrupting feast. A rabbi who has been inhospitably treated is afterwards invited to dinner. He keeps the guests so amused by his jokes that they fail to eat and the feast is spoiled. Jewish: *Neuman, *Gaster Exempla 226 No. 212. |
| Q45.4 | Revenge given up as reward for hospitality. (Cf. Q151.6.) Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| A1101.2 | Reversal of nature in former age. |
| D1783 | Reverse magic. Magic results obtained by imitating reverse of desired results. |
| D673 | Reversed obstacle flight. Magic obstacles raised in front of fugitive.—Type 450; BP III 205.—Arabic: A. Jahn Die Mehri-Sprache in Südarabien (Wien, 1902) 124 No. 28, D. H. Müller Mehri und Hadrami-Texte (Wien, 1909) 99 No. 39, ibid. Mehri und Soquotri Sprache (Wien, 1905) II 99 No. 20. |
| D671.1 | Reversed transformation flight. Transformed pursuer. Koryak: Jochelson JE VI 363. |
| G272.9 | Reversing the poker protects from witch. North Carolina: Brown Collection I 653. |
| A106.1 | Revolt of bad gods against good. Babylonian: Spence 75. |
| A106.2 | Revolt of evil angels against God. Jensen Dania II 180; Olrik ibid. II 67; Irish myth: Cross; India: Thompson-Balys; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3002, Legends Nos. 5, 6; Jewish: *Neuman; Irish: Beal. XXI 323. |
| A106.2.1 | Revolting devil banished to hell. India: Thompson-Balys; Jewish: Neuman. |
| S100 | Revolting murders or mutilations. |
| F163.1.1 | Revolving castle in otherworld. Patch PMLA XXXIII 617 n. 54.—Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F771.2.6 | Revolving castle. *Brown Iwain 76 n. 2; *Fb "slot" III 377a; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F782.6 | Revolving door of tent. Jewish: Neuman. |
| Q101 | Reward fitting to deed. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| Q62 | Reward for ability to keep secrets. Type 480; *Roberts 159; Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 178. |
| K231.2 | Reward for accomplishment of task deceptively withheld. Irish myth: Cross; Greek: Fox 81, 94 (Herakles); India: Thompson-Balys; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (z-G. 13/420). |
| Q44 | Reward for almsgiving. Scala Celi 81b, 83a Nos. 465, 472; Alphabet 298, 302; Crane Vitry 175 No. 96; Spanish: Keller, Espinosa II No. 86, Espinosa Jr. No. 200; Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 134, 342, II 1091, 1366; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| Q85 | Reward for asking proper questions. Irish myth: *Cross; Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 203. |
| Q38 | Reward for attendance on holy man. (Cf. Q116.1.) Jewish: Neuman; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 83, 158, 163f. |
| Q34 | Reward for austerities of hermit. (Cf. Q144.1.) The further he must carry water, the greater his heavenly reward. Scala Celi 15a No. 84; Oesterley No. 80; *A. E. Schönbach Die Legende von Engel und Waldbruder (Wien, 1901); India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Q93.1 | Reward for bringing rain. Chinese: Graham. |
| Q25 | Reward for carrying Christ across a stream. Christ is in the form of a child. (St. Christopher.) *Type 768; Dh II 266; Legenda Aurea (ed. Graesse) 432; *Schwickert Zs. f. Vksk. NF III 14—26; Klapper Erzählungen des Mittelalters 111 No. 101; *Loomis White Magic 114. |
| Q37 | Reward for carrying out dead man's request. Chinese: Graham. |
| Q41.2 | Reward for cleansing loathsome person. Cleansing eyelids, bathing, lousing etc. *Roberts 168; Type 480; Africa (Chaga): Gutmann 132ff. No. 83, (Alo): Pratt-Chadwick and Lamprey The Alo Man (New York, 1927) 17ff., (Batanga): Nassau JAFL XXVIII 45ff. No. 16, (Bulu): Krug JAFL XXV 113 No. 9, (Bambara): Travélé 205ff. No. 66, (Hausa): Equilbecq Contes indigènes III 291ff., Tremearne Hausa Superstitions and Customs (London, 1913) 424ff. No. 93. |
| Q91 | Reward for cleverness. |
| Q36.1 | Reward for confession of sins. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| Q94 | Reward for cure. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q27 | Reward for faith: boy doomed to die saved (miraculously). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q22 | Reward for faith. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Q82 | Reward for fearlessness. Reward given by devil or ghost. *Type 326; Penzer VII 120 n. 2; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| Q95.1 | Reward for flute-playing. Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 70. |
| Q42.5 | Reward for generosity to king's buffoon. Ruler rewards herald who is generous to his buffoon. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| Q43 | Reward for giving counsel. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q42.1.1.1 | Reward for giving last loaf. Chinese: Graham. |
| Q86 | Reward for industry. Hdwb. d. Märchens II 66a; India: *Thompson-Balys; West Indies: Flowers 567. |
| Q51.2 | Reward for kindness to tiger. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q87.3 | Reward for long-suffering nun: made abbess of convent. Heptameron No. 22. |
| Q72.1 | Reward for loyalty to king. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q83 | Reward for marital fidelity. (Cf. Q87.) Jewish: Moreno Esdras, Neuman. |
| Q95 | Reward for musician. |
| Q32 | Reward for offering food to crucifix (Madonna). BP III 474ff. |
| Q81 | Reward for perseverance. Penzer II 97. |
| Q87 | Reward for preservation of chastity. Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman, Moreno Esdras. |
| Q88 | Reward for proficiency. |
| Q46 | Reward for protecting fugitive. |
| Q46.1 | Reward for protecting holy fugitive. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3104, Legends Nos. 198—206; Greek: Frazer Apollodorus II 280 n. 1. |
| Q42.2 | Reward for providing coffins for poor. Chinese: Werner 384. |
| Q28 | Reward for religious pilgrimage. Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 188 No. 28. |
| Q21 | Reward for religious sacrifice. India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 427. |
| Q42.7 | Reward for remitting tribute. (Cf. Q172.7.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q36 | Reward for repentance. (Cf. Q174.1.) Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| Q53 | Reward for rescue. Icelandic: *Boberg; Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| Q93.2 | Reward for resuscitating dead. (Cf. E0.) Chinese: Graham. |
| Q33 | Reward for saying of prayers. (Cf. V50.) Ward II 621 No. 30; Scala Celi 136b No. 760; Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Q23 | Reward for securing converts. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q20.1 | Reward for service of god, hero, or ascetic for a period. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q57.1 | Reward for shielding Mary in childbirth from gaze of onlookers. Irish: O'Suilleabhain 5. |
| Q55 | Reward for sparing life when in animal form. Hartland Science 51; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q84 | Reward for stoic endurance of pain. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q93 | Reward for supernatural help. |
| Q42.6 | Reward for tearing out eye when demanded. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K476.2.2 | Reward for the bag of lead. A man sews up lead in a bag and feigns to have found it. A merchant claims it and thinking it filled with gold pays him a large reward. *Wesselski Bebel I 204 No. 83. |
| Q83.1 | Reward for wife's fidelity. India: Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 845. |
| Q35 | Reward for writing hymn. (Cf. Q172.5.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q101.1 | Reward like deed: liberal and munificent girl blessed with riches and prosperity. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B320 | Reward of helpful animal. |
| V420 | Reward of the uncharitable. |
| K442.1 | Reward offered for stolen object (princess). Thief (abductor) returns and enforces reward. *Type 575; *BP II 131. |
| Q44.1 | Reward to almsgiving monk given in form of restored honor and position. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| Q86.1 | Reward to ant for industry. Ant has food all winter because she keeps it safe and dry by airing it in the sun. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| Q172 | Reward: admission to heaven. Irish myth: *Cross; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Q115.1 | Reward: any boon that may be asked—king's wife demanded. *Schoepperle II 420ff., 528ff.; *Krappe Revue Celtique XLVIII (1931) 94; Cross and Nitze Lancelot and Guenevere (Chicago, 1930) 31ff.; Irish myth: *Cross; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q115.3 | Reward: any boon that may be asked—man asks only for son. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q115 | Reward: any boon that may be asked. *Schoepperle II 420ff., 528 —541; Malone PMLA XLIII 413; Irish myth: *Cross; India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 946, 1153. |
| Q146 | Reward: end of plague. (Cf. Q552.10.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q145.0.1 | Reward: happiness during last year of life. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| Q144 | Reward: hearing voice of God. |
| Q175 | Reward: holy person to be buried and resurrected in one place. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q141 | Reward: man's cows magically multiply. (Cf. Q1.) Type 750B; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 181; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| Q174 | Reward: release from hell. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q112.0.7 | Reward: royal line of descendants. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| Q112.3 | Reward: seat next to king. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q112.2 | Reward: sovereignty for hour (day). India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Q0 | Rewards and punishments. Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| Q80 | Rewards for other causes. |
| Q172.0.2 | Rewards in heaven. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| Q190 | Rewards—miscellaneous. |
| R13.1.3 | Rhinoceros carries off man. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A2247.3 | Rhinoceros exchanges his red hide for hippopotamus's black. (Cf. A2411.1.6.2., A2411.1.6.7.)—Ila (Rhodesia): Smith and Dale 372 No. 22. |
| D2157.2.0.1 | Rice grows in single day. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| D2149.5 | Rice paddies flooded or dried by toad's tears or laughter. Chinese: Graham. |
| J1191.7 | Rice pot on pole, fire far away. As easy to cook rice thus as to warm a man at a distance from a lamp on a balcony. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| T136.2 | Rice thrown at weddings. *Crane Vitry 249 No. 265; Herbert III 22; *Hdwb. d. Abergl. I 1649, III 385f., IV 168f.; Frazer Golden Bough I 254; Mannhardt Wald und Feldkulte I 222. |
| D973.1.1 | Rice-grains magically produced by gourd. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F815.4.1 | Rice, the scent of which is smelled for miles around. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J461.5 | Rice, wheat, and dal dispute as to which is the best. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T91.5 | Rich and poor in love. |
| J1072.2 | Rich Brahmin wearing poor clothing is treated as a beggar. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T673 | Rich but stingy couple adopt young man as their son: everybody is happy. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T52.6 | Rich girl gives poor suitor necklace with which to pay her bride-price. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T91.5.1 | Rich girl in love with poor boy. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 54 No. 405A*; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 247 No. 192. |
| T121.5.2 | Rich girl marries fakir. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T121.7 | Rich girl marries servant. Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 249. |
| X1532.1 | Rich land: corn grows so fast that it pulls up its own roots. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| Q552.6 | Rich lord who robs poor widow of her cow chokes on first mouthful. (Cf. Q212.) Herbert III 35ff. |
| U35 | Rich man (king) seizes poor widow's (nun's) cow. Herbert III 40ff. No. 39; Hervieux IV No. 40; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| E501.1.3 | Rich man as wild huntsman. Schweda 38. |
| E411.0.5.1 | Rich man dragged from grave by demons in hallowed ground and flung into grave in unblessed ground. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J912.3 | Rich man humbled by realization that he cannot take his wealth with him. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| L412 | Rich man made poor to punish pride. He boasts that God has no power to make him poor. While he is at church, his property burns and he returns home poor. Type 836; Irish: Beal XXI 336, O'Suilleabhain 122; Jewish: bin Gorion Born Judas II 249; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J411.11 | Rich man refuses to associate with poor sister. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1263.2.2 | Rich man shakes ducats into pope's lap. Pope says, "Who could withstand such an armored army?" and decides for the rich man. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 346. |
| P150 | Rich men. Irish myth: Cross; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| J347.4 | Rich merchant is poorer in happiness than poor man. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| N596.2 | Rich mine discovered by accidental breaking off of rock. U.S.: Baughman. |
| N596.1 | Rich mine discovered through dream. (Cf. N531.) U.S.: *Baughman. |
| X1532 | Rich soil produces remarkable crop. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| K2113.2 | Rich woman, when her advances are repulsed by an ascetic (really a girl in man's clothes) accuses her of adulterous assault. *Loomis White Magic 111. |
| Q111.2 | Riches as reward (for hospitality). (Cf. Q45.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q111.3 | Riches as reward for help against robbers. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| Q111 | Riches as reward. *Roberts 190; Irish myth: *Cross; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. Nos. 132, 181; Jewish; Neuman; Chinese: Graham; Africa (Wakweli): Bender 88. |
| H1243 | Riches the reward of questions solved on quests. *Type 461; **Aarne FFC XXII 165; India: Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| H542.1 | Riddle assigned defendant in action. If he solves it he wins suit. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H548 | Riddle contests. *BP II 370; Hdwb. d. Märchens I 435b n. 150; Frazer Old Testament II 564; Child I 405; *De Vries FFC LXXIII 43ff.; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 427, 458. |
| H707 | Riddle of dates. |
| H731 | Riddle of king and courtiers. |
| H725 | Riddle of the course of the sun. |
| H722 | Riddle of the day and night. (Cf. H721.1, H721.2, H721.4.) |
| H805 | Riddle of the murdered lover. With what thinks, I drink; what sees, I carry; with what eats I walk. (Queen has cup made from skull of her murdered lover; ring with one of his eyes; she carries two of his teeth in her boots.) *Type 851; *BP I 196, II 361; Köhler-Bolte I 350, 372; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H761 | Riddle of the Sphinx: what is it that goes on four legs in the morning, on two at midday, and on three in the evening. (Man, who crawls as a child, walks in middle life, and walks with a stick in old age.) **Aarne FFC XXVII 3ff.; **Laistner Rätsel der Sphinx; Gascon: Bladé I 10 No. 1.; Greek: Frazer Apollodorus I 349 n. 1 Köhler-Bolte I 115; Fb "menneske" II 578a. |
| H792 | Riddle of the unborn. I am unborn; my horse is unborn; I carry my mother on my hands. (A boy who has been taken from his dead mother's body digs up the body of his mother and makes gloves of her skin. He rides on a colt which has been taken from a dead mare's body.) *Type 851; BP I 196; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 112 No. 927*B; Africa (Swahili): Werner African 356. |
| H721 | Riddle of the year. **Aarne FFC XXVI 74ff. |
| H565 | Riddle propounded from chance experience. On way to riddle trial youth sees things that give him a clue for his riddles. *Type 851. |
| H541.1 | Riddle propounded on pain of death. (Cf. H512.) *Type 922; **Anderson FFC XLII 252; *BP III 230; *Oertel Studien zur vgl. Littgsch. VIII 121; Malone PMLA XLIII 398f.; Fb "bejler" IV 31b; English: Child V 493 "riddles"; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| H541.3 | Riddle propounded on pain of loss of official position. *Anderson FFC XLII 252. |
| H541.2 | Riddle propounded on pain of loss of property. *Anderson FFC XLII 253; English: Child V 493 "riddles". |
| H541 | Riddle propounded with penalty for failure. *Anderson FFC XLII 252; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H573.3 | Riddle solved by listening to propounder talk in his sleep. German: Grimm No. 22. |
| H573.1 | Riddle solved with aid of hidden informant. Malone PMLA XLIII 400; Irish myth: Cross. |
| H741 | Riddle white field, black seed. (Paper with writing.) *Aarne FFC XXVI 35ff. |
| H791 | Riddle: a fish was my father; a man was my mother. (Man eats magic fish and becomes pregnant; a girl is taken from his knee.) *Type 705; *Fb "fisk" I 297; Norse: Christiansen Norske Eventyr 96. |
| H842 | Riddle: animal qualities. |
| H746 | Riddle: bill white, horns on feet, knob on head (cock). Zachariae 58. |
| H725.1 | Riddle: bird nests on top of one cypress in morning, on top of another in evening. (Bird is the sun.) Persian: Carnoy 349. |
| H764 | Riddle: bird without feathers flies on tree without leaves. (Snow falls on bare tree.) **Aarne FFC XXVIII 1ff. |
| H722.2 | Riddle: black and white horses chasing each other. (Day and night.) Persian: Carnoy 349. |
| H882 | Riddle: bottom and top of staff. Of the two ends which is the top and which the bottom? Zachariae 58. |
| H803 | Riddle: deaths from sleepiness, anger, and greed. Elephant sleeps before snake's hole. Snake bites elephant and kills it. Jackal eats hole in elephant and is caught inside. Snake can't get out of its hole. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H806 | Riddle: drink this wine which a bird took to nest. (Stork took bunch of grapes to nest; boy makes wine from them.) Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 112 No. 927B*. |
| H743 | Riddle: four hang, four walk, two show the road, one wags behind. (Cow's teats, feet, eyes, tail.) (Other answers: cat, dog, horse, hog, etc.) **Aarne FFC XXVII 60ff. |
| H804 | Riddle: from the eater came forth meat and from the strong sweetness. (Swarm of bees and honey in lion's carcass.) Jewish: Judges 14:14. |
| H681.2 | Riddle: how deep is the earth (or how far to lower world)? Anderson FFC XLII 140. |
| H681.4 | Riddle: how deep is the sea? *Type 922; *Anderson FFC XLII 130. |
| H682.1 | Riddle: how far is it from earth to heaven? *Type 922; BP III 231; Anderson FFC XLII 113; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| H685 | Riddle: how far is it from happiness to misfortune? Anderson FFC XLII 215. |
| H681.1 | Riddle: how far is it from one end of the earth to the other (east to west)? *Type 922; *Anderson FFC XLII 146ff.; Fb "jord"; BP III 232. |
| H691.2 | Riddle: how heavy is the earth? Anderson FFC XLII 143. |
| H706 | Riddle: how many days have passed since the time of Adam? Anderson FFC XLII 227. |
| H881.1 | Riddle: how many dead mice go to a feast? (None.) Fb "ingen" II 27. |
| H704 | Riddle: how many drops in the sea. (Cf. H696.1.1.) |
| H703 | Riddle: how many hairs are in the head? *Types 922, 926**; BP III 231; Anderson FFC XLII 230. |
| H705 | Riddle: how many leaves are on the tree? Anderson FFC XLII 175; West Indies: Flowers 459. |
| H701 | Riddle: how many seconds in eternity? Anderson FFC XLII 232. |
| H702 | Riddle: how many stars in the heavens? *Type 922; BP III 231; Anderson FFC XLII 162ff.; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 116 No. 970. |
| H711 | Riddle: how much am I (the king) worth? Anderson FFC XLII 194; cf. Aarne FFC XXIII 129. |
| H691.1 | Riddle: how much does the moon weigh? Anderson FFC XLII 172. |
| H715 | Riddle: how much does the sun earn for his daily work? Anderson FFC XLII 226. |
| H716 | Riddle: how much is a certain crucifix worth? Twenty-nine pieces of silver. (Cf. H711.1.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| H713 | Riddle: how much is a golden plow (throne, crown, palace) worth? *De Vries FFC LXXIII 160ff.; *Anderson FFC XLII 180ff. |
| H712 | Riddle: how much is my beard (king's) worth? *Type 875; De Vries FFC LXXIII 160; BP II 359. |
| H696.1 | Riddle: how much water is in the sea? Anderson FFC XLII 134. |
| H682.2 | Riddle: how wide is heaven? Anderson FFC XLII 227. |
| H731.3 | Riddle: king in red; courtiers in different colors. (Spring and flowers.) Chauvin VI 39 No. 207 n. 1. |
| H731.1 | Riddle: king in red; courtiers in white. (Sun and its rays.) Chauvin VI 39 No. 207 n. 1. |
| H731.2 | Riddle: king in white; courtiers in white. (Moon and stars.) Chauvin VI 39 No. 207 n. 1. |
| H802 | Riddle: one killed none and yet killed twelve. (Horse is poisoned; raven eats of him and dies; twelve robbers eat raven and die.) *Type 851; BP I 188ff.; *Fb "hest" I 598b, "ravn" III 23a; India: Thompson-Balys; Africa (Gold Coast): Barker and Sinclair 172 No. 34; Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 284 No. 116. |
| H721.4 | Riddle: palace consisting of 8760 stones; twelve trees, thirty branches, each with black and white cluster of grapes. Year, months, days, hours. *Chauvin VI 40 No. 207. |
| H793 | Riddle: seven tongues in a head. (A horse's head in which a bird's nest is found with seven birds in it.) *Type 927; Köhler-Bolte I 46; *Fb "hestehoved". |
| H744 | Riddle: six legs, four ears, two faces, etc. (Horse and rider.) **Aarne FFC XXVII 173ff. |
| H763 | Riddle: the father not yet born, the son already at the top of the house. (Flame and smoke.) Köhler-Bolte I 268. |
| H825 | Riddle: the king is surrounded by his nobles; what is this like? (The idol Bel surrounded by the priests of the god.) Chauvin VI 39 No. 207. |
| H721.2 | Riddle: tree with leaves white on one side and black on other. Year made up of nights and days. Chauvin V 192 No. 113. |
| H721.1 | Riddle: tree with twelve branches, each with thirty leaves, black and white. Year, month, days and nights. *Chauvin V 195 No. 114; *BP II 355 n. 1. |
| H721.3 | Riddle: twelve cypresses with thirty boughs each. Years and months. Persian: Carnoy 348. |
| H761.1 | Riddle: two are better than three (two legs better than man with staff in old age). Jewish: *Neuman. |
| H742 | Riddle: two legs, three legs, four legs. (Man, three-legged stool dog.) **Aarne FFC XXVII 24ff. |
| H841.2 | Riddle: what animal is good dead but not living? (Hog.) *Wesselski Arlotto I 215ff. No. 64. |
| H841.3 | Riddle: what animal is good living and dead? (Cow.) *Wesselski Arlotto I 215ff. No. 64. |
| H841.1 | Riddle: what animal is good living but not dead? (Ass.) *Wesselski Arlotto I 215ff. No. 64. |
| H841.4 | Riddle: what animal is not good living or dead? (Wolf.) *Wesselski Arlotto I 215ff. No. 64. |
| H659.3 | Riddle: what are best and worst stones? |
| H861 | Riddle: what are the two combatants without hands or feet or words? (The bull and the buffalo.) Chauvin V 194 No. 114. |
| H851 | Riddle: what are the two fixed, the two moving, the two joined, the two separated by jealousy, the two eternal enemies? (Heaven and earth; sun and moon; night and day; soul and body; life and death.) Chauvin V 195 No. 114. |
| H826 | Riddle: what did Christ do in his 30th year? Answer: entered into his thirty-first. (Cf. H865.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| H865 | Riddle: what do crows do when they are five years old? (They start their sixth year.) (Cf. H826.) Anderson FFC XLII 236 n. 8. |
| H797 | Riddle: what does God do? Anderson FFC XLII 200. |
| H827 | Riddle: what does the king of the world of the Devas do? Punishes the bad people. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H659.2 | Riddle: what four things are hardest to hold? Anderson FFC XLII 228. |
| H831 | Riddle: what house was full of dead? (Philistines in the building demolished by Samson.) Jewish: Neuman. |
| H659.5 | Riddle: what is best religion—Christian or Mohammedan? |
| H648 | Riddle: what is best? De Vries FFC LXXIII 95; *Krappe Revue Celtique XLVII 401ff. |
| H651 | Riddle: what is brightest? De Vries FFC LXXIII 88. |
| H638 | Riddle: what is costliest? BP III 233. |
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