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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 ▲ |
|---|---|
| D1081.1 | Sword of magic origin. Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 197; Irish myth: Cross; Indo-Chinese: Scott Indo-Chinese 303. |
| F997 | Sword pierces rock when possessor will break it. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| D1389.14 | Sword puts to flight five evil passions. (Cf. D1081.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E373.2 | Sword received from summoned dead father. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| F833.4.1 | Sword shines as fire or as the sun. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| D1610.9.1.1 | Sword shrieks when it feels the bone. Icelandic: Hrolfs saga Kraka 100, Boberg. |
| F833.1 | Sword so heavy that hero must take drink of strength before swinging it. Fb "sværd" III 690b. |
| F833.1.1 | Sword so heavy that only its owner can lift it. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| D1694 | Sword that cannot be magically dulled. (See D2086.1.) Icelandic: Göngu-Hrуlfs saga 354, Bуsa saga p. lxvi, *Boberg. |
| M377 | Sword that is to kill one is weighted and sunk so as to avoid the prophecy. (Cf. M341.2.) Icelandic: Boberg. |
| H1558.8.1 | Sword too heavy to lift against a friend. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| D1316.11 | Sword turns upon owner when untruth is uttered. (Cf. D1081.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z314 | Sword which will break in only one peril: this known only to the maker of the sword. Gaster FL II 57; Nutt Holy Grail 11. |
| F833.10 | Sword with God's name engraved upon it. (Cf. D1766.7.2.) Jewish: Neuman. |
| F833.7 | Sword with image of wolf or serpent. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| F833.6 | Sword with poisoned edge. (Cf. F831.3.) Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P312.2 | Sworn brethren and blood brethren avenge each other. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| P311 | Sworn brethren. Friends take an oath of lasting brotherhood. *Type 516; Rösch FFC LXXVII 98; *Hibbard 68 n. 7, 145 n. 3; Child IV 146f.; Wesselski Märchen 187 No. 2; *Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 17; *Abeles "Die Burgschaft als Motif in der jüdischen Literatur" Monatsch. f. Geschichte u. Wissenschaft der Juden LX 213ff., 263ff. — English: Wells 158 (Amis and Amiloun); Icelandic: Olrik Sakses Oldhistorie I (1892) 59ff., *Boberg; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Jewish: *Neuman, bin Gorion Born Judas IV 14, 20, 274; India: Thompson-Balys; Korean: Zong in-Sob 63 No. 35. |
| A515.1.2 | Sworn brothers as culture heroes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z143 | Symbolic color: black. Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
| Z144 | Symbolic color: blue. |
| Z146 | Symbolic color: brown. |
| Z145 | Symbolic color: green. |
| Z147 | Symbolic color: purple. |
| Z141 | Symbolic color: red. Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; Jewish: Neuman. |
| Z142 | Symbolic color: white. Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
| H619.1 | Symbolic interpretation of chairs in heaven. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H619.2 | Symbolic interpretation of church and image therein. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H619.4 | Symbolic interpretation of ineffectual thatching of house and building of fire in otherworld. (Cf. F171.6.5, F171.6.6.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H602.2 | Symbolic interpretation of letters. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 7; Jewish: Neuman. |
| H602.3 | Symbolic interpretation of names. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| H608 | Symbolic interpretation of official robes. |
| H603 | Symbolic interpretation of playing cards. Soldier reproved for playing cards during church says that playing cards are his prayerbook and calendar. Ace: one God, one Faith, one Baptism; 2: old and new Testaments; 3: Trinity; 4: evangelists; 5: wise virgins; 6: days of creation; 7: sabbath; 8. Noah's family; 9: ungrateful lepers; 10: commandments; knave (jack): Judas; queen (of Sheba); king: God; 12 face cards: 12 months; etc. *Type 1613; **Bolte Zs.v. Vksk. XI 376ff., XIII 84; Penzer IV 240 n. 1. |
| H608.1 | Symbolic interpretation of points on a bishop's hat. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 100. |
| H606 | Symbolic interpretation of sin. Priest drags heavy sack of sand behind him to show how men drag sin. (Cf. H604, H605.) Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| H617 | Symbolic interpretations of dreams. Jewish: Neuman. |
| H600 | Symbolic interpretations. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H595.1 | Symbolic invitation to continued liberality. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| H602.1.1 | Symbolic meaning of numbers one to seven (ten, twelve). E.g. One: sun; two: Moses' tablets; three: three Maries; etc. *Type 812; *BP III 15 n. 1; Irish myth: Cross; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 156 No. 2045*; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| H602 | Symbolic meaning of numbers, letters, etc. |
| H602.1 | Symbolic meaning of numbers. Jewish: Neuman. |
| H604 | Symbolic meaning of spiced and bitter tongue served at dinner. (Cf. H605, H606.) Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| Z183 | Symbolic names. |
| Z182 | Symbolic wounding of king. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H619.5 | Symbolical interpretation of fight between one-legged bird and twelve-legged bird. One-legged bird symbolizes innocence; twelve-legged bird, guilt. (Cf. B15.6.3.3.2.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Z140.3 | Symbolism of colors in mass vestments. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Z176 | Symbolism of the mass. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z186 | Symbolism: needle and thread—sexual intercourse. Chinese: Graham. |
| Z161 | Symbolism: not to fight alone. Various figures employed to show it is not good for one warrior alone to fight the battles of a host. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z100 | Symbolism. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| Z184 | Symbols of divinity. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 43, 65; Marquesas: Handy 106. |
| B299.5 | Sympathetic animals. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K345 | Sympathetic helper robbed. |
| K345.1 | Sympathetic helper sent for remedy and robbed. Africa (Benga): Nassau 86 No. 4, (Thonga): Junod 221, (Ila, Rhodesia): Smith and Dale II 386 No. 12. |
| D1782 | Sympathetic magic. Magic results obtained by imitating desired action. *Frazer Golden Bough XII 481 s.v. "Sympathetic magic"; *Andree Ethnographische 8ff.—Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: Neuman; Hindu: Penzer III 38, VI 24 n., 133, IX 27 n. 1; N. A. Indian (Blackfoot): Wissler and Duvall PaAM II 128, (Maliseet): Mechling GSCan IV 100 No. 29, (Arapaho): Dorsey and Kroeber FM V 271 No. 120, (Pawnee): Dorsey CI LIX 160 No. 43, (Micmac): Parsons JAFL XXXVIII 78 No. 11, Rand 370 No. 71, (Seneca): Curtin-Hewitt RBAE XXXII 186 No. 35, 457 No. 94, 659 No. 127. |
| D1553 | Symplegades. Rocks that clash together at intervals. (Cf. D931.) *Reinhard PMLA XXXVIII 458 n. 108; *Krappe Balor 111 n. 11a; Köhler-Bolte I 572.—Greek: Fox 111, 137; *Frazer Apollodorus I 106 n. 2; Euripides Iphegenia in Taurica lines 123ff.; Herodotus 4:85; Janet Bacon Voyage of the Argonauts 79f.; India: Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 275 n. 15, (Calif.): Gayton and Newman 102; S. A. Indian (Tupinamba): Métraux BBAE CXLIII (3) 132. Maori: Clark 36ff. |
| V112.3 | Synagogues. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| F165.4 | Table always set in otherworld dwellings. Siuts 79. |
| J1881.1.4 | Table thrown out of the sledge; to go home by itself. Type 1291*. |
| F166.10 | Tables in otherworld. Jewish: Neuman. |
| K1683 | Tables turned on procuress by chaste wife. The old woman is enticed into the wife's room, beaten, and driven forth naked. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 408. |
| E631.0.1.2 | Tablets made of trees from lovers' graves magically unite. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| C878 | Tabu concerning clothing. Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| C182 | Tabu confined to men. |
| C180 | Tabu confined to one sex. |
| C181 | Tabu confined to women. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C150 | Tabu connected with childbirth. |
| C170 | Tabu connected with husband's or wife's relatives. |
| C169 | Tabu connected with marriage—miscellaneous. |
| C160 | Tabu connected with marriage. |
| C140 | Tabu connected with menses. Jewish: *Neuman; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 530f; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C130 | Tabu connected with puberty. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C901.2 | Tabu imposed at birth. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C901.1 | Tabu imposed by certain person. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C901.1.2 | Tabu imposed by druid. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C901.1.5 | Tabu imposed by fairy. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C901.1.3.1 | Tabu imposed by forthputting woman. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C901.1.4 | Tabu imposed by host. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C901.1.3 | Tabu imposed by lover. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C901.3 | Tabu imposed by magic. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C901.1.6 | Tabu imposed by saint. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C901.1.1 | Tabu imposed on son by father before death. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C901 | Tabu imposed. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C867.1 | Tabu: abusing women or children. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C744 | Tabu: accepting an invitation. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C115 | Tabu: adultery. Hebrew: Leviticus 20: 10; Exodus 20:14. |
| C51.1.8 | Tabu: allowing a drop to fall upon altar. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C884.2 | Tabu: allowing horse to lose his bridle, stray or stale. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C752.1.4 | Tabu: allowing person to come to feast after sunset. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C835.2.2 | Tabu: allowing spear-head to touch stone. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C564.5 | Tabu: altar smoke from sacrifice touching young chief. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth: 346. |
| C761.4.3 | Tabu: angel to remain on earth more than one week. Jewish: Neuman. |
| C499.1 | Tabu: announcing death directly. Jewish: Neuman. |
| C811.3 | Tabu: answering call when asleep. Lithuanian: Balys Ghosts. |
| C563.5 | Tabu: appearing before king without having been summoned. Jewish: Neuman. |
| C53.2 | Tabu: arrogance toward deity. Jewish: Neuman. |
| C411 | Tabu: asking about marvels which one sees. (Cf. C423.2, C491.) —*Chauvin V 251 No. 148.—African: Werner African 187. |
| C32.2.3 | Tabu: asking for caste of supernatural husband. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C196 | Tabu: asking for king's daughter in marriage. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| C411.1 | Tabu: asking for reason of an unusual action. Spanish Exempla: Keller; Persian: Bricteux Contes Persans 97 No. 4; Indonesian: De Vries Volksverhalen I No. 35 n. |
| C773.1.1 | Tabu: asking for too great magic multiplication of coins. *Starck Der Alraun; Taylor JAFL XXXI 561f.—India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C32.2.1 | Tabu: asking name of supernatural husband. (Cf C430.) India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| C415 | Tabu: asking prophet for signs. Jewish: Neuman. |
| C410 | Tabu: asking questions. *Chauvin V 251, 296, VIII 47 No. 15 n. 1.—India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C32.2.2 | Tabu: asking where supernatural husband comes from. (Cf. C421.)—India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| C773 | Tabu: aspiring to too much power. *Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 259 No. 54. |
| C63 | Tabu: attacking deity (sacred person). Greek: Fox 9; Eskimo (Greenland): Rasmussen I 115; Fiji: Beckwith Myth 138; S. Am. Indian (Witoto): Métraux MAFLS XL 36. |
| C725 | Tabu: attending call of nature at certain time. Africa (Benga): Nassau 132 No. 14. |
| C720 | Tabu: attending toilet needs. |
| C181.5 | Tabu: Baiga women not to tie cloth between legs. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C721.1 | Tabu: bathing during certain time. *Types 361, 475; BP II 423, 427 (Gr. Nos. 100, 101).—Irish myth: Cross. |
| C721.2 | Tabu: bathing in certain place. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C721.2.1 | Tabu: bathing in clear stream. Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 281. |
| F378.2 | Tabu: bathing or touching water in lake in fairyland. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C721.3 | Tabu: bathing without straining stream afterwards. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C721 | Tabu: bathing. (Cf. C711.)—Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C565.2 | Tabu: bearded man being lazy. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C891.2 | Tabu: bearded man going dirty to bed. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C461 | Tabu: bearded man laughing when shaken. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C835.1.1 | Tabu: bearded man refusing combat. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C871.0.1 | Tabu: bearded man refusing request. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C735.1.1 | Tabu: bearded man sleeping at sunrise. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C867.1.0.1 | Tabu: bearded men abusing women and children. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C713.3.1 | Tabu: beast-husband staying too long at home: becomes sick. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C751.7.1 | Tabu: being in certain place at sunrise. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C52 | Tabu: being in presence of god. Greek: Fox 46 (Semele in presence of Zeus.) |
| C887 | Tabu: being in same house with fire, weapon, dog. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C51.4.1 | Tabu: betraying privacy of god. Emperor visited by God conceals his wife so that she may hear. God ceases his visits.—Type 775*. |
| C566.2 | Tabu: birds feeding on hero's land without leaving him something. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C481.1 | Tabu: birds not to sing around home of goddess. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 186. |
| C31.4 | Tabu: blaming supernatural wife. *Chauvin VI 182 No. 343.—Greek: Fox 122 (Thetis).—Indonesian: De Vries Volksverhalen I No. 35 n. |
| C452 | Tabu: boasting of children (Niobe).—Greek: Fox 44, 175; Germanic: Hdwb. d. Abergl. s.v. "Berufen". |
| C455 | Tabu: boasting of fearlessness. Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 319 No. 22. |
| C453 | Tabu: boasting of love-conquest. Greek: Fox 199 (Anchises and Aphrodite). |
| C31.5 | Tabu: boasting of supernatural wife. *BP II 327; Köhler-Bolte I 308ff.—Irish myth: Cross; English: Wells 132 (Sir Launfal). Fjort: Dennett 42 No. 6. |
| C451 | Tabu: boasting of wealth. *Fb "rose" (2) III 81a. |
| C454 | Tabu: boasting that one has no need of gods' help. Types 830, 836.—Greek: Fox 135 (Ajax the less). |
| C450 | Tabu: boasting. Irish: Beal XXI 328; Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian (Seneca): Curtin-Hewitt RBAE XXXII 161 No. 27, Curtin 19.—Germanic: Hdwb. d. Abergl. s.v. "Berufen".—African: Stanley 110, (Loango): Pechuël-Loesche 109. |
| C181.6 | Tabu: Bondo women not to wear clothes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C221.3.2 | Tabu: breaking bones of eaten animal. Saintyves Contes de Perrault 39. Cf. also E32. |
| C46.1 | Tabu: breaking promise to fairy: death on twelfth day. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C631 | Tabu: breaking the sabbath. Hebrew: Exodus 20; 8—12.—Jewish: *Neuman; Irish myth: Cross; Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 17f. Nos. 157—170. |
| C513 | Tabu: breaking twig. BP III 62f.; Hdwb. d. Märchens s.v. "Baum". |
| C874 | Tabu: breaking up revelry before its end. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C51.1.3 | Tabu: breathing on sacred fire. British: *MacCulloch Celtic 11 (references given to parallels from Parsis, Brahmans, Japanese, and Germans). —Irish myth: Cross. |
| C232.1 | Tabu: bride eating on journey to husband. Kaffir: Theal 51. |
| C752.1.1 | Tabu: bringing arms to capital after sunset. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C845.1 | Tabu: bringing head of slain enemy within village walls. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| C771.1 | Tabu: building too high a tower. (Tower of Babel.) Hebrew: Genesis II 3ff.; Frazer Testament I 362ff.; Jewish: *Neuman; Hartland Science 221.—Esthonian: Loorits Grundzüge I 453 f.; India: Thompson-Balys; Indo-Chinese: Scott Indo-Chinese 266f.—Maya: Alexander Lat. Am. 132; Aztec: ibid. 96.—African (Kaffir): Kidd 237 No. 6; (Ashanti): Werner African Myth 124. |
| C771 | Tabu: building too large a structure. |
| C36.1 | Tabu: burning animal husband. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C841.3 | Tabu: burning caterpillars. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C514 | Tabu: burning saja wood (terminalia tomentosa).—India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C781.1 | Tabu: buying gallows flesh or living flesh.—*BP I 514. |
| C780 | Tabu: buying, selling, etc. |
| C781 | Tabu: buying. *Hdwb. d. Abergl. IX Nachträge 810. |
| C897.3 | Tabu: calculating time of Messiah's advent. Jewish: Neuman. |
| C20 | Tabu: calling on ogre or destructive animal. |
| C31.6 | Tabu: calling on supernatural wife. *Type 400; BP II 318ff. (Gr. No. 92); 'Fb "ønske" III 1179a.—English: Wells 132 (Sir Launfal.) |
| C94.4 | Tabu: calling profanely on God. Daughter of Emperor says to Rabbi: "Your God is a builder; so let him build a tent here." She becomes leprous and must be placed in a tent. (Cf. C51.3.1.)—Gaster Exempla 187 No. 10; Jewish: Neuman. |
| C94.4.1 | Tabu: calling profanely on the members of God. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| C875 | Tabu: carrying child on one's back into house. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C153.1 | Tabu: carrying corpse of woman who died in childbirth. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| C751.8 | Tabu: carrying food at night. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 144. |
| C752.1.5 | Tabu: casting in graveyard after sunset. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C65 | Tabu: changing ritual. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| C564.1 | Tabu: chief being in ale-house when there is no story-telling. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C564.9 | Tabu: chief going outdoors in spite of provocations. Hawaii Beckwith Myth 118. |
| C564.3 | Tabu: chief to be in large company without wolf-hounds. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C564.2 | Tabu: chief's troop not having a herald. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C564.8 | Tabu: chieftainess preparing food. Maori: Clark 2. |
| C723.1 | Tabu: combing hair during certain time. *Types 361, 475; BP II 423, 427 (Gr. Nos. 100, 101). |
| C723 | Tabu: combing hair. |
| C52.2 | Tabu: coming suddenly on supernatural creatures. Tupper and Ogle Walter Map 95. |
| C755.3 | Tabu: coming to Ireland in time of peace. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C499.2 | Tabu: complimenting. Africa (Pangwe): Tessman 367. C500—C549. |
| C884 | Tabu: concerning riding horses. |
| C193 | Tabu: consorting with a woman. Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
| C287 | Tabu: consuming feast without discovering a new wonder. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C0 | Tabu: contact with supernatural. **Frazer Golden Bough, III (Taboo and the Perils of the Soul), London 1914. |
| C541 | Tabu: contact with the dead. Jewish: *Neuman; Eskimo (Greenland): Rink 341, 452, Rasmussen III 104. |
| C501 | Tabu: contact with things belonging to a king. *Frazer Golden Bough@3 III passim.—Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 95, 98. |
| C542.1 | Tabu: contact with things on journey to hell. Irish myth: Cross; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C153 | Tabu: contact with woman at childbirth. Frazer Golden Bough III 147ff., X 20. |
| C751.3 | Tabu: convening certain hunt at certain time. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C484.1 | Tabu: coughing in other world. Tuamotu: Stimson MS (z-G 3/1301). |
| C484 | Tabu: coughing. |
| C776 | Tabu: counting possessions. *Fb "tælle" III 923a.—Irish: Beal XXI 337; Jewish: Neuman. |
| C897.1 | Tabu: counting the stars. England: Baughman; Fb "stjærne" III 577b. |
| C93.4 | Tabu: crossing bridge sacred to the gods. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C752.1.2 | Tabu: crossing certain plain after sunset. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C883 | Tabu: crossing graveyard without alighting. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C833.1 | Tabu: crossing river except at source. Africa (Angola): Chatelain 69 No. 3. |
| C41.3 | Tabu: crossing water when spirits are offended. |
| C544 | Tabu: crushing eggs. |
| C544.1 | Tabu: crushing lizard's eggs. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 127. |
| C494 | Tabu: cursing. Jewish: Neuman. |
| C513.1 | Tabu: cutting branches of tree. Jewish: Neuman. |
| C43.2 | Tabu: cutting certain trees lest tree-spirits be offended. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C93.6 | Tabu: cutting down tree wherein resides deity. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C518 | Tabu: cutting down tree. Jewish: Neuman; Maori: Clark 95; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (z—G 3/1174). |
| C722.1 | Tabu: cutting hair during certain time. *Fb "hеr" I 771b. |
| C722 | Tabu: cutting hair. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| C51.2.2 | Tabu: cutting sacred trees or groves. (Cf. C43.)—Irish saints' legend: Plummer cliii; Irish myth: Cross. |
| C51.1.5 | Tabu: dancing in churchyard. Fb "kirkegaard" II 129. |
| C541.1 | Tabu: dead body not to be on ship. English-Scottish: Child I 245 n. |
| C56.1 | Tabu: defecating while carrying image of a god. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C51.3.1 | Tabu: desecration of God's name. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| C757.1 | Tabu: destroying animal skin of enchanted person too soon. *Type 425; Tegethoff Amor und Psyche 32ff.—Missouri French: Carrière; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| C93.3 | Tabu: digging in churchyard. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C523.2 | Tabu: digging in fairy ring. England: Baughman. |
| C523.1 | Tabu: digging up certain stones. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C523 | Tabu: digging. (Cf. C522.)—N. A. Indian: Thompson Tales 332 n. 197. |
| C58.1 | Tabu: diminishing number of sacred days. Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 19 No. 180. |
| C61.1 | Tabu: disbelief in God. Jewish: Neuman. |
| C61.2 | Tabu: disbelief in immortality. Jewish: Neuman. |
| C61.4 | Tabu: disbelief in particular supernatural power. Eskimo (Greenland): Rink 471. |
| C61 | Tabu: disbelief in religious teachings. |
| C61.3 | Tabu: disbelief in scriptures. Jewish: Neuman. |
| C436 | Tabu: disclosing own identity. A supernatural person must not tell who he is. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C423.1 | Tabu: disclosing source of magic power. Penzer V 3 n. 1; German: Grimm No. 85; India: Thompson-Balys; Jewish: Neuman; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 714; Africa (Fang): Trilles 111, 269. |
| C51.1.6 | Tabu: discontinuing use of a church. Crane Liber de Miraculis 90 No. 20. |
| C94.1.3 | Tabu: discourtesy toward priest (rabbi, etc.). Jewish: Neuman. |
| C524 | Tabu: disembarking from boat on return from other world. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C521 | Tabu: dismounting from horse. Hartland Science 199; Irish myth: Cross. |
| C521.1 | Tabu: dismounting from magic sack. French Canadian: Sister Marie Ursule. |
| C836 | Tabu: disobedience. All lodgers must obey host implicitly.—English Wells 60 (Syre Gowene and the Carle of Carlyle). |
| C31.3 | Tabu: disobeying supernatural wife. Congo: Weeks 206f. No. 3; Fjort: Dennett 41 No. 5.—India: Thompson-Balys; Indonesian: De Vries Volksverhalen I No. 35 n. |
| C71 | Tabu: disobeying the king. Man dies as result of failure to obey.—Alphabet No. 241. |
| C168 | Tabu: disregarding dream warning against marriage. |
| C94.9 | Tabu: disturbing austerities of an ascetic. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C752.2 | Tabu: doing certain thing after sunrise. |
| C740 | Tabu: doing deed of mercy or courtesy. |
| C752 | Tabu: doing thing after certain time. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C752.1 | Tabu: doing thing after sunset (nightfall). Irish myth: Cross. |
| C751 | Tabu: doing thing at certain time. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C751.7 | Tabu: doing thing at sunrise. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C756 | Tabu: doing thing before certain time. |
| C755 | Tabu: doing thing during certain time. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C854 | Tabu: doing thing in certain manner. (Cf. C643, D1791.) Irish myth: Cross, Köhler-Bolte II 651ff. |
| C758 | Tabu: doing thing too hastily. |
| C761 | Tabu: doing thing too long. |
| C762 | Tabu: doing thing too often. |
| C757 | Tabu: doing thing too soon. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C260 | Tabu: drinking at certain place. |
| C270 | Tabu: drinking certain things. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "boisson"; Irish myth: Cross. |
| C261 | Tabu: drinking from certain fountain. Hartland Science 225; Irish myth: Cross; Eskimo (Greenland): Rink 417, 465; Africa (Loango): Pechuël-Loesche 109. |
| C263 | Tabu: drinking from certain river between two darknesses. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F378.4 | Tabu: drinking from certain well in fairyland. Person does, finds himself alone on hillside. (Cf. C260.) Wales: *Baughman. |
| C262 | Tabu: drinking in other world. *Fb "drikke" I 204.—Wales: Baughman; Icel.: Herrmann Saxo II 586ff., MacCulloch Eddic 321f., Boberg. |
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