Folklore Database · Browse
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 ▲ |
|---|---|
| C93.1 | Tabu: sleeping in saint's bed. Irish: Plummer clxxxiv; Irish myth: Cross. |
| C848 | Tabu: sleeping on bed made of totem-tree. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C735.2.7 | Tabu: sleeping on feather bed. Canadian: Gautier. |
| C735.2.6 | Tabu: sleeping on the path of ghosts. Lithuanian: Balys Ghosts. |
| C735.2.8 | Tabu: sleeping two nights in the same place until certain result is attained. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C751.2 | Tabu: sleeping with certain wife on Midsummer's Eve. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C735 | Tabu: sleeping. Calif. Indian: Gayton and Newman 100. |
| C113 | Tabu: sodomy. Hebrew: Leviticus 20: 15f.; Jewish: Neuman. |
| C822 | Tabu: solving sphinx's riddle: sphinx perishes. Greek: Fox 49 (Oedipus). |
| C114.1 | Tabu: son seeing mother perform sex act. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C401.3.1 | Tabu: speaking about lost money which is to be regained by witchcraft. The loser cannot refrain from speaking of his loss; the money cannot be recovered. Eng.: Baughman. |
| C402 | Tabu: speaking before certain time. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C401 | Tabu: speaking during certain time. *Frazer Golden Bough XII 461 s.v. "silence".—Spanish Exempla: Keller; German: Grimm Nos. 9, 49, 137. |
| C401.2 | Tabu: speaking during seven days of danger. As result of prophecy of seven days of danger, an injunction of silence is imposed during this period.—Chauvin VIII 34 No. 1 n. 1; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| C401.1 | Tabu: speaking during vigil. *Types 307, 400; *BP II 330, 335, III 534; Wesselski Mönchslatein 101 No. 86; Hartland Science 246. |
| C715.1 | Tabu: speaking in fairyland. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C715 | Tabu: speaking in otherworld. (Cf. C400.) |
| C423.2 | Tabu: speaking of extraordinary sight. (Cf. C411, C491.)—*Fb "tale" III 765b; Jewish: Neuman. |
| C424 | Tabu: speaking of good luck. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "aventure". |
| C492 | Tabu: speaking to strangers. Seneca: Curtin-Hewitt RBAE XXXII 166 No. 29. |
| C497 | Tabu: speaking to the dead. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C401.5 | Tabu: speaking while gathering fernseed to make wishes come true, at midnight on Christmas Eve when fernseed ripens and falls immediately. Scotland: Baughman. |
| C401.4 | Tabu: speaking while raising sunken church bell. See all references to V115.1.3.1.—England, U.S.: Baughman*. |
| C401.3 | Tabu: speaking while searching for treasure. *Fb "stiltiende" III 569a, "skat" III 236b; *Norlind Skattsägner 57ff.—Swiss Jegerlehner Oberwallis 298 No. 3; German: Grimm Deutsche Mythologie II 810ff., v.d. Leyen Sagenbuch IV 238ff.; Norwegian: Skar Gamalt or Sætesdal III 135ff.; Swedish-Finnish: Finlands Svenska Folkdiktning VII (1) 857 (register); Lappish: Qvigstad Lappiske Eventyr II No 134; Egyptian: Legrain Louqsor sans les Pharaons 97.—England, U.S.: Baughman; North Carolina: Brown Collection I 693f.—Indonesian: Hambruch Malaiische Märchen 192. |
| C401.6 | Tabu: speaking while taking a bath. Jewish: Neuman. |
| C631.2 | Tabu: spinning on holy days. Fb "spinde" III 491b—Icel.: MacCulloch Eddic 177. |
| C832 | Tabu: spinning. Saintyves Contes de Perrault 79ff.—Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3695, Legends No. 378f. |
| C36.2 | Tabu: spying on animal husband. Eskimo (Greenland): Rasmussen I 145. |
| C51.4.2 | Tabu: spying on secret help of angels. *Toldo Studien zur vgl. Littgsch. IV 52ff.; Irish myth: Cross. |
| C51.4.3 | Tabu: spying on secret help of fairies. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C761.3 | Tabu: staying too long at ball. Must leave before certain hour.—*Type 510AB; *Cox Cinderella passim; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| C761.2 | Tabu: staying too long at home. *Type 425; Tegethoff Amor und Psyche 34ff. |
| C761.4 | Tabu: staying too long in certain place. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C712.1 | Tabu: staying too long in fairyland. (Cf. C713.3.)—*R. M. Meyer Zs. f. Vksk. XXI 1ff. |
| C761.4.2 | Tabu: staying too long in meadow of otherworld. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C712 | Tabu: staying too long in other world. |
| C761.4.1 | Tabu: staying two nights in one place until certain event is brought to pass. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C51.1.2 | Tabu: stealing from altar. (Cf. C51.2.)—Fable: Phaedrus IV 11; Wienert FFC LVI 80 (ET 465), 138 (ST 433). |
| C51.2 | Tabu: stealing from god or saint. (Cf. C51.1.2.)—Greek: Grote I 145; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (3—G 3/1386); S. Am. Indian (Chiriguano): Métraux RMLP XXXIII 173. |
| C51.2.4 | Tabu: stealing from holy statue. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 91 No. 769C. |
| C51.1.2.1 | Tabu: stealing from sacred booty. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| C91 | Tabu: stealing from spirits. (Cf. C51.2.)—Irish saints' legend: Plummer cliii (cf. C43, C51.2).—Finnish: Aarne FFC XXXIII 42 No. 53** (cf. C42). |
| C91.2 | Tabu: stealing fruits from sacred tree. (Cf. C262.3.)—India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| C91.1 | Tabu: stealing garment from a rock. The rock pursues. (The offended rolling stone.)—N. A. Indian: Thompson Tales 300 n. 96. |
| C51.2.3 | Tabu: stealing wife of god. Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 129. |
| C535 | Tabu: stepping on bread (or otherwise misusing it). *Fb "brød" IV 74a. |
| C55.1 | Tabu: stepping on sacred bread. Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 19 No. 188. |
| C56.2 | Tabu: stopping enroute while carrying image of a god. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C892 | Tabu: stranger to play with someone without asking permission. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C546 | Tabu: striking certain rock. Samoa: Beckwith Myth 19, notes 10—12. |
| C742 | Tabu: striking monster twice. Though monster begs that hero strike him again, hero refuses. Monster would otherwise revive.—*Chauvin VII 69 No. 348 n. 2; *Wesselski Theorie 143 and n.; *Köhler-Bolte I 469ff.; *Krappe Révue d'Ethnographie et des Traditions Populaires (1925) 432ff.; **Wesselski Erlesenes 18ff.; *BP IV 395. |
| C31.8 | Tabu: striking supernatural wife. Irish myth: Cross; Wales: Baughman; Kassai (Congo): Frobenius Atlantis XII 106. |
| C51.1.12 | Tabu: striking tree which belongs to deity. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 111. |
| C825 | Tabu: studying occult books. Jewish: Neuman. |
| C752.2.1 | Tabu: supernatural creatures being abroad after sunrise. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 333. |
| C858 | Tabu: swimming with certain birds. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C897.2 | Tabu: taking census. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| C541.5 | Tabu: taking down corpse of hanged man. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C51.2.2.1 | Tabu: taking fruit and fish dedicated to goddess. (Cf. C221, C225, C241.)—India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C762.4 | Tabu: taking more than one fruit from certain tree. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C195 | Tabu: taking the advice of a woman. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C241.1 | Tabu: tasting milk of "cow of plenty", dedicated to the gods. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C564.6 | Tabu: teaching genealogy of chiefs to commoners. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 309. |
| C757.2 | Tabu: telling adventure in otherworld too soon. India: *Thompson-Balys; Calif. Indian: Gayton and Newman 99. |
| C423.6 | Tabu: telling children about lake monster. Eskimo (Kodiak): Golder JAFL XXII 21. |
| F348.7 | Tabu: telling of fairy gifts; the gifts cease. England, Wales: *Baughman. |
| C493 | Tabu: thanking (under certain circumstances). Fb "takke" III 763a; Hdwb. d. Abergl. II 171; Icel.: *Boberg. |
| C630 | Tabu: the one forbidden time. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C560 | Tabu: things not to be done by certain class. Irish Myth: Cross. |
| C851.2 | Tabu: throwing "living fire" into river. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C94.6 | Tabu: throwing away holy image. Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 19 No. 184. |
| C726.1 | Tabu: throwing away nail trimmings. Jewish: Neuman; Tahiti: Henry 143. |
| C549.1 | Tabu: tiger and lion after having killed a man not to touch certain animals: cow, buffalo, pig, deer, wild goat. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C51.1.10 | Tabu: to enter sacred places closed to the female sex. (Cf. C51.1.2.) *Loomis White Magic 97. |
| C686.1 | Tabu: to refuse help to a woman. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C735.2.9 | Tabu: to rest sitting or lying until answer to certain question is learned. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C762.2 | Tabu: too much weeping for dead. Persian: Carnoy 345. Eskimo (Greenland): Holm 73, 80, Rasmussen III 166, 180. |
| C530 | Tabu: touching (miscellaneous). |
| C549 | Tabu: touching (miscellaneous). |
| C515 | Tabu: touching (plucking) flowers. Type 451; Hartland Science 200.—English-Scottish: Child I 360 n.; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 17. |
| C549.1.1 | Tabu: touching a horse or moving a dead cat or dog. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C621.2.1 | Tabu: touching apple. Hdwb. d. Märchens s.v. *"Apfel" n. 31.—Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 41 No. 301. |
| C621.2.2 | Tabu: touching banana. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 146. |
| C541.3 | Tabu: touching bones of murdered person. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C533 | Tabu: touching box. Eskimo (Cumberland Sound): Boas BAM XV 203. |
| C537.1 | Tabu: touching camel after he has retired from work. Cyprus: Hadjioannou Kypriakoi Mythoi (Leukosia, 1948) No. 22. |
| C537 | Tabu: touching certain animals. |
| C545 | Tabu: touching certain clothes. |
| C545.2 | Tabu: touching clothes of certain person. Eskimo (Mackenzie Area): Jenness 58. |
| C545.3 | Tabu: touching dress. French Canadian: Sister Marie Ursule. |
| C542.2 | Tabu: touching fire in other world. S. Am. Indian (Toba): Métraux MAFLS XL 45. |
| C551.1 | Tabu: touching food of another caste. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C621.2 | Tabu: touching fruit. |
| F378.1 | Tabu: touching ground on return from fairyland. Hartland Science 164f.; Irish myth: *Cross; England: Baughman. |
| C520 | Tabu: touching ground. (Cf. C516.) Hartland Science 197.—Irish myth: Cross; Tahiti: Beckwith Myth 246; Africa (Zulu): Callaway 303. |
| C537.2 | Tabu: touching hairless dog. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 343. |
| C564.7 | Tabu: touching head of chief. Hawaii, Marquesas, Lau Islands: Beckwith Myth 468. |
| C537.3 | Tabu: touching horse or moving dead cat or dog. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C511 | Tabu: touching leaves (of tree). Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "feuilles". |
| C533.1 | Tabu: touching magic box. (Cf. D1174.) Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 18, 178, (Vai): Ellis 187 No. 3, (Basuto): Jacottet 220 No. 33. |
| C545.1 | Tabu: touching old clothes. (Abandoned clothes should be thrown away.)—Tahiti: Henry 143. |
| C51 | Tabu: touching possessions of god. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C526 | Tabu: touching sacred mountain. Jewish: Neuman. |
| C549.2 | Tabu: touching soldiers of enchanted (sleeping) army and their horses. Lithuanian: Balys Historical. |
| C51.7 | Tabu: touching stone image of deity with unwashed hands. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C542 | Tabu: touching treasures of other world. *Krappe Balor 125 n. 17.—Icel.: Herrmann Saxo II 589; MacCulloch Eddic 321, *Boberg. |
| C519 | Tabu: touching tree (plant)—miscellaneous. |
| C510 | Tabu: touching tree (plant). Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "arbres".—Jewish: Neuman; Chatham Islands: Beckwith Myth 19, Notes 10, 11, 12. |
| C532 | Tabu: touching water. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C531 | Tabu: touching with iron. *MacCulloch Childhood 339; Hartland Science 163f.; Fb "jærn" II 61a.—Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys; Eskimo (Greenland): Holm 93. |
| C500 | Tabu: touching. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "toucher". —Missouri-French: Carrière; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C833.6 | Tabu: traveling beyond spot where feat of skill was performed before duplicating it. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C51.1.13 | Tabu: treating scornfully statue and dress of goddess. Greek Myth: Grote I 84. |
| C93 | Tabu: trespassing sacred precinct. Alphabet No. 52.—Irish: Plummer clxxxiv; Irish myth: Cross.—Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 295, No. 12.—Eskimo (Central Eskimo): Boas RBAE VI 600; Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 59 (ghost town). |
| C726 | Tabu: trimming fingernails. Jewish: Neuman; German: Grimm Nos. 100, 101. |
| C785 | Tabu: trying to save provision for another day. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C194 | Tabu: trysting with woman at certain place. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C833.2 | Tabu: turning aside for anyone. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C872 | Tabu: turning away from (refusing requests of) poets. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C833.3 | Tabu: turning back after beginning a journey. *Fb "gе" I 525a, "vende" IV 1035b; African: Werner African 172. |
| C643 | Tabu: turning left side of chariot toward certain place. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C94.1 | Tabu: uncivil answer to holy (or supernatural) being. Gaster Exempla 229 No. 239; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV 125 No. 54; Finnish: Aarne FFC XXXIII 43.—India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C891 | Tabu: uncleanliness. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C56 | Tabu: unseemly acts while carrying divine image. |
| C867 | Tabu: unusual cruelty. |
| C51.1.9 | Tabu: unworthy men to enter or see sanctuary. (Cf. C300.) *Loomis White Magic 97. |
| C99.1.1 | Tabu: urinating on fire (fire-god).—India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C891.3 | Tabu: urinating on fire. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C93.5.1 | Tabu: use of palanquin within temple. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C725.1 | Tabu: use of water after attending call of nature. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C51.1.1 | Tabu: using altar for secular purposes. Irish: Plummer clxxxiv; Irish myth: Cross. |
| C495 | Tabu: using any except one certain phrase. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F378.6 | Tabu: using fairy bath water, soap, or ointment on oneself while bathing fairy child. (Cf. F235.4.) England: Baughman. |
| C851.1 | Tabu: using food for unworthy purpose. |
| C851.1.2 | Tabu: using grain to clean child. German: Grimm No. 194. |
| C888 | Tabu: using leaven for cooking. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| C752.1.6 | Tabu: using magic power after nightfall. Tuamotu: Stimson MS (z-G 13/116). |
| C762.1 | Tabu: using magic power too often. N. A. Indian: Thompson Tales 299 n. 93; Eskimo (Greenland): Rink 461. |
| C96 | Tabu: using miracle for trifling purpose. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C496 | Tabu: using obscene language. Jewish: Neuman. |
| C895 | Tabu: using stone fish-hooks. Easter Island: Métraux Ethnology 363. |
| C431 | Tabu: uttering name of god (or gods). *Frazer Golden Bough XII 383 s.v. "names"; *Chauvin VI 66 No. 233; Hebrew: Exodus 20:7, Gaster Exempla 233f. No. 288; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| C433 | Tabu: uttering name of malevolent creature (Eumenides). To avoid the evil results of naming these creatures other names are substituted. The Furies are spoken of as Eumenides; rats and mice as "the large" and "the small".—*Fb "rotte" III 83a, "mus" II 630b; Güntert Von der Sprache der Götter und Geister (Halle, 1921) 16; ibid. Kalypso 91; Irish myth: Cross; Esthonian: Loorits Grundzüge I 239—248; Greek: Fox 276.—African: Werner African 83. |
| C435.2 | Tabu: uttering name of other close relations. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C435.2.1 | Tabu: uttering name of sister-in-law. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C432 | Tabu: uttering name of supernatural creature. Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| C435.1.1 | Tabu: uttering name of supernatural wife. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C435 | Tabu: uttering relative's name. |
| C420.3 | Tabu: uttering secret overheard. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C423.4 | Tabu: uttering secrets heard from spirits. Type 516; Rösch FFC LXXVII 119.—India: *Thompson-Balys; Jewish: Neuman. |
| C420 | Tabu: uttering secrets. Fb "sten" III 553b.—Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; S. Am. Indian (Toba): Métraux MAFLS XL 59. |
| C429 | Tabu: uttering secrets.—miscellaneous. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C435.1 | Tabu: uttering spouse's name. *MacCulloch Childhood 337; Frazer Golden Bough III 333—339 passim.—Irish myth: Cross; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C118.1 | Tabu: violating insane woman. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C51.2.5 | Tabu: violating refuge with saint. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C118 | Tabu: violating woman. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C152.1 | Tabu: violence to woman during pregnancy. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C566.5 | Tabu: warriors being in hero's land without receiving challenge from him. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C631.3 | Tabu: washing hair on sabbath. Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
| C851 | Tabu: wastefulness. |
| C746 | Tabu: watching a game without helping the losing player. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C882 | Tabu: watching game without aiding loser. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C878.1 | Tabu: wearing satin. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C51.1.15 | Tabu: wearing shoes at shrine. Jewish: Neuman. |
| C878.2 | Tabu: wearing silk. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C51.2.1 | Tabu: wearing unauthorized sacred robe (jewel). Crane Liber de Miraculis 82 No. 1; Ward Catalogue of Romances II 603 No. 6, 604 No. 7; Irish saints' legend: Plummer xliv; Irish myth: Cross. |
| C99.2 | Tabu: weaving leather shoes on pilgrimage. China: Eberhard 188 No. 129. |
| C482 | Tabu: weeping. |
| C762.3 | Tabu: whipping magic horse more than once on journey. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C480.1.1 | Tabu: whistling in mine. U.S.: Baughman (C896.1). |
| C483.1 | Tabu: whistling in other world. Tuamotu: Stimson MS (z-G 3/1301). |
| C483 | Tabu: whistling. |
| C221.4.1 | Tabu: wife eating first animal caught in trap. Ekoi: Talbot 114. |
| C713.3 | Tabu: wife of merman staying too long at home (on visit). (Cf. C712.1.)—Norwegian: Child I 364. |
| C713.2 | Tabu: wife of supernatural husband seeing old home. Usually a part of the "Star-Husband" tale of the North American Indians: Thompson Tales 332 n. 197. |
| C32.1.1 | Tabu: wife seeing transformed husband. Chinese: Graham. |
| C851.1.1 | Tabu: wiping children with bread. *Smyser Harvard Studies and Notes in Phil. and Lit. XV (1933) 62 n. 5. |
| C493.1 | Tabu: wishing good luck. One must not wish a hunter good luck or a sailor good voyage.—Fb "ønske" III 1178b. |
| C193.1 | Tabu: woman being in one's dwelling. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C336 | Tabu: woman in other world forbidden to look behind curtains. Kodiak: Golder JAFL XVI 30. |
| C313 | Tabu: woman looking at man. |
| C181.1 | Tabu: woman not to touch husband's drum (magic object). Africa (Basuto): Jacottet 176 No. 25, (Ekoi): Talbot 18. |
| C181.12 | Tabu: woman sacrificing in temple. Jewish: Neuman. |
| C313.1 | Tabu: woman seeing nude man. Greek: Odyssey VI line 128 (Odysseus). |
| C566.3 | Tabu: women leaving hero's land without his knowing it. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C566.4 | Tabu: women marrying until hero has chosen their husbands. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C181.4 | Tabu: women not to climb on roof. India: Thompson-Balys |
| C229.2 | Tabu: women not to eat genitals (heart, liver, etc.) of animals. (Cf. C221.3.1.)—Nippigen Revue Anthropologique XIV 399.—Ekoi: Talbot 409. |
| C181.8 | Tabu: women not to eat pork. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C181.2 | Tabu: women not to participate in hunting activities. Lappish: Holmberg Finno-Ugric 84. |
| C181.3 | Tabu: women not to touch man's weapons. (Cf. C835.2.) —*Krappe études de Mythologie 115ff., Jewish: Neuman; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| C181.10 | Tabu: women riding in canoe. Marquesas: Handy 134. |
| C619.4 | Tabu: women to be on certain island. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C842.1 | Tabu: working iron under direct rays of sun. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C841.0.2 | Tabu: wounding animal; must be killed outright. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C631.5 | Tabu: writing on sabbath. Jewish: Neuman. |
| C917.1 | Tabued pot broken: town appears. Africa (Vai): Ellis 187, No. 3. |
| C898 | Tabus concerned with mourning. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| C897 | Tabus concerning counting. *Fb "tælle" IV 923b. |
| C853 | Tabus concerning entry into assembly. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C835 | Tabus concerning fighting. |
| C714 | Tabus concerning requests made in otherworld. |
| C845 | Tabus concerning war. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C835.2 | Tabus concerning weapons. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F348 | Tabus connected with fairy gifts. |
| C710 | Tabus connected with other-world journeys. Babylonian: Gilgamesch-Epos XII p. 64ff.—Icelandic: Boberg; Eskimo (Greenland): Rink 371, 440, Rasmussen III 170; Marquesas: Beckwith Myth 149. |
| F378 | Tabus connected with trip to fairyland. (Cf. F348.5, F361.3.) |
| C152 | Tabus during pregnancy. *Frazer Golden Bough I 141 n., III 147; *Fb "glød", "grav", "gryn", "hul", "hvid" I 700b, "hеr" I 771a, "ild" II 11b, "karklud", "kaste" II 103a, "kniv" II 221.—India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C154 | Tabus following childbirth. |
| C161 | Tabus for girl going to her husband. Kaffir: Theal 49. |
| C833 | Tabus for journeys. |
| N553 | Tabus in effect while treasure is being unearthed. |
| A1587.2 | Tabus instituted by culture hero. S. A. Indian (Tupinamba): Métraux BBAE CXLIII (3) 132. |
| A1587.1 | Tabus instituted by God or creator. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| C572 | Tabus of a thief. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C575 | Tabus of bastards. Jewish: Neuman. |
| C565 | Tabus of bearded men. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C564 | Tabus of chiefs. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C566 | Tabus of heroes. Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
| C563 | Tabus of kings. Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| C568 | Tabus of poets. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C573 | Tabus of priests. Jewish: *Neuman; Maori: Clark 132, 149. |
| C567 | Tabus of princesses. |
| C561 | Tabus of slaves. |
| C576 | Tabus of strangers. Jewish: Neuman. |
| W225 | Taciturn man. |
| J816 | Tact in reproving the great. |
| J461.1.1 | Tail and head of serpent quarrel as to usefulness. Wienert FFC LVI 58 (ET 187), 93 (ST 60); Halm Aesop No. 344; Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1021.1 | Tail buried (hair tied). Dupe bound fast and then attacked. Spanish: Espinosa III Nos. 199—201, 204; India: *Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: DeVries's list Nos. 35, 88; N. A. Indian (Hupa): Goddard U Cal I 154ff., Kroeber JAFL XXI 224; Africa (Zulu): Callaway 6, 358, (Kaffir): Theal 110, 183, (Basuto): Jacottet 20 No. 2, (Ila, Rhodesia): Smith and Dale II 385f., (Hottentot): Bleek I No. 1, (Thonga): Junod 217; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 339 No. 59; Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII *241 No. 14, 233f.; West Indies: Flowers 533. |
| B11.2.8 | Tail of dragon. Smith Dragon 137; Fb "drage" (if one throws fire over dragon's long tail, the tail falls and is full of treasure). |
| K1686 | Tail sticking from ground betrays killing of calf. So arranged by servant in revenge on his master. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| G219.8 | Tailed witch. |
| G303.25.15.1 | Tailless fish as devil's hog. Lithuanian: Balys Legends No. 807. |
| J758.1 | Tailless fox tries in vain to induce foxes to cut off tails. *Basset RTP XXVI 267; Jacobs Aesop 215 No. 65. |
| J758.1.2 | Tailless jackal persuades other jackals to cut off tails. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| X222 | Tailor always associated with goat. **B. Salditt Hessische Blätter f. Vksk. XXX—XXXI 88. |
| L113.9 | Tailor as hero. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1289.19 | Tailor caught resting his head on royal robe while he rests tells king there is no better resting place for king's robe, for "the head is the king of the body." India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H38.2.1 | Tailor married to princess betrays trade by calling for needle and thread. *Type 1640; BP I 148 ff. |
| P441.1 | Tailor occupies God's throne for a day. *Type 800; *BP I 342. |
| P441.3 | Tailor punished in hell. Irish myth: Cross. |
| J2623 | Tailor puts on thimble as protection from slug. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 142 No. 1710. |
| K341.13 | Tailor throws piece of cloth out of the window. The stingy woman has the tailor come to her house to cut cloth. He throws a piece out of the window, "the devil's share". While the woman has gone after it he cuts off a piece for himself. Type 1567***. |
| F376.1 | Tailor works in fairyland. Lithuanian: Balys Legends No. 439, Balys Historical. |
| P441 | Tailor. *Fb "skrædder"; *Chauvin IX 29 No. 18; *Sébillot Métiers No. 7; *Feilberg Dania I 165ff., III 184ff.; Paludan Danske Studier (1925) 19ff.; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| P441.2 | Tailoring only trade devil cannot learn. He fails to knot thread because it would make sign of the cross. Scotch: Campbell Superstitions 304. |
| X223 | Tailors cowards as warriors: go home to their needles. (Cf. W121.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| V81.2 | Tails fall off mountain spirits when they are baptized. Fb "hale" IV 197b. |
| K404.1 | Tails in ground. Thief steals animals and sticks severed tails into the ground, claiming that animals have escaped underground. *Type 1004; BP III 392 n. 1; *Fb "hale" I 537, "svin" III 676a; Icelandic: Sveinsson FFC LXXXIII No. 1004; Missouri French: Carrière; Louisiana Creole: Fortier MAFLS II 110 No. 2; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 241; Africa (Vai): Ellis 249 No. 41; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Remus 98 No. 20, Nights 230 No. 39, 241 No. 41, (Virginia): Smiley JAFL XXXII 368, (South Carolina): Parsons MAFLS XVI 31f., JAFL XXXIV 8; Bahama: Cleare JAFL XXX 228; Jamaica: *Beckwith MAFLS XVII 252 No. 29; Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 109 n. 2, 113. |
| K1414 | Take care of the stopper! The son puts the stopper into his pocket, and all the tar (beer) runs out. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1706*. |
If you wish to get access to data for projects and research, then please contact us, we do our best to help
How to cite: Fielder-White, Jonathan (2026). The Folklore Database. https://folkloredatabase.com
0009-0006-1672-4451
Please cite the relevant sources, catalogues, and classification systems, including the Folklore Database, Berezkin-Duvakin Catalogue, ATU, Thompson, alongside the page accessed and the last time accessed. Please respect copyright and licenses.
Editorial annotations and database enhancements © Jonathan Fielder-White licensed under CC BY 4.0. Berezkin-Duvakin derived narrative and metadata licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Full rights information can be found here.
All rights are reserved in the database structure, selection, arrangement, metadata, classifications, software, interface design, and original editorial content.
Important: The Folklore Database expressly reserves all rights in relation to text and data mining, automated extraction, scraping, machine learning, dataset creation, and the training, development, validation, or improvement of artificial intelligence technologies or systems. No part of this website or database may be scraped, copied, reproduced, harvested, downloaded in bulk, or otherwise used for AI training or commercial data extraction without prior written permission.
Designed and Developed by Jonathan Fielder-White.
© 2024–2026 Crecganford / Jonathan Fielder-White. All rights reserved.