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Stith Thompson Motif Index

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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.

46,221 motifs

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Thompson reference Description ▲
K344.1.3 Trickster cuts up partridges with his knife. He is given all of them when he tells his companions that he is an executioner. Spanish: Childers.
K1464 Trickster deceives dupe into killing his own children. Chinese: Graham.
K251.2 Trickster demands return of food guest has just eaten: gets damages. India: Thompson-Balys.
K1571 Trickster discovers adultery: food goes to husband instead of paramour. *Types 1535, 1725; *BP II 18; von der Hagen III *xxix; Wesselski Märchen 216 No. 27; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1360A*, 2901*, 2902*; Rumanian: Schullerus FFC LXXVIII No. 1380 VIII*; Russian: Andrejev 1360A*, 1730 IV; India: *Thompson-Balys.
K1571.0.1 Trickster discovers adultery: gets food prepared for paramour. India: Thompson-Balys.
K1574.2 Trickster discovers woman's paramour and hides him in outhouse: rewarded by husband. India: Thompson-Balys.
K237 Trickster disguises himself and escapes notice of creditors. *Wesselski Gonnella 104 No. 6.
K499.8 Trickster dupes rival by exchanging beds: receives his food. Overhears maiden tell rival she will bring food at night, waits until rival is asleep and carries him to another bed, takes his place, and is fed by maiden. Africa (Wute): Sieber 190.
K359.3 Trickster dupes woman into putting him into basket. He thus learns where food is kept. India: Thompson-Balys.
K933 Trickster eats all of tiger's cubs but one. Counts that one many times and deceives tiger. Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 257 No. 39.
K372.1 Trickster eats food left by tiger (his trapping partner) at snare. Tiger accused of the theft. India: Thompson-Balys.
K1664 Trickster eats his own dog. Trickster sells dog for mutton or for opossum. He later eats the dog which has been given to a friend of his by the purchaser. U.S.: *Baughman.
J2134.2 Trickster eats medicines that physic him. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 303 n. 109h, (California): Gayton and Newman 83.
K254.2 Trickster eats sacrifice offerings. India: Thompson-Balys.
J2134.1 Trickster eats scratch-berries. Cause great itching. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 304 n. 109k.
K931.1 Trickster employed to educate baby crocodiles: he eats them instead. India: *Thompson-Balys.
K341.17 Trickster entices children to dance and steals their food. India: Thompson-Balys.
K443.5 Trickster entices wolves out of a stable by music: exacts money from their watcher for his carelessness. *Types 1650, 1652.
K233 Trickster escapes without paying. India: *Thompson-Balys.
K443.6.1 Trickster exacts beautiful wife from curious people. They look into a carriage in which it is falsely said there is a princess. Trickster's dead wife is in the carriage. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges.
K443.6.2 Trickster exacts money as price of silence after lying with princess (queen). India: *Thompson-Balys.
K443.6 Trickster exacts promise of marriage as price of silence after having seen a princess naked. *Type 850; *BP II 528.
K1456 Trickster exchanges master's tame horse for vicious bullock. India: Thompson-Balys.
K341.12 Trickster falsely announces marriage celebration and distracts owner's attention. Africa (Kaffir): Theal 109.
K1784.1 Trickster falsely reports impending invasion from his own people. Receives money to buy them off. India: Thompson-Balys.
K154 Trickster feigns ability to influence the sun; sells services. Sun to shine on fools' backs as they go to town in morning and return in afternoon. India: Thompson-Balys.
K314 Trickster feigns being pursued by drunken husband to obtain entrance. Italian Novella: Rotunda.
K1981.1 Trickster feigns deafness and gets hospitality from miser. *Type 1544; *Aarne FFC XX 79 (type 24).
K1867.1 Trickster feigns death and eats the ripe fruit from the tree. Africa (Hottentot): Bleek 80 No. 39.
K231.6.2.2 Trickster fills his gallon jug half full of water, then has it filled with rum at the store. When seller refuses credit, he pours back half gallon of the liquid—now half rum and half water. Sometimes trickster repeats operation, getting richer mixture with each transaction. U.S.: *Baughman.
K336.2 Trickster fills house with smoke so that partner cannot see to eat. Africa (Cameroon): Lederbogen 75.
K2131.4 Trickster fills supposed treasure box with trash. Joint owners each accuse other of theft. India: Thompson-Balys.
K1354.2.2 Trickster friar seduces woman under pretence of administering forgotten sacrament. When the woman objects, the husband who thinks the friar is engaging in a legitimate process, orders: "Bear the ordeal in peace." Italian Novella: Rotunda.
K1349.2 Trickster gains access to woman's room by pretending he has news of her absent lover. Italian Novella: Rotunda.
K1349.1.3 Trickster gains access to woman's room disguised as peddler. (Cf. K1817.4.) Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys.
J2136.2 Trickster gets caught on a fishhook. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 306 n. 109bb.
K484.1 Trickster gets money from a bank by raising an alarm and demanding "what is owing to him." *Wesselski Gonnella 99 No. 3.
K231.6.2 Trickster gets strong drink by trickery in returning goods.
K344.1 Trickster gives a woman a knife to cut him a slice of white bread. He gets the whole loaf when he says that he has just cut a dog with the same knife. Type 1578*.
K134.3 Trickster grooms master's old mule and then sells him back without detection at huge profit. Nouvelles Récréations No. 25.
K1892.1 Trickster hides in bag in order to be carried. His father imitates and is beaten. Indonesia: Coster-Wijsman 34 No. 15, DeVries's list No. 294.
K1892.1.2 Trickster hides in basket and is carried. India: Thompson-Balys.
K1892.1.1 Trickster hides in box in order to be carried. Africa (Western Sudan): Frobenius Atlantis VIII 145ff. No. 81.
K371 Trickster hides in food and eats it. India: Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 57, Coster-Wijsman 35 No. 16; Africa (Thonga): Junod 209.
K1971.1.1 Trickster hides in hollow tree and eats food he has persuaded his wife to bring to feed a bird. India: *Thompson-Balys.
K1963.5 Trickster impersonates necromancer to seduce latter's wife. Italian Novella: Rotunda.
K134.4 Trickster in disguise regains possession of his own horse by trading with man whom he has duped once before. Pierre Faifeu No. 47.
K1971.11 Trickster in tree advises that tree and fruit belong to him. Others think God speaks and leave. Africa (Ila, Rhodesia): Smith and Dale II 391 No. 16.
J1883 Trickster joins bulrushes in a dance. He thinks they are dancing when he sees them waving. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 306 n. 109dd.
K1311.0.2 Trickster kills husband and puts on his skin so as to seduce wife. S. A. Indian (Toba): Métraux MAFLS XL 151.
K196.3 Trickster lends bamboo on condition that it is returned exactly as it is. India: Thompson-Balys.
K335.0.10 Trickster lights torches and bluffs old woman into giving him money. Torches alleged to belong to man coming to collect damages from her. India: Thompson-Balys.
K2033 Trickster makes basket for his partner tiger to carry meat, but does not sever bamboo from roots. Tiger left behind. India: Thompson-Balys.
K1696 Trickster makes believe he has found a purse (which he had filled with lead). Merchant claims it and pays ten crowns for it. Trickster wins ensuing suit. Italian Novella: Rotunda.
K2131 Trickster makes two friends each suspicious of the other's intentions. BP II 129; Irish myth: *Cross (cf. K2130); India: Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 1028; Africa (Wakweli): Bender 40.
K1572 Trickster makes woman believe that her husband is coming to punish her adultery. She confesses. *Type 1725; BP II 131; Christiansen Norske Eventyr 136.
K1354.3.2 Trickster masking as bridegroom tells bride that he comes at her mother's request. Italian Novella: Rotunda.
K1354.1.1 Trickster masking as girl's father advises intercourse with trickster. She obeys. India: Thompson-Balys.
K1825.1.3 Trickster masks as doctor and punishes his cheaters. *Type 1538; *BP III 394 (5); *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 213 No. 437.
K1353.1 Trickster offers food for woman's favors which will completely satisfy him. He refuses payment on grounds that he is not satisfied. India: Thompson-Balys.
K1570 Trickster outwits adulteress and paramour.
J217.0.1.1 Trickster overhears man praying for death to take him; the trickster appears at man's house, usually in disguise, says he is God (or the devil). The man tells him to take his wife (or he runs away). (Compare C11 for a similar situation in which Death appears.) U.S.: *Baughman.
K491 Trickster paid to educate an ass. He gets paid in advance. He gradually starves the ass. *Type 1675; *BP I 59; *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. VII 93; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 247f. No. 552; India: Thompson-Balys.
K491.1 Trickster paid to teach monkey to talk. Nouvelles Récréations No. 88; India: Thompson-Balys.
K351 Trickster permitted to try on clothes. Goes away with them. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 727.
K351.3 Trickster permitted to try on ornaments. Goes off with them. Cook Islands: Beckwith Myth 445.
K158 Trickster persuades dupe to sacrifice animal and give it to him as payment for supposed services. Chinese: Graham.
K283 Trickster persuades girl to reveal hidden gold by promising to make it into ornaments. India: Thompson-Balys.
K714.1.1 Trickster persuades policeman to take his place in the stocks. Then tricks policeman's wife into giving him jewels. India: Thompson-Balys.
K619.3 Trickster persuades pursuers to play fatal deceptive game. Irish myth: Cross.
K676 Trickster persuades pursuers to ride in his basket. Leaves basket on limb of tree and escapes. Tonga: Gifford 45, 198.
K351.1 Trickster persuades tailor to leave his goods. Makes him believe he will get order to clothe fifty poor. Trickster makes away with goods. (Or tries on boots and makes away with them.) Nouvelles Récréations No. 23; Pierre Faifeu No. 21; Italian Novella: Rotunda.
J2136.4 Trickster pinched by shellfish (crab). B[ö]dker Exempler 281 No. 26; Spanish Exempla: Keller; India: Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda; Indonesia: DeVries's list Nos. 60, 62, 63; West Indies: Flowers 488.
K355 Trickster pollutes house so that he is left in possession. He is in upper room and throws filth on those below (Cf. K344.) American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 26 No. 6; Bahama: Parsons MAFLS XIII 84, Edwards MAFLS III 74; West Indies: Flowers 504.
K932 Trickster pollutes nest and brood of bird. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 303 n. 109a.
K341.19 Trickster poses as entertainer: steals meat while host assembles friends. Africa (Cameroon): Lederbogen 80.
K1983 Trickster poses as helper and eats women's stored provisions. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 303 n. 109c.
K1382 Trickster pretends lameness and is taken on woman's back: violates her. Indonesia: Coster-Wijsman 47 No. 58; N. A. Indian: **Schmerler JAFL XLIV 200; Africa (Yoruba): Ellis 270 No. 5.
K1036 Trickster pretends to give dupe magic power to produce food. Injures him. Chinese: Graham.
K355.1 Trickster pretends to have spit in wine accidentally. Is allowed to drink it. Korean: Zong in-Sob 104 No. 56.
K1715.6 Trickster pretends to hunt certain tree with which his ancestors have killed tigers. Tiger frightened away. India: Thompson-Balys.
K341.8.1 Trickster pretends to ride home for tools to perform tricks. Rides away on horse. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1532*; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV No. 1528*; Rumanian: Schullerus FFC LXXVIII No. 1332*.
K1349.9 Trickster pretends to seek lost ball by woman's bed: seduces her. N. A. Indian (California): Gayton and Newman 81.
K374 Trickster pretends to teach dance: flees with valuables. (Cf. K571.) Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 445.
K1715.9 Trickster purports to be deity's messenger to procure demon-skins for his drum. Demons bribe him instead of devouring him. India: Thompson-Balys.
K344.1.4 Trickster puts filth in food. May take it all. India: Thompson-Balys.
J2131.5.1 Trickster puts on buffalo skull: gets head caught. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 297 n. 86.
K335.0.3 Trickster quarrels with owner of goods, feigns death, and frightens owner away. Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 255 No. 35.
K455.10 Trickster receives huge sum on trifling credit by chain of borrowings. Pays small sum in advance for first sum borrowed. Pays this borrowed sum in advance for larger, etc. India: Thompson-Balys.
K341.1 Trickster reports lost money; searchers leave him in possession of premises. Unable to find a place by the inn fire the trickster mentions that he has lost money on the road. One by one the guests slip out to search and leave him the fire. *Wesselski Arlotto I 203 No. 34; Italian Novella: Rotunda.
K482.2 Trickster reports treasure's owner dead: receives it from children. India: Thompson-Balys.
K231.6.2.1 Trickster returns a bottle of water instead of the bottle of rum he has just purchased. French (literary), U.S.: Baughman.
K1241.1 Trickster rides dupe a-courting. Feigns sickness and persuades dupe to carry him. Thus wins the girl. Type 72; Africa (Nupe): Frobenius Atlantis IX 115 No. 3, (Yoruba): Frobenius ibid. X 280ff. No. 40, (Nyanja): Possett Fables of the Veld (London, 1929) 111ff., (Mbundu): Chatelain MAFLS I 203 No. 28, (Xosa): Waters Cameos from the Kraal (Lovedale, n. d.) 24f.
K1241 Trickster rides dupe horseback. Usually by feigning sickness he induces the dupe to carry him and then boasts that the dupe always acts as his horse. *Types 4, 72; *BP II 117; Krohn Bär (Wolf) und Fuchs (JSFO VI) 59ff.; *Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 66; Missouri French: Carrière; Spanish Exempla: Keller; India: Thompson-Balys; Africa: Frobenius Atlantis IX 115, (Nigeria): Tramearne 322, (Yoruba): Ellis 265, (Angola): Chatelain 203 No. 28; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Remus 24 No. 6, Jones Negro Tales from the Georgia Coast Nos 7, 13, (Virginia): Bacon and Parsons JAFL XXXV 265 266, Speers JAFL XXV 285f., (North Carolina): Parsons JAFL XXX 173, (South Carolina): Parsons JAFL XXXIV 5, MAFLS XVI 54, (Louisiana): Johnston JAFL IX 195; American Negro and American Indian: *Thompson CColl II 440, 447; Jamaica: *Beckwith MAFLS XVII 235; West Indies: Van Cappelle Mythen en Sagen van West-Indie Nos. 12, 16.
K1431 Trickster saws legs of table so that it collapses. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 658.
K499.1 Trickster sells mother's wine to merchant without asking her permission. Mother saves part of wine because purchaser is dilatory in removing casks. Pierre Faifeu No. 35.
K282 Trickster sells what is not his to sell.
K831.1.1 Trickster sends dupe to well for drink of water; pushes him in. India: Thompson-Balys.
K1573 Trickster sends his master running after the paramour. Though the master does not know of the adultery, the lover is thoroughly frightened. *Type 1725; BP II 131; Christiansen Norske Eventyr 136.
T257.10 Trickster sends jealous wife after husband: steals food. (Cf. K343.) India: Thompson-Balys.
K1388 Trickster sends letter ordering bearer detained and meanwhile steals bearer's wife. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 150 No. 1850, Keller.
K1554.1 Trickster sets fire to barrel of tow in which paramour is hidden. The paramour, naked, runs out carrying wisps of burning tow. The trickster tells the husband that he has raised the devil. England, U.S.: *Baughman.
K1867 Trickster shams death and eats grave offerings.
K1867.2 Trickster shams death and eats grave offerings. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 303 n. 109d.
K495 Trickster shams sickness so that partner does all the work. India: Thompson-Balys.
K1318 Trickster shifts married couples in bed. Old man married to young woman and young man married to old woman. The shift is satisfactory to the young couple. *BP III 394 (3); Anderson FFC XLII 364; Köhler-Bolte II 305ff.
K341.27 Trickster starts argument and steals from arguers. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2425*; India: *Thompson-Balys.
K258.1 Trickster steals farmer's cow and then sells her to the farmer. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 710.
K331.5 Trickster steals magic doll while owner is asleep. Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
A1028.1 Trickster sticks spear in ground and leads water to sea, ending deluge. S. Am. Indian (Chaco): Métraux BBAE CXLIII (1) 369.
K234 Trickster summons all creditors at once, precipitates fight, and escapes payment. Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 258 No. 45.
K461 Trickster takes goods given in charity to his family. Africa (Kaffir): Theal 159.
K1068 Trickster teaches a dupe a strange language.
K1084.1 Trickster tells lies to fishes and causes them to fight. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 304 n. 109j.
K134.8 Trickster temporarily lames valuable horse and buys him for trifle. India: Thompson-Balys.
K1746 Trickster threatens to throw weight into a cloud: ogre intimidated. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges.
K1383 Trickster throws corpse into river and accuses princess of murder: marriage to avoid scandal. *Type 1655; *BP II 201; Norwegian: Christiansen Norske Eventyr 141 No. 1655.
K371.1 Trickster throws fish off the wagon. The fox plays dead; a man throws him on the wagon of fish. The fox throws the fish off and carries them away. *Type 1; BP II 116; Dh IV 225, 304; Krohn Bär (Wolf) und Fuchs (JSFO VI) 46ff. — Lappish: Qvigstad Lappiske Eventyr II 3, III 3; Louisiana Creole: Fortier MAFLS II 115; Japanese: Ikeda; N. A. Indian: Thompson CColl II 438; Africa (Hottentot): Bleek 16 No. 8; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 17 No. 4, 306 No. 52, (South Carolina): Parsons MAFLS XVI 39, Stewart JAFL XXXII 395, (Virginia): Parsons JAFL XXXV 276; Bahama: Parsons MAFLS XIII 10.
K1013.4 Trickster to give wings to tiger. Wounds him fatally. India: Thompson-Balys.
J2173.7 Trickster travels while fish cook: they burn up. N. A. Indian (California): Gayton and Newman 83.
M291 Trickster undertakes impossible bargains and collects his part. Trusts that in the year he is given either he or the other will die. Chauvin VIII 117ff. No. 101 n. 1.
K2153 Trickster wounds self and accuses others. India: *Thompson-Balys; Marquesas: Handy 87, 110.
K126 Trickster, as watchman, exchanges worthless bag for bag of gold at night. India: Thompson-Balys.
K606.0.3 Trickster, pretending not to see attacking enemy, sings song of friendship. India: Thompson-Balys.
K1766 Trickster's boasting scares his powerful opponent from contest. India: Thompson-Balys.
A2731.1 Trickster's burnt flesh becomes gum on trees. N. A. Indian: Thompson Tales 304 n. 1091.
K451.4 Trickster's confederate gives fabulous appraisal to worthless piece of glass. Priest is duped into buying it as a diamond. Italian Novella: Rotunda.
K1693 Trickster's eggs become an omelet. Tries to avoid paying tax by hiding eggs in his breeches. The collectors make him sit down. Italian Novella: Rotunda.
J2186 Trickster's false creations fail him. A trickster creates men from his excrements (or the like). They melt in the sun. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 356 n. 286.
K941 Trickster's false report of high prices causes dupe to destroy his property.
J2751 Trickster's greed while hunting causes him to be deserted. Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 237 No. 7.
J1564.1 Trickster's interrupted feast revenged. He is asked a question by his master each time he tries to eat a date, so that he always has to spit out the date. He revenges himself that night when the master tries to carry on an intrigue with his wife's maid. He comes with his answers at embarrassing moments. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 242 No. 537.
K1838.1 Tricksters change man's furniture. He thinks it is the work of demons. He sells them his house cheaply. Italian Novella: Rotunda.
K361.2 Tricksters eat up food given them for bear. Escape. India: Thompson-Balys.
K356 Tricksters feign death of their father. Collect rent and flee. Italian Novella: Rotunda.
K1315.6.1 Tricksters persuade women that they must share their marital intimacies with them. Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
E692.3 Tricky potter reborn as crab. India: Thompson-Balys.
F98.1 Trip to lower world on tiger. India: Thompson-Balys.
T687 Triplets (as heroes). Icelandic: *Boberg.
T586.3.2 Triplets killed by tribe at birth. Africa (Fang): Einstein 56, Trilles 182.
L390 Triumph of the weak-miscellaneous.
L300 Triumph of the weak. Chauvin II 204 No. 59; Irish myth: Cross.
K754.1 Trojan wooden horse. Permits capture of the city by concealing soldiers. *Fb "stud" III 619b; *Penzer II 133 n. 1; Wesselski Archiv Orientální II 431; Greek: *Frazer Apollodorus II 229 n. 1, 231 n. 1.
G304.1.1.4 Troll as crow. Fb "krage" II 285b.
G304.1.1.1 Troll as fox. Fb "ræv" III 113a.
G304.1.1.3 Troll as goose. Fb "gеs" I 528b.
G304.1.1.2 Troll as hare. Fb "hare" I 556.
G304 Troll as ogre. (For troll as underground spirit or mountain spirit see F455. For troll-woman see G200G299, Witches.) **E. Hartmann Die Trollvorstellungen im den Sagen und Märchen der skandinavischen Völker (Stuttgart, 1936); Norse: MacCulloch Eddic 285.
F455.2.9 Troll as whirlwind. Hartmann 73.
K1736 Troll bluffed away from christening. He is invited but told that guests will include the Virgin Mary, Thor the Thunderer, etc. He stays away but sends the finest present. *Type 1165; Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Finnish, Estonian, Livonian, Latvian, Lithuanian: *Balys Tautosakos Darbai VI 137—161.
G304.2.5 Troll bursts when sun shines on him. Or he may become stone. *Fb "sol" III 356a; Icelandic: Arnason Icelandic Legends (London, 1864) I 122, Boberg.
G304.3.2.2 Troll drives two he-goats. *Fb "gjedebuk" I 440.
G304.3.2.3 Troll has bear in stable. *Fb "bjørn" IV 43a.
G304.3.2.4 Troll has hares in stable. *Fb "hare" I 556b.
G304.3.2.1 Troll has team of mice. Fb "mus" II 631b.
F455.7.2 Troll helpless before sign of Cross. (Cf. D1766.1.) Hartmann 67.
F455.2.8 Troll in animal form (cat, dog, pig, hen). Hartmann 67, 70.
G304.1.1 Troll in animal form.
G304.1.2.1 Troll in form of cloud. Fb "sky".
G304.1.2.2 Troll in form of key. Fb "nögle" II 723.
G304.1.2 Troll in form of object.
F455.2.5 Troll in human form. Hartmann 70.
F455.2.5.1 Troll in human size. Hartmann 65.
F455.8 Troll killed.
G304.2.1.1 Troll lights fingers. Fb "lys" 483b.
F455.6.2.1 Troll repays loan with costly or magic object. Hartmann 72.
F455.3.3.2 Troll rides in whirlwind. (Cf. F455.2.9.) Fb "hvirvelvind" IV 232a.
F455.3.3.1 Troll rides on dog. Fb "hund" I 676b.
G304.2.1.2 Troll stretches neck so long that fire comes from lips. Fb "hals" I 540.
F455.2.7 Troll with snout for nose. Hartmann 54.
G304.3.2 Troll's animals.
G304.3.1 Troll's castle.
F455.6.4.1 Troll's costly cup stolen. Hartmann 18, 70.
H79.1 Troll's daughter after being cooked in kettle recognized by golden fingernail. Fb "guldnagle" I 514.
G304.2.2.1 Troll's food gives men strength. Fb "mad" II 525a; *DF XLVI 66ff.
G304.2.2 Troll's food.
E714.3.1 Troll's life in his brother's forehead. *Fb "hjærte" I 631a.
G304.3 Troll's possessions.
F455.6.4.2 Troll's treasure obtained by casting steel on it. Hartmann 20.
F214 Trolls (fairies) live in range of hills. Hartland Science 141.
G304.2.4.2 Trolls afraid of bears. Danish: Kristensen Danske Sagn I (1892) 434—37.
F455.7 Trolls and Christianity. (Cf. G304.2.4.1.)
F455.6 Trolls and men.
F455.2.3 Trolls are black (dark). Hartmann 65; Icelandic: *Boberg.
F455.2.2 Trolls are usually ugly, hideous, big and strong. Icelandic: *Boberg; Norwegian: Solheim Register 18, Hartmann 48, 52, 65.
F455.6.7 Trolls as changelings. (Cf. F321.1.) Scandinavian: *Hartmann 76ff.; **Piaschewski Der Wichsetbalg (Breslau, 1935).
F455.6.9 Trolls as the constant enemies of humans. Icelandic: *Boberg.
F455.3.5 Trolls bake. Hartmann 71, *Boberg DF XLVI.
G304.2.4.1 Trolls cannot endure churchbells. Fb "kirkeklokke" II 130b; Icelandic: Arnason Legends of Iceland (London, 1864) I 120, 124, Boberg; Swedish: Grimm Deutsche Mythologie II 798 n. 1; Finnish-Swedish: Landtman Finlands Svenska Folkdiktning VII 560.
F455.6.6 Trolls carry off people. (Cf. F320, F322.) *Hartmann 76, 86ff.; *Feilberg DF V.
F455.3.2 Trolls dance. *Fb "danse" IV 93b.
F455.2.4 Trolls dressed in skins. Icelandic: *Boberg.
F455.4.2.2 Trolls eat from golden dishes, but food is frogs and snakes. Hartmann 70.
F455.7.1 Trolls flee before Christianity. (Cf. F382) Hartmann 69.
F455.2.6 Trolls frightful. Hartmann 52.
F455.3.6 Trolls go about at night. Hartmann 75.
F455.5.3 Trolls have cap of invisibility. (Cf. F451.3.3.8.) Hartmann 73.
F455.6.8 Trolls help men.
F455.6.8.1 Trolls help with grain harvest. Hartmann 72f.
F455.5.1 Trolls invisible but heard. (Cf. F412, F451.9.6.) Hartmann 69f.
F455.8.2 Trolls killed by lightning. Hartmann 67.
F455.1.2 Trolls live in cliffs. Icelandic: **Boberg.
F455.1.1 Trolls live in howe (barrow, grave). *Fb "trold" III 852a; Icelandic: *Boberg.
F455.4.2.3 Trolls live on food humans have failed to bless. Hartmann 70.
F455.7.3 Trolls may not utter holy names. Hartmann 70.
F455.3.3.3 Trolls ride on men and cattle. Icelandic: *Boberg.
F455.3.3 Trolls ride.
F455.5.4.3 Trolls seen through another's arm (or the like). (Cf. D1821.3.1, F235.6.) Hartmann 74.
F455.3.1 Trolls skillful as smiths. *Fb "smed" III 402a; *Krappe Grinkenschmied (Archiv für das Studium der neueren Sprachen und Literatur CLVIII [1930] 9—23).
F455.3.4 Trolls spin and weave fine cloth. Hartmann 72.
F455.6.3.1 Trolls steal fish at Christmas. Hartmann 57.
F455.6.3 Trolls steal from humans. Hartmann 64, 73.
F455.2.1 Trolls the size of ten or twelve year old child. *Fb "trold" III 852a.
F455.8.1 Trolls turn to stone at sunrise. (Cf. F531.6.12.2.) Norwegian: Solheim Register 18, Hartmann 68.
F455.5.4.2 Trolls visible to unconfirmed children. Hartmann 83.
F455.6.5 Trolls visit men.
F455.6.5.1 Trolls visit people Christmas Eve. Hartmann 53f., 75.
F455 Trolls. Sometimes underground spirits, sometimes also thought of as mountain-spirits. In many tales trolls are ogres. (Cf. G100, G400G599.) *Fb "trold" III 852a; Scandinavian: **E. Hartmann Die Trollvorstellungen in den Sagen und Märchen der skandinavischen Völker (Stuttgart, 1936); Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 285ff., Boberg; Norwegian: Solheim Register 18, 21; Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 60ff.
F455.4.2.1 Trolls' food gives man supernatural strength. Hartmann 72.
F455.4.2 Trolls' food.
F455.6.1 Trolls' friendship with men. Hartmann 72.
F455.6.2 Trolls' lending and borrowing. Hartmann 72.
F455.4.1.1 Trolls' riches inside mountain. Hartmann 70.
F455.4.1 Trolls' riches. Hartmann 70.
F873.1 Troops of black, white, and red soldiers. One-third of an army of each. Wesselski Märchen 199.
K2138 Trouble-maker in night-lodging. Comes riding a wolf and asks for hospitality. Wolf kills sheep. Beehive in bed. Bees sting family and cause father to kill son. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1878*.
K2130 Trouble-makers. Irish myth: *Cross.
C915.1 Troubles escape when forbidden casket is opened. See references to C321 (Tabu: looking into box).
F386.3 Troublesome bonga (fairy) pegged to ground and placed under stone. India: Thompson-Balys.
K522.4.1 Trout pretends to be dead. Fisherman ignores him. Bødker Exempler 283 No. 28; Spanish Exempla: Keller.
V223.4.1 Truant boy learns long lesson while asleep with head in saint's lap. Irish myth: *Cross.
K1911.2.2.1 True bride lives in fish's belly. *Type 450.
K1911.2.2 True bride pushed into water by false. *Types 408, 450; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda.
K1911.3.4 True bride reincarnated as reed reveals truth. India: Thompson-Balys.
K1911.3.5 True bride reinstated by acting as mysterious housekeeper. Africa (Hottentot): Karutz Des schwarzen Menschen Märchenweisheit (London, 1929) 140f. No. 27.
K1911.2.2.2 True bride sits spinning at the bottom of river. India: Thompson-Balys.
K1911.3.2 True bride takes house near husband. Thus eventually secures his attention. Spanish: Espinosa Jr. Nos. 70, 74; Italian: Basile Pentamerone Int.; India: Thompson-Balys.
K1911.2.1 True bride transformed by false. *Type 403, 450; *BP I 79ff., 99ff.; *Fb "and" IV 12b; Spanish: Espinosa II Nos. 120f., Espinosa Jr. Nos. 80, 106—110; India: *Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian: Thompson CColl II 383ff.; Africa (Zulu): Callaway 119.
K1911.2.3 True bride's children thrown away at birth (by false bride). India: Thompson-Balys.
J1176.5 True husband of woman determined by assigning superhuman task. Thus god masking as husband is discovered. Hdwb. d. Märchens I 247b; Zachariae Zs. f. Vksk. XVI 139.
J557.1.1 True penance for even a day is effective. Spanish Exempla: Keller.
H80.1 True redeemers to be recognized by tokens. Jewish: *Neuman.
R182 True rescuer hidden by girl when he arrives to claim her. India: Thompson-Balys.
D1812.3.3.1 Truest dreams at daybreak. *Penzer VIII 99f.
P612 Trumpet blown before house of one sentenced to death. *Crane Vitry 151 No. 42; Spanish Exempla: Keller.
J1465 Trumpeter's false defense. A trumpeter captured pleads that he did not fight. Answered: "You may not fight, but you encourage your men to do so." Jacobs Aesop 220 No. 79.
J1149.10 Truth detected by spies listening to reactions of defendants at night. India: *Thompson-Balys.
D1810.8.1 Truth given in vision. India: Thompson-Balys.
Z121.1 Truth leaves city because there is no place left for her. Wienert FFC LVI *81 (ET 471), 104 (ST 169); Halm Aesop No. 314.
Z121 Truth personified. Irish myth: Cross.