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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 ▲ |
|---|---|
| M341.2.3.1 | Death by drowning: man strangles to death on drinking water. Irish: Beal XXI 328, O'Suilleabhain 87; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV 136 No. 95; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| M451.2 | Death by drowning. England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| Q552.13.1.1 | Death by fire from heaven as punishment for opposition to holy person. (Cf. Q227.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q552.13.1.2 | Death by fire from heaven as punishment for scoffing at church teachings. (Cf. Q225.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q552.13.1 | Death by fire from heaven as punishment. *Loomis White Magic 35; Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q147.3 | Death by kiss from God. Jewish: Neuman. |
| N335.3 | Death by rebounding bow. Ants gnaw a bowstring, so that the bow rebounds and cuts off head of man who is leaning on it. *Bloomfield in Penzer VII xx ff. |
| C922 | Death by smothering for breaking tabu. Man given secret box conveying the power of making women love him. He disobeys warning and opens it. The women smother him to death. (Cf. C321.)—N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 376 n. 19a. |
| C929.4 | Death by stoning for breaking tabu. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| M451.1 | Death by suicide. England, Wales: *Baughman. |
| C924 | Death by thirst for breaking tabu. (Cf. C949.4.)—African (Bushman): Bleek and Lloyd 67. |
| Q552.1.6 | Death by thunderbolt as punishment for injustice. (Cf. Q296.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q552.1.4 | Death by thunderbolt as punishment for opposition to holy person. (Cf. Q227.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q552.1.5 | Death by thunderbolt as punishment for treachery. (Cf. Q261.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q552.1 | Death by thunderbolt as punishment. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 458; *Blinkenberg The Thunderweapon in Religion and Folklore (Cambridge, Eng., 1911); *P. Saintyves Pierres magiques (Paris, 1936).—Irish: *Cross, Beal XXI 336, O'Suilleabhain 123; Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 18 Nos. 165, 173; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3267; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Greek: Frazer Apollodorus II 34 n. 2 (Iasion), 52 n. 2 (Asopus); Jewish: *Neuman. |
| Q558.17 | Death by ulcer for destroying churches. (Cf. Q222.) Irish myth: |
| D1855.4 | Death can be postponed if man does not break tabu for forty days. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| M101.3.1 | Death caused by elements (exposure, drowning, etc.) as punishment for broken oath. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K557 | Death cheated by moving bed. The man who has chosen Death as his godfather has his bed turned around when he sees Death standing at the foot of his bed. He thus escapes death. *Type 332; *BP I 377ff.; Wesselski Märchen 214 No. 17; **Christiansen Danske Studier (1915) 72ff.; Icelandic: Sveinsson FFC LXXXIII No. 332; Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| A1335.14 | Death comes into the world by treachery of the gods: stick used by man for scratching his back is changed into cobra.—India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z111.1 | Death enclosed in a bottle. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "bouteille"; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K520 | Death escaped through disguise, shamming, or substitution. |
| K511.1 | Death evaded by persuading executioner that another victim was ordered. (E.g., boy has been ordered to kill hare. Hare persuades the boy that the father said, "Kill the rooster for the hare.") Africa (Nyika): Bachmann ZsKS VI 84f., Meinhof Afrikanische Märchen 95ff. No. 18, (Namwanga): Dewar Chinamwanga Stories (Livingstonia, 1900) 57ff., (Kaffir): Alexander und Mohl Mitt. d. Sem. f. Orient. Sprachen VIII 15ff. No. 5. |
| D1856 | Death evaded. Person enters on the next life without dying. Greek: Fox 53 (Amphiaraos); Hebrew: Genesis 5:24, 2 Kings 2:11; U.S.: Baughman. |
| Z111.4 | Death excluded from sacred grove. Penzer VI 92 n. 2. |
| K1861 | Death feigned in order to be carried. India: Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian (Klikitat): Jacobs U Wash II 35; Africa (Bayaka): Johnson Grenfell 823. |
| K1866 | Death feigned in order to enter land of dead. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 147. |
| K1538.2 | Death feigned so man can live with mistress. Eskimo (Aleut): Golder JAFL XXII 10. |
| K246 | Death feigned to avoid paying debts. Pierre Faifeu No. 36; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K522.3 | Death feigned to escape from husband's death plot. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K522.0.1 | Death feigned to escape unwelcome marriage. (Cf. K523.0.1.) *Chauvin V 134 No. 63; *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XXI 284; Child II 355—367, III 517, IV 482ff., V 234a, 296b; *Wesselski Märchen 198; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 857*; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV No. 885*; Russian: Andrejev No. 885*; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1865 | Death feigned to establish reputation of false relic. False resuscitation. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1863 | Death feigned to learn how soldiers are resuscitated. Icelandic: Boberg; Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1862 | Death feigned to meet lover. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1538 | Death feigned to meet paramour. Meetings in the grave (grave box). *Wesselski Märchen 197; *Child V 3f., 6, 280; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 876; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 305 n. 109t. |
| K1352 | Death feigned to woo maiden. She shows remorse when she hears of his death. |
| C929 | Death for breaking tabu—miscellaneous. |
| C920 | Death for breaking tabu. Type 311; BP I 398ff (Grimm No. 46).—— Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 68, 118, 134, 138, 371, 508; Marquesas: Handy 60, 67, 138; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (t-G 3/912, z-G 13/127, 317, z-G 3/1174); Eskimo (Greenland): Rink 341, Rasmussen II 341, (Mackenzie Area): Jenness 51, 58, (Central Eskimo): Boas RBAE VI 600; Calif. Indian: Gayton and Newman 101; S. Am. Indian (Toba): Métraux MAFLS XL 47; African (Angola): Chatelain 219 No. 39, (Ekoi): Talbot 178, (Kaffir): Kidd 237 No. 6, (Wakweli): Bender 43. |
| Q411.0.1.4 | Death for repeated adultery. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 1369. |
| N121.2 | Death forestalls evil fates. Mother shown what would have been the evil fates of her children if they had not died. BP III 472ff.; Irish: Beal XXI 336, O'Suilleabhain 120. |
| V462.2.3 | Death from ascetic devotions. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F1041.1.1 | Death from broken heart. Penzer II 132, VII 24f., 103; Heptameron No. 9; Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; Greek: Grote I 134; Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; West Indies: Flowers 439. |
| F1041.1.3.10 | Death from chagrin. Man cannot answer question. Alphabet No. 186. |
| Q552.0.1 | Death from elements as punishment for unjust judgment (by poets). Irish myth: *Cross. |
| T99.1 | Death from excess of women. (Cf. F112.1.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F1041.1.5 | Death from excessive joy. Heptameron No. 9; India: Thompson-Balys, Penzer VII 103. |
| F1041.1.3.9 | Death from excitement at news of Christ's crucifixion. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F1041.1.11.2 | Death from fear of demons. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F1041.1.11 | Death from fear. (Cf. F1041.17.) Irish myth: Cross; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N384 | Death from fright. (Cf. N383.3.) Italian Novella: Rotunda; Eskimo (Greenland): Rink 228, 439, 452, Rasmussen I 148, II 334, III 61, 97, Holm 26. |
| F1041.1.2 | Death from grief for death of lover or relative. |
| F1041.1.2.2.4 | Death from hearing of son's (sons') death. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| F1041.1.2.2.3 | Death from hearing of wife's death. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F1041.1.12 | Death from horror. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| C928 | Death from insanity as punishment for breaking tabu. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T182 | Death from intercourse. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F1041.1.9 | Death from jealousy. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F1041.1.5.4 | Death from joy of kiss. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| F1041.1.4 | Death from longing. Irish myth: Cross. |
| T81 | Death from love. *Penzer II 8, 9 n. 2, 10, V 39, VII 69 n. 1, 103, 258, VIII 98; Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 69, 209 No. 157. |
| C929.2.1 | Death from paralysis for breaking tabu. African (Luba): De Clerq Zs. f. KS. IV 219. |
| C925 | Death from rattlesnake bite because of breaking tabu. Calif. Indian: Gayton and Newman 100. |
| F1041.1.13 | Death from shame. Irish myth: *Cross; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F1041.1.6 | Death from sight of beautiful woman. (Cf. F1041.8.1.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F1041.1.3 | Death from sorrow or chagrin. |
| C929.2 | Death from specific disease for breaking tabu. |
| T81.2 | Death from unrequited love. Virgil Aeneid IV 505ff. (Dido); Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| Z111.1.1 | Death imprisoned by a soldier in a magic knapsack, bottle or nutshell. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 330C*; Estonian: Loorits Grundzüge I 531f.; Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| D2061.2.4.1 | Death in sin (damnation) by cursing. (Cf. E752.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| N384.2 | Death in the graveyard; person's clothing is caught; the person thinks something awful is holding him; he dies of fright. Ireland, England, U.S.: Baughman. |
| A487.0.1 | Death kills only those whose time it is to die. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z111.2 | Death magically bound to tree. While he is bound no one can die. Wesselski Archiv Orientální I 301. Cf. Type 330; BP II 188. |
| K2313 | Death message softened by equivocations. Various false explanations are given to prepare the hearer. English: Child I 376—387 passim. |
| D1812.3.3.11 | Death of another revealed in dream. England, Scotland, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| Q553.4 | Death of children as punishment. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| C920.1 | Death of children for breaking tabu. India: Thompson-Balys; Jewish: Neuman. |
| Q411.3 | Death of father (son, etc.) as punishment. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| B339 | Death of helpful animal—miscellaneous. |
| B330 | Death of helpful animal. |
| Z292 | Death of hero. Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
| F615.0.1 | Death of strong man. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| A192.1 | Death of the gods. Icel.: MacCulloch Eddic 340ff. (at the Doom); Irish myth: Cross; India: Thompson-Balys; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 110; Tahiti: Henry 231; Chinese: Werner 99, Eberhard FFC CXX 141; Africa: Bouveignes 12. |
| C920.2 | Death of wife for breaking tabu. India: Thompson-Balys; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| G278 | Death of witch. |
| F1041.1.8 | Death on beholding hell. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F492 | Death on horseback. Fb "hvid" I 700b; von Negelein Zs. f. Vks. XIII 257ff., 368ff.; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "mort". Cf. the "four horsemen" in Revelation. |
| D2069 | Death or bodily injury by magic—miscellaneous. |
| D2060 | Death or bodily injury by magic. (Cf. C920f., D1207.1, D1400, D2089.3.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| A192 | Death or departure of the gods. |
| K510 | Death order evaded. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A1335.12 | Death origin: God sends a woman to sell poisoned curds to man. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q151.2 | Death passes by man who fed his stepmother. (Cf. Q65.1.) Africa (Gold Coast): Barker and Sinclair 129 No. 23. |
| Z111 | Death personified. Hartland Science 192, 199; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3491; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 47, 50 No. 332, Espinosa Jr. Nos. 86—90; Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 611; Africa (Togo): Einstein 16f. |
| D1855.6 | Death postponed for three generations. Greek: *Grote I 202. |
| D1855.2 | Death postponed if substitute can be found. Greek: Euripides Alcestis, *Grote I 108; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J486 | Death preferred above God and Justice. *Type 332; BP I 381ff.; *Fb "Vorherre" III 1087b. |
| J227.1 | Death preferred to captivity. Irish myth: Cross (J229.13). |
| J227.2 | Death preferred to dishonor. Irish myth: Cross (J229.9). |
| J227 | Death preferred to other evils. |
| M341 | Death prophesied. Penzer IV 175f.; Ward II 620 No. 24; Alphabet Nos. 266, 305; Irish: *Cross, Beal XXI 333; Icelandic: *Boberg; Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| A1335.9.1 | Death sent into the world by culture hero (God) when he got tired of man. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H542 | Death sentence escaped by propounding riddle king (judge) cannot solve *Type 927; *De Vries FFC LXXIII 314f.; **F. J. Norton FL LIII 27—57; Köhler-Bolte I 46; Penzer I 51, 51n.; Malone PMLA XLIII 407; Icelandic: Boberg; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 112 No. 927*A. |
| Z111.2.1 | Death stuck to tree. Mason JAFL XXXV 55. |
| E175 | Death thought sleep. Resuscitated person thinks he has been sleeping. He exclaims, "How long I have been asleep!" *Köhler-Bolte 555; Wesselski Märchen 192.—India: *Thompson-Balys; Philippine: Dixon 235; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 319 n. 154, (Calif.): Gayton and Newman 57; S. A. Indian (Yuracare): Métraux BBAE CXLIII (3) 502. |
| J2137 | Death through lack of foresight. |
| D860.0.1 | Death to follow loss of magic object. Irish myth: Cross. |
| D2061.2.1 | Death-giving glance. (Cf. F555.7.) Hartland Perseus III 59f.; *Krappe Balor 1ff.; Penzer II 298, IV 232, VIII 75 n. 1; Chauvin V 16 n. 2, 293; Gaster Rabbis 225 No. 203.—Greek: Fox 35 (Gorgon); Irish myth: *Cross; England, Wales, U.S.: *Baughman; Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys; Persian: Carnoy 336; N. A. Indian: Thompson Tales 344 n. 242, (Calif): Gayton and Newman 92; Eskimo (Mackenzie Area): Jenness 65. |
| Z111.6.1 | Death's messengers bribed with food. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z111.6 | Death's messengers. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1051 | Death's three messengers. Warns man by loss of appetite, loss of desire for drink, and sickness. Man does not recognize the messengers. *Type 335; *BP III 293; Pauli (ed. Bolte) Nos. 267, 268. |
| M255 | Deathbed promise concerning the second wife. Promises his dying wife that he will not marry unless the bride meets the specifications the dying wife imposes. *Type 510B; *Cox 53—79 passim; De Vries Studien over Færösche Balladen 133; Icelandic: Boberg; Danish: Grundtvig No. 135. |
| D1960.4 | Deathlike sleep. Jewish: Neuman. |
| D1273.1.1.3 | Deaths in a community come in threes. One death is shortly followed by two more. England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| E727.1 | Debate of body and soul. Soul having left body enters into debate with the body concerning relative merits of body and soul. (Cf. H500.) English: *Wells 411; Irish: Gaidoz and Dottin Revue Celtique X part 4, *Cross. |
| J461.1.3 | Debate of tongue and other bodily members. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| K231.12 | Debt to be paid "tomorrow". Tomorrow never comes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K231.5 | Debt with worthless bond repudiated. |
| Q499.5 | Debtor clerics forbidden churchly offices. (Cf. Q271.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q271.1 | Debtor deprived of burial. (Cf. Q421.0.1, Q491.) See all references to E341 (The grateful dead). **A. Esmein "Débiteurs privés de sepulture" Mélanges d'histoire du droit (Paris, 1886) 244ff.; S. Riccobono "Cristianesimo e diritto privato" Revista di diritto civile III (1911) 43ff.; Antonucci Lares I No. 2 (1930) 3—5. |
| Q271 | Debtor punished. (Cf. Q421.0.1, Q473.0.1, Q491.2, Q499.5.) |
| K231 | Debtor refuses to pay his debt. |
| K231.7 | Debtor tells creditor that he has had his reward in the hope of payment. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 741. |
| Q491.2 | Debtor's corpse flogged. (Cf. Q271.) *Fb "gjæld" I 448. |
| J2495.2 | Debtors do not forgive. "The Lord's Prayer has little power. I forgive my debtors but my debtors do not forgive me." *Wesselski Bebel I 140 No. 50. |
| E431.7.2 | Decapitating in order to prevent return. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| H363 | Deceased wife marriage test. Man will marry woman meeting certain specifications prescribed by his deceased wife. *Type 610B; Cox 53—79 passim. |
| K714.9 | Deceived lion stuck in cave entrance; becomes food for hare. Africa (Wachaga): Gutmann 190. |
| K1601 | Deceiver falls into his own trap (literally). Arranges a trap or pitfall but is himself caught. Type 1117; Africa: Werner African 214, (Hottentot): Bleek 78; Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 254 No. 33; West Indies: Flowers 539. |
| K1610 | Deceiver falls into his own trap—miscellaneous incidents. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1600 | Deceiver falls into own trap. Indonesia: DeVries's list Nos. 59-79; Philippine: Fansler MAFLS XII 264f. |
| K1618 | Deceiver in swinging contest killed. Old woman planning to kill hero in swinging game by cutting rope is killed when hero cuts the rope first. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 324 n. 169. |
| K2371 | Deceiving the higher powers (God, the saints, the gods, fate). U.S.: Baughman. |
| K1800 | Deception by disguise or illusion. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1810 | Deception by disguise. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K2319 | Deception by equivocation—miscellaneous. |
| K2310 | Deception by equivocation. Irish myth: *Cross; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| K1860 | Deception by feigned death (sleep). India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K2320 | Deception by frightening. Missouri French: Carrière; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 5; West Indies: Flowers 536. |
| K773 | Deception by having victim pick trickster's teeth. Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 7 n. 1, 15, 60. |
| K818.4 | Deception by hiding weapons. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1892 | Deception by hiding. Icelandic: *Boberg; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| K1871 | Deception by legerdemain. Irish: MacCulloch Celtic 60, *Cross; Jewish: *Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1981 | Deception by playing deaf and dumb. |
| K1818.6 | Deception by pretended faint. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K874 | Deception by pretended lousing. Irish myth: Cross: India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda; N. A. Indian (Klikitat): Jacobs U Wash II 12; S. A. Indian (Yuracare): Métraux BBAE CXLIII (3) 502, RMLP XXXIII 144. |
| K1868 | Deception by pretending sleep. Malone PMLA XLIII 406; Irish myth: Cross; India: *Thompson-Balys; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 382. |
| K1875 | Deception by sham blood. By stabbing bag of blood (or otherwise) trickster makes dupe think that he is bleeding. *Types 3, 1535, 1539; *BP II 1ff., 10ff.; Missouri French: Carrière; Japanese: Ikeda; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 287; West Indies: Flowers 547. |
| K1847 | Deception by substitution of children. |
| K1846 | Deception by substitution: wife substitutes calf for beggar whom drunken husband wants to catch and abuse. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| K1840 | Deception by substitution. Irish myth: Cross; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1500 | Deception connected with adultery. |
| K200 | Deception in payment of debt. |
| K24 | Deception in swinging contest. Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 24. |
| K713 | Deception into allowing oneself to be fettered. |
| K715 | Deception into allowing oneself to be hanged. ("Show me how!") Executioner must show the hero how to use the gallows. The hero hangs the executioner. M. Bloomfield in Penzer VII xiii; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K713.1 | Deception into allowing oneself to be tied. Irish myth: Cross; Spanish: Espinosa III Nos. 163—67; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 20; West Indies: Flowers 522f. |
| K717 | Deception into bottle (vessel). Insects (or a spirit) having escaped from a bottle are told that they cannot return. They accept the challenge and go back into the bottle. *Type 331; *BP II 414ff. (spirit); Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham; Africa (Gold Coast): Barker and Sinclair 29 No. 1 (bees). |
| K1020 | Deception into disastrous attempt to procure food. |
| K711 | Deception into entering bag. Spanish: Espinosa Jr. Nos. 163—167; India: *Thompson-Balys; West Indies: Flowers 522. |
| K714 | Deception into entering box (or prison). |
| K840 | Deception into fatal substitution. |
| K455 | Deception into giving false credit. |
| K1240 | Deception into humiliating position—miscellaneous. |
| K1200 | Deception into humiliating position. |
| K940 | Deception into killing own family or animals. |
| K477.2 | Deception into listening to speaker. He secures the audience's attention by beginning a tale. He then launches into his speech. Wesselski Mönchslatein 74 No. 64; Wienert FFC LVI 38; Halm Aesop Nos 177, 339. |
| K711.1 | Deception into magic bag which closes on prisoner. Irish myth: Cross; Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 94. |
| K713.2 | Deception into putting on a collar. Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 11. |
| K1000 | Deception into self-injury. Japanese: Ikeda; Indonesia: DeVries's list Nos. 9—20. |
| Q451.11.1 | Deception punished by piecemeal mutilation. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| D1819.2 | Deception revealed in dream. (Cf. D1810.8.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1700 | Deception through bluffing. |
| K1010 | Deception through false doctoring. Type 1136; Chinese: Graham. |
| K170 | Deception through pseudo-simple bargain. |
| K1871.1 | Deception: climbing silk thread tossed upward in air. Irish: MacCulloch Celtic 60, *Cross. |
| K1883.7 | Deception: mirror-reflection convinces dupe he is trickster's captive. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K249 | Deceptions in payment of debt—miscellaneous. |
| K1110 | Deceptions into self injury-miscellaneous. |
| Q260 | Deceptions punished. (Cf. Q551.2, Q558.10.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K944 | Deceptive agreement to kill wives (children). Trickster shams the murder; dupe kills his. *Beckwith MAFLS XVII 241; India: *Thompson-Balys; Africa: Weeks Jungle 384, (Thonga): Junod 217, (Fang): Einstein 155, (Cameroon): Meinhof 70, 73, Lederbogen 77, (Fjort): Dennett 85 No. 20, (Wute): Sieber ZsES XII 56, (Jaunde): Heepe 105, (Wachaga): Gutmann 186f. |
| K193 | Deceptive bargain based on an unusual name. Japanese: Ikeda; West Indies: Flowers 498. |
| K186 | Deceptive bargain with ogre: buying trees. Trees to be neither straight nor crooked. *Type 1048. |
| K181 | Deceptive bargain: a peck of grain for each stack. The man who is to receive this share of the crop makes very small stacks. *Type 1155. |
| K174 | Deceptive bargain: a sack of corn as reward. Trickster has an enormous sack made. *Wesselski Gonnella 131 No. 25. |
| K182 | Deceptive bargain: an ox for five pennies. A woman who has been left the ox on condition that she give the proceeds to the poor offers it for five pennies, but it must be bought along with a cock at twelve florins. She gives the five pennies to the poor and keeps the twelve florins. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 462; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 188 No. 370; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *2449. |
| K173 | Deceptive bargain: as much bread as he wants to eat. The baker fixes his price at the rate for twenty loaves. The trickster eats thirty. *Chauvin II 125 No. 124. |
| K199.1 | Deceptive bargain: as much gold in reward as sticks to poet's hair when poured over him: he smears it with tar. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K174.1 | Deceptive bargain: as much grain as will go in a rope. Trickster encloses whole crop. Scotch: Campbell-McKay No. 30. |
| K177 | Deceptive bargain: fasting together. The servant girl eats secretly; the miser starves. Danish: Kristensen Jyske Folkeminder VII No. 30; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1568A*. |
| K178 | Deceptive bargain: felling the tree. The ogre and the trickster agree to fell a large tree. The trickster purposely dulls his axe on a stone and then asks the ogre to exchange. Rather than work with a dull axe, the ogre does all the work. *Type 1050. |
| K176 | Deceptive bargain: first to say "Good morning." The first to give the greeting shall have the disputed property. The trickster is early on the scene and witnesses the other's adultery. He may keep the property without saying good morning. *Type 1735; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 324. |
| K183 | Deceptive bargain: the ogre and the copper coins. Every time the copper coin is paid out, the ogre must make a new one. The man buys an extensive property and pays with a large number of copper coins. He threatens to buy another and the ogre goes back on his contract. Type 1182*. |
| K175 | Deceptive bargain: three wishes. The ogre is to fulfill three wishes of the peasant. The latter wishes for all the tobacco and brandy in the world and then some more brandy in addition. The devil must admit failure. Type 1173*. |
| K100 | Deceptive bargains. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K72 | Deceptive contest in carrying a horse. The ogre carries it on his back and soon tires; the man carries it between his legs (rides). *Type 1082; Köhler-Bolte I 473. |
| K71 | Deceptive contest in carrying a tree: riding. The trickster has the dupe carry the branches of a tree while he carries the trunk. He rides on the trunk. *Type 1052; *BP I 149; Africa (Dzalamo): Meinhof ZsES XI 280. Cf. Type 1640. |
| K44.1 | Deceptive contest in chopping: iron in bamboo. Hero challenged to cut down bundles of bamboo suspended in air but a strip of iron is treacherously inserted in each. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 266. |
| K44 | Deceptive contest in chopping. Type 1065*. |
| K82.3 | Deceptive contest in drinking whisky. The man drinks water, the devil is given vinegar. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1089*. |
| K53 | Deceptive contest in fasting. Irish myth: *Cross; Louisiana Creole: Fortier MAFLS II 34ff.; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 133; Africa (Nigeria): Dayrell 153ff.; Bahama: Parsons MAFLS XIII 97 No. 51; Jamaica: *Beckwith MAFLS XVII 261f. No. 61; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 370 No. 66. |
| K74 | Deceptive contest in pulling fingers. The man has an iron finger. Type 1064*. |
| K73 | Deceptive contest in squeezing hands. The man has an iron glove on. Type 1060*; Russian: Andrejev No. 1060*. |
| K171.1 | Deceptive crop division: above the ground, below the ground. Of root crops the ogre (stupid animal) chooses the tops; of other crops the roots. (Cf. J242.8.) *Type 1030; *BP III 355, 363 n. 1; **J. Hackman "Sagan om skördelningen" Folkloristika och etnografiska studier III 140ff.; *Krohn "Bar (Wolf) und Fuchs" JSFO VI 104ff.; Wünsche Teufel 70ff.; Taylor PMLA XXXVI 58 n. 34; *Köhler-Bolte I 69; **Hdwb. d. Märchens I 193a, 593b; *Fb "rød".—Danish: Kristensen Danske Sagn I (1892) 441, (1928) 271; Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 324 No. 161; Missouri French: Carrière; Spanish Exempla: Keller; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda; West Indies: Flowers 497; N. A. Indian: Thompson CColl II 441, 447ff.; American Negro: Parsons JAFL XXX 175. |
| K1889.2 | Deceptive cure by illusion. Man told that he can be cured only with blood of his own child. He is made to believe that the child is killed. When he learns that the child is still alive, the excess of joy cures him. *Chauvin VIII 133 No. 126. |
| K251 | Deceptive damage claims. |
| K171.5 | Deceptive division of animals for shearing. The trickster shears the sheep; the dupe the pig. *Type 1037. |
| K171.4 | Deceptive division of pigs: curly and straight tails. All with curly tails belong to the trickster, others to the dupe. *Type 1036. |
| K171 | Deceptive division of profits. |
| K171.7 | Deceptive division of shared wife. Evil takes lower half of wife, Good takes upper half. Child begotten by Evil not permitted to nurse the top half which belongs to Good. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K171.7.2 | Deceptive division of sheep. Evil chooses lambs, leaving milk to Good. Lambs drink up all milk. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K82.1 | Deceptive drinking contest: hole for water. The trickster lets the water run out through a hole; the dupe drinks himself to death. (Cf. K81.1.) *Type 1088; Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 93; Indonesia: DeVries's list Nos. 49, 94. |
| K82.4 | Deceptive drinking contest: pretended swallowing. One bullock keeps mouth in water. Other drinks self to death. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K82.2 | Deceptive drinking contest: relative helpers. (Cf. K81.2.) Africa (Mpongwe): Nassau 66 No. 14; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K82.1.1 | Deceptive drinking contest: rising and falling tide. Buffalo and heron wager as to which can drink the sea until the water falls. The buffalo drinks as the tide is coming in; the heron drinks in the falling tide and wins. Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 98. |
| K82 | Deceptive drinking contest. |
| K81.1 | Deceptive eating contest: hole in bag. The hero slips his food into a bag and makes the ogre believe that he is the greater eater. (In many versions the hero cuts open the bag; the ogre imitates and kills himself.) (Cf. K82.1.) *Type 1088; Saintyves Perrault 282; Krohn Tutkimuksia Suomalaisten Kansansatujen alalta 220ff.; Köhler-Bolte I 86; *Fb "æde" III 1139b.—Icelandic: Flateyjarbуk I 211, MacCulloch Eddic 93, Boberg; Danish: Kristensen Danske Sagn I (1892) 439; French Canadian: Barbeau JAFL XXIX 21; India: Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 330 n. 191b; Africa: Frobenius Atlantis IX 368, XII 349. |
| K81.3 | Deceptive eating contest: inexhaustible food. Hero can produce unlimited food which opponents must eat. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K81.2 | Deceptive eating contest: relative helpers. Trickster wins with the aid of substitutes. (Cf. K82.2.) N. A Indian (California): Gayton and Newman 69; Africa (Congo): Weeks 214 No. 10. |
| K81 | Deceptive eating contest. Koryak: Jochelson JE VI 128; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 314 n. 137b; Eskimo (West Hudson Bay): Boas BAM XV 313, (Greenland): Rink 108. |
| K140.1 | Deceptive exchange: useless for magic object. Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 280. |
| K869.3 | Deceptive game: "Eat me up!" Camel is killed by lion. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K855.1 | Deceptive game: bear cubs sway in tree. N. A. Indian (California): Gayton and Newman 95. |
| K851 | Deceptive game: burning each other. Dupe burned (boiled) to death. Indonesia: Dixon 197; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 340 n. 226; Africa (Kaffir): Theal 98, (Ila, Rhodesia): Smith and Dale II 378 No. 3, (Basuto): Jacottet 14 No. 1, 18 No. 12, (Thonga): Junod 215, (Zulu): Callaway 6; Jamaica: *Beckwith MAFLS XVII 242 No. 16; West Indies: Flowers 530. |
| K868 | Deceptive game: butting one another like rams. Robbers kill selves. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| K869.1 | Deceptive game: fox wants to be frightened; titmouse whistles for dogs and the fox is nearly caught. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| K852 | Deceptive game: hanging each other. Dupe really hanged. *Penzer I 157; *Köhler-Bolte I 210, 585; Icelandic: Boberg; Danish: Christensen DF XLVII 200 No. 36; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV 122 Nos. 40-42; Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 326 No. 19; Africa (Basuto): Jacottet 30 No. 3. |
| K857 | Deceptive game: throwing away knives. (Not fatal.) Africa (Fang): Tessman 40; Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 239 No. 11. |
| K171.2 | Deceptive grain division: the corn and the chaff. The bear chooses the chaff because of its greater bulk. At the mill the fox's grain makes a different sound from the bear's. *Type 9B; *Dh IV 249ff.; *Krohn "Bar (Wolf) und Fuchs" JSFO VI 97ff.; Hdwb. d. Märchens I 193b. |
| K869.2 | Deceptive hide and seek game. Hide and seek game proposed by seven demons so as to kill hero. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K134 | Deceptive horse-sale. |
| J1577 | Deceptive invitation to feast. |
| K185.13 | Deceptive land bargain: saints agree that the one who casts his staff far enough to reach distant island shall be owner of land. Staff of one contestant transformed to spear (or dart) and so alone reaches island. When saint touches weapon, it becomes staff again. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K185.4 | Deceptive land purchase: as much land as a shawl will cover. An immense shawl prepared. Harou RTP XXIII 169; Java: Bezemer Fabelen en Legenden 216ff. |
| K185.4.1 | Deceptive land purchase: as much land as can be covered by saint's hood. Only by snatching up hood does seller prevent it from covering whole territory. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K185.10 | Deceptive land purchase: as much land as can be shadowed by a tree. Bought just before sunset. Japanese: Ikeda; Indonesia: L. de Backer L'Archipel Indien (Paris, 1874) 334. |
| K185.7 | Deceptive land purchase: as much land as can be surrounded in a certain time. Fb "ride" III 52b; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K185.2 | Deceptive land purchase: as much land as Vishnu can lie upon (or can step over in three steps). His worshippers claim for him the whole earth. Hindu: Keith 79. |
| K185.3 | Deceptive land purchase: boundary fixed by flight of a goose. Subject given as much land as a goose can fly over without lighting. The man carries the goose with its wings extended over an enormous territory. Harou RTP XXIII 169. |
| K185.5 | Deceptive land purchase: bounds fixed by a race. One man has supernatural speed. RTP XXI 166. |
| K185.6 | Deceptive land purchase: bounds fixed by throwing object (axe, spear). Thrower has extraordinary strength. RTP XVIII 222; Harou RTP XI 524. |
| K185.11 | Deceptive land purchase: enough to raise certain plant. This is a rapidly spreading weed which overruns the country. Indonesia: Snouck Hurgronje De Atjèhers (Leiden, 1893) II 84. |
| K185.9 | Deceptive land purchase: fields that crackle when burnt are to be his. He puts bamboo on the fields before they are burnt so that they crackle. Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 289. |
| K185.7.3 | Deceptive land purchase: king, as reward for help in winning battle, promises wounded chieftain as much land as his chariot can travel around; bribes charioteer to turn back whenever chieftain faints from loss of blood. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K185.1 | Deceptive land purchase: ox-hide measure. As much land bought as can be surrounded by an ox-hide. The hide is cut into very small strips. *Type 2400; *Basset Revue d'ethnographie et des trad. pop. IV 97; Köhler-Bolte II 319ff.; Katanoff "Türkische Sagen über Besitznahme v. Ländern nach Art der Dido" Keleti Szemle III (1902) 173ff.; *Fb "ride" III 52b; Basset RTP VI 335, *VII 549, VIII 409; Rosières RTP VI 52; Sébillot RTP V 186; Cordier RTP II 295, 354.—Icelandic: Gering Islendsk æventyri (Halle, 1883) II 92ff., Herrmann Saxo II 656, Boberg; French: Sébillot France IV 111, 180, 214; Estonian: Loorits, Some Notes on the Repertoire of the Estonian Folk-Tale, Tartu 1937, 23ff.; Greek: Aly Volksmärchen bei Herodot 114, 117; Egyptian: Legrain Louqsor sans les Pharaons (Paris, 1914) 64; N. A. Indian (Wyandot): Barbeau GSCan XI 271 No. 91. |
| K185.12 | Deceptive land purchase: saint's enemy promised as much land as he can see from certain point. Saint causes cloud to obstruct vision. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K185 | Deceptive land purchase. (Dido.) |
| K87 | Deceptive laughing contest. Type 42*; Russian: Andrejev No. 42. |
| K1887.2 | Deceptive nocturnal noise. Wood-spirits imitate falling of trees, etc. Slavic, Hindu: Máchal 265. |
| K171.3 | Deceptive nut and olive division: inside and outside. The clever man chooses the kernel of the nuts and the outside of the olive. BP III 363. |
| K170.1 | Deceptive partnership between man and ogre. *Types 1030—1059; India: Thompson-Balys; Icelandic: Boberg. |
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