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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.

46,221 motifs

Page 156 of 185 · 250 per page
Thompson reference ▲ Description
P160 Beggars. Irish myth: Cross; Missouri French: Carrière; Jewish: Neuman.
P161 Beggars' many children. *Wesselski Bebel II 131 No. 97, 136 No. 107.
P162 Lepers. Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman.
P162.1 Naked leper. Irish myth: Cross.
P163 Beggar rewarded by king for poem (song). India: *Thompson-Balys.
P170 Slaves. Irish myth: Cross.
P170.0.1 Female slaves. (Cf. P173.1.) Irish myth: Cross.
P170.0.1.1 Female slaves as medium of exchange (unit of value). Irish myth: Cross.
P171 Branding person makes him one's slave for life. Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 198 No. 391.
P171.1 Slave's ear bored. Jewish: *Neuman.
P171.2 Bond woman with rope girding her loins. Jewish: Neuman.
P172 Requirement that slaves given as tribute should not know Irish. Irish myth: Cross.
P173 Captive king's sons made slaves. Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman.
P173.1 Captive king's daughter as slave. Icelandic: Boberg.
P173.2 Killed enemy's son as slave. Icelandic: Boberg.
P173.3 Captives from battle sold as slaves. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P173.4 Futile attempt to get rid of man by selling him to merchants as slave. Icelandic: Boberg.
P174 Children of slave and free person become slaves. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 300.
P175 Slave killed. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P175.1 Slave hanged. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P176 Murder by slaves. Icelandic: Boberg.
P177 Origin of thralls. Icelandic: Boberg.
P178 Slaves freed. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P178.1 Knocking out a slave's tooth entitles him to freedom. Jewish: Neuman.
P178.2 Slaves released after definite term. Jewish: Neuman (seven years).
P190 Other social orders—miscellaneous. Irish myth: Cross.
P191 Social status of foreigners. Irish myth: Cross.
P192 Madmen (fools, professional fools). Irish myth: Cross.
P192.1 Professional fool. Irish myth: Cross.
P192.2 Fool as clever judge. Irish myth: Cross.
P192.3 Fool can walk on water. Irish myth: Cross.
P192.4 Fool can live under water. Irish myth: Cross.
P192.5 Fool makes friends with birds and beasts. Irish myth: Cross.
P192.6 Customary to shave heads of demented so that they may be recognized as such. Irish myth: Cross.
P192.7 Fool recognized by lump on his forehead. Irish myth: Cross.
P200 The family.
P201 Inherent enmity between members of a family. Dickson 100 n. 5.
P201.1 Feud between two branches of family. Irish myth: Cross.
P202 Person reproached for having no relatives. Irish myth: Cross; Koryak: *Jochelson JE VI 372.
P203 Game with ancestors' bones. A boy interrupts a game played with the bones of his father or other murdered relative. N. A. Indian: Kroeber JAFL XXI 225.
P205 Refusal to fight relatives. Hindu: Tawney I 175; Icelandic: Boberg.
P210 Husband and wife.
P211 Wife chooses father's side in feud. Must choose between husband and father. S. A. Indian (Carib): Alexander Lat. Am. 266.
P211.1 Wife chooses father rather than husband or son. (Cf. P253.3.) Only one can be saved; he alone is irreplaceable. Spanish: Childers.
P211.2 Mother kills husband for murdering their daughter. Africa (Kamerun): Mansfield 228.
P212 Wife more merciful than blood relations. They refuse to ransom condemned man; wife does so. Child II 349f., III 516, IV 481, V 231ff., 296.
P213 Husband more merciful than blood relations. They refuse to ransom condemned woman; husband does so. Child II 346—53, III 511, IV 481f., V 231ff., 296.
P214 Wife drinks blood of slain husband. Irish myth: Cross.
P214.1 Wife commits suicide (dies) on death of husband. (Cf. P16.4.1.) Irish myth: Cross.
P216 Wife only one able to persuade her husband. Icelandic: Boberg.
P230 Parents and children. Hdwb. d. Märchens I 527a s.v. "Eltern und Kinder"; Spanish Exempla: Keller.
P230.1 Mother prefers son, father daughter. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P230.2 Mother dislikes her children in forced marriage. Icelandic: Boberg.
P230.3 Queen dislikes son who is unlike her and loves a poor girl: plots against him. Icelandic: Boberg.
P231 Mother and son.
P231.1 Boy sickens from grief at mother's death. Irish myth: Cross.
P231.2 Son warns mother. (Hamlet.) Icelandic: *Boberg.
P231.3 Mother-love. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P231.4 Mother kills sons who lack courage to help her revenge her father and brothers, and are likely to betray the plot. Icelandic: Boberg.
P231.5 Mother reveals fact that son is offspring of supernatural father. Irish myth: Cross.
P231.6 Mother (eagle) casts out dull, stupid changeling; rears bold, energetic son. Irish myth: Cross.
P231.7 Mother commits suicide when son wants to marry foreigner according to foreign rites. Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 267.
P232 Mother and daughter.
P232.1 Wicked mother and her sons do everything to prevent daughter's marriage with beloved. Icelandic: Boberg.
P232.2 Mother lets daughter unwittingly marry own father in order to avenge his raping. Icelandic: Boberg.
P233 Father and son. Irish myth: Cross; Spanish Exempla: Keller.
P233.1 Son as pledge for father who has committed murder. Irish myth: Cross.
P233.2 Young hero rebuked by his father. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P233.2.1 Father drives away bad son whom the mother prefers. Icelandic: Boberg.
P233.3 Berserks scold their father who apparently without reason called their adversary invincible. Icelandic: Boberg.
P233.3.1 Hero's son by giantess scorns his father's feebleness: still it is the son who is slain. Icelandic: Boberg.
P233.4 Natural son preferred to legitimate. Icelandic: Boberg.
P233.5 Oldest son responsible to father for welfare of others. Jewish: Neuman.
P233.6 Son avenges father. English romance: Malory X 21, 34, 36; Icelandic: *Boberg; Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys; Africa: Bouveignes 163.
P233.7 Son must threaten father before he will recognize him as son, even though he brings ring from his mother. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P233.8 Prodigal son returns. India: Thompson-Balys.
P233.9 Son chastizes father for scorning mother. India: Thompson-Balys.
P233.10 Father in vision reproves son about to succumb to temptation. Jewish: Neuman.
P233.11 Birthright transferred by father from the oldest son to another. (Cf. P251.7.) Jewish: Neuman.
P234 Father and daughter. Irish myth: Cross; Spanish Exempla: Keller.
P234.1 Daughter marries her husband's slayer in order to save her old father from war. Icelandic: Boberg.
P234.2 Father and daughter die at same time. Icelandic: Boberg.
P236 Undutiful children. Irish myth: Cross.
P236.1 Folly of father's giving all property to children before his death. They abandon him. *Oesterley No. 273; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 116 No. 980A. Cf. Shakespeare's King Lear.
P236.2 Supposed chest of gold induces children to care for aged father. They think that the chest of stones contains the inheritance. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 435; Scala Celi 98b No. 528; Dunlop-Wilson II 185f.; von der Hagen II lviii No. 49; Hdwb. d. Abergl. IV 1290. —Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2452*; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 116 No. 980A; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Palestine: Schmidt-Kahle Volkserzählungen aus Palästina II No. 123; India: *Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: Jeynball Catalogus Maleische en Sundaneesche Hss. 173, ibid. Supplement Catalogus Javaansche en Madoereesche Hss. 22.
P236.3 Not daring to curse father directly, son does so indirectly. Nouvelles Récréations No. 50.
P236.4 Son deposes father and usurps throne. Irish myth: Cross.
P236.5 Undutiful children ridicule father while he is drunk and naked. Spanish Exempla: Keller.
P236.6 Undutiful son overawes his father by threats. India: Thompson-Balys.
P236.7 Undutiful son taught lesson showing his mother has suffered from him. India: Thompson-Balys.
P237 Daughters flogged by parents. Child I 192, II 435, V237a.
P241 Parents descend to hell instead of sons. Irish: O'Suilleabhain 53.
P241.1 Pious children save their parents from hell. Jewish: Neuman.
P242 Children punished for fathers' sins. Jewish: Neuman.
P250 Brothers and sisters.
P250.1 Elder children to protect younger. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "aоnés".
P251 Brothers. *Penzer III 272 n. 1; Irish myth: Cross; Spanish Exempla: Keller.
P251.1 Friend unfaithful but brother faithful. Brought to test by actions at apparent death of hero. India: Thompson-Balys.
P251.2 Warrior will not fight where his brother was slain. Place considered defiled. Irish myth: Cross.
P251.3 Brothers follow each other in exile. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P251.3.1 Brothers strive to avenge each other. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P251.4 Brothers scorn brother's wise counsel. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P251.4.1 Brothers kill brother because they fail to understand his wise answer. Icelandic: Boberg.
P251.5 Two brothers. Type 303; Icelandic: *Boberg.
P251.5.1 Two brothers follow and help each other on piracy, etc. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P251.5.2 Two brothers are confusingly like each other. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P251.5.3 Hostile brothers. Icelandic: *Boberg; Jewish: *Neuman.
P251.5.4 Two brothers as contrasts. Hdwb. d. Märchens II "Formel"; Icelandic: *Boberg.
P251.5.5 Brother unjustly imprisoned by brother. Irish myth: Cross.
P251.5.6 Man's descendants shall serve those of his brother. Irish myth: Cross.
P251.6 Several brothers.
P251.6.1 Three brothers. Types 654, 655; Icelandic: *Boberg.
P251.6.2 Four brothers. Types 653, 655.
P251.6.3 Six or seven brothers. Type 451.
P251.6.4 Eight brothers. Icelandic: Boberg.
P251.6.5 Nine brothers. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P251.6.6 Eleven brothers. Type 451; Icelandic: Boberg.
P251.6.7 Twelve brothers. Type 451.
P251.7 Older brother has birthright, entitling him to a double share. (Cf. P233.11.) Jewish: *Neuman.
P251.8 Repudiation of relationship of birth between man and his bad brother. Africa (Wakweli): Bender 92f.
P252 Sisters.
P252.1 Two sisters. Type 480, 711, 426.
P252.1.1 Sister kills sister. Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: Boberg.
P252.2 Three sisters. Types 311—12, 510, 511.
P252.3 Seven sisters. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P252.4 Eight sisters. Icelandic: Boberg.
P252.5 Nine sisters. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P252.6 Ten sisters. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P252.7 Eighteen sisters kill one another. Icelandic: Boberg.
P253 Sister and brother. Type 450; Irish myth: Cross; Spanish Exempla: Keller.
P253.0.1 Sister's son. Irish myth: Cross.
P253.0.2 One sister and two brothers. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P253.0.3 One sister and three (four) brothers. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P253.0.4 One sister and ten brothers. Icelandic: Boberg.
P253.0.5 One sister and six (seven, eleven, twelve) brothers. Type 451.
P253.1 Brother about to drink blood of seemingly guilty sister. Köhler-Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. VI 61.
P253.2 Sister faithful to transformed brother. *Types 450, 451; Child I 315f.
P253.2.1 Brother faithful to persecuted sister. East Africa: Zuure L'Ame du Murundi (Paris, 1932) 331ff. No. 2.
P253.3 Brother chosen rather than husband or son. Only one can be saved; he alone is irreplaceable. Chauvin II 190 No. 2; Tawney Journal of Philology XII 121; Aly Volksmärchen bei Herodot 35, 109; Philippine: Fansler MAFLS XII 257 No. 31.
P253.4 Girl comes to brother's aid when he is attacked. She slays the assailant and is eventually acquitted. Italian Novella: Rotunda.
P253.5 Sister avenges brother's death. India: Thompson-Balys; Icelandic: *Boberg.
P253.6 Sister warns brothers. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P253.7 Brothers persecute sister's lover and are in return killed by him. Icelandic: Boberg.
P253.8 Clever sister saves life of brother. Irish myth: Cross.
P253.9 Woman dies of sorrow for death of brother. Irish myth: Cross.
P260 Relations by law.
P261 Father-in-law. India: Thompson-Balys.
P262 Mother-in-law. Irish myth: Cross.
P262.1 Bad relations between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. India: Thompson-Balys.
P263 Brother-in-law. (Cf. K2211.1.)
P263.1 Widower marries wife's sister. Jewish: *Neuman.
P264 Sister-in-law. (Cf. K2212.2.)
P265 Son-in-law.
P265.1 Idle sons-in-law driven away by gradually reducing their food. India: Thompson-Balys.
P270 Foster relatives. Irish myth: Cross.
P270.1 Foster parents fined for blemish on child. Irish myth: Cross.
P270.2 Peasant and his wife as foster parents of exposed king's son. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P270.3 Parents kill son for slaying their foster son. Irish myth: Cross.
P271 Foster father. **C. Schubert Der Pflegesohn (Nourri) im Heldenepos (Marburg, 1906); Irish myth: Cross; Missouri French: Carrière.
P271.1 Magician as foster father. (Cf. N845.) English romance: Malory, Book 1; Icelandic: Boberg.
P271.2 Fisherman as foster father. Icelandic: Boberg.
P271.3 Dwarf as foster father. (Cf. F451.5.1.) Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 267, *Boberg.
P271.4 Living king's or nobleman's son as foster son of father's friend: considered an honor for the foster father. Weinhold Altnordisches Leben (1856) 285ff.; Icelandic: *Boberg.
P271.5 Foster father as constant helper. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P271.6 Foster children return foster father's love: avenge him, etc. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P271.7 King's son named after his father's foster father. Icelandic: Boberg.
P271.8 Thor slays his foster father and takes himself the realm of Thrace. Icelandic: Snorra Edda Prol. III, MacCulloch Eddic. 314.
P272 Foster mother. Irish myth: Cross; Missouri French: Carrière.
P272.1 Witch foster mother. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P272.2 Foster mother as helper. (See all items under P272.) Icelandic: *Boberg.
P272.3 Former mistress as sons' foster mother. Icelandic: Bosa saga 6ff.
P273 Foster brother. *Valtyr Gudmundsson "Fуstbrædralag" in prjár Ritgjörethir (Kaupmannahöfn, 1892) 29—55; Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg.
P273.1 Faithful foster brother. *Type 516; *BP I 46; *Rösch FFC LXXVII 96; Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg.
P273.1.1 Foster brothers avenge each other. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P273.1.2 King's son begs pardon for treacherous foster brother. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P273.1.3 Foster brother as constant adviser. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P273.2 Faithless foster brother.
P273.2.1 Promise of marriage to king's daughter induces warrior to fight foster brother. Irish myth: Cross.
P273.2.2 Earl's son seduces foster brother's sister and betrays himself. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P273.2.3 King's son falsely accuses foster brother of attempt to seduce his sister. Icelandic: Lagerholm 161—63, introd. lxxviii, *Boberg.
P273.2.4 Magic writing makes foster brothers enemies. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P273.3 Unable to hit man himself, enemy kills his foster brother. Icelandic: Boberg.
P273.4 Children of Tuatha De Danann fostered by Milesians. Irish myth: Cross.
P274 Foster sister.
P274.1 Love between foster sister and foster brother. Icelandic: Herrmann Saxo II 80, *Boberg.
P275 Foster son. Irish myth: Cross.
P275.1 Foster son commits adultery with foster father's wife. Irish myth: Cross.
P280 Steprelatives.
P281 Stepfather.
P281.1 Stepfather as foster father. Icelandic: Boberg.
P281.2 Stepfather murdered. Icelandic: Boberg.
P282 Stepmother. Irish myth: Cross; Missouri French: Carrière.
P282.1 Realm ruled by stepmother, while king is absent. Icelandic: Boberg.
P282.2 Stepmother mourns her stepsons' death, not her own son's. Icelandic: Boberg.
P282.3 Stepmother in love with stepson. (Cf. T418.) Irish myth: Cross; Greek: Euripides Hippolytus; Chinese-Persian: *Coyajee JPASB XXIV 192.
P282.3.1 Love of stepmother who has killed her husband refused. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P283 Stepbrother.
P283.1 Stepbrothers kill devastating monsters. India: Thompson-Balys.
P284 Stepsister. (Cf. K2212.1.) Icelandic: Boberg; Missouri French: Carrière.
P290 Other relatives.
P291 Grandfather. Irish myth: Cross; Missouri French: Carrière.
P291.1 Grandfather as foster father. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P292 Grandmother. Missouri French: Carrière.
P292.1 Grandmother as foster mother. Icelandic: Boberg.
P293 Uncle. **W. O. Farnsworth Uncle and Nephew in the Old French Chansons de Geste (New York, 1913); Irish myth: Cross.
P293.1 Mother's brother as foster father. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P293.2 Mother's brother as helper. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P293.2.1 Children take after their mother's brothers. Jewish: *Neuman.
P293.3 Hero killed in fighting with father's brother. Icelandic: Boberg.
P293.4 Young prince sent to his father's mother's brother. Icelandic: Boberg.
P293.5 Father's brother avenged. Icelandic: Boberg.
P294 Aunt. *Rivers "The Father's Sister in Oceania" FL XXI 42.
P294.1 Paternal aunt as aid. N. A. Indian (California): Gayton and Newman 82.
P295 Cousins.
P296 Godparents.
P296.1 Godfather. Hdwb. d. Abergl. III 803; Missouri French: Carrière. See also N811 and all references and cross-references.
P296.2 Godmother.
P297 Nephew. *F. B. Gummere The Sister's Son (Oxford, 1901); C. H. Bell The Sister's Son in the Mediaeval German Epic (Berkeley, 1922); Irish myth: Cross.
P298 Niece.
P310 Friendship. *Type 516; *BP I 46; **Rösch FFC LXXVII 96; India: *Thompson-Balys.
P310.1 Friends want to divide good and evil. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P310.2 Friends avenge each other. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P310.3 Dying hero sends greetings to friends. Icelandic: Boberg.
P310.4 Friends want their children to be friends too. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P310.4.1 Dying man asks friends to let his son inherit his friendship together with his father's weapons. Icelandic: Þiðriks saga II 358, Boberg.
P310.4.2 Friends' children become enemies. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P310.5 Defeated enemy turns true friend. (Cf. P311.1.) Icelandic: Lagerholm 108ff., *Boberg.
P310.6 One friend dies shortly after the other. Icelandic: Boberg.
P310.7 Man wins wife for his friend. India: Thompson-Balys.
P310.8 Friendship possible only between equals. India: Thompson-Balys.
P310.9 Friends given the power of reading each other's secret thoughts. India: Thompson-Balys.
P311 Sworn brethren. Friends take an oath of lasting brotherhood. *Type 516; Rösch FFC LXXVII 98; *Hibbard 68 n. 7, 145 n. 3; Child IV 146f.; Wesselski Märchen 187 No. 2; *Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 17; *Abeles "Die Burgschaft als Motif in der jüdischen Literatur" Monatsch. f. Geschichte u. Wissenschaft der Juden LX 213ff., 263ff. — English: Wells 158 (Amis and Amiloun); Icelandic: Olrik Sakses Oldhistorie I (1892) 59ff., *Boberg; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Jewish: *Neuman, bin Gorion Born Judas IV 14, 20, 274; India: Thompson-Balys; Korean: Zong in-Sob 63 No. 35.
P311.0.1 Friends exchange names. Irish myth: Cross.
P311.1 Combatants become sworn brethren. Dickson 123 n. 73; Icelandic: *Boberg; Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
P311.2 Flower-friendship. Friends take oath of brotherhood by exchanging flowers. India: Thompson-Balys.
P311.3 Human sons of animal companions go together on adventures Africa. (Lamba): Doke MAFLS XX 14 No. 11.
P311.4 Friends born at same moment. India: Thompson-Balys.
P311.5 Covenant of friendship. Irish myth: Cross.
P311.6 Ceremonial friendship. India: Thompson-Balys.
P311.7 Saints exchange bachalls as mark of affection. Irish myth: Cross.
P311.7.1 Saints exchange bells. Irish myth: Cross.
P311.8 Friendship between a prince and common man. India: *Thompson-Balys.
P312 Blood-brotherhood. Friends take oath of brotherhood by means of mixing their blood. *Type 1364; **Encyc. Rel. Ethics II 717a, 857ff.; **H. C. Trumbull The Blood Covenant (London, 1887); *Chauvin VII 20 No. 373D; *Hibbard 145 n. 3; Fb "blod" IV 46b; Nitze MPh IX 291; DeVries Acta Philologica Scandinavica III 106; *Basset RTP VI 577—XXV 438 passim; *Julian Revue d'Ethnographie et de Trad. Pop. II 1ff.; **H. Tegnæus Blood-Brothers (Stockholm, 1952). — Irish myth: Cross: Icelandic: *Boberg; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (z-G 13/203); Africa: Stanley 274.
P312.0.1 Saint makes blood covenant with animals. (Cf. B279.) Irish myth: Cross.
P312.1 Drinking mixture of blood, milk, and wine as pledge of covenant. Irish myth: Cross.
P312.2 Sworn brethren and blood brethren avenge each other. Icelandic: *Boberg.
P312.3 Surviving blood brother to watch three nights in grave-mound. Icelandic: Egils saga ok Asm., Lagerholm 28 (cf. introd. xxiv—xxix).
P313 Milk-brotherhood. Friends bound in brotherhood through partaking of milk from the same woman. *Cosquin études 247ff.; Wiedemann Am Urquell III 259ff.
P313.1 Friendship starts at babyhood: two babies exchanged. Jewish: *Neuman.
P314 Combat of disguised friends. Brown Iwain 17 and passim.