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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 |
|---|---|
| K1839.7 | Disguise as foreign ambassador. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1839.8 | Disguise by carrying false token. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1839.9 | Disguise as drunkard. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| K1839.10 | Housemaid disguised as minister. Jewish: Neuman. |
| K1839.11 | Disguise as older brother to obtain blessing. (Cf. K2211.) Jewish: Neuman. |
| K1839.12 | Disguise as child (in cradle). Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1839.13 | Husband disguised as wife's brother. Jewish: Neuman. |
| K1839.14 | Husband and wife disguised as brother and sister. Icelandic: Lagerholm 110-14, Boberg. |
| K1839.15 | Disguise as dupe's daughter after having killed her. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1840 | Deception by substitution. Irish myth: Cross; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1841 | The Virgin Mary substitutes for a mortal. |
| K1841.1 | The nun who saw the world (Sister Beatrice). The Virgin takes the place of the nun in the nunnery while the latter is living a life of shame. *Type 770; **Watenphul Die Geschichte der Marienlegende von Beatrix der Küstnerin (Neuwald, 1904); Toldo Zs. f. Vksk. XV 129ff.; *Bolte ibid. XV 136; *Gröber Beiträge zur romanischen und englischen Philologie, Festgabe für W. Förster 421ff.; Ward II 659 No. 27, 723 No. 35, Herbert ibid. III 342; Maeterlinck's S[oe]ur Beatrice; *Wesselski Mönchslatein 46 No. 39; Alphabet No. 468. |
| K1841.2 | Virgin substitutes in tournament. A knight hears masses so long that he absents himself from a tournament. The Virgin takes his place. *Ward II 662 No. 5; *Loomis White Magic 123. |
| K1841.3 | Virgin Mary substitutes for woman whom husband has pledged to the devil. Devil flees. Wesselski Mönchslatein 132 No. 114; *Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 35; *Loomis White Magic 113; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1167*; Rumanian: Schullerus FFC LXXVIII No. 827*. |
| K1842 | Living person acts as image of saint. Type 1827**; Anderson FFC XLII 359; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1730B*; Spanish: Espinosa II No. 42; West Indies: Flowers 546f. |
| K1842.1 | Man acts as statue of saint in order to enter convent. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 145 No. 1787B*. |
| K1843 | Wife deceives husband with substituted bedmate. Icelandic: Boberg; Jewish: *Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1843.1 | Bride has maid sleep in husband's bed to conceal pregnancy. *Types 870, 870A; *BP III 444; *Arfert Unterschobene Braut 34ff.; *Chauvin V 218 No. 128; Wesselski Märchen 46 No. 15; **Liungman En traditionsstudie över sagan om prinsessan i jordkulan; **Liungman Tvе Folkminnesundersökningar 1-40; *Fb "Brangoene" IV 60b; *Schoepperle I 206ff.; Jewish: bin Gorion Born Judas II 119, 345, *Neuman. |
| K1843.1.1 | Wife sends mistress to her husband disguised as herself. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1843.2 | Wife takes mistress's place in husband's bed. Brings about reconciliation. *Penzer I 162; Boccaccio Decameron III No. 9 (Lee 101); Heptameron No. 8; Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 9; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys; Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 183. |
| K1843.2.1 | Wife takes mistress's place in husband's bed: husband sends message of death. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1843.2.2 | Wife takes mistress's place in bed but is deceived in turn. Husband had tired of the mistress and had previously substituted servant. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1843.2.3 | Wife takes mistress's place in husband's bed. The husband, unaware of the substitution, asks his friends to share his good fortune. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1843.2.4 | Wife substitutes for her sodomist husband. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1843.3 | Wife substitutes an old woman for herself in her husband's bed. Italian Novella: Rotunda; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K1843.4 | Wife has maidservant impersonate her while she goes to her lover. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 35; B[ö]dker Exempler 280 No. 24; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1844 | Husband deceives wife with substituted bedmate. |
| K1844.1 | Husband has his strong servant substitute in bed with strong wife. The supernaturally strong wife is about to kill her husband. *Type 519; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1844.1.1 | Husband has servant substitute in bed. Instructed not to deceive him while he is calling on mistress. Instructions are not followed. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1844.2 | Substitute bridegroom to save husband from poison maiden. *Type 507C; Huet 56; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1844.3 | Groom deceives bride with substituted bedmate and hides self in order to learn the secret she has promised to tell. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1844.4 | Fairy visits queen in her husband's shape and begets son with her. Icelandic: Þiðriks saga I 319—20, Boberg. |
| K1845 | Substitute in battle. Irish: MacCulloch Celtic 65 (Cuchulainn), *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; N. A. Indian (Mandan): Will JAFL XXIX 402; West Indies: Flowers 547. |
| K1845.1 | Warrior deceived into attacking substituted pillar-stone. Stone bears enemy's dress (crown). Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1845.2 | King, fearing death at hands of enemy, forces follower to take his place on throne. Follower is killed. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1846 | Deception by substitution: wife substitutes calf for beggar whom drunken husband wants to catch and abuse. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| K1847 | Deception by substitution of children. |
| K1847.1 | Substitution of children to gain inheritance. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1847.1.1 | Deceptive report of birth of heir. Queen tells king anxious for an heir that she is to give birth to a son, but that ill will befall the son if king looks upon him. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1848 | Substitute for task. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K1848.1 | Impotent husband deceives wife by having a substitute in virility test. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1848.2 | Ruler has favorite perform tasks so that he may himself win a bride. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1848.3 | Substitute on quest. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1851 | Substituted letter. A letter is changed on the way to its destination so as to falsify the message. See references to all the cross-references given below. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1851.1 | Forged letter: god of death replaced by another. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1852 | Sleeping potion substituted for poison. (Cf. K2111.1.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1853 | Substitute sacrifice. |
| K1853.1 | Inferior animals substituted in sacrifice. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| K1853.2 | Person substitutes for human sacrifice. |
| K1853.2.1 | Hero substitutes for princess as gift to monster. Kills him. Tonga: Beckwith Myth 345. |
| K1854 | Servant impersonates dead master and makes a false testament. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1854.1 | Rascal in dead man's place in bed makes dead man's will. Wesselski Theorie 14. |
| K1855 | Younger and preferred brother substituted by mother for elder to deceive father. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| K1858 | Substitute specimen for laboratory test. |
| K1858.1 | Substitute specimen in urinalysis. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1858.2 | Substitute specimen in blood test. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1860 | Deception by feigned death (sleep). India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| 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. |
| K1861.1 | Hero sewed up in animal hide so as to be carried to height by bird. Köhler-Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. VI 61; BP III 412 n. 1, IV 171; Basset Contes Berbères No. 13; Turkish: Giese Türkische Märchen 131; Africa (Swahili): Steere 351. |
| K1862 | Death feigned to meet lover. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1863 | Death feigned to learn how soldiers are resuscitated. Icelandic: Boberg; Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1864 | False tidings of one's own death in order to be able to leave without notice. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K1864.1 | False tidings of another's death in order to secure his bride. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K1865 | Death feigned to establish reputation of false relic. False resuscitation. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1866 | Death feigned in order to enter land of dead. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 147. |
| K1867.1 | Trickster feigns death and eats the ripe fruit from the tree. Africa (Hottentot): Bleek 80 No. 39. |
| K1867.2 | Trickster shams death and eats grave offerings. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 303 n. 109d. |
| K1868 | Deception by pretending sleep. Malone PMLA XLIII 406; Irish myth: Cross; India: *Thompson-Balys; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 382. |
| K1870 | Illusions. *BP III 201ff.; *Hibbard 205 n. 9; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1871 | Deception by legerdemain. Irish: MacCulloch Celtic 60, *Cross; Jewish: *Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1871.1 | Deception: climbing silk thread tossed upward in air. Irish: MacCulloch Celtic 60, *Cross. |
| K1871.2 | Sham cure by pretended extracting of object from patient's body. *Kittredge Witchcraft 455 n. 77. |
| K1872 | Camouflage. |
| K1872.1 | Army appears like forest. Surprises enemy. Each soldier carries branches. (Birnam wood comes to Dunsinane.) *Fb "skov" III 300a; Shakespeare's Macbeth; Rohde Der griechische Roman 485; Grimm Kleinere Schriften V 43; Herrmann Saxo II 341, 498; Kurth Histoire poetique des Merovingiens 396ff.; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1872.2 | Reeds make ships appear like island. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1872.3 | Love letter hidden in apple. Icelandic: Boberg |
| K1872.4 | Wound masked by other wound in order not to be recognized. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1872.5 | Banners of army appear like flock of many-colored birds. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1872.5.1 | Clods thrown up by hoofs of horses appear like flock of birds. Irish myth: Cross. |
| 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. |
| K1881 | Absent person seems to be present. Hdwb. d. Abergl. II 246 s.v. "Doppelgänger"; Icelandic: FSS 38, Boberg; Irish: Plummer clxix, *Cross; Danish: Kristensen Danske Sagn VI (1900) 3ff. |
| K1883 | Illusory enemies. |
| K1883.1 | Phantom army attacked. Irish: Plummer clxix, MacCulloch Celtic 155 (Cuchulainn), *Cross. |
| K1883.2 | Objects (animals) attacked under the illusion that they are men. Irish: *Cross, Plummer clxix; Icelandic: *Krappe études 131, *Boberg; Maori: Beckwith Myth 398. Cf. Sophocles's Ajax, Cervantes' Don Quixote. |
| K1883.3 | Two soldiers slay each other thinking they are slaying a common enemy. Irish: Plummer clxix, *Cross. |
| K1883.4 | Slayers magically made to believe stone their enemy. They behead it. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1883.5 | Comrade slain under the illusion that he is an enemy. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1883.6 | Invisible man eats bread and boy and girl quarrel. Each thinks other had eaten bread. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1883.7 | Deception: mirror-reflection convinces dupe he is trickster's captive. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1883.8 | Images set up to resemble watchmen. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 409. |
| K1883.9 | Hero wears so many different costumes that he is believed to represent a host. Maori: Beckwith Myth 398. |
| K1884 | Illusion of death. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1885 | Dead made to appear alive. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1885.1 | Lighted sponge in mouth of dead causes illusory breathing. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1886 | Illusions in landscape. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1886.1 | Mirage. Illusory water and land. Hindu: Tawney I 260. |
| K1886.1.1 | Following luminous tree in the desert. *Chauvin V 234 No. 134 n. 2. |
| K1886.2 | Mists which lead astray. Irish myth: *Cross; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "brume". |
| K1886.2.1 | Enemies magically caused to lose sight of each other while hunting. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1886.3 | Mock sunrise. Contract is to be fulfilled at dawn. Wolf makes fire as mock sunrise. Is caught. Cape Verde Islands: *Parsons MAFLS XV(1) 6 n. 1. |
| K1886.3.1 | Mock sunrise: person causes cock to crow (simulates cock crow). Marquesas: Handy 32, 109; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 516; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (z-G. 3/1146, T-G. 1/78); Tahiti: Henry 589; Tonga: Gifford 90, 144. |
| K1886.3.2 | Mock sunrise: dupe made to believe that flaunted bare buttocks are the rising sun. Tonga: Gifford 87—88. |
| K1886.3.3 | Mock sunrise causes supernaturals (thieves) to drop burdens and flee. (Cf. F420.3.4.2.) Tahiti: Henry 589; Tonga: Gifford 88ff. |
| K1886.4 | Travelers mistake brushwood at a distance for a ship. Wienert FFC LVI 75 (ET 411), 123 (ST 323); Halm Aesop No. 310. |
| K1886.5 | Companions separated by illusory city. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1886.6 | Illusory shapes of animals made to appear on hilltops. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1886.7 | Illusory mountain (hill). Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1886.7.1 | Tuatha Dé Danann cause island to appear to be "hog's back". Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1887 | Illusory sounds. |
| K1887.1 | Echo answers. Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 172; Greek: Pauly-Wissowa s.v. "Echo"; Chinese: Graham. |
| K1887.2 | Deceptive nocturnal noise. Wood-spirits imitate falling of trees, etc. Slavic, Hindu: Máchal 265. |
| K1887.3 | Fairies cause sound to appear to come from various directions. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1887.3.1 | (Saint's) bell heard but never found. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1888 | Illusory light. |
| K1889 | Other illusions. U.S.: Baughman. |
| K1889.1 | House seems to be afire. (Cf. K1886.) Irish: Plummer clxix, *Cross. |
| 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. |
| K1889.3 | False Paradise. (The Old Man of the Mountain.) Potion is given to dupes who are led into what they believe is Paradise. They are then forced to rob and kill to regain admittance through death. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1889.4 | Injurious food (drink) has delusive sweet taste. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1889.5 | Illusory night (darkness). Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1889.6 | Palace appears to be floating on water—actually glass. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1890 | Other deceptions by disguise or illusion. |
| K1892 | Deception by hiding. Icelandic: *Boberg; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| 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. |
| K1892.1.1 | Trickster hides in box in order to be carried. Africa (Western Sudan): Frobenius Atlantis VIII 145ff. No. 81. |
| K1892.1.2 | Trickster hides in basket and is carried. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1892.2 | Girl hides lover under clothing upon which she sits. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1894 | False proof: cloak dipped into water used as evidence of stormy weather. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1900 | Impostures. |
| K1910 | Marital impostors. |
| K1911 | The false bride (substituted bride). An impostor takes the wife's place without the husband's knowledge and banishes (kills, transforms) the wife. *Types 403, 408, 425, 450, 480, 510, 511, 533; Tegethoff 20; *BP I 79ff.; *Huet RTP XXII 1ff.; **Arfert Das Motiv von der unterschobenen Braut (Rostock, 1897); *M. Potanine Vostotchnye Motivy v srednevekom evropeiskom Epose (Moscow, 1899—see RTP XXII 8 n. 2); *Godden FL IV 142, 143 n. 1; *Hepding Hessische Blätter fur Volkskunde V 161; Cox 478, 501; *Cosquin Contes indiens 61ff.; Penzer VI 47 n. 1, 48, VIII 12ff., IX 55ff.; *Fb "brud" IV 64b.—French Canadian: Barbeau JAFL XXIX 22, Sister Marie Ursule; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 61, 82 Nos. 445B*, 708A*; Italian: Basile Pentamerone Int., III No. 10, V No. 9; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham, Eberhard FFC CXX 47f.; Korean: Zong in-Sob 48 No. 28; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 177; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 350 nn. 262, 265; Africa: Werner African 230, (Zulu): Callaway 75, 85, (Kaffir): Theal 67, (Bushman): Bleek and Lloyd 85ff. |
| K1911.1 | Circumstances of substitution of false bride. |
| K1911.1.1 | False bride takes true bride's place on the way to the wedding. *Arfert Unterschobene Braut; *Type 533; **Liungman Tvе Folkminnesundersökningar 41ff.; Cosquin Contes indiens 69ff.; BP II 273; Spanish: Espinosa II No. 113; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 403D*; Rumanian: Schullerus FFC LXXVIII No. 403D*; Missouri French: Carrière; India: *Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 178; Africa (Zulu): Callaway 118, 303, 313, (Kaffir): Theal 134, 145f., (Thonga): Junod 231, (Fjort): Dennett 128; Jamaica: *Beckwith MAFLS XVII 266 No. 74. |
| K1911.1.2 | False bride takes true bride's place when child is born. *Types 403, 450, 480; *BP I 79ff., 99ff., II 284 n. 2; *Arfert Unterschobene Braut; India: Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian: *Thompson CColl II 383ff. |
| K1911.1.3 | False bride takes true bride's place at fountain. The true bride, left by her husband for a short time at a fountain, is supplanted by a moor or gypsy, who transforms her. *Type 408; *Arfert Unterschobene Braut; Spanish: Espinosa II Nos. 120f., Espinosa Jr. Nos. 106—110; Italian: Basile Pentamerone Introduction; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| K1911.1.4 | False bride finishes true bride's task and supplants her. The true bride must perform a certain task to win her husband and, being exhausted, commits the task to a slave. *Arfert Unterschobene Braut; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 446*; Russian: Andrejev No. 533B*; Italian: Basile Pentamerone Introduction; India: *Thompson-Balys; Africa (Angola): Chatelain 35, 43. |
| K1911.1.5 | Old woman substituted for bride in bridegroom's bed. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1911.1.5.1 | Man palms off elder daughter as younger on wedding night. Jewish: Neuman. |
| K1911.1.6 | She-bear as false bride. Compels true bride to exchange places. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1911.1.7 | Ghost-ogress pushes bride into hole in tree and takes her place. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1911.1.8 | False bride steals true bride's garments in bath. Africa (Hottentot): Karutz Des schwarzen Menschen Märchenweisheit (London, 1929) 140f. No. 27. |
| K1911.1.8.1 | False bride makes child cry and demand mother's clothes and ornaments. Chinese: Graham. |
| K1911.1.9 | Prince substitutes peasant girl for the king's daughter he has got for his father but with whom he himself has fallen in love. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1911.1.10 | Impostor kills fairy, hides body and dresses in fairy's clothes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1911.2 | Treacherous disposal of true bride by false. Missouri French: Carrière. |
| 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. |
| K1911.2.2 | True bride pushed into water by false. *Types 408, 450; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| K1911.2.2.1 | True bride lives in fish's belly. *Type 450. |
| K1911.2.2.2 | True bride sits spinning at the bottom of river. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1911.2.3 | True bride's children thrown away at birth (by false bride). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1911.3 | Reinstatement of true bride. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1911.3.1 | Substitution of false bride revealed by animal. *Type 707; Köhler-Bolte I 277; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 67 No. 510, Espinosa II No. 113; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1911.3.1.1 | Substitution of false bride revealed by true bride in her animal form. 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. |
| K1911.3.3 | False bride fails when husband tests her. Uses slipper test, jumping test, or the like. *Type 510; *Cox passim; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 22f.; Africa (Zulu): Callaway 122, 315, (Angola): Chatelain 43. |
| K1911.3.3.1 | False bride's mutilated feet. In order to wear the shoes with which the husband is testing the identity of his bride, the false bride cuts her feet. She is detected. *Type 510; *Cox 1—79, 87—121 passim; Spanish: Espinosa II Nos. 111f., Espinosa Jr. No. 119; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1911.3.3.2 | False bride fails when magician tests her. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| 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. |
| K1911.3.6 | Snake adopts true bride thrown into well. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1911.4 | Man in woman's clothing poses as bride for beggar. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1911.5 | Penniless bride pretends to wealth. Spanish: Espinosa II Nos. 120f.; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1912 | The false virgin. Various deceptions practiced to mask bride as virgin. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1914 | Abductor pretends to have been sent to fetch princess by lover. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1915 | The false bridegroom (substitute bridegroom). Takes the place of the true bridegroom. Penzer IX 55; Irish myth: *Cross; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 329 n. 189; Africa (Zulu): Callaway 181ff. |
| K1915.1 | Monk becomes husband to girl at night, so that his friend may have dowry. Heptameron No. 56. |
| K1915.2 | Through power of saint, man is caused to assume lover's form and sleep with princess. Lover plots death of saint, but is accidentally slain in his place. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1915.3 | Handsome man substituted for ugly as bridegroom: wins bride. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1916 | Robber bridegroom. Robber marries girl under pretence of being a fine gentleman. *Type 955; *BP I 370; *Fb "r[ö]ver" III 131b, 132a; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1917 | Penniless bridegroom pretends to wealth. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1917.1 | Penniless wooer: patch of land. After marriage he takes the bride to look at his land. He puts on soiled clothes. She looks at the land; he points to the patch on his clothes. "That patch is mine." *BP II 203. |
| K1917.2 | Penniless wooer: money in hand. An uncle gives the boy a coin and food to hold while he woos for him. He tells the girl's father that the boy has a piece of money in hand and plenty to eat. Wins the girl. *BP II 203. |
| K1917.3 | Penniless wooer: helpful animal reports master wealthy and thus wins girl for him. *Type 545B; BP I 325, III 487; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1917.4 | Penniless wooer. "House of my father with one hundred fifty lights and goat pen." When the servant in bed so remarks the master marries his daughter to him. Arrived at the hut, he explains that the lights are the stars whose beams enter through the cracks in the roof. One goat is tied to the tree. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 104 No. 859*. |
| K1917.5 | Man wins girl's love by pretending to wealth and nobility. Deception is discovered and impostor is banished. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1917.6 | Forged credentials used to win girl. Theft of gems. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1917.7 | "All of these are mine," says wooer as he strokes his whiskers. The girl thinks he is indicating the fields and live stock past which they are riding. U.S.: Baughman. |
| K1917.8 | Slave poses as treasurer's son and carries letter purporting to ask for hand of merchant's daughter in marriage. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 486. |
| K1918 | Monster disguises and wins girl. Borrows wedding garments one by one; later returns them one by one and reveals monster form. Jamaica: *Beckwith MAFLS XVII 273 No. 85; West Indies: Flowers 548. |
| K1918.1 | Ugly fish borrows skin of handsome fish for courtship and marriage. Africa (Wakweli): Bender 57f. |
| K1918.1.1 | Ogre imposes on widow by assuming form of dead husband. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1919 | Marital impostors—miscellaneous. |
| K1919.1 | Husband poses as wife's brother. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| K1920 | Substituted children. |
| K1921 | Parents exchange children. |
| K1921.1 | Son of the king and of the smith exchanged. *Type 920; *DeVries FFC LXXIII 40ff., 320ff. |
| K1921.2 | Two mothers exchange their children, a boy and a girl. Type 975*; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1921.3 | Queen changes her own ugly twins for slave's pretty son. Later recognizes the better character of the twins, and changes back again. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K1922 | Woman substitutes child for her own and sells it. Exchanges sleeping places. Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 46 n. 1. |
| K1923 | The false heir. |
| K1923.1 | Nurse exchanges children so that the preferred child will be assured of wealth. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1923.2 | Man is made to believe that his married daughter has borne a child. In reality it is a foundling. When the supposed mother dies her father is about to forfeit dowry, when the child's real parents claim him. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1923.3 | Barren woman pretends to bear child. Substitutes another woman's child. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 68; Easter Island: Métraux Ethnology 101. |
| K1923.4 | Woman pretends to be mother of child chosen to be king. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1923.5 | Midwife takes child and substitutes it for king's stillborn child. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1923.6 | Queen passes off girl-child as boy by having pandits say raja must not see his son for twelve years. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1924 | Barren wife makes child by magic and claims it as her own. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1926 | False daughter: accepted as one's resurrected child. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1930 | Treacherous impostors. |
| K1931 | Impostors abandon (or kill) their companion and usurp his place. |
| K1931.1 | Impostors throw hero overboard into sea. *Type 506; **Liljeblad Tobiasgeschichte; *BP III 490ff., 494; Spanish: Espinosa II Nos. 133—135; N. A. Indian: Thompson CColl II 404ff.; Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 284 No. 119. |
| K1931.1.1 | Impostor tries to push foster brother into the water and then cuts rope so that he drifts alone out on the sea in boat without oars. Icelandic: *Boberg; Tonga: Gifford 128. |
| K1931.2 | Impostors abandon hero in lower world. Usually let rope drop on which he is to be raised. *Type 301; *BP II 301; Missouri French: Carrière; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 53 No. 400B*; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1931.3 | Impostors kill hero. *Type 665; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| K1931.4 | Impostors throw hero into pit. *Types 550, 551; *BP I 503ff., II 394ff.; Missouri French: Carrière; Spanish: Espinosa III No. 143. |
| K1931.5 | Impostors throw hero into prison. Type 301C*. |
| K1931.6 | Impostor leaves hero alone on island. (Cf. S145.) |
| K1931.7 | Impostor abandons hero on high hill. Pulls down rope on which he is to be lowered. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| K1932 | Impostors claim reward (prize) earned by hero. *Types 300, 301, 303, 506, 550, 551, 667*; *BP I 528ff., III 490ff.; *Ranke FFC CXIV 213f., 236; Liljeblad Tobiasgeschichte; *Parsons FL XXXII 194ff.; *Tille FFC XXXIV 370; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; Missouri French: Carrière; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 327 n. 183; Jamaica: *Beckwith MAFLS XVII 278 Nos. 89, 90. |
| K1933 | Impostor forces oath of secrecy. Hero or heroine swears not to tell of imposture. *Types 300, 301, 533; *BP II 273ff., 284 n. 1; Icelandic: Göngu Hrуlfs saga (FAS III) 274ff.; Spanish: Espinosa III Nos. 139, 151, 157. |
| K1934 | Impostor forces hero (heroine) to change places with him (her). *Types 408, 531, 533; *BP II 284 n. 1, III 18 n. 4. |
| K1934.1 | Impostor (magician, demon) takes the place of the king. The ladies of the harem recognize the false king, and the true king is reinstated. *Krappe American Journal of Philology (1933) 260—268; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| K1935 | Impostors steal rescued princess. *Types 300, 301, 303, 304*; Missouri French: Carrière; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1935.1 | Impostors exposed by girl at her wedding. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1936 | Impostor claims to be father of princess's child. *Type 304. |
| K1937 | Impostor impersonates dead count. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1938 | Rascal pretends to be dead man's heir and receives money. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1941 | Disguised flayer. An impostor dresses in the skin of his victim. Eskimo (West Hudson Bay): Boas BAM XV 185, (Central Eskimo): Boas RBAE VI 624; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 351 n. 267; S. A. Indian (Chiriguano): Métraux BBAE CXLIII (3) 484; Africa (Basuto): Jacottet 2 No. 1, 22 No. 2, 260 No. 38, (Kaffir): Theal 100. |
| K1941.1 | Disguised flayer tightens skin to look beautiful. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 351 n. 267a. |
| K1942 | Impostors tricked into carrying hero in box. Woman makes them think they will have her as reward. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1944 | Impostor demands box in name of king. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| K1945 | Imposition by sham sickness. |
| K1945.1 | Person pretends sickness can be cured only with death (humiliation) of another. |
| K1945.1.1 | Mother-in-law's head is shaven, face blackened and she is led around city on ass-back as only cure for malady of daughter-in-law. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1950 | Sham prowess. |
| K1951 | Sham warrior. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1951.1 | Boastful fly-killer: "seven at a blow". A tailor who has killed seven flies writes on a placard: "Seven at a blow." He is received as a great warrior. *Type 1640; *BP I 148ff.; French Canadian: Barbeau JAFL XXIX 23; Missouri French: Carrière; Spanish: Espinosa III Nos. 194f.; India: *Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: Coster-Wijsman 73 No. III; Philippine: Fansler MAFLS XII 51; N. A Indian: *Thompson CColl II 430ff. |
| K1951.1.1 | Boastful elephant killer: killed at one blow. Elephant has been poisoned. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1951.2 | Runaway cavalry-hero. When the sham hero goes to war his horse runs away with him. To save himself he grasps a cross from a graveyard and waves it from side to side, putting the enemy to flight. *Type 1640; *BP I 148ff.; Missouri French: Carrière; India: *Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian: *Thompson CColl II 430ff. |
| K1951.2.1 | Runaway cavalry hero tears out limbs of dead trees. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1951.3 | Sham-warrior intimidates soldiers with his boasting. *Type 1640; *BP I 148ff. |
| K1951.3.1 | Sham-warrior boasts and is employed at palace. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1951.3.2 | Tiger intimidated by boasting of the sham-warrior. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1951.4 | Boastful coward frightened by conspirators. N. A. Indian (Cheyenne): Kroeber JAFL XIII 172. Cf. Falstaff in Shakespeare's Henry IV part I. |
| K1951.5 | Ordinary man assumes high sounding name and challenges enemy chief to single combat. Latter is frightened into believing him to be of exceptional prowess and desists from attacking the city. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1952 | Sham prince (nobleman). Irish myth: Cross; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1952.0.1 | Brahmin takes shape of a prince. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1952.0.2 | Servant takes prince's horse and clothes and passes self off as prince. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1952.1 | Poor boy said by helpful cat to be dispossessed prince. This is believed. *Types 545AB; BP I 325ff., III 487; Italian: Basile Pentamerone II No. 4; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1952.1.1 | Poor boy said by helpful animal to be dispossessed prince (wealthy man) who has lost clothes while swimming (in shipwreck). Type 545; *BP III 487f.; India: Thompson-Balys; East Africa: Rochemonteix Quelques Contes Nubiens (Cairo, 1888) 55ff. No. 5, (Swahili): Steere 13ff. |
| K1952.2 | Better things at home. A poor boy posing as a prince in the king's court always says that he has better things at home. *Types 545AB; BP I 325ff., III 487. |
| K1952.3 | Brothers pose as princes, deeming their parentage not worthy of their merit. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1952.4 | Impostor claims to be earl's son in exile. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1952.4.1 | Adventurer poses as son of dead king. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1952.5 | Wooing emissary poses as king and suitor, but is refused. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K1952.6 | Impostor appears with letter authorizing that he be set on the throne. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1952.7 | Thieves set up poor weaver as prince and thus get possession of tribute and gifts. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1953 | Sham brave man. |
| K1953.1 | Coward boasts that he has frightened bear away. His wife has killed it and he has fled. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1954 | Sham rich man. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
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