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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 |
|---|---|
| F615.2 | Strong hero sent for wild animals. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| F615.2.1 | Strong man sent to milk lions: brings lions back with him. *Type 590. |
| F615.2.2 | Strong man sent to kill lions: does so and frightens king. Greek: Fox 80 (Herakles). |
| F615.2.3 | Strong man sent for wild horses: brings them back. *Type 650. |
| F615.2.4 | Strong man sent for bears: bring them back home. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| F615.2.5 | Strong man sent for wolves: brings them back home. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| F615.3 | Strong hero overawes master. *Type 1145—1165 passim; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| F615.3.1 | Strong hero attacked with millstone puts it on as collar. Sent to dig a well. Master throws the millstone on him. *Type 650; Fb "kilde" II 119a, "møllesten" II 650b; French Canadian: Barbeau JAFL XXIX 21; India: Thompson-Balys; Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 112 No. 39. |
| F615.3.1.1 | Strong hero asks that chickens stop scratching. When his master throws millstone on him he complains that chickens are scratching dirt on him. *Type 650; N. A. Indian: Thompson CColl II 435f. |
| F615.3.1.2 | Camels having fallen from sky into girl's eyes; she tells her mother that some grains of sand have fallen down from sky. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F615.4 | Spear bends as it strikes hero on chest and he survives ordeal. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F616 | Mighty pugilist. Greek: Grote I 156. |
| F617 | Mighty wrestler. Africa (Bulu): Krug 106. |
| F617.1 | Extraordinary strength; elephant-wrestler. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F618 | Strong man tames animals. |
| F618.1 | Strong hero tames ungovernable horse. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F621 | Strong man: tree-puller. Can uproot and carry off trees. (Cf. F611.3.1, F614.2.) *Type 513; BP II 79ff.; *Fb "træ" III 867b.—Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "arbres"; French Canadian: Barbeau JAFL XXIX 21; Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 295 No. 13; Jewish: *Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys; Hawaii: Dixon 90, Beckwith Myth 421; Samoa: Ibid. 254; Tonga: Gifford 127; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (z-G 3/1323). |
| F621.1 | Trees pulled up by animals. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "arbres" |
| F621.2 | Trees pulled up by giant. Irish myth: *Cross; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "arbres"; Westphalian: Zaunert Westfälische 7, 8, 11; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F621.2.1 | Trees pulled up and thrust into the ground upside down by Antichrist, a giant. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F621.2.2 | Giant polishes teeth with uprooted tree. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F621.3 | Tree as strong man's umbrella. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F622 | Mighty blower. Man turns mill with his blowing. (Cf. X935.) *Type 513; Hdwb. d. Märchens I 432a n. 55.—Italian: Basile Pentamerone III No. 8, Rotunda; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "souffle", "moulin." |
| F622.1 | Mighty blower slows down princess with his breath. Causes her to lose race. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| F622.2 | Mighty blower blows firebrand so that sparks fly far, blows seawaves back and forth. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F623 | Strong man holds up mountain. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "montagne", "appuiemontagne"; Jewish: Neuman. |
| F624 | Mighty lifter. Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Flateyjarbok I 523—24, MacCulloch Eddic 82, 93, Snorra Edda Prol. III, *Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F624.0.1 | Saint as mighty lifter. (Cf. V220.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F624.1 | Strong man lifts horse (ox, ass). Fb "stærk"; Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 250; Gaster Exempla 203 No. 92; Greek: Fox 100 (Theseus); Jewish: Neuman. |
| F624.1.1 | Strong man throws elephant across sea. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F624.1.2 | Strong man throws walrus. Eskimo (Greenland): Rink 178. |
| F624.1.3 | Strong man throws leopard. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| F624.2 | Strong man lifts large stone. Irish myth: Cross (F624.7); Icelandic: Boberg; Jewish: Neuman. |
| F624.2.0.1 | Strong man throws enormous stone. Greek: Odyssey XIII 184, IX 482, X 120, Iliad XII 381. |
| F624.2.0.1.1 | Strong man throws mountain. (Cf. F623, F626.) Jewish: *Neuman. |
| F624.2.0.2 | Strong man moves enormous rock. Marquesas: Handy 105. |
| F624.2.1 | Strong man lifts millstone. Irish myth: Cross; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "arracheur." |
| F624.2.2 | Strong man lifts large stone with one hand. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| F624.3 | Strong hero lifts cart. Irish myth: *Cross; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "charrette." |
| F624.3.1 | Strong man throws carriage with horses and driver on top of haystack and breaks the driver's ribs. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| F624.4 | Strong man lifts plow. Fb "stærk"; German: Grimm No. 90. |
| F624.5 | Strong man lifts ton of rye. Fb "stærk." |
| F624.6 | Strong hero lifts house. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F624.7 | Strong man carries boat (ship). Tonga: Gifford 127; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (T-G. 3/403). |
| F624.8 | Strong man throws opponent into the air. Icelandic: *Boberg; Tonga: Gifford 122. |
| F624.9 | Little girl moves enormous bow which nobody could ever carry before. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F624.10 | Strong man carries bellows. Chinese: Graham. |
| F625 | Strong man: breaker of iron. (Cf. X946.) *Fb "stærk" (bends horseshoe); Icelandic: Flateyjarbуk I 524, Boberg; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "Brise-Fer"; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F625.1 | Hero drives spear through seven iron plates. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F626 | Strong man pulls down mountains. French Canadian: Barbeau JAFL XXIX 21. |
| F626.1 | Strong man flattens hill (lops off hilltop). Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F626.2 | Strong man kicks mountain down. Marquesas: Handy 105. |
| F627 | Strong man pulls down building. Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Judges 16: 30 (Samson), *Neuman. |
| F628 | Strong man as mighty slayer. (Cf. F615.2.2.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F628.0.1 | Precocious strong hero as mighty slayer. (Cf. F611.3.2.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F628.1 | Strong man kills animals with own hands. Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| F628.1.0.1 | Strong man slays monster. Tears heart out. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F628.1.1 | Strong man kills lion with own hands. English: Child V 487 s.v. "lion", Wells 151 (Richard Coer de Lyon); Hebrew: Judges 14: 6 (Samson); India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F628.1.1.1 | Strong man kills tiger single-handed. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F628.1.1.2 | Strong man kills leopard. Africa (Upoto): Einstein 125f. |
| F628.1.1.3 | Strong man kills jaguar. S. A. Indian (Cashinawa): Métraux BBAE CXLIII (3) 687. |
| F628.1.1.4 | Strong man kills bear. Jewish: Neuman. |
| F628.1.1.5 | Strong man kills wolves in sea. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F628.1.2 | Man kills ox with flat of hand. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No 250. |
| F628.1.2.1 | Man kills cow with flat of hand. Africa (Duala): Lederbogen Märchen 144. |
| F628.1.2.2 | Man swings wild steer by horns round and round till it is stunned, casts it to ground. Jewish: Neuman. |
| F628.1.3 | Strong man kills great serpent. Eskimo (Greenland): Rink 116. |
| F628.1.3.1 | Man kills serpents, toads, dragons with own hands. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F628.1.3.2 | Child tears to pieces a live snake with his bare hands. (Cf. F611.3.2.) Greek: Fox 79 (Hercules); India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F628.1.4 | Strong hero kills aquatic animal with own hands. |
| F628.1.4.1 | Strong hero kills many crocodiles with own hands. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 1365. |
| F628.1.4.2 | Strong hero kills sharks with own hands. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 421. |
| F628.1.4.3 | Strong hero kills walrus with own hands. Eskimo (Greenland): Rasmussen III 263. |
| F628.1.5 | Strong man kills giant dog. Tonga: Gifford 137. |
| F628.1.6 | Strong hero fells two maddened elephants. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F628.2 | Strong man kills men. Dickson 180; Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| F628.2.1 | Strong man kills many men at once. *Boje 103; Irish myth: *Cross; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Jewish: Judges 14: 19 (Samson), *Neuman; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 417, Rarotonga: ibid. 253; Africa (Upoto): Einstein 126. |
| F628.2.2 | Strong man throws another from walls. Greek: *Frazer Apollodorus I 238 n. 3. |
| F628.2.3 | Strong man kills giant. Type 650* (Cf. F639.4.) Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: *Neuman; Eskimo (Greenland): Holm 38; S. A. Indian (Cashinawa): Métraux BBAE CXLIII (3) 686. |
| F628.2.4 | Army of strong men. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F628.2.5 | Strong man kills men with own hands. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F628.2.6 | Strong man kills many with hammer. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| F628.2.7 | Strong man uses man as weapon. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| F628.2.8 | Strong man kills robber with a snap of his finger. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| F628.2.10 | Strong man cleaves horse and rider in two with sword. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F628.3 | Strong man slays spectre. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F628.4 | Strong man's mighty spear-cast (sword blow). Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F628.4.1 | Strong man plunges sword into stone. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F628.5 | Strong hero wields many weapons at once. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F631 | Strong man carries giant load. (Cf. F531.3.10, F624.) Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F631.1 | Strong man drags mill. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "moulin". |
| F631.2 | Strong man carries off city gates. Jewish: Judges 16: 3, *Neuman. |
| F631.2.1 | Strong man carries off door-frame and frame of smoke-hole. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F631.3 | Strong man swims carrying fifty (many) companions. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F631.4 | Strong man carries ox on the back. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| F631.5 | Strong man carries heavy oxhide on the hand. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| F631.6 | Strong man carries huge beam. |
| F631.6.1 | Strong men knock on door with beam of twenty elbow-lengths. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| F631.6.2 | Man carries a beam eighteen feet in length and cuts path through jungle at same time. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F632 | Mighty eater. Eats whole ox at time, or the like. (Cf. X931.) *Cosquin Contes indiens 427ff.; Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 250.—Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 88, 93, Boberg; Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 419; Tonga: ibid. 271, Gifford 172f.; Marquesas: Handy 42; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (T-G. 3/620); S. A. Indian (Chiriguano): Métraux RMLP XXXIII 142; Africa (Fang): Tessman 117, (Wute): Sieber 117. |
| F633 | Mighty drinker. Drinks up whole pools of water, or the like. (Cf. X932.) *Type 513; BP II 79ff.; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys; Tonga: Gifford 159; Eskimo (West Hudson Bay): Boas BAM XV 259; N. A. Indian: Thompson CColl II 345ff.; Africa (Ba Ronga): Einstein 246. |
| F634 | Mighty fisherman. Palm tree as rod, elephant as bait. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F634.1 | Strong man bathing and diving in river catches thousands of fishes in his beard. (Cf. X1112.) Jewish: Neuman. |
| F635 | Remarkable spitter. Spits lake of soap. (Cf. F934). Italian: Basile Pentamerone I No. 5. |
| F636 | Remarkable thrower. (Cf. F531.3.2., F624.0.1, F624.3.1, F624.8, F628.2.2, F628.4, X943.) Irish myth: *Cross; Missouri French: Carrière; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 1172; Hawaii: Beckwith 421; Samoa: ibid. 254. |
| F636.1 | Remarkable thrower of iron. Makes field full of scissors. Italian: Basile Pentamerone I No. 5. |
| F636.2 | Remarkable thrower of chips. Makes forest. Italian: Basile Pentamerone I No. 5. |
| F636.3 | Remarkable pourer of water. Makes a river. Italian: Basile Pentamerone I No. 5. |
| F636.4 | Remarkable stone-thrower. Italian: Basile Pentamerone I No. 5; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| F636.4.1 | Hero throws up a stone: before it falls, he drinks a full jar empty. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F636.4.2 | Strong man catches stones hurled from catapults by enemy and throws them back upon the besiegers. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| F636.4.3 | Strong man's stone-throw carries away roof-timber. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F636.5 | Hero catches a giant jug and pitches it about. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F637 | Strong man holds back ship. Alphabet No. 493.—Jewish: Neuman. |
| F638 | Mighty archer. Buriat: Holmberg Siberian 428; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| F638.1 | Arrow shot thirty miles high. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F638.2 | Arrow shot down years after the shot. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| F638.3 | Man is waiting for bird to fall that he had shot eight days before. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F638.4 | Strong man shoots arrow as far as otherworld. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 1004. |
| F639 | Extraordinary powers—miscellaneous. |
| F639.1 | Mighty digger. |
| F639.1.1 | Mighty digger of tunnels. Africa (Hausa): Equilbecq II 171ff. |
| F639.1.2 | Strong man's finger digs into ground with such force that water gushes out. Jewish: Neuman. |
| F639.2 | Mighty diver. Can stay extraordinary time under water. Africa (Ziba): Rehse Zs. f. Kolonialspr. III 366f. No. 30, (Madagascar): Renel I 102ff. No. 15, (Malinke): Frobenius Atlantis VIII 145ff. No. 81. |
| F639.3 | Strong man's shield-cast annihilates fleeing enemy and chariot. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F639.4 | Strong man overcomes giant. (Cf. F628.2.3.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F639.5 | Strong man kicks through heavy door. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F639.6 | Strong man tears boat apart with hands. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F639.7 | Man presses out twelve measures of oil without the help of bullocks. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F639.8 | Palace shakes when strong man gets upon its roof. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F639.9 | Strong man crushes ribs of person he embraces. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F639.10 | Strong man's anger: bites brass rods in anger and spits them out as powder. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| F639.11 | Strong man grinds huge rocks into powder. Jewish: Neuman. |
| F639.12 | Nine hundred horses draw chariot in which strong man rides. Jewish: Neuman. |
| F640 | Extraordinary powers of perception. Penzer VI 285; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| F641 | Person of remarkable hearing. (Cf. X936.) *Type 513; BP II 79ff. *95; Fb "jord" II 45a; Irish myth: *Cross; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "ouie"; Italian: Basile Pentamerone I No. 5, III No. 8; Buriat: Holmberg Siberian 428. |
| F641.1 | Man can hear grass (wool) grow. *Type 513; Hdwb. d. Märchens I 432a n. 55; *BP II 95ff.; *Fb "høre" I 755b, IV 238b;—Icelandic: Boberg; Irish: Hyde Beside the Fire (London 1890) 23; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "avoine". |
| F641.2 | Man can hear ant leave nest fifty miles away. Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 190. |
| F641.3 | Man can hear one sleeping by putting ear to ground. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| F642 | Person of remarkable sight. (Cf. X938.) *Type 653; BP II 95, III 45ff.; Köhler-Bolte I 439; Hdwb. d. Märchens I 432b. n. 54; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 190. |
| F642.1 | Remarkable star-gazer. Sees birds in nest in distant tree. *Type 653; BP III 45, *57; Köhler-Bolte I 298f; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F642.2 | Person of remarkable sight finds tracks of swine stolen seven years before his birth. Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 190. |
| F642.3 | Person can see through opaque objects. |
| F642.3.1 | Person of remarkable sight can see through hearts of trees. Greek: Fox 26 (Lynkeus). |
| F642.3.2 | Remarkable sight of sage lets him see worm in loaf. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| F642.3.3 | Blind man is able to see two unborn rats within mother rat. Korean: Zong in-Sob. |
| F642.4 | Person sees equally well by night or day. Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 154, Boberg; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 886. |
| F642.5 | Man can see celestial nymphs dancing in divine world. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F642.6 | One-eyed barber sees thread of silk stretching to sea. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F642.7 | Person of remarkable sight can see the soul. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| F642.8 | Person sees enormous distance. Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 154, Boberg; Greek: Grote I 158; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 493. |
| F645 | Marvelously wise man. |
| F645.1 | Wise man answers all questions. Africa (Hausa): Equilbecq II 171ff. |
| F645.2 | Man knows exactly how many grains are in a measure. Jewish: Neuman. |
| F647 | Marvelous sensitiveness. *Penzer VI 219, 288, VII 204ff.; Icelandic: Herrmann Saxo II 265ff., *Boberg. |
| F647.1 | Marvelous sensitiveness: meat (wine) tastes of corpse. Has been near grave. Italian novella: Rotunda (J1661.1.8.); India: *Thompson-Balys, Penzer VI 288; Jewish: Neuman; Korean: Zong in-Sob 102 No. 55. |
| F647.1.1 | Extraordinary gustatory sense. Woman detects flavor of garlic in a sauce made in a mortar from which garlic has been removed. Spanish: Childers. |
| F647.2 | Marvelous sensitiveness: suffering from merely seeing work done. *Penzer VII 204ff. |
| F647.3 | Marvelous sensitiveness: injury from rose leaves falling. (Cf. F647.9.) *Penzer VII 204ff.; BP III 238. |
| F647.4 | Marvelous sensitiveness: women blush in presence of male statue. *Penzer VII 204ff.; BP III 238. |
| F647.4.1 | Marvelous sensitiveness: woman refuses to look at male fish. *BP III 238. |
| F647.5 | Marvelous sensitiveness: woman smells like a goat. She has been brought up on goat's milk. Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys, Penzer VI 219. |
| F647.5.1 | Marvelous sensitiveness: meat is dog's flesh. Animal has been suckled by a dog. *Type 655; *Gaster Exempla 195 No. 51; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F647.5.2 | Marvelous sensitiveness: food has been raised in particular kind of manure. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F647.5.3 | Marvelous sensitiveness: man recognizes milk of his stolen cows. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F647.6 | Marvelous sensitiveness: wine shows through woman's white throat. *Köhler-Bolte II 348ff.; *BP III 238. |
| F647.7 | Marvelous sensitiveness: ulcer from moon's rays. *BP III 238; Penzer VII 11. |
| F647.8 | Marvelous sensitiveness: fainting from noise of wooden pestle and mortar. *BP III 238. |
| F647.8.1 | Marvelous sensitiveness: fracture from hearing man chopping wood. *BP III 238. |
| F647.8.1.1 | Marvelous sensitiveness: stitch in side from being told about hearing a man chopping wood. *BP III 238. |
| F647.9 | Marvelous sensitiveness: blister on back from lying in rose leaves. (Cf. F647.3.) *BP III 238. |
| F647.9.1 | Prince thinks he has slept on a beam; a hair is found on lower bedding. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| F647.9.2 | Marvelous sensitiveness: man feels little point of simple thorn in middle of his clothes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F647.10 | Marvelous sensitiveness: man refuses to eat fifth descendent of stolen cow. Alphabet No. 301. |
| F647.11 | Marvelous sensitiveness: clarified butter was someone's leavings. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F647.12 | Girl (princess) so delicate she can live only on the perfume of flowers. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F648 | Extraordinary sympathy (telepathic) with wild animals. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F651 | Remarkable power to walk directly to nearest water. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F652 | Marvelous sense of smell. (Cf. F647.5.) Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| F652.1 | Man identifies picker of berries by their scent. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F652.2 | Man smells pots boiling 400 miles off. Jewish: Neuman. |
| F654 | Remarkable power of recognition. Man remembers all people he has met. (Cf. F692.) India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 908. |
| F655 | Extraordinary perception of blind men. |
| F655.1 | Blind man able to recognize real pearls by their smell, diamonds by touch, a good horse by screwing its ears, and raja of noble birth by his generosity. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F655.2 | Blind tiger recognizes by man's voice that he is a hypocrite. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F660 | Remarkable skill. *Types 653, 653*; BP III 45ff.; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F660.1 | Brothers acquire extraordinary skill. Return home and are tested. *Types 653, 654, 1525; *BP III 10, 45ff., 379ff., 390 n. 1; Italian: Basile Pentamerone V No. 7; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham. |
| F660.2 | Unskilled man made skillful by saint's blessing. *Loomis White Magic 72, 82. |
| F660.2.1 | Follower of a saint is miraculously made a famous preacher. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F661 | Skillful marksman. *Types 304, 653; *BP II 503ff., III 45ff.; Fb "skytte" III 350a; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "chasseur"; Italian: Basile Pentamerone I No. 5, III No. 8, V No. 7; India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 1071. |
| F661.1 | Skillful marksman shoots meat from giant's hands. *Type 304; *BP II 505. |
| F661.2 | Skillful marksman shoots pipe from man's mouth. Type 1708*. |
| F661.3 | Skillful marksman shoots apple from man's head. Tell. *Hdwb. d. Abergl. s.v. "Meisterschuss Tell"; Fb "æble" III 1136a; English: Child III 17f., 28; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| F661.3.1 | Skillful marksman shoots spear through nose-ring. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F661.4 | Skillful marksman shoots eggs scattered over table. *Type 653. |
| F661.4.1 | Archer shoots eggs through middle. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F661.4.2 | Archer shoots and marks egg in nest without breaking it or disturbing other eggs. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F661.4.3 | Skillful marksman can hit egg from great distance. Africa: Weeks Jungle 43. |
| F661.5 | Skillful marksman shoots animal (man) through eye. |
| F661.5.1 | Skillful marksman shoots serpent through left eye. Chinese: Werner 182. |
| F661.5.2 | Skillful marksman shoots bird through eye. *Fb "skytte" III 350a.—Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 1123. |
| F661.5.3 | Skillful marksman shoots left eye of fly at two miles. *Type 513. |
| F661.5.4 | Skillful marksman shoots both eyes of an ogre. Italian: Basile Pentamerone V No. 7. |
| F661.5.5 | Marvelous marksman can shoot eye off needle at quarter-mile distance. Korean: Zong in-Sob. |
| F661.6 | Skillful bowman shoots crater of Vesuvius open. *Fb "bue" IV 76b. |
| F661.7 | Skillful marksman throws needles. One enters eye of the other so as to form a straight line. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F661.7.1 | Skillful marksman throws rushes into a curtain. The first remains and each following one lodges in the one before and remains attached to it. Schoepperle Tristan and Isolt II 294. |
| F661.7.2 | Skillful marksman throws swords and scabbards so that swords are sheathed in air. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F661.7.3 | One arrow shot into end of last one to make rope of arrows. Melanesia: Codrington 373, 397. |
| F661.8 | Skillful marksman casts lance through ring. French Canadian: Barbeau JAFL XXIX 18, Carrière. |
| F661.8.1 | Skillful marksman casts lance through hole in leaf. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F661.9 | Skillful marksman grazes ear of sleeping person and awakens him. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| F661.9.1 | Husband shoots arrows, barely missing wife's ears. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F661.10 | Man shoots pearls from wife's nose-ring. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F661.11 | Skillful archer uses arrow as boomerang. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F661.12 | Hero shoots arrow and cuts thread. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F662 | Skillful tailor. |
| F662.0.1 | Woman skillful in sewing. Chinese: Graham. |
| F662.0.1.1 | Woman sews nine garments at a time with one needle. Chinese: Graham. |
| F662.1 | Skillful tailor sews up broken eggs. *Type 653; Africa: Weeks Jungle 43. |
| F662.1.1 | Birds hatched from broken eggs repaired by skillful tailor have red line around necks. This indicates where eggs were broken. *Type 653; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F662.2 | Skillful tailor sews together scattered planks in capsizing boat. *Type 653; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F662.3 | Skillful tailor sews bean together after bean has split from laughing. German: Grimm No. 18. |
| F663 | Skillful smith. (Cf. F271.3.) *Fb "smed" III 402ab; Krappe Archiv für das Studium der neueren Sprachen CLX (1931) 166ff., CLXI (1932) 1—9; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| F663.0.1 | Skillful smith calls self master of all masters. *Type 753; *BP III 198; *Fb "mester" II 584a. |
| F663.1 | Skillful smith shoes running horse. *Type 654; *BP III 10; *Wesselski Märchen 213 No. 20. |
| F663.2 | Clever smith makes needle that pierces anvil. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 1273. |
| F664 | Skillful flayer. |
| F664.1 | Skillful flayer skins running rabbit. *Type 654; *Wesselski Märchen 213 No. 20. |
| F664.1.1 | Woman flays running deer. Eskimo (Greenland): Rasmussen III 197. |
| F665 | Skillful barber. |
| F665.1 | Skillful barber shaves running hare. *Type 654; *BP III 10ff. |
| F666 | Skillful axe-man. Cuts down trees with single stroke, and the like. *Kittredge Gawain 199 n. 2; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F666.1 | Skillful axe-man makes spear-shafts with three chippings. Also at the same time sets them into the spear-rings. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F667 | Skillful fencer (swordsman). |
| F667.1 | Skillful fencer keeps sword dry in rain. Swings it so fast. *Type 654; *BP III 10ff. |
| F667.2 | Man able to strike every arrow with his sword and reduce it to splinters. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F667.3 | Expert swordsman cuts clothes bag in two. (Cf. F611.3.3.1) Chinese: Graham. |
| F668 | Skillful surgeon. Irish myth: *Cross; India: Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham. |
| F668.0.1 | Skillful physician. Irish myth: *Cross; Africa (Konde): Gemuseus und Berger ZsES XXIII 151f. No. 13. |
| F668.1 | Skillful surgeon removes and replaces vital organs. (Cf. X1721.2.) *Type 660; *BP II 552. |
| F668.2 | Skillful surgeon removes speck from midge's eye. Does it with one stroke without injuring midge. Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 190. |
| F668.3 | Man can transplant feather from one bird to another. Buriat: Holmberg Siberian 428. |
| F668.4 | Skillful surgeon can tell by whom wound was inflicted. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F668.5 | New arm made from another man's arm bone. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F671 | Skillful shipbuilder. Irish myth: Cross; Italian: Basile Pentamerone V No. 7. |
| F671.1 | Rapid boat-builder can build boat in twinkling of an eye. Africa (Hausa): Equilbecq II 171ff. |
| F673 | Man can keep together feathers in great wind. *Type 654; *Wesselski Märchen 213 No. 20. |
| F674 | Skillful painter. Can paint from description of a dream. Type 516; Rosch FFC LXXVII 97. |
| F675 | Ingenious carpenter. Penzer III 282—4, 296—300; Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
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