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Aarne–Thompson–Uther index
About this index and how to read it
The ATU index classifies international folktales by type. Each row gives the type number, its title and summary, followed by the references it inherits: Arne Thompson is the earlier Aarne–Thompson type number, and Thompson lists the motif references from Thompson's Motif-Index of Folk-Literature associated with that type.
Cross-references inside a summary open the relevant tale-type or motif record. Thompson motif references in the final column are linked directly to the corresponding entry in the Stith Thompson Motif Index when that reference exists in the database. Any column heading can be clicked to sort by it, and clicking again reverses the order. Following a type number opens that type on its own page.
| ATU | Title | Summary ▲ | Arne Thompson | Thompson |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1330 | Quenching the Burning Boat | People row to land and fetch water from a spring to put out the fire. [J2162.3]. | ||
| 1296 | Fool's Errand | People sent to get imaginary things. (Left-handed monkey wrench and the like.) [J2346]. | 1296 | J2346. |
| 759 | God's Justice Vindicated – The Angel and the Hermit | People will not take sacrament from him. Another priest (God) shows that even this priest is according to God's will. [V39.3]. Cf. Type 756E*. | , 759 | C411.1., C491., J225.0.1., J225.0.2., J225.3., J225.4., J225.5., U21.3. |
| 791 | The Saviour and Peter in night-lodgings | Peter is twice beaten. Peter and Christ are sleeping in the same bed. The drunken host returns home and beats Peter. Peter changes places with Christ. The host then comes in to beat the other lodger. Peter again receives the blows. [K1132]. In French… | 791 | K1132. |
| 774 | Jests About Christ and Peter | Peter made ridiculous. | ||
| 1119 | Ogres Kill Their Own Children | Places changed in bed (night-caps) [K1611]. Cf. Type 327 B. | 1119 | K1611. |
| 700 | Tom Thumb | Plowing. The king buys the boy. In thieves' company. In the belly of the cow and of the wolf. Cf. Type 327B. I. The Hero's Birth. A childless couple wish for a child, however small he may be; they have a boy the size of a thumb [F535.1.]. II. His… | , 700 | F535.1., F535.1.1.1., F535.1.1.11., F535.1.1.8., F535.1.1.9., F911.3.1., F913. |
| 1693 | The Literal Fool - the Burning of Lanka | Pots broken; fire set. A fool (or trickster) follows instructions literally and disastrously. He is taken before a judge or rajah, but is freed. (a) An oil seller tells a fool (or a trickster), who has spilled a little oil, that spilt oil brings good… | 1693 | J2450. |
| 59 | Fox and the Sour Grapes | Pretends that the grapes he cannot reach are sour. | 59 | J871. |
| 1806 | Will Lunch with Christ | Priest tells condemned man after confession that he will dine with Christ that evening. The mule that carries him to the scaffold goes very fast and the criminal says, »At this rate I shall lunch with Christ.» [J1261.3]. | ||
| 860 | Nuts of "Ay ay ay!" | Princess offered to man who brings a glass of all waters, a bouquet of all flowers and nuts of ay, ay, ay! Hero brings seawater, a beehive and hazelnut with thorns so that the king cries »Ay, ay, ay!» [H1377.1, H1377.2, H1377.3]. | ||
| 165 | The wolf in the company of saints | Promises to give up slaying animals. After wringing the gander's neck, excuses himself, saying: »He should not have hissed at the saint.« [K2055.1]. | ||
| 461 | Three Hairs of the Devil | Prophecy, Urias letter, and resultant marriage; cf. Type 930. I. Introduction. Prophecy that a youth is to become the king's son-in-law. Vain attempts to prevent the marriage. II. Quest for Devil's Hairs. (a) The hero is sent on a quest to hell to… | , 461 | A1111., G530.1., H1273.2., H1291., P413.1.1., Q521.5. |
| 762 | Woman with three hundred and sixty-five children | Punished for self-righteous condemnation of unchaste girl. [L435.2.1]. | , 762 | L435.2.1., T586.1., T587.1. |
| 1393 | The Single Blanket | Quarreling women left by their husbands in very cold room with a single blanket use it together and are reconciled. | ||
| 550 | The Golden Bird | Quest for the wonderful bird. With the help of an animal (wolf fox) the youngest brother succeeds. On his return he saves his brothers, who betray him. See analysis below: I a, b; II; III a, b; IV; V. ANALYSIS Types 550 and 551. I. Object of the… | , 550 | B184.1., B313., B435.1., B560., H1242., H1331.1., K1932., L13., L161., N711.3., W154.12.3. |
| 30 | The Fox Tricks the Wolf into Falling into a Pit | Race. | 30 | NA |
| 310 | Rapunzel | Rapunzel. The hair ladder for the witch. The prince is blinded. I. Promise of Child. To appease a witch whom he has offended, a man promises her his child when it is born. II. The Hair Ladder. (a) The girl is imprisoned in a windowless tower which… | , 310 | D642.7.7., F555., F848.1.1., G204., G279.2.2., N455., R41.2.2., S221.1.1. |
| 778 | To Sacrifice a Giant Candle | Refusal to make sacrifice after need is past. In distress a person promises a sacrifice to a god (saint) but disregards the promise when the danger passes. [K231.3, K231.3.1]. | ||
| 311 | Rescue by the Sister | Rescue by the Sister, who deceives the ogre into carrying the girls in a sack (chest) back to their home. Cf. Types 312, 1132.
|
, 311 | C611., C913., G561., K525., R11.1.1., R157.1.1. |
| 950 | Rhampsinitus | Rhampsinitus. The theft in the treasury (bank). The head of one of the thieves cut off. The other thief (brother) sought in vain. The lamentation of the relatives betrays the thief, etc. Cf. Type 1525. I. Theft from the treasury. (a) The king's… | , 950 | H58., J1142.4., J1143., K315.1., K332., K407.1., K415., K425., K730. |
| 956 | Robbers' Heads Cut Off by One as They Enter House | Robbers' Heads Cut off One by One as they Enter House [K912]. Cf. Type 304. | 956A | K912. |
| 1146 | Millstones | Said to be pearls of hero's mother. | 1146 | K1718.2. |
| 1133 | Making the ogre strong (by castration) | Same as Type 153 with the ogre in place of the bear. | , 1133 | K1012.1., K1012.2., K241. |
| 211 | The hog who was so tired of his daily food | Schwarzer Tod im "Stipelloch" gefangen (entkommt später) | 211 | J1612. |
| 37 | The fox as shepherd | Search for a nursemaid (or mourning-woman). Fox takes service and eats up the young bears. | 37, 37* | K931. |
| 612 | The Three Snake-Leaves | See analysis of 612. II. (c) The wife is bitten by a snake and dies. III. (a) The man and his wife are separated. (b) The husband becomes an adviser to the king. (c) The wife, who has become a prostitute or dancer, pleases the king and is granted a… | , 612 | B491.1., B512., D1500.1.4., E105., E165., K2213.2., K2213.5., M254., P361., S142. |
| 178 | The Faithful Animal Rashly Killed | See AT 0178A and AT 0178B. | 178, 178A | B331.2., NA |
| 1152 | The Ogre Overawed by Displaying Objects | See Type 1161A. A man or men, hiding in a house, try to overawe an ogre by claiming to be even greater ogres. The ogre demands proof. The men poke through the door or window, objects which they have accidentally picked up on their journey and the… | ||
| 1000 | Bargain not to become angry | See Type AT 0650A (incident III c. See also Type AT 1351) Note: Type 1000 is usually combined with one or more other types, especially AT 1000-1029 and also, AT 1060, 1062, 1088, 1115, 1386, 1653, 1725. | , 1000 | F613.3., K172. |
| 1316 | Rabbit Thought to be a Cow | Servant sent to bring in cows is found chasing rabbits. [J1757]. Cf. Type 570. | , 1316 | J1751., J1754., J1755., J1757. |
| 1231 | The Actack on the Hare (Crayfish) | Seven men make strenuous plans for the attack on the fierce animal. One screams with fright and the animal runs away. [J2612]. Cf. Type 103. | 1231 | J2612. |
| 1640 | The Valiant Little Tailor | Seven with one stroke. While fleeing defeats the enemy (the sign-post on his arm). Kills wild boar. Also incidents belonging to the stupid ogre and the clever man | , 1640 | H38.2.1., J1115.4., K1082., K1112., K18.3., K1951.1., K1951.2., K1951.3., K525.1., K61., K62., K63., K71., K72., K771. |
| 226 | The Goose Teaches the Fox to Swim | Shakes him off in the water. | ||
| 1855 | Jokes about Jews | She bears a girl. [J2336]. | ||
| 870 | The Princess in the Underground Cave | She digs herself out: serves at the king's castle. Takes the place of the bride at the wedding. The conversation with the horse, the bridge, the churchdoor. I. Imprisoned Princess. Because of her faithfulness to her betrothed, a princess along with… | , 870, 870A | H13.1., H13.2., H15.1., H151.5., H411.1., H90., H92., K1816.0.2., K1831., K1843.1., K1911.3., R211., R45., T55. |
| 1477 | The wolf steals the old maid | She keeps him for a husband [X755]. | ||
| 228 | The Titmouse Tries to be as Big as a Bear | She ruffles up her feathers but does not succeed in fooling her young. But in her own form she flies into the bear's ear and kills him. | 228 | L315.1. |
| 93 | The Master Taken Seriously | She-fox and her children do not flee from the vineyard until owner begins in earnest to root it out. (Also told of other animals.) | 93 | J1031. |
| 201 | The Lean Dog Prefers Liberty to Abundant Food and a Chain | Sie hielt allein Prozession, als die Menschen dies versäumten (als über den Prozessionsweg Streit war). | 201 | L451.3. |
| 291 | Deceptive Tug-of-war | Small animal challenges two large animals to a tug-of-war. Arranges it so that they unwittingly pull against each other (or one end of rope is tied to a tree). | 291 | K22. |
| 1911 | Cart as Legs | Small cart serves as back legs for crippled sow. Pigs have also these carts. (Similar stories about other animals.) [X1202.1]. | 1911A | X1721.1. |
| 1183 | Washing Black Cloth White: Task for Devil | Sometimes cattle, wool, black man. [H1023.6]. Gf. Types 480, 1312. | ||
| 838 | The Bad Rearing | Son on gallows bites his mother's (father's) nose off: punishment for neglect in youth. [Q586]. Cf. Type 756B. | 838 | Q586. |
| 1169 | Changing Heads wih the Devil | St. Peter accidentally strikes off heads of the devil and an old man. Trying to undo the damage he places heads back on wrong bodies. Cf. Type 774A. [A1371.1, E34]. | , 1169 | A1371.1., E34. |
| 2320 | Rounds | Stories which begin over and over again and repeat. [Z17]. Cf. Type 2013. | ||
| 403 | The White and the Black Bride | Strawberries under the snow, etc. The real daughter bride of the king. A child born. The stepmother throws the child into the water, etc. | , 403 | D1454.2., D161.2., D1860., D1870., H1023.3., K1911., M431.2., Q261., S31., S432. |
| 1453 | Bride test: key in flax reveals laziness | Suitor hides key in flax on spinning wheel. Finds it there next day. [H382.1]. | 1453 | H382.1. |
| 298 | Wind and sun | Sun by warmth causes traveler to remove coat, while the wind by violent blowing causes him to pull it closer around him. | 298, 298C* | J832., L351. |
| 294 | The Months and the Seasons | Symbolic actions. | 294 | NA |
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