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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1776 | The sexton falls into the brewing-vat | The parson has illicit relations with the maid. The sexton falls from his hiding place into the brewing-vat. The parson and maid think it is the devil and flee [K1271.1.4]. The sexton gets the beer [K335]. Cf. Type 1360. | ||
| 1735 | 'Who gives his own goods shall receive it back tenfold' | The parson preaches from this text, and a peasant tests it by giving the parson a cow, which brings all the parson's cows back home with her [K366.1.1]. A quarrelarises over the cows and it is agreed that the man who can say »good morning» to the… | ||
| 1827 | You shall see me a little while longer | The parson takes a drink of liquor during the sermon. [X445.1]. Cf. Type 1698M. | ||
| 1833 | Other anecdotes of sermons | The parson: - »He stayed to hold the oxen.» [X435.2]. | ||
| 161 | Peasant Betrays Fox by Pointing | The peasant has hidden the fox in a basket, and promised not to tell. When the hunters come, he says, »The fox just went over the hill,« but points to the basket. [K2315]. | 161, 161A* | K2315., NA |
| 1675 | The ox (ass) as mayor | The peasant has his ox study. The man who is to teach the ox [K491] slaughters it and tells the peasant that it has gone to the city and become a merchant (mayor). The peasant goes to visit him, meets a man who is named Peter Ox (or the like) and… | , 1675 | J1882.2., K491. |
| 250 | Swimming Match of the Fish | The perch hangs on to the tail of the salmon and wins. Cf. Types 221, 275. | 250A | A2231.1.2. |
| 1501 | Aristoteles and Phyllis | The philosopher warns the king against luxoriousness. In revenge the queen beguiles the philosopher into letting her ride him on all-fours. The king comes and sees. [K1215]. | ||
| 516 | The Petrified Friend | The picture of the princess. She is carried off on a ship. The conversation of the ravens. The true servant transformed to stone. Brought back to life. I. The Prince Falls in Love. (a) A prince becomes enamored of a faraway princess by seeing her… | , 516, 516C | B211.3., C423.4., C961.2., D766.2., H1515., K1332., N342.1., N451., P361., S268., T11.3., T172.2. |
| 850 | The Moles of the Princess | The pipe and the dancing hogs.
|
, 850 | H315., H51.1., H525., K1358., K443.6. |
| 1940 | The Extraordinary Names | The place where animals and things have extraordinary names. | 1940 | X1506. |
| 1263 | The Porridge Eaten in Different Rooms | The porridge in one, the milk in another [J2167]. | 1263 | J2167. |
| 1781 | Sexton's Own Wife Brings her Offering | The priest grants to the sexton the offerings brought by all women whom the priest has loved. The priest always calls out »Take» when these women offer. The sexton's own wife comes. The priest calls out »Take!» (Cf. Q384.) [K1541]. | ||
| 1745 | Three words at the grave | The priest made sick of his bargain. A poor man in return for a steer gets permission from the priest to speak three words at the burial of his enemy, the rich man. Priest: »From the earth are you come.» Man: »Now the steer is dead.» Priest: »In… | ||
| 810 | The devil loses a soul that was promised him | The priest permits the man who is promised to the devil to spend the night in the church, and draws a ring around him. The devil cannot tempt him outside the ring. | , 810, 810A* | D1381.11., G303.16.19.15., G303.16.19.4., G303.9.1.6., K218.1., S211. |
| 1840 | At the blessing of the grave the parson's ox breaks loose | The priest steals a ham but promises to pray for the man he has stolen it from. Priest: O God curse the man who lost the ham and bless him who stole it. | ||
| 401 | The Princess Transformed into a Deer | The prince a-hunting. Disenchants princess by spending three nights in a deserted castle. Quest for departed wife, as in Type 400. Cf. Type 400 (I e, II b, c, III i, V, VI). | ||
| 851 | The Riddle of the Suitor | The prince saved by his true servant in a robber's den. The poisoned raven. The riddle from the hero's own experiences. He wins the princess's hand. Cf. Types 516518. I. The Riddle Contest. A princess is offered in marriage to the youth who can… | , 851 | H117., H342., H551., H565., H721.1., H734., H762., H792., H802., H81.2. |
| 502 | The Wild Man | The prince sets the prisoner free. The latter becomes his servant and helper. (The Ride on the Glass Mountain; cf. Type 530. Rescue of the Princess from the Dragon, cf. Type 300. Service as Shepherd; War or Other Adventures). The youth wins the… | , 502 | G671., R222. |
| 430 | Prince Donkey | The prince transformed to an ass. Plays a lyre and is entertained at king's court. Becomes husband of a princess who disenchants him. For analysis see Type 425 (I a, II b). | , 430 | 641.4., D721.3., T554. |
| 585 | Spindle, Shuttle, and Needle | The prince will marry the girl who is at once the poorest and the richest [H1311.2]. She possesses marvelous heirlooms: a spindle that brings the prince to her [D1425.1], a needle that transforms the room [D1337.1.7], a shuttle that makes a magic… | , 585 | D1337.1.7., D1425.1., D1484.1., H1311.2. |
| 434 | The Stolen Mirror. | The princess as doctor cures the lovesick prince. A youth receives magic power from his teacher. Through its use he goes to a distant land where he steals from a beautiful princess her mirror an her picture. He returns home and takes sick from love.… | , 434 | D700., H1233.1., H1385.5., T24.1. |
| 559 | The Princess’ Laugh | The princess made to laugh. Making an absurd parade. Later forcing the noble suitor out of his bridal bed. Cf. Types 571-574, 621. I. Making Princess Laugh. (a) A princess has been offered to the man who can make her laugh. (b) The hero accomplishes… | , 559 | B571., B582.2., F591., H341., H982., L161., T171., T68. |
| 306 | The Twelve Dancing Princesses | The princess's nightly visits to the supernatural being. A youth who follows her and wins her hand. Cf. Type 507. I. Princess as Prize. (a) A princess is offered to the man who can find why her shoes are danced to pieces each morning. II. Discovery… | , 306 | D1980., D2131., F1015.1.1.1.1., H508.2.2., H80., K625.1.1., L161. |
| 707 | The Bird of Truth | The queen bears marvelous children. They are stolen away. The queen is banished. The quest for the speaking bird, the singing tree, and the water of life. | , 707 | H1381.2.2.1., H71.1., H71.2., H71.3., K2110.1., K2115., L162., N201., R131.2., S301. |
| 408 | The Three Lemons | The quest for the Orange Princess. The false bride. I. The Old Woman's Curse. A young prince insolently throws a stone and breaks an old woman's oil jar. She utters a curse: he is to fall in love with the three oranges (lemons, pomegranates,… | , 408 | D610., D721.5., J1791., K1911.2.2., K1911.3., S375. |
| 73 | Blinding the Guard | The rabbit, imprisoned in a hollow tree, induces his guard to look up at him. He spits tobacco juice into the guard's eyes and blinds the guard, and thus effects his escape. | 73 | K621. |
| 175 | The Tarbaby and the Rabbit | The rabbit, who has been stealiug fruit from a garden, is captured by means of a tarbaby, an image with tar. The rabbit tries to make the tarbaby talk and finally becomes so angry that he strikes it. He sticks to the tarbaby and is captured. Usually… | 175 | K741. |
| 1891 | The Great Rabbit-Catch | The rabbits freeze their feet fast to the ice at night [X1115.1]. | 1891B*, 1893A* | NA, X1114.1. |
| 1035 | Clearing out Manure | The rascal digs a hole [K1424] or piles manure high [K1424.1]. | ||
| 1544 | The man who got a night's lodging | The rascal feigns deafness and eats the best food. He accepts the hospitality before it is offered [K1981.1]. He takes the man's horse out of the stable and puts his own in. He is to pay for his lodging with a goat skin; he takes one of the man's own… | , 1544, 1544A* | K1572., K1981.1., K258., K942., NA |
| 1001 | Cutting Wood | The rascal has a magic cat (snake) in the woodpile. The axe goed into the wood only when the cat gets out. He thus avoids cutting the wood. | ||
| 1740 | Candles on the Crayfish | The rascal puts burning candles on the backs of the crayfish. The parson and sexton think them the souls of the dead. He robs them meanwhile. [K335.0.5.1]. | ||
| 1530 | Holding up the Rock | The rascal puts his shoulder under a great rock and pretends to hold it up. He persuades a man to take his place and then runs away with the dupe's goods. [K125.1]. Cf. Types 9A, 1731. | 1530 | K1251. |
| 1083 | Duel with Long Poles or Cudgels | The rascal with the short pole comes to the ogre and beats him. Then they exchange. The rascal again punishes him. Suggests that he can protect himself by going into the pig-sty. The ogre goes and the rascal beats him through a hole in the wall.… | ||
| 480 | The Kind and the Unkind Girls | The real daughter and the stepdaughter by the spring, or the rolling cake. Cf. Types 403, 510A. I. Kind and Unkind Girls. (a) A real daughter and a stepdaughter or two sisters or (c) other girls, one kind and one unkind, go from home, the kind girl… | , 480 | D1860., H934.3., H935., L211., N791., Q2., Q41., Q41.2., S31. |
| 160 | Grateful Animals ; Ungrateful Man | The rescue from the pit. A traveler saves a monkey, a snake, a tiger, and a jeweler from a pit. The monkey gives him fruit; the tiger a necklace of the princess he has killed. The jeweler accuses the rescuer before the king. The serpent saves him by biting the prince and then showing the man the proper remedy. | 160 | W154.8. |
| 566 | Fortunatus | The return of the objects is brought about with an apple, the eating of which causes horns to grow. I. The Magic Objects. (a) Three men each receive from a mannikin or from enchanted princess a magic object: (b) a self-filling purse (mantle), a… | , 566, 580* | D1451., D1475.1., D1520.11., D812., D861.6., D895., D992.1. |
| 1531 | The Man Thinks he has Been in Heaven | The rich lord puts fine clothes on a drunken peasant and gives him good food and drink. [J2322]. Cf. Types 1313A*, 1526. | ||
| 836 | Pride is Punished | The rich man boasts that God has not the power to make him poor [C454]. While the man is at church, his property burns and he returns home a poor man [L412]. Cf. Types 736A, 830. | , 836F* | D1323.5., D1331.3.1. |
| 815 | The Deceased Rich Man and the Devils in the Church | The rich man's money is buried in his skin in the grave. The devil comes to see the money. The cobbler draws a circle about him [D1381.11] to keep the devil off; takes the money and nails the devil fast. | , 815, 815* | C12.2., D1381.11., G303.22.11., K210., K218.1., Q45.2. |
| 564 | The Two Marvelous Pitchers | The rich neighbor steals the magic objects. By means of the sack the hero compels the return of the purse. For analysis see Type 563: 1 a, b, c, e; II c, d. | , 564 | D1030.1., D1193., D1401.1., D861. |
| 954 | The Forty Thieves | The robbers come with seven casks into the house. In one cask is oil, in the others men are hidden. [K312]. The girl kills the robbers. | , 676, 954 | D1552.2., F721.4., K312., N455.3., N471., N478., N512. |
| 1526 | The Old Beggar and the Robbers | The robbers dress an old beggar up in fine clothes. They take him in front of the shopkeeper's house. Get many goods on the credit of the fine gentleman. Disappear with the goods and leave the old man behind. [K455.3]. Cf. Types 1531, l920E. | , 1526A | K455.1., K455.2. |
| 755 | Sin and grace | The rose from the stone table. The preacher's wife magically prevents the birth of her children. Since she throws no shadow, her husband casts her forth as a sinner until a rose shall grow from a stone table. A churchman takes the woman at night into… | ||
| 768 | St Christopher and the Christ child | The saintly ferryman. He carries the child across the stream. The child becomes heavier with each step, but the saint still carries him. The child reveals himself as Christ. [Q25]. | 768 | Q25. |
| 1382 | The Peasant Woman at Market | The sale of the cow. The woman made drunk or is to give a pawn; cf. Type 1385. Doesn't know herself any more; cf. Type 1383. The husband fishes in the street and thus discovers the buyer of the cow. [J1149.2]. | ||
| 1456 | The blind fiancée | The search for the needle. The girl mistakes the dish for a cat. The blindness is thus discovered. [K1984.5]. | , 1456 | K1225., K1984.5. |
| 1741 | Trickster Wives and Maids | The servant who has eaten the chickens tells the guest to flee because the priest is going to cut off his ears, and he tells the priest the guest has stolen two chickens [K2137]. The priest runs after him crying, »Give me at least one of them.» | ||
| 1831 | The Parson and Sexton at Mass | The Sexton has been sent to steal the lamb. At mass the priest and sexton discuss the theft in antiphony: »Did you get the lamb-a-a-a-a?» »I didn't get it; I got a hell of a beating a-a-a-a.» [X441]. (In Catholic stories the antiphonies are made… |
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