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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1160 | The ogre in the haunted castle. Beard caught fast | Beard caught fast. Cf. Type 326. | ||
| 1161 | The Bear Trainer and His Cat | The bear drives the ogre from the room. »Is the big cat still living?» Cf. Type 957. A man with a bear passes the night in a place frequented by ogres. The ogres come, discover the bear, think it is a cat, and try to feed it. The bear chases them… | 1161 | K1728. |
| 1162 | The Iron Man and the Ogre | In order to save the king's daughter from the ogre an iron man is forged. The ogre is driven away. [K1756]. | ||
| 1163 | The Ogre Teaches the Smith how to Use Sand in Forging Iron | The ogre blames the smith for his stupidity. Since then smiths have used sand. [G651]. | ||
| 1164 | The evil woman thrown into the pit | The ogre comes out, since he cannot remain below with her. [K2325, T251.1.4]. | , 1164 | T251.1.2.1., T251.1.2.2. |
| 1165 | The troll and the christening | A farmer is on friendly terms with a troll whom he does not wish to invite to his child's christening, knowing the troll's appetite. Not wishing to offend him, he sends to invite him; but he is to say that among the guests will be found the Virgin… | 1165 | K1736. |
| 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. |
| 1170 | The Evil Woman in the Glass Case as Last Commodity | The man is to belong to the ogre as soon as he has sold his goods. If he has any goods that no one will buy, he is to be free. The man puts an evil old woman in a glass case. When the devil sees her he recognizes her: »Whoever knows her will refuse… | 1170 | K216.1. |
| 1171 | A Rabbit in Each Net | The man is to belong to the devil if the latter can catch a rabbit in each of hundred nets set in high trees. [H1024.3]. | ||
| 1175 | Straightening a Curly Hair | No examples in the Database yet | 1175 | H1023.4. |
| 1178 | The Devil Outriddled | Boy promised to the devil saves himself by giving riddles or enigmatic tasks that the devil cannot solve or perform. [G303. 16.19.3]. | ||
| 1179 | The ogre on the ship | Must pump out the water (the whole sea). [H1023.5]. | 1179 | H1023.5. |
| 1180 | Catching Water in a Sieve | The ogre and the girl [H1023.2]. Cf. Type 480. | 1180 | H1023.2. |
| 1181 | Sticks from the Body | The ogre will help the man only in exchange for a part of the man's body. The man gives him a paring from his finger nail. [H1021.7]. | ||
| 1182 | The Level Bushel | The student is to come into the devil's power if at the end of a year he does not at least return for the heaping bushel of gold a level one. The student forthwith hands back the level bushel and keeps the surplus. [K223]. | ||
| 1183 | Washing Black Cloth White: Task for Devil | Sometimes cattle, wool, black man. [H1023.6]. Gf. Types 480, 1312. | ||
| 1184 | The Last Leaf | The man is to pay the devil when the last leaf falls from the oak tree. It never falls. [K222, cf. K221]. | ||
| 1185 | The First Crop | The man to pay the devil when he harvests his first crop. He plants acorns. | 1185 | K221. |
| 1186 | With his whole heart | The judge carried off. (The Devil and the Advocate.) The devil refuses to take things not offered him with the whole heart. He hears the judge (advocate) cursed for fraud with such sincerity that he carries him off. [M215]. | ||
| 1188 | "Come Tomorrow." | The devil keeps calling daily until the gate with the inscription rots. He then claims his debtor. [K231.12.1]. Cf. Type 332D*. | ||
| 1191 | Devil's Bridge | Unwitting bargain with devil evaded by driving dog over bridge first. The child has been unwittingly promised (the first thing that goes over the bridge). [S241.1]. | 1191 | S241.1. |
| 1199 | The Lord's Prayer | The man about to be taken by the Devil or Death begs respite long enough to repeat the Lord's Prayer for the last time. The Devil must wait. [K551.1]. Cf. Types 122A, 227, 332, 955. | , 1199 | K551.1., K555.2. |
| 1200 | The Sowing of Salt | The numskull sows it like grain and expects it to produce salt [J1932.3], or plants a cow's tail to produce calves [J1932.4.1]. | , 1200 | J1932.1., J1932.2., J1932.3., J1932.4. |
| 1201 | The plowing | Four men carry the horse in order not to tramp up the field [J2163]. | 1201 | J2163. |
| 1202 | The Grain Harvesting | The grain is shot down with guns. When the unknown sickle is bought and tried, one man is cut with it. As punishment it is drowned. Cf. Type 1650. | 1202 | J2196. |
| 1203 | The Scythe Cuts one Man's Head off | All have theirs cut off. [J2422]. | ||
| 1204 | Fool Keeps Repeating his Instructions so as to remember them | He usually forgets them [J2671.2]. Cf. Type 1687. | ||
| 1211 | The Peasant Woman Thinks the Cow Chewing her Cud is Mimicking Her | Kills the cow. [J1835]. | ||
| 1212 | The Horse is Drawn across the Ice | Its skin is rubbed off [J1972]. | ||
| 1213 | The Pent Cuckoo | Fools build an enclosure to keep in the cuckoo. She flies over the hedge. They say that they have not built the hedge high enough. [J1904.2]. | 1213 | J1904.2. |
| 1214 | The Persuavive Auctioner | The auctioneer praises the man's worthless cow so much in his speech that the man takes her back himself [J2087]. | 1214 | J2087. |
| 1215 | The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey | Asinus Vulgi. Miller blamed when he follows his son on foot; when he takes the son's place on the ass; when he takes the son behind him; and when he puts the son in front of him. [J1041.2]. | , 1215 | J1041., J1041.2. |
| 1218 | Numskull Sits on Eggs to Finish Hatching | Cautions people to be quiet and not frighten the eggs. (Sometimes puts on honey and feathers before sitting on the eggs.) [J1902.1]. Cf. Type 1677. | , 1218 | J1902.1., K1253. |
| 1225 | The man without a head in the bear's den | A man's head is snatched off by accident and his companions do not see what has happened. Debate: did he ever have a head? [J2381]. | J2381. | |
| 1226 | The Rabbit Catch | The trap on the stable roof. Cf. Type 1171. | ||
| 1227 | One woman to catch the squirrel; the other to get the cooking pot | One falls from the tree and kills herself; the other breaks the pot. [J2661.3]. | 1227 | J2661.3. |
| 1228 | Shooting with a Gun | A man looks down the gun-barrel as it is shot [J2131.4.1]. Cf. Type 1158. | ||
| 1229 | If the Wolf's Tail Breaks | Trickster and companion are wolf hunting. The companion goes into the wolf hole. The wolf comes out. The other catches the wolf by the tail and the wolf scratches dust into the companion's eyes. »What a dust.» - »If the wolf's tail breaks, you… | 1229 | X1133.3.2. |
| 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. |
| 1238 | The Roof in Good and Bad Weather | The man does not need a roof when it is fair; cannot put it on when it rains. [J2171.2.1]. Cf. Types 43, 81. | ||
| 1240 | Man sitting on branch of tree cuts it off | Een poep wil een klokketouw stelen. Hij klimt erin en snijdt het boven zijn hoofd af [cf. J2133.4]. | 1240 | J2133.4. |
| 1241 | The tree is to be pulled down | Fools try to save tree on cliff. All on rope pull out tree. It pulls them down into pit. | 1241A | na |
| 1242 | Loading the wood | A rider takes the meal-sack on his shoulder to relieve the ass of his burden. | 1242, 1242A | J1874.1., J2213.4. |
| 1243 | The wood is carried down the hill | Then carried back up in order to roll it down [J2165]. | ||
| 1245 | Sunlight carried in a bag into the windowless house | When this plan does not succeed they gradually pull down the house in order to get light. | 1245 | J2123. |
| 1246 | The Axes Thrown Away | The first lets his axe fall. The others throw theirs into the same place [J2171.4]. | ||
| 1247 | The Man Sticks his Head into the Hole of the Millstone | It rolls into the lake. [J2131.5.4]. Cf. Type 1241. | ||
| 1249 | Oxen Hitched Before and Behind Wagon | Cf. Type 801. | ||
| 1250 | Bringing Water from the Well | A log is laid across the top of the well. One man holds to the log with his hands, the next climbs down and holds to his feet, and so on; the uppermost man becomes tired and lets go to spit on his hands. [J2133.5]. Cf. Type 121. | 1250, 1250A | J2133.5., J2133.6.1. |
| 1255 | A hole to throw the earth in | Numskull plans to dig a hole so as to have a place to throw the earth from his excavations. [J1934]. | 1255 | J1934. |
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