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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 855 | The Substitute Bridegroom | Cf. Type 870. A handsome youth is hired to take the place of a oneeyed (or crippled) prince (merchant's son) at the latter's wedding. The bride falls in love with the hero and refuses the oneeyed prince. [K19.5.3]. (a) The hero escapes with the… | ||
| 960 | The Sun Brings All to Light | The murderer repeats as he sees the ray of the sun the last words of the dying man [D1715]. In this way the crime is brought to light [N271.1]. Or the murder is revealed by the unusual names of boys [N271.2]. Cf. Types 883C, 1376C*, 1530*. | , 960, 960A | D1715., N271.1., N271.3. |
| 437 | The Supplanted Bride (The Needle Prince) | The maiden finds a seemingly dead prince whose body is covered with pins and needles and begins to remove them, or she must weep a jug full of tears or spend three sleepless nights by the coffin [D762, D759.7]. As the task is almost completed she… | ||
| 1096 | The tailor and the ogre in a sewing contest | The ogre sews with the whole length of the thread. When he returns from the first stitch, the tailor has his task ready. | 1096 | K47.1. |
| 800 | The Tailor in Heaven | In God's absence, Peter lets an unworthy tailor into heaven. The tailor throws Gods footstool at an old woman thief on earth. He si expelled from heaven. | , 800 | A661.0.1.2., F1037.1., L435.3., P441.1. |
| 1381 | The talkative wife and the discovered treasure | The wood-cock in the fish-net and the fish in the bird-trap. The woman under the bath tub (for fear of rumored war). The woman is considered mad and the man can keep his treasure. The husband has foolishly told his talkative wife of discovered… | 1381, 1381B, 1381C, 1381D, 1381E | H472.1., J1151.1.1., J1151.1.3., J2353., NA |
| 622 | The Talking Bed-Legs | The king purchases a bed. During the night the legs of the bed speak and warn him of dangers or assist in other ways. [D1154.1.1, D1317.11, D1380.12, D1402.17, D1610.17.1, N454.1]. - Cf. Franklin Edgerton Vikrama's Adventures or the Thirty-Two Tales… | ||
| 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. |
| 1842 | The Testament of the Dog | The owner of a dog has him given Christian burial. The bishop thereupon pretends that the dog has left the church a large legacy. [J1607]. | ||
| 1 | The theft of fish | The fox plays dead; a man throws him on his wagon of fish. The fox throws the fish off and carries them away. The wolf imitates and is caught. | 1, 1* | K371.1., NA |
| 591 | The Thieving Pot | A peasant exchanges his cow [N421, D851] for a magic pot that brings him bread, beer, money, etc. from his rich neighbors [D1605.1, D1412.2]. | ||
| 360 | The Three Apprentices and the Devil | They receive money in return for the devil's power over them [M211]. The host of the inn kills a man and the boys are accused. They have pledged themselves always to say the same words: »we three,» »for gold» »that was right» [C495.2.1, M175].… | , 360 | C495.2.2., K217. |
| 171 | The Three Bears | No examples in the Database yet | ||
| 654 | The Three Brothers | The father has them trained. Trial of their handiwork. The fighting master swings his sword so fast that it does not become wet in a heavy rain; the barber shaves a running hare; the blacksmith shoes a horse while it is galloping. | , 654 | F660.1., F663.1., F665.1., F667.1. |
| 660 | The Three Doctors | The hog's heart, the thief's hand, the cat's eye. The three doctors make a trial of their skill [H504]. One removes one of his eyes, one his heart, and the other a hand [F668.1]. They are to replace them without injury the next morning [E782]. During… | , 660 | E780.2., E781.3., E782.1.1., E787., F668.1., H504. |
| 1591 | The Three Joint Depositors | Money is left with a banker by three joint depositors. The money is to be delivered only on demand from all three. One of the men steals the money. The others sue the banker for the money. He agrees to deliver it when all three jointly demand it.… | 1591 | J1161.1. |
| 301 | The Three Kidnapped Princesses | I. The Hero is of supernatural origin and strength: (a) son of a bear who has stolen his mother; (b) of a dwarf or robber from whom the boy rescues himself and his mother; (c) the son of a man and a she-bear or cow; or (e) engendered by the eating of… | , 301, 301A, 301B, 301D* | B11.11.11., B322.1.1., B631., F102.1.1., F451.5.2.5.2., F601., F92., F96., H1385.1.1., H80., H94., K1931.2.2., K1933., L161., Q262., R111.2.1.2.1., T68.1.1. |
| 671 | The Three Languages | The youth learns the languages of dogs, birds, and frogs. Through this knowledge he makes his fortune. The father drives him out for his stupidity and orders him killed, but a compassionate servant substitutes an animal's heart and lets him escape.… | , 671 | B215.1., B215.2., B215.4., H171.2., K512.2. |
| 1950 | The three lazy ones | Who is the laziest. Each recounts a proof of his laziness. [W111.1]. | , 1950 | W111.1., W111.1.1., W111.1.2., W111.1.3. |
| 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. |
| 124 | The Three Little Pigs | The goose builds a house of feathers; the hog one of stone. The wolf blows the goose's house in and eats her. Cannot blow down the hog's house. Finally he is allowed to enter. He is tricked into the chimney (or churn) where he is burned up. | 124 | Z81. |
| 1650 | The Three Lucky Brothers | Their inheritances: a cock, a scythe, a cat. The fortunate sales. I. The Inheritances. (a) The eldest brother inherits a cock, the second a scythe (see Type 1202), the youngest a cat (see Type 1651); or (b) they inherit a millstone, a musical… | , 1650 | N411., N411.1.1., N411.2., N411.2.1. |
| 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. |
| 501 | The Three Spinners | Invited to the wedding. I. Spinning Assigned to Girl. (a) Through false boast of a girl's mother, or (b) of the girl herself, or (c) false reports by jealous servants a girl is compelled to spin an impossible amount (cf. Type 500). (d) She is to… | , 501 | G201.1., G244., H1092., H914. |
| 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. |
| 225 | The Tortoise That Wanted to Fly | Lets him fall to the earth | 225, 225A | J2357., K1041. |
| 468 | The Towering Tree | Ascent on a tree which reaches the sky. On its branches lives a princess. | ||
| 1892 | The Trained Horse Rolls in the Field | Oats grow in his flanks. The man ties a club to the horse's tail and thus kills many moor-hens. [X1241.2.2]. | ||
| 304 | The Trained Hunter | The magic gun; the rescued princess; the impostor. (Often combined with Types 300, 302, 400, 554, 555, 675 or 950.) I. The Magic Gun. A youth receives a magic gun, (a) from a green clad huntsman or (b) from an old woman. II. Killing of Giants. (a)… | , 304 | F661.1.1., H81., H81.1.1.1.1., K912., N711.2.2. |
| 210 | The Traveling Animals and the Wicked Man | The animals and objects hide themselves in various parts of a house. They punish with their characteristic powers the owner of the house and finally kill him. Cf. Type 130. | 210 | K1161. |
| 315 | The Treacherous Sister | The children promised to the water-spirit. The maiden wife of the water-spirit (devil). At his advice she feigns sickness and sends her brother for a remedy (or the like) [K2212.0.2]. Imprisoned animals break loose and save the boy. See analysis… | , 315, 315A | B524.1.1.1.1., F615., G346., K2212.0.2.0.2., L161., R111.1.1., R251. |
| 328 | The Treasures of the Giant | Jack and the Beanstalk. The horse, the light, etc. Finally the giant is killed. Sometimes joined with Type 327. Cf also Types 531, 1525. I. Expeditions to the Giant. (a) The hero sets out to steal from a giant in order to get revenge for former… | , 328, 328A, 328A* | , B103.2.1.2.1., D1601.18.18., F54.2.2., G84., H1151., H1172. |
| 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 |
| 1590 | The Tresspasser's Defence | With earth from his own property in his shoes, the man swears, when he is on his neighbor's land, that he is on his own. [J1161.3, K1917.1]. Cf. Types 859A, 859B, 859C, 859D. | , 1590 | J1161.3., K2310., K475., M105., Q270. |
| 1661 | The Triple Tax | A poet is given by the king the right to demand a coin from the first hunchback he meets, from the first man of a certain name, and the first man of a certain city. He sees a hunchback and demands the coin. A quarrel arises in which it appears that… | ||
| 2028 | The Troll (Wolf) who was Cut Open | A troll eats the watcher's five horses and finally the watcher himself. The master goes to investigate. The troll: »I ate the five horses, I ate the watcher, and I will eat you.» Does so. Likewise with wife, servant, daughter, son, and dog. The cat… | , 2027, 2028 | Z33.2., Z33.3., Z33.4. |
| 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. |
| 449 | The Tsar's Dog – Sidi Numan | No examples in the Database yet | , 449 | D132.1., D141., D700. |
| 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. |
| 303 | The Twin Brothers, | Two boys, horses, and dogs are born (from the eating of a magic fish, or in other magic fashion; cf. Type 705). One frees princesses from a dragon; cf. Type 300. A witch turns him into stone. The second brother sleeps with his brother's wife and… | , 303, 303A, 581 | B512., D1081., D231., E715.1.1., E761., K1311.1.1., N342.3.3., R111.1.3.1.3., R155.1.1., T351., T511.5.1.5.1., T589.7.1.7.1., T69.1.1. |
| 711 | The Twin Sisters | The deformed maiden disenchanted. A queen is childless and gets from a witch advice how to have a child, but she breaks a condition connected with the advice, and has two girls, a very beautiful one and one deformed (with an animal's head). The ugly… | , 711 | C152., D1860., D732., L145.1., T548.2., T551.3. |
| 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. |
| 613 | The Two Travelers: Truth and Falsehood | One puts out the other's eyes. The blind man overhears secrets under a tree (gallows) and recovers his sight. The wicked companion has his eyes put out or is killed. I. The Blinded Man. (a) Two travelers (brothers) dispute as to whether truth or… | , 613 | D1505.5., D2064.1., F1045., F933.2., H346., K451.1., M225., N2.3.3., N451.1., N471., N61., N92. |
| 9 | The unjust partner | In the field and in the stable. The bear works: the idle fox cheats the bear. | 9, 9B, 9C | K1251.1, K171.2., K471. |
| 760 | The Unquiet Grave | The man burns his three wives. Finds no rest in the grave. A maiden takes the dead man to a priest and secures his pardon for the murder of his wives. | , 760 | E411.0.2., E411.1., Q211.3. |
| 893 | The Unreliable Friends. (The HalfFriend). | The man kills a hog. He tells his friends that he has killed a man and asks where he can hide the body. All of them drive him away and only his father's halffriend remains true to him in his feigned trouble [H1558.1]. | , 893 | H1558.1., R169.6. |
| 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. |
| 363 | The Vampire | The bridegroom eats corpses in three churches [E251.3.1, G20]. He appears to his bride in the form of her father, her mother, etc. [D40, D610] and when she tells about his habit he devours her. | 363 | G20. |
| 758 | The various children of Eve | Eve has so many children that she is ashamed when God pays her a visit. She hides some of them and they fail to receive the blessing that God gives those in sight. Thus arises the differences in classes and peoples. [A1650.1]. | 758 | A1650.1. |
| 1532 | The Voice from the Grave | Cf. Types 1380, 1476, 1676. (a) Two rascals hear of a wealthy man who has recently died. One digs a hole near the grave with a speaking tube leading out or hides near the grave. The other goes to the relatives of the dead man claiming that the dead… |
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