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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.

890 tale types

Sorted by title, ascending

Showing 301–350 of 890 · Page 7 of 18

ATU Title ▲ Summary Arne Thompson Thompson
1072 Race with Little Son The man challenged by the ogre to running race persuades the ogre to race his little son, i.e., a rabbit [K11.6]. 1072 K11.6.
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.
278 Rat and Frog Tie Paws Together A rat and a frog get their paws entangled and get c arried off by a falcon. 278, 278A*, Frog J652.1., J681.1., J752.1.
57 Raven with a Cheese A raven/crow has some cheese/meat in his mouth. The fox flatters the raven into singing. He drops his food and the fox gets it. 57 K334.1.
207 Rebellion of the Work Animals Cock as leader punished. 207, 207A, 207B, 207C B271.3., J2413.1., K1633., NA
830 Refusal to Ask God's Blessing The man shoots a stag but denies that God has given it to him and insists that he shot it himself. [J151.4]. The wounded stag jumps up and flees. 830C C454.
1010 Repairing the House The house or furniture destroyed. [K1415]. 1010 K1415.
533 Repressed Bride On the journey to her wedding the princess is forced by her waiting-maid to change clothes and places with her. The princess's horse is killed, but through the speaking horsehead which hangs on the wall, the betrayal is revealed. Cf. Types 403, 450.… , 533 B133.3., B335., H13.2.7., K1816.5., K1911.1.1., K1933., K1934., K2252.
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.
  • I. The Forbidden Chamber. (a) Two sisters, one after the other, fall into an ogre's power, and are taken into a subterranean castle. (b) They are forbidden entrance into one room or (b1) to see souls in torment or (b2) to eat a human bone. (c) They disobey and an egg or key becomes bloody.
  • II. Punishment. The ogre kills them for disobedience.
  • III. Rescue by youngest sister. (a) The youngest sister finds the bodies and (b) resuscitates them by putting their members together or (c) otherwise, and hides them.
  • VI. Carrying the Sacks. (a) The girls are put into sacks and the ogre is persuaded to carry the sacks home without looking into them.
  • V. Disguise as Bird (a) The youngest sister leaves a skull dressed as a bride to deceive the ogre. (b) She smears herself with honey and feathers and escapes as a strange bird.
  • VI. Punishment of the Murderer. 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.
    990 Revived from Apparent Death by a Grave-Robber The Woman gets a ring stuck in her throat. A man enters the grave to steal a ring from the finger of the dead. The woman wakes up and goes home. [K426] 990 K426.
    53 Reynard the Fox at Court The fox is summoned to appear before the court of justice, but he does not come and laughs at the messengers. When he is caught at last and about to be hanged, he escapes again. 53 J864.2.
    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.
    2320 Rounds Stories which begin over and over again and repeat. [Z17]. Cf. Type 2013.
    1087 Rowing contest Boat already sawed through [K14].
    1276 Rowing without going forward One woman rows in one direction, another in the opposite; or rowing in a boat which is tied up. [J2164.1, J2l64.2]. , 1276 J2164.1., J2164.2.
    500 Rumpelstiltskin No examples in the Database yet , 500 C432.1., D2183., H1021.8., H521., H914., N475., S222.1.
    1137 Self Did It Escape under the ram's belly. Cf. Type 1135. , 1137 F512.1.1., F521.1., G100., K1010., K1011., K603.
    1291 Sending One Cheese After Another One cheese falls and rolls down the hill. She sends the second to bring back the first. [J1881.1.2]. 1291, 1291B, 1291C J1871., J1881.1.2., J1881.1.3.
    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].
    3 Sham Blood and Brains The fox covers his head with buttermilk (blood, urine, etc.) and says that his brains have been knocked out. Frightens the bear. 3 K473.
    204 Sheep, duck and cock in peril at sea The duck swims; the cock flies to the mast and crows that he sees the shore. 204 J1711.1.
    1053 Shooting Wild Boars Boastful trickster, told to shoot a wild boar or two, asks, »Why not a thousand at one shot?» Frightens ogre. [K1741.2]. 1053 K1741.2.
    1228 Shooting with a Gun A man looks down the gun-barrel as it is shot [J2131.4.1]. Cf. Type 1158.
    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…
    861 Sleeping at the Rendezvous A youth having a rendezvous with a princess oversleeps [D1972] and is captured and imprisoned. His sister masks as a man and takes his place in prison. When her sex is discovered all is forgiven and the youth marries the princess.
    703 Snow Maiden No examples in the Database yet
    709 Snow White The wicked stepmother seeks to kill the maiden. At the dwarfs' (robbers') house, where the prince finds the maiden and marries her. I. Snow-White and her Stepmother. (a) Snow-White has skin like snow, and lips like blood. (b) A magic mirror tells her… , 709 D1311.2., D1323.1., D1364.16., D1364.4.1., D1364.9., E21.1., F451.5.1.2., F852.1., K512.2., L55., M312.4., N831.1., Q414.4., S111.2., S111.4., S322.2., Z65.1.
    426 Snow White and Rose Red The girls let the bear into the hut. They rescue an ungrateful dwarf from death. The bear kills the dwarf. The bear changes into a prince who has been enchanted by the dwarf. , 426 D763., F451.5.2.1.
    803 Solomon Binds the Devil in Chains in Hell Asks the devil to try on the chains meant for Solomon. Variant: Christ and the Smith in hell. [A1071.1].
    365 Specter Bridegrooms He carries her behind on his horse. Says, »The moon shines bright, the dead ride fast,» etc. She is pulled into the grave [E2l5]. 365 E215.
    283 Spider Invites Fly to Rest on her Curtain Eats her. 283 K815.2.
    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.
    1051 Springing with a Bent Tree The boastful trickster bends down a tree, but when he pauses to catch his breath the tree shoots him into the sky. [K1112]. 1051 K1112.
    1060 Squeezing Water from a Stone Cheese, egg, etc. Contest in squeezing water out of a stone. The ogre squeezes a stone; the boastful trickster a cheese or egg [K62]. (Sometimes with animal actors.) Cf. Type 1640. 1060 K62.
    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.
    1800 Stealing Only a Small Amount Man promises in confession to steal only a small amount. Steals rope with mare on end of it. [K188]. Cf. Type 1630A*.
    15 Stealing the Partner's Butter The fox (the hen) pretends that he has been invited to be godfather and steals the butter stored by him and the bear (the cock) for the winter. He smears butter on the mouth (tail) of the sleeping bear. 15 K372.
    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].
    1548 Stone Soup No examples in the Database yet 1548 K112.2.
    1175 Straightening a Curly Hair No examples in the Database yet 1175 H1023.4.
    206 Straw Threshed a second Time The animals eating at night say they have good food because the straw has not been well threshed. The master hears and threshes it a second time. They grow hungry. (Animals' voices imitated in telling story.) Cf. Types 106, 2075. 206 J2362.
    650 Strong John No examples in the Database yet , 650A, 650C B631., D1846.4., F611.1.1., F611.2.1., F611.3.1., F612.1., F615., F615.1., F615.2.3., F615.3.1., H931., K1411., K1421.
    2031 Stronger and Strongest The frost-bitten foot. Mouse perforates wall, wall resists wind, wind dissolves cloud, cloud covers sun, sun thaws frost, frost breaks foot. [Z42].
    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.
    1290 Swimming in the Flax-field Peasants go to visit the sea. They see a waving flax field, and thinking it is the sea, jump in for a swim. [J1821]. 1290 J1821.
    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.
    969 T'choupi : SaberTooth fighter No examples in the Database yet
    64 Tailless Fox Tries in Vain to Get Foxes to Cut off Tails No examples in the Database yet
    2075 Tales in which animals talk Their talk is in imitation of their real sound. E.g. bull, cow, calf talk about going to the next pasture, etc. Bull with bass voice, calf with very small and cow with medium.

    Showing 301–350 of 890 · Page 7 of 18





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