Folklore Database · Browse
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 751 | The Greedy Peasant Woman | Christ and Peter ask entertainment from a peasant woman [K1811]. Although the cake magically grows larger [D1652.1.2], she gives them but a morsel. She is punished [Q1.1]. | , 751A, 751C* | D153.1., D1652.1.2., K1811., K1811.1., Q292.1. |
| 753 | Christ and the smith | Christ takes off the horse's foot in order to shoe him and rejuvenates an old woman by putting her in the fire. The smith tries disastrously to do the same. | , 753 | A1861.2., D1886., E121.2., E782.4., F663.0.1., J2411.1., K1811. |
| 756 | Forgiveness and Redemption | The hard penance and the green twigs on the dry branch. | , 756A, 756B, 756C | F771.1.9., F81.2., F971.1., H1235., H1273.1., J172., L435.1., N843., Q172.3., Q211.1., Q222.1., Q520.1., Q520.2., Q521.1., Q521.1.1., Q521.1.2., Q521.2., Q521.4., Q523.5., Q545., Q553.2., Q561., S211., V29.1. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 769 | A Child Returns from the Dead | Frequently to stop weeping. [E324]. | , 769 | E324., E361. |
| 777 | The wandering Jew | No examples in the Database yet | , 777, 777* | E511., E511.1.1., E511.1.2., E511.1.3., Q502.1. |
| 78 | Animal Allows himself to be Tied to Another for Safety | Animal allows himself to be tied to another for safety. Carried to his death. | , 78, 78A | K713.1.1., K713.1.2., |
| 780 | The Singing Bone | The brother kills his brother (sister) and buries him in the earth. From the bones a shepherd makes a flute which brings the secret to light. In different versions the murder is revealed in several different ways [N271]: (a) an instrument (harp,… | , 780 | D1610.34., E632., N271. |
| 782 | Midas | His secret discovered by his barber. Or he whispers the secret to a reed which repeats it. | , 782 | D1316.5., F511.2.2., N465. |
| 785 | Who Ate the Lamb's Heart ? | Accused of eating the goose's leg, the thief maintains that it had only one leg, and cleverly enforces his point by showing geese standing on one leg. (Usually the master confounds the rascal by frightening the geese so that they use both legs.)… | , 785 | J1141.1.1., K1811., K402. |
| 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. |
| 801 | Master Pfriem | The cobbler who was never satisfied is expelled from heaven [Q312.1]. He is admitted by St. Peter, [A661.0.1.2] but warned against fault-finding [F13]. He sees men carrying a beam crosswise [F171.6.3]. But when he sees the horses hitched in front and… | , 801 | A661.0.1.2., F13., F171.6.3., F171.6.4., H1023.2., Q312.1. |
| 804 | Peter's Mother Falls from Heaven | It is permitted to the son in heaven [A661.0.1.2] to pull his mother out of hell on a stalk [F51.1.3]. When the other dead catch her feet, she kicks them and falls back into hell [Q291.1]. | , 804 | A661.0.1.2., F51.1.3., Q291.1.St. |
| 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. |
| 812 | The Mystery of the Devil | The man is saved by solving the riddle propounded by the devil. The solution discovered in the forest. I. Devil's Contract. (a) A man (three men) promises himself to the devil at the end of a certain time if he cannot solve three (seven) riddles… | , 812 | H523., H671., H672., H673., M211. |
| 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. |
| 825 | The Devil in Noah's Ark | The devil wants to know what Noah is doing when he is building the ark. He persuades Noah's wife to give him a drink. Noah forbids the wife to go into ark until the devil has also been invited. [K485]. I. Secret Building of Ark and its Destruction by… | , 825 | A1015., A1021., A1853.1., A2001., A2031.2., A2145.2., A2214.3., A2232.4., C12.5.1., F531.5.9., G303.14.1.1., K2213.4.2. |
| 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. |
| 846 | Devil Always Blamed | Devil blamed when cow is in ditch (Who the devil did that?). When she is saved (Thank God!). | , 846 | K1811., N111.4.1. |
| 850 | The Moles of the Princess | The pipe and the dancing hogs.
|
, 850 | H315., H51.1., H525., K1358., K443.6. |
| 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. |
| 852 | That is a lie! | Cf. Types 1875, 1920C, 1960E and G. I. The Contest. (a) A princess is offered to the man who can tell so big a lie that she says, »That is a lie». II. The Lies. The youth tells impossible tales of (a) a great ox; (b) of a tree growing to the skies… | , 852 | F54.2., H342.1., K1271.1., X1036.1., X1201., X1237., X1423.1., X1547.2., X1726.2., X1739.2., X1757. |
| 853 | Contest in Repartee | Takes along a dead crow and other objects which he has found. I. The Contest. A princess is offered in marriage to the youth who outwits her in repartee. II. The Clues. On the way to the contest the hero picks up a dead crow, an egg, and other… | , 853, 853A | H507.1., H507.1.0.1., K1331. |
| 854 | The golden ram | No examples in the Database yet | , 854 | H322., K1341.1. |
| 859 | The Penniless Bridegroom Pretends to Wealth | After marriage he takes the bride to look at his land. He puts on soiled clothes. She looks at the land; he points to the patch on his clothes. »That patch is mine.» [K1917.1]. | , 859 | K1917., K1917.1., K1917.2., K1917.4. |
| 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. |
| 871 | Princess and Ogress | A princess in a forbidden chamber sees a man's picture and falls in love. A magician as bird brings the princess at night to the lover. Once they stay too late. The sun sees them, so that the magician bursts and dies. The girl left alone becomes… | , 871 | C325., C611., D567., F93.0.2.1., G11.3., N681.1., T11.2. |
| 873 | The King Discovers his Unknown Son | Marries the mother. A king in disguise leaves a token with a girl to give to their son if one is born [T645]. The boy is twitted with being a bastard and goes on a quest for his unknown father [H1381.2.2.1.1]. The king incognito discovers the boy's… | , 873 | H1381.2.2.1.1., H80., L162., N731., T645. |
| 875 | The Clever Peasant girl | Through the proof of her cleverness she becomes the king's wife. He becomes angry and banishes her. She takes him home with her as her dearest possession. I. The Clever Daughter. (a) A peasant finds a golden mortar in a field and against the advice… | , 875, 875A, 875B, 875B*, 875D | D1318.2.1., H1010., H1021.9., H1023.1., H1023.25.1., H1024.1., H1024.1.1.1., H1053., H1054., H561.1., H561.1.1.1., H561.1.2., H582.1.1., H583.7., H586., H631.3., H632., H633., H636., H641.1., H951., J1111.4., J1185.1., J1191.1., J1536.2., J1545.4., J2121., L162. |
| 879 | The Basil Maiden (The Sugar Puppet, Viola) | I. The Sprinkler of Basil. A princess before leaving her schoolmistress is used to sprinkling a vase of flowers. II. Questions and Counter questions. A prince ridicules her with a rhyme but the girl learns from her teacher a rhyme which scorns him in… | , 879 | H702., H705.3., K1837., K525.1. |
| 880 | The Man Boasts of his Wife | Is imprisoned in the royal castle. The wife in man's clothing is betrothed to the princess [K1837]. Escapes with her husband [R152.1]. | , 880 | K1837., R152.1. |
| 881 | Oft-proved Fidility | A merchant's son marries the king's daughter. An attempt is made to seduce her [K2112]. The man strikes his wife and thinks he has killed her. A physician heals her and wants to secure her for himself [T320.1]. She flees in men's clothes [K1837].… | , 881 | , H21., K1837., K2112., T320.1. |
| 882 | The wager on the wife's chastity | A ship captain marries a poor girl. Makes a wager with a merchant on the chastity of his wife. Through treachery, the merchant secures a token of unfaithfulness (ring). The captain leaves home. The wife follows him in men's clothing. They reach home… | , 882 | H94., K1342., K1837., K2112.1., N15. |
| 884 | The forgotten fiancée | A prince forsakes his fiancée in order to pledge himself to another of his father's choice. In men's clothes [K1837], the first fiancée along with her companions goes into the service of the prince. [K1816.0.2]. Test: whether men or maidens… | , 884 | D2003., H1578.1., K1816.0.2., K1837., N681.1., T165.4., T84. |
| 888 | The Faithful Wife | I. The Husband Threatens to Beat his Wife. (a) A prince (merchant's son) says he will marry only a girl who will submit to a beating (with a hose) each day [M134]. (b) The prince marries the girl and she refuses to allow him to beat her, saying he… | , 888, 888A | H431.1., H80., J1545.6., K1837., M134., R152.1., R61., T320.1. |
| 889 | The Faithful Servant | A lord makes a wager with his neighbor on the faithfulness of his servant [N25]. The servant is sent to the neighbor's house, where he is made drunk, etc. The neighbor loses the wager. Sometimes joined with Type 930 III a. | , 889 | J751.1., N25. |
| 890 | The Pound of Flesh | The wife as judge saves her husband. I. A merchant buys a bride in Turkey for her weight in gold. II. He gets the money by giving as security a piece of his own flesh. III. (a) The husband is abroad and (b) while he is away three merchants fall in… | , 890 | J1161.2., K1825.2., K443.2., T52.3. |
| 891 | The Man Who Deserts his Wife and Sets Her the Task of Bearing Him a Child | I. The Prince Deserts His Wife. (a) A girl by accident arouses the enmity of a prince, who threatens to make her half a wife, or the like, and marries her, or (b) a prince becomes angry at his wife. (c) The prince deserts his wife, (d) or imprisons… | , 891, 891A, 891B | H1187., K1814., K1837., M372., na, R41.2., T381. |
| 892 | The children of the king | While the young prince is traveling, his sister is to govern the country, both their parents being dead. Staying in the service of another king, the boy is told lies about the conduct of his sister by a knight who by treachery has obtained proofs of… | , 892 | K2112.1., Q261. |
| 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. |
| 898 | The Daughter of the Sun | The Speechless Maiden; the Puppet Bride). I. Virgin in the Tower. To avoid fulfillment of a prophecy that a princess shall be impregnated by the sun and bear a child, she is confined in a tower. Nevertheless the prophecy is fulfilled. [T381, T521].… | , 898 | R131.11.3., S313., T381., T521. |
| 899 | Alcestis | Wife sacrifices self for husband when his parents refuse. [T211.1]. | , 899 | M341.1.1., T211.1. |
| 900 | King Thrushbeard | A princess disdains all her suitors. Names one of them Thrushbeard. Her father marries her to a beggar. Her pride is broken. The beggar reveals himself as King Thrushbeard. I. The Suitors. (a) A king sends abroad invitations for suitors to woo his… | , 900 | H181., H311., H461., H465., K1361., K1816.0.3., K1817.1., L113.1.0.1., L431., Q483., T45., T62., T72.2.1., T76. |
| 901 | Taming of the Shrew | The youngest of three sisters is a shrew. For their disobedience the husband shoots his dog and his horse. Brings his wife to submission. Wager: whose wife is the most obedient. Cf. Type 1370. | , 901 | H386., L50., N12., T251.2. |
| 910 | Precepts bought or given correct | Drie mannen, een molenaar met een kwaad wijf, een koopman die het ondanks goede zaken slecht gaat, en een arme dokter, vragen een waarzegster om raad. Zij geeft hen elk een briefje met resp. deze voorschriften: 1. luister naar je molen; 2. koop een… | , 910A, 910B, 910C, 910D, 910E, 910F, 910G | 21.4., C320., D758., H588.7., J1021., J154., J163.1., J1655.2., J21.1., J21.10., J21.15., J21.2., J21.22., J21.24., J21.26., J21.27., J21.28., J21.3., J21.46., J21.47.1., J21.5., J21.6., J21.9., J571., J865., K2155., K2213.3., N545.1., Q20.2. |
| 92 | The Lion in the Water | The hare, sent to be the lion's dinner, says he has been detained by a more powerful enemy and shows the lion his own reflection in a well. The lion leaps in and is drowned. Cf. Types 34, 34A, 1168A, 1336, 1383. | , 92 | K1715.1., |
| 920 | The son of the king (Solomon) and of the smith | The children are exchanged. In the children's play Solomon acts as king. Shows his cleverness. I. Expulsion of the Prince. (a) The prince is expelled from home because (a1) he reports from his mother's womb her scandalous conduct. (b) He is ordered… | , 920B, 920C | H486.2., J412.1., L13. |
| 921 | The king and the peasant's son | The youth's clever answers to the king' questions (1 1/2 men and the horse's head, etc. [H561.4, H583]). Among the riddles are: (a1) What do you see? - 1 1/2 men and horse's head (himself, the legs of the king who is horseback in the door way, and… | , 921, 921A, 921B* , 921C*, 921D* | H583., H583.1., H583.2., H583.3., H583.4., H583.5., H583.6., H585.1., J1252., L144.2., NA |
If you wish to get access to data for projects and research, then please contact us, we do our best to help
How to cite: Fielder-White, Jonathan (2026). The Folklore Database. https://folkloredatabase.com
0009-0006-1672-4451
Please cite the relevant sources, catalogues, and classification systems, including the Folklore Database, Berezkin-Duvakin Catalogue, ATU, Thompson, alongside the page accessed and the last time accessed. Please respect copyright and licenses.
Editorial annotations and database enhancements © Jonathan Fielder-White licensed under CC BY 4.0. Berezkin-Duvakin derived narrative and metadata licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Full rights information can be found here.
All rights are reserved in the database structure, selection, arrangement, metadata, classifications, software, interface design, and original editorial content.
Important: The Folklore Database expressly reserves all rights in relation to text and data mining, automated extraction, scraping, machine learning, dataset creation, and the training, development, validation, or improvement of artificial intelligence technologies or systems. No part of this website or database may be scraped, copied, reproduced, harvested, downloaded in bulk, or otherwise used for AI training or commercial data extraction without prior written permission.
Designed and Developed by Jonathan Fielder-White.
© 2024–2026 Crecganford / Jonathan Fielder-White. All rights reserved.