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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400 | The Quest for a Lost Bride | Magic objects or animals as helpers (as introduction frequently the Swan Maiden). I. The Hero. (a) A father unwittingly promises his son to a sea monster (giant, etc.). (b) The boy is adopted by a king. (c) The ogre wants to take the boy but cannot… | , 400, 400*, 401, 401A | , B652.1., D361.1., D361.1.1., D721.2., D758.1., H1385.3., N681. |
| 402 | The Animal Bride | The youngest of three brothers succeeds best in the quests set by his father. He brings the best cloth, the most beautiful bride, etc. The mouse (cat) who has helped him changes herself into a beautiful maiden. | , 402, 402A* | D711., D735., H1210.1., H1242., H1301.1. |
| 403 | The White and the Black Bride | Strawberries under the snow, etc. The real daughter bride of the king. A child born. The stepmother throws the child into the water, etc. | , 403 | D1454.2., D161.2., D1860., D1870., H1023.3., K1911., M431.2., Q261., S31., S432. |
| 405 | Jorinde and Joringel | A witch turns the girl into a bird. The youth with the help of a magic object changes her back into her former shape. | , 405 | D683.2., D771. |
| 407 | The Flower Girl | A maiden is transformed into a flower [D212]. A man breaks a stalk of the flower and she becomes human again [D711.4]. He takes her as his wife [T101]. Cf. Type 652. | , 407, 407A, 407B | , D212., D711.4., T100. |
| 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. |
| 409 | The Girl in the Form of a Wolf | A childless woman wants a child even if it be an animal: she bears a goat-child (jackdaw). When she sends the goat-child to get water for its father, the goat lays off goat-skin and plays. A prince sees her and sends wooers to her house. The prince… | , 409, 409A | D113.1., D721., Q261., T554. |
| 410 | The Sleeping Beauty | The king's daughter falls into a magic sleep. A prince breaks through the hedge surrounding the castle and disenchants the maiden. I. The Wished-for Child. A frog announces the birth of the much desired daughter of the king. II. The Fairies' Gifts.… | , 410 | B211.7.1., D1364.17., D1967.1., D1978.5., F361.1.1., G269.4., M341.2.13., M370., N711.2. |
| 413 | Marriage by Stealing Clothing | A youth comes upon a holy man (old woman) in the forest [N825]. He is told not to go in a certain direction but does so [Z211] and sees three lovely maidens bathing. The holy man agrees to help him, turns him into a bird, tells him to steal the… | , 413 | C311., E121.5., K1335., Z211. |
| 425 | The Search for the Lost Husband | Cf. also Types 430, 432, and 441. I. The Monster as Husband. (a) A monster is born because of a hasty wish of the parents. (b) He is a man at night. (c) A girl promises herself as bride to the monster, (c1) to recover stolen clothes or jewels, (c2)… | , 425A, 425C, 425D, 425F, 425G, 425J, 425L, 425N | , C32.1., C611., C757.1., C761.2., C932., D150., D2006.1.4., D735.1., D753., H11.1.1., H1232., H1385.4., L221., NA, Q482.1., S241. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 431 | The Waldhaus | Three maidens one after the other sent into the wood. Kind and unkind. Animals disenchanted. (Cf. Type 480.) Their clue of grain (lentils) is eaten by birds [R135, R135.1]. They come to a house where they find an old man [D1890], a cock [D166.1.1], a… | , 431 | D1890., L162., L54., Q2. |
| 432 | The Bird Lover | Visits to the princess. The wicked stepmother. The wound on the window ledge. I. The Bird Lover. (a) A prince in the form of a bird flies to a beautiful maiden. (b) When in her presence he becomes a man. II. The Lover Wounded. The cruel stepmother… | , 432 | D641.1., H1385.5., K1837., K2212.1., L221., N452., S181. |
| 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. |
| 440 | The Frog King | A maiden promises herself to a frog in a spring. The frog comes to the door, the table, the bed. Turns into a prince. I. Promise to Marry the Frog. (a) To the youngest of three sisters a frog in a spring gives clear water (a ball thrown into the… | , 440 | B211.7.1., C41.2., D789., F875., S215.1. |
| 441 | In Enchanted Skin | A childless woman gives birth to a hedgehog [C758.1, T554]. The king unwittingly promises the hedgehog his daughter when the latter shows him the way out of the forest [S226]. The hedgehog takes the bride [B641.5]. His hedgehog's skin is burnt, and… | , 441 | B641.5., C758.1., D721.3., S226., T554. |
| 442 | The Old Woman in the Wood | The maiden disenchants [D700] a prince whom an evil woman [G263] has transformed into a tree [D215]. She gets the magic ring [D1076] from the old woman's house. Marriage [L162]. | , 442 | D1076., D431.2., L162. |
| 449 | The Tsar's Dog – Sidi Numan | No examples in the Database yet | , 449 | D132.1., D141., D700. |
| 450 | Brother and Sister | The boy is turned into a roe by the cruel stepmother. Lives with his sister in the forest. The king marries the sister. Her stepmother usurps her place as wife. Disclosure, punishment, and reunion. Cf. Types 403, 480, 533. I. Cruel Stepmother. A… | , 450 | D114.1.1., D150., D555., D688., H13., K1911.1.2., N711.1., P253.2., S31. |
| 451 | The Nurse looking for her Brothers, | The twelve brothers are changed into ravens. Cf. The Speechless Princess, Types 705, 710. I. The Brothers and their Sister. (a) Seven (twelve) brothers have a younger sister. (b) The parents have promised the death of the brothers if a daughter is… | , 451 | D161.1., D753.1., D758., K2116.1.1., P253.0.5., P253.2. |
| 461 | Three Hairs of the Devil | Prophecy, Urias letter, and resultant marriage; cf. Type 930. I. Introduction. Prophecy that a youth is to become the king's son-in-law. Vain attempts to prevent the marriage. II. Quest for Devil's Hairs. (a) The hero is sent on a quest to hell to… | , 461 | A1111., G530.1., H1273.2., H1291., P413.1.1., Q521.5. |
| 462 | The Outcast Queens and the Ogress Queen | Cf. Type 590. I. The Ogress Queen. (a) Men in a forest are pursued by an ogress who takes on the form of a lovely girl [G264, G369.1.5]. (b) A king hunting in the forest [G405] sees the lovely girl and takes her as his queen. II. The Blinded queens.… | , 462 | G264., G405., K511., L71., S435., S438. |
| 465 | Man persecuted for his beautiful wife | I. Obtaining the Beautiful Wife. (a) The hero steals the clothing of a bathing girl (swan maiden) and gives them back only if she will marry him [D361.1, K1335], or (b) he receives his wife from God. II. The Tasks. (a) The envious king covets the… | , 465, 465A, 465B, 465C | , B642., D721.3., H1023.3., H1090., H1233.2.1., H1335., H911., H931. |
| 470 | Friends in Life and Death | The deceased friend followed into the other world. Cf. Type 471. I. The Visit to the Other World. (a) Two friends pledge themselves never to part. One of them dies. (b) The living friend invites the dead to visit him on Christmas and goes with him… | , 470, 470*, 470A | C13., D2011., E238., F116., F171.1., F171.2., M253. |
| 471 | The Bridge to Another World | The youngest of three brothers crosses into the other world and sees extraordinary things which are later explained. I. The Quest. Three brothers one after the other set out to search for their lost sister. (b) On the way they are appointed to herd… | , 471, 471A | D2011.1., E481.2.1., F171., F171.0.1., F171.3., F171.5., H1251., H1385.6., R155.1. |
| 475 | The Man as Heater of Hell's Kettle | Bargain with the devil: seven years service without washing or combing. In the kettle in hell are his former masters. In payment he receives the sweepings which change into gold. The host at the inn robs him of his gold, but with the devil's help he… | , 475 | C325., C721.1., D475.1., D861.1., D885., M210. |
| 476 | Midwife (or Godparent, or Nurse) for the Elves | No examples in the Database yet | , 476*, 476** | , B81.6., D475.1., F372.1. |
| 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. |
| 50 | Curing a Sick Lion | The fox pretends to seek a remedy for the lion; advises him to skin the wolf . | , 50, 50A, 50C | J644.1., K961., W121.2.1., , |
| 500 | Rumpelstiltskin | No examples in the Database yet | , 500 | C432.1., D2183., H1021.8., H521., H914., N475., S222.1. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 503 | Helpful Elves | Dwarfs take hump from hunchback and place it on another man. I. The Dwarfs' Favor. (a) A wanderer takes part in a dance of the witches or people from below the earth (elves, dwarfs) or plays for them; or (b) adds to their song by naming more days of… | , 503, 504 | , F331.1., F331.3., F344.1. |
| 505 | Grateful dead | Through the assistance of the dead man the hero wins the princess and the castle [E341.1]. (For detailed relationship see Types 506-508. Cf. also Types 513-514, and 545A and B.) | , 505, 506, 508 | , 503, E341., H972., M241., M241.1. |
| 507 | The Mistress of the Monster | I. The Grateful Dead Man. See Type 506 I. II. The Monster Husband. The hero woos a princess whose former suitors have all come to misfortune and whose heads have been stuck on poles. With the help of the dead man who has taken the necessary magic… | , 507A | H322.1., H972., T172.0.1., T172.2.1. |
| 510 | Cinderella and Cap o' Rushes | I. The Persecuted Heroine. (a) The heroine is abused by her stepmother and stepsisters and (a1) stays on the hearth or in the ashes and, (a2) is dressed in rough clothing - cap of rushes, wooden cloak, etc., (b) flees in disguise from her father who… | , 510A, 510B | B450., C761.3., D1050.1., F823.2., H151.5., H36.1., H94.2., K1911.3.3.1., K521.1., L55., M255., N711.6., N815., R255., S31., T311.1., T411.1. |
| 511 | One-Eye, Two-Eyes, and Three-Eyes | Cf. Type 302 I*. I. The Ox Helper. A stepbrother of One-Eye, Two-Eyes and Three-Eyes is cruelly treated by his stepmother and stepsisters. He is assisted by a magic ox which furnishes him food from his removable horn. II. Spying on the Ox. The… | , 511, 511A | , B100.1., B535.0.1., D1470.2.1., D830.1., F512.1., F512.2.1.1., H31.12., L162., S31. |
| 513 | The Extraordinary Companions | Cf. Types 301B, 571. | , 513A, 513B | D1533.1.1., D2144.1.2., F601., F601.2., F621., F632., F641., F661.5.3., F681.1., H1127., H1142., H1511., H331., H331.5.1., L161., N825.2. |
| 531 | Faithful Ferdinand | On the advice of a jealous courtier the king assigns the hero difficult tasks, which he performs with the help of grateful animals. Bringing the beautiful bride for the king. I. The Hero's Horse and Magic Object. (a) The hero at his christening is… | , 513C, 531 | B211.1.3., B313., B341., B350., B401., E15.1., H1213.1., H1381.2.2.1., H911., J2411.1., K1934., NA |
| 514 | The Shift of Sex | The sister becomes a soldier in place of her brother. Marries the daughter of the king [K1837, K1322]. She is driven away and rescued by her companions. The change of sex in the ogress' house [D11]. Marriage with the princess [L161]. | , 514, 514** | D11., F954., K1825.1., K1837., K2111., L162. |
| 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. |
| 517 | The Boy and the Bird-language | Vaticinium. The learning of the speech of birds; cf. Types 670, 671. The princess who has destroyed her child; Cf. Type 781. A boy understands the language of birds. The birds prophesy that the parents shall humble themselves before him. On… | , 517 | B143.1., B215.1., M312., M373., N682. |
| 518 | Big Fight over Magic Things | No examples in the Database yet | , 518 | D1361.12., D1520.19., D1521.1., D832. |
| 519 | Brunhilde | The helper in the suitor test. Cf. Type 513A. I. The Suitor. A prince with his extraordinary companion woos a bride who is beautiful, strong, and warlike, and who will have as husband no man who is not her equal in strength. II. Suitor Tests. (a) The… | , 519 | D1500.1.18., H345., H345.1., H345.2., K1844.1., Q451.2., R169.4., T173.1., T58. |
| 530 | The Glass Mountain | Cf. Types 300, 329, 502, 550. I. Reward for the Vigil. (a) Three brothers one after the other are sent to guard a meadow which is devastated at night by a monster or they must in turns keep vigil for their dead father. (c) The elder brothers are… | , 530 | B315., B401., H1471., H331.1.1., H80. |
| 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. |
| 545 | The Cat as Helper | Visit to the castle. Disenchantment. I. The Helpful Cat. (a) A boy or (b) girl inherits nothing but a cat (or fox). II. The Cat at the Palace. (a) The cat takes the girl (boy) to the palace. (b) He tells the king that the boy (girl) is a dispossessed… | , 545A, 545B, 545D* | , B211.1.8., B422., B580., B582.1.1., D711., F771.4.1., G510., K1917.3., K1952.1.1., N411.1.1. |
| 550 | The Golden Bird | Quest for the wonderful bird. With the help of an animal (wolf fox) the youngest brother succeeds. On his return he saves his brothers, who betray him. See analysis below: I a, b; II; III a, b; IV; V. ANALYSIS Types 550 and 551. I. Object of the… | , 550 | B184.1., B313., B435.1., B560., H1242., H1331.1., K1932., L13., L161., N711.3., W154.12.3. |
| 551 | The Water of Life | The youngest succeeds with the help of an eagle (dwarf) and various magic objects. The brothers gain possession of the remedy. The princess searches for the father of her child. For analysis see Type 550: I b, (c); II; III c, d; IV; V b. | , 551 | H1210.1., H1242., H1321.1., H1381.2.1., H80., H81.1., K1932., K2211., L161., N711.3., N825.2., T475.2., W154.12.3. |
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