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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 ▲ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1052 | A Contest in Carrying a Tree | The boastful trickster (fox) has the ogre (bear) carry the branches of the tree while he carries the trunk. He rides on the trunk. [K71]. Cf. Type 1640. | 1052 | K71. |
| 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., |
| 331 | The Spirit in the Bottle | The man frees the evil spirit from the bottle and receives in reward a wonderful remedy or the power to turn iron into silver (gold). He tricks the spirit into the bottle again. (Often combined with Types 330 or 332.) | , 331 | K717., R181. |
| 1082 | Carrying the Horse | The ogre carries the horse on his back and soon has to stop. The man carries it between his legs, i.e., rides. [K72]. Cf. Type 1640. | 1082 | K72. |
| 61 | The Fox Persuades the Cock to Crow with Closed Eyes | Captures him. Often followed by: the cock persuades the fox to ask a blessing before eating him. | 61, 61B | K721., K815.15. |
| 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. |
| 242 | The Frog Enticed out of his Hole | Crow (or other bird) swears not to eat him. Breaks his oath. | 242 | K815. |
| 283 | Spider Invites Fly to Rest on her Curtain | Eats her. | 283 | K815.2. |
| 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. |
| 63 | The Fox (or Jackal) and the Fleas | No examples in the Database yet | 63 | K921. |
| 37 | The fox as shepherd | Search for a nursemaid (or mourning-woman). Fox takes service and eats up the young bears. | 37, 37* | K931. |
| 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. |
| 253 | The Fish in the Net | The little fish slip through the meshes; the big ones are caught. | 253 | L331. |
| 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. |
| 201 | The Lean Dog Prefers Liberty to Abundant Food and a Chain | Sie hielt allein Prozession, als die Menschen dies versäumten (als über den Prozessionsweg Streit war). | 201 | L451.3. |
| 77 | The Stag Admires Himself in a Spring | The stag admires himself in a spring. He is proud of his horns, ashamed of his legs. In flight his horns are caught and the dogs overtake him. | 77 | L461. |
| 899 | Alcestis | Wife sacrifices self for husband when his parents refuse. [T211.1]. | , 899 | M341.1.1., T211.1. |
| 931 | Oedipus | As foretold by the prophecy, the hero kills his father and marries his mother. | , 931 | M343., M371.2., N323., R131., S354., T412. |
| 735 | The Rich Man's and the Poors Man's Fortune | The fortune of the rich brother gives the poor brother the advice to seek his luck under a bush. The poor man goes there and Fortune tells him to become a merchant. He becomes rich. | , 735A | N112., N112.1., N181. |
| 844 | The Luck-bringing Shirt | The king becomes lucky when he puts on the shirt of a lucky man. The only man who says he is lucky has no shirt. [N135.3]. | 844 | N135.3. |
| 736 | Luck and Wealth | The fish with the jewel. Cf. Types 745, 745A. A poor man gets a piece of tin. He gives it to a fisherman under the agreement that the first catch of fish shall be given to him. In the net is a fish with a precious stone in his body. [N421]. | 736A | N211.1. |
| 745 | Hatch-penny | Always returns to its owner. Eaten by cow; owner happens to buy cow and kill her; etc. [D1602.11, N212]. | 745A | N212. |
| 947 | The Man Followed by Bad Luck | He escapes from one trouble only to meet with another. Finally, apparently safe, he is killed by a falling stone wall. [N253]. | 947 | N253. |
| 248 | The Dog and the Sparrow | A man runs over the dog, friend of the sparrow. The sparrow takes vengeance. The man loses his horse, his property, and finally his life. | 248 | N261. |
| 837 | How the Wicked Lord was Punished | He puts poison into the beggar's bread. As the beggar is spending the night at an inn a traveler arrives. Since no other bread is convenient the beggar gives the stranger his bread. The traveler, who is the lord's son, dies of the poison [N332.1]. | 837 | N332.1. |
| 841 | One Beggar Trusts God, the Other the King | The king gives them each a loaf of bread, but the loaf of the second beggar is filled with gold. The beggars not knowing the nature of the loaves exchange them. [N351]. | 841 | N351. |
| 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. |
| 1577 | Blind Men Duped into Fighting: Money to be Devided | Trickster says that he is giving one of them money to be divided with the others. Gives it to none. They quarrel and fight. [K1081.1]. (Cf. K1883.6.) | 1577* | N455.1. |
| 7 | The calling of three tree names | The bear and the fox wager as to which can name three trees first. The bear names different varieties of the same tree. The fox wins the wager. | 7 | N51 |
| 65 | Mrs. Fox's Suitors | The widowed she-fox proves her faithfulness by rejecting suitors who do not resemble her deceased husband. | 65 | N681. |
| 705 | Born of a Fish | Cf. Type 303. The king's son finds the speechless maiden in a bird's nest. Marries her. The children are stolen away. She is driven forth by her husband. The riddle. A man receives a magic fish which he shall feed to his wife. Instead, he eats it… | , 705 | N711., R13.3., S410., T412., T511.5.1., T541.16., T578. |
| 30 | The Fox Tricks the Wolf into Falling into a Pit | Race. | 30 | NA |
| 106 | The Animal's Conversation | Animals' conversation (imitation of animal sounds). | 106 | NA |
| 137 | The Filthy Hog and the Clean Fish | The hog: "People will spit when they eat you, whereas in my case all will lick their fingers." | 137 | NA |
| 294 | The Months and the Seasons | Symbolic actions. | 294 | NA |
| 986 | The Lazy Husband | Forced by his wife to work he joins a caravan and finds in a desert spring a pomegranate and a beautiful girl. He sends the pomegranate to his wife. Out of it fall jewels which make them rich. He returns the stolen girl to her father. | 986 | NA |
| 987 | False Magician Exposed by Clever Girl | No examples in the Database yet | 987 | NA |
| 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 |
| 1342 | Hot and Cold with the Same Breath | No examples in the Database yet | 1342 | NA |
| 1533 | The wise carving of the fowl | A clever person divides it symbolically head to head of house, neck to wife, wings to daughters, legs to sons; keeps rest for himself. (Cf. Type 875 II e.) [H601]. | 1533 | NA |
| 1535 | The Rich Peasant and the Poor Peasant | I. (a) Twee broers, (a1) mannen, (a2) boeren, (a3) neven, (a4) een boer en een jongen, (a5) zijn arbeider, (a6) een woonwagenbewoner. (b) Grote en Kleine Doeke, (b1) Klaas, (b2) Obe, (b3) Oege, (b4) Grote Arend en Kleine Hendrik, (b5) Hearke en… | 1535 | na |
| 1600 | The fool as murderer | The brothers put a he-goat in place of the body and thus save their brother. [H472.1, K661.1]. Cf. Type 1381B, C, E. | 1600 | NA |
| 992 | The Eaten Heart | Adulteress is caused unwittingly to eat her lover's heart. (Sometimes other parts of his body) [Q478.1]. | 992, 992A | NA, Q478.1. |
| 159 | Captured wild animals ransom themselves | Bring horses, cows, etc. to the man. | 159A, 159B | NA, W185.6. |
| 1891 | The Great Rabbit-Catch | The rabbits freeze their feet fast to the ice at night [X1115.1]. | 1891B*, 1893A* | NA, X1114.1. |
| 1920 | Contest in lying | The one says, - and yet lies [X905.4]. The great catch of fish [X1150.1]. Cf. Type 1960C. | , 1920, 1920A, 1920B, 1920D, 1920E*, 1920F*, 1920H, 1920H* | NA, X1215.8., X904.1., X904.2., X905., X905.4., X908. |
| 982 | Ungrateful Heirs | They think that the chest of stones contains the inheritance. [P236.2, Q281.1]. | , 982 | P236.2., Q281.1. |
| 767 | Food for the Crucifix | A boy offers bread to a statue of Christ or the Virgin [Q172.1]. | 767 | Q172.1. |
| 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. |
| 729 | The Axe Falls into the Stream | The water-spirit exhibits a golden axe, but the honest man admits that it does not belong to him [Q3.1]. Another man deliberately throws his axe into the water and claims the golden one as his. He gets neither. | 729 | Q3.1. |
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