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Stith Thompson Motif Index
About this index and how to read it
Stith Thompson's Motif-Index of Folk-Literature classifies recurring narrative elements in folktales, myths, legends, ballads and related traditional narratives. Each entry below gives Thompson's motif reference and the description recorded in the index.
The index is large, so this browser displays 250 entries per page. You can search by motif reference or by words in the description, restrict the results to one of Thompson's main letter categories, and click motif references mentioned inside descriptions to follow cross-references. Individual motif pages also show any ATU tale types whose concordance explicitly cites that Thompson reference.
All
A
Mythological Motifs
B
Animal Motifs
C
Motifs of Tabu
D
Magic
E
The Dead
F
Marvels
G
Ogres
H
Tests
J
The Wise and the Foolish
K
Deceptions
L
Reversals of Fortune
M
Ordaining the Future
N
Chance and Fate
P
Society
Q
Rewards and Punishments
R
Captives and Fugitives
S
Unnatural Cruelty
T
Sex
U
The Nature of Life
V
Religion
W
Traits of Character
X
Humor
Z
Miscellaneous Groups of Motifs
| Thompson reference ▲ | Description |
|---|---|
| E752 | Lost souls. Hdwb. d. Abergl. s.v. "Arme Seelen"; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| E752.1 | Soul in jeopardy after leaving body. Fb "sjæl" III 214b. |
| E752.1.1 | Devil in disguise hunts souls. (Cf. G303.7.1.3.) French Canadian: Barbeau JAFL XXIX 13; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 91 No. *773A. |
| E752.1.2 | Fiends play ball with a soul. Alphabet No. 699. |
| E752.1.2.1 | Demons amuse themselves by plaguing souls in hell. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| E752.1.3 | Souls of dead captured on leaving corpse. Africa (Fang): Einstein 70ff., Trilles Bulletin de la Société Neuchâteloise de Géographie XVI 190ff. |
| E752.2 | Soul carried off by demon (Devil). Frazer Golden Bough III 60; *Fb "djævel" IV 99b.—Irish myth: *Cross; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Jewish: *Neuman; Eskimo (Greenland): Rink 464. |
| E752.3 | Raven carries off souls of damned. Tobler 31; Fb "ravn" III 22a. |
| E752.4 | Lost soul in raven feathers. Fb "ravn" III 22a. |
| E752.5 | Hell-hounds accompany soul to lower world. Wimberly 120. |
| E752.6 | Soul bound for hell given sight of heaven. Irish myth: Cross. |
| E752.7 | Lost soul gnawed by worms. Irish myth: Cross. |
| E752.7.1 | Abandoned souls feed on spiders and night moths. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 154. |
| E752.8 | Souls of dead eaten by sky-spirits. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E752.9 | Souls of wicked eaten by deity. Easter Island: Métraux Ethnology 312. |
| E752.10 | Precautions taken with corpse before burial to prevent evil spirits from getting, using body. (Cf. E431.) |
| E752.10.1 | Corpse must be watched carefully before burial. England: Baughman. |
| E752.10.2 | Light must be kept burning by corpse to keep evil spirits away. England: Baughman. |
| E754 | Saved souls. *Frazer Golden Bough III 55ff.; Irish: *Cross, Beal XXI 327. |
| E754.1 | Condemned soul recovered. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| E754.1.1 | Condemned soul saved by prayer. Alphabet No. 592; Wells 171 (The Gast of Gy); Irish: *Cross, Beal XXI 331, O'Suilleabhain 98; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 89 No. 760C*, Keller; Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 294 No. 7. |
| E754.1.1.1 | Demons powerless over souls commended to God before sleep. Jewish: bin Gorion I 238. |
| E754.1.2 | Condemned soul saved by Virgin Mary. (Cf. V250.) Crane Miraculis 84 No. 5, 86 No. 10, 87 No. 12, 93 No. 27; Ward II 605 No. 11, *607 No. 16, 635 No. 36, 670 No. 3, 672 No. 7; Wells 167 (Vernon Miracles). |
| E754.1.3 | Condemned soul saved by penance. (Cf. Q520.) Alphabet No. 697; Irish myth: Cross. |
| E754.1.4 | Condemned soul saved by holy person. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| E754.1.5 | Condemned soul released by God. Irish myth: Cross. |
| E754.1.6 | Condemned soul released from hell by Christ. Irish myth: Cross. |
| E754.1.7 | Few grains of earth from river bed translates soul destined to an evil future to Paradise. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E754.1.8 | Condemned soul released because of tears of living. Irish: O'Suilleabhain 21, 74. |
| E754.2 | Saved soul goes to heaven. Fb "sjæl" III 213b; Wells 50, 175; Alphabet No. 316; Irish: *Cross, Beal XXI 307f., 322, O'Suilleabhain 24, 27, 99; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| E754.2.0.1 | Souls of warriors go to Valhalla. *Hdwb. d. Abergl. IX Nachträge 239. |
| E754.2.1 | Souls carried to heaven by doves. Tobler 31; *Fb "himmerige" I 610b. |
| E754.2.2 | Souls carried to heaven by angels. (Cf V232.2.) Hdwb. d. Märch. s.v. "Engel"; Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| E754.2.2.1 | Angels of death fail to bring soul to heaven. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E754.2.3 | Dead and living go together to gate of heaven. Fb "død" I 228a. |
| E754.2.4 | Dead children invited to eat at God's table. BP III 463. |
| E754.3 | Burial in certain ground assures going to heaven. Irish myth: Cross. |
| E754.4 | Soul of hermit who fasts to death for worldly fame would be damned but for past good deeds. Nouvelles de Sens No. 20. |
| E754.5 | Souls carried to heaven in chariot of light. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| E754.6 | Souls climb pillars of smoke and light on way to heaven. (Cf. E722.2.1.) Jewish: *Neuman. |
| E754.7 | Souls of pious as angels. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| E755 | Destination of the soul. |
| E755.0.1 | Resurrected boys choose to return to heaven. Irish myth: Cross. |
| E755.0.2 | Angels separate souls going to heaven or hell. Jewish: Neuman. |
| E755.0.3 | Souls of dead presented to Adam. Jewish: Neuman. |
| E755.1 | Souls in heaven. (Cf. A661.) K. Kohler Heaven and Hell in Comparative Religion (New York, 1923); Irish myth: Cross. |
| E755.1.1 | Heavenly hierarchy. Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman. Maori: Clark 182. |
| E755.1.2 | River in heaven burns wicked and gives joy to righteous. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| E755.1.3 | Souls on way to heaven pass through Garden of Eden. Jewish: Neuman. |
| E755.1.4 | Sixty thousand Jewish souls in heaven. Jewish: Neuman. |
| E755.2 | Souls in hell (Hades). A. Graf Miti, leggende et superstizioni del medio evo I 241ff.; K. Kohler Heaven and Hell in Comparative Religion (New York, 1923); Fb "helvede" I 589; Pauli (ed. Bolte) Nos. 122, 281, 406; Alphabet No. 43; Irish: *Cross, Beal XXI 320, O'Suilleabhain 53; *Icelandic: Boberg; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| E755.2.0.1 | Souls leave hell on Sundays. (Cf. Q560.0.1.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| E755.2.1 | Souls of drowned in heated kettles in hell. *Type 475; BP II 423, III 487; Köhler-Bolte I 69; Fb "potte" II 867a. |
| E755.2.1.1 | Souls in hell wrenched from bodies with hot pitchforks by devils. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| E755.2.2 | Souls in chains in hell. (Cf. A671.2.4.7, Q566.1.) Chinese: Werner |
| E755.2.3 | Lost soul to serve as porter in hell for seven years. Köhler-Bolte I 320; Wimberly 416, 426. |
| E755.2.4 | Ghosts gather wood for hell fires. Jewish: bin Gorion II 154ff., 348. |
| E755.2.4.1 | Hell fires kindled according to sins of sinners. Irish myth: Cross. |
| E755.2.5 | Icy hell. (Cf. A677, Q567f.) Alphabet No. 662. |
| E755.2.6 | Dead flailed by demons. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| E755.2.7 | Devils torment sinners in hell. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E755.2.8 | Dialogue between Christ and the souls in hell. (Cf. V211.7.2.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| E755.3 | Souls in purgatory. **Landau Hölle und Fegefeuer in Volksglaube, Dichtung und Kirchenlehre (Heidelberg, 1909); Pauli (ed. Bolte) Nos. 464, 467, 469, Crane Liber de Miraculis 86 No. 10; Hdwb. d. Abergl. s.v. "Fegefeuer"; Ward Catalogue of Romances II 440ff.; Herbert ibid. III 330; Alphabet Nos. 504, 661.—Irish: *Cross, Beal XXI 330—333, O'Suilleabhain 95, 100, 102f. |
| E755.3.1 | Soul in purgatory sends letter bidding his son reward one who has prayed him from purgatory. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *769. |
| E755.4 | Other destinations of souls. |
| E755.4.1 | Souls of dead imprisoned in tree. Icelandic: De la Saussaye 298; Irish: Beal XXI 332. |
| E755.4.2 | Soul of dead in a temple. Chinese: Werner 314. |
| E756 | Contest over souls. (Cf. E754.1.) Type 808**. |
| E756.1 | Devils and angels contest for man's soul. *Wesselski Märchen 199; *Fb "djævel" IV 99b; *Crane Miraculis 87 No. 11; Irish myth: *Cross; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: Rotunda; Livonian: Loorits FFC LXVI No. 808*; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *808; Estonian: Aarne in FFC XXV No. 808*; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| E756.2 | Soul won from devil in card game. Fb "spille" III 487b; Irish: Beal XXI 329, O'Suilleabhain 90; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 52 No. 345. |
| E756.3 | Raven and dove fight over man's soul. Type 756B; *Andrejev FFC LXIX 157f., *249ff.; Hdwb. d. Märchen I 356a. s.v. "Busse des Räubers"; England, Wales: Baughman. |
| E756.4 | Saint wrests soul from demons. (Cf. V229.5.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| E756.4.1 | Soul of gambler won by saint in dice game. Dice miraculously split to make higher score for saint.—Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| E756.5 | Saved soul of woman assists her husband's soul in battle against demons. (Cf. E754.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| E757 | The soul prays. Jewish: *Neuman; Chinese: Werner 268. |
| E758 | Rejoicing at arrival of rich man in heaven. Event so rare as to cause rejoicing. Poor man enters unnoticed.—Type 802; BP III 274; Fb "rig" III 55a; Hdwb. d. Märch. I 351a s.v. "Burli im Himmel". |
| E759 | The soul—miscellaneous. Irish myth: Cross. |
| E759.1 | Soul strives to be heard by the living. Irish myth: Cross. |
| E759.2 | Angel gives soul information concerning mortal. Irish myth: Cross. |
| E760 | Life Index. Object or animal has mystic connection with person. Changes in one correspond to changes in the other.—India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E761 | Life token. (Cf. E760.) Object (animal, person) has mystic connection with the life of a person, so that changes in the life-token indicate changes in the person, usually disaster or death. *Type 303; **Polivka The Life Tokens in Folk-Tales, Custom, and Belief (Národopisny Vestnik Ceskoslovansky XII [Prague, 1917]); *Chauvin V 87 No. 27 n. 1, V 295, VII 98 No. 375 n. 1; Penzer I 130, III 272 n. 1, X 210; Clouston Tales I 169ff.; Jacobs' list s.v. "Life index"; *BP I 545, II 392; *Hartland Legend of Perseus II 1—54; **Nelson The Life-Index, a Hindu Fiction Motif (Studies in Honor of Maurice Bloomfield) 211ff.—Irish myth: Cross; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "danger"; India: *Thompson-Balys; Oceanic (New Hebrides, Torres Straits, New Guinea, Indonesia): Dixon 133 n. 5; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 317 n. 149, *Hultkrantz 338—340, (California): Gayton and Newman 69; S. A. Indian (Quiché): Alexander Lat. Am. 173; Africa (Kaffir): Theal 81, (Basuto): Jacottet 212, 218 Nos. 31, 32. |
| E761.1 | Blood as life token. |
| E761.1.1 | Life token: water turns to blood. (Cf. F961.3.1, V211.2.3.2.) Fb "vand" III 1000b.—England: Baughman; Irish myth: *Cross; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E761.1.2 | Life token: horn fills with blood. Africa (Congo): Weeks 203. |
| E761.1.3 | Life token: track fills with blood. *Type 303; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| E761.1.3.1 | Life token: earth, water, or blood in footprint. Earth: dead by disease; water: drowned; blood: killed in battle. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| E761.1.4 | Life token: blood of fish calls out. Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 187. |
| E761.1.5 | Life token: blood boils. French: Cosquin Lorraine No. 5; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| E761.1.5.1 | Blood stops boiling. Gaster Exempla 224 No. 194. |
| E761.1.6 | Life token: blood changes color. Gaster Exempla 251 No. 373; Russian: Ralston Russian Folk-Tales 102. |
| E761.1.7 | Life token: comb drips blood. Finnish: Kalevala runes 12, 15. |
| E761.1.7.1 | Life token: gloves drip blood. Russian: Ralston Russian Folk-Tales 67. |
| E761.1.7.2 | Life token: scissors (razor, knife) drip blood. Chauvin VII 198; Armenian: Macler Contes Arméniens 28. |
| E761.1.8 | Life token: cloth becomes bloody. *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XX 70 n. 3. |
| E761.1.9 | Life token: hero's horse stands in stable in blood up to his knees. Russian: Rambaud La Russie Epique (Paris, 1876) 378. |
| E761.1.10 | Life token: milk becomes bloody. England: Baughman; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| E761.1.11 | Life token: roof spouts of castle run with blood. England: Baughman. |
| E761.1.12 | Life token: meal ground in mill is the color of blood. England: Baughman. |
| E761.1.13 | Blood stops flowing from wound when captives escape. Papua: Ker 64. |
| E761.2 | Life token: staff stuck in ground. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E761.2.1 | Life token: staff stuck in ground shakes. Africa (Basuto): Jacottet 212 No. 31, (Kaffir): Theal 82. |
| E761.2.2 | Life token: staff stuck in ground falls. *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XX 70 n. 8; Africa (Basuto): Jacottet 220 No. 32. |
| E761.3 | Life token: tree (flower) fades. *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XX 70 n. 1; Fb "lilie"; Böckel Psychologie der Volksdichtung 255; *Loomis White Magic 125f.—Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "flétrissement"; French: Sébillot France III 433; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda; Philippine (Tinguian): Cole 93, 96 n. 3, 97; Papua: Ker 61; Indonesian, Polynesian: Dixon 234 n. 46; Africa (Angola): Chatelain 87 No. 5, (Kaffir): Kidd 225, (Madagascar): Dandouau Contes Populaires de Sakalava 231. |
| E761.3.1 | Life token: bamboo stalks grow with joints upside down. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E761.3.1.1 | Life token: bananas ripen from bottom up. Papua: Ker 61. |
| E761.3.2 | Lifen token: fruit decays on tree. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E761.3.3 | Life token: fruit falls from tree. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E761.3.4 | Life token: trees prostrate themselves. Jewish: Neuman. |
| E761.4 | Life token: object darkens or rusts. |
| E761.4.1 | Life token: knife stuck in tree rusts (becomes bloody). *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XX 70 n. 2; *Fb "kniv" II 221a. |
| E761.4.2 | Life token: picture burns black. *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XX 70 n. 4. |
| E761.4.3 | Life token: mirror becomes black (misty). (Cf. D1163.) *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XX 70 n. 5; Armenian: Macler contes Arméniens 28; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| E761.4.4 | Life token: ring rusts. English: Child I 201; Italian: Basile Pentamerone III No. 4. |
| E761.4.5 | Life token: silver object turns dark. Russian: Ralston Russian Folk-Tales (London, 1875) 91. |
| E761.4.6 | Life token: charm dries. Africa (Lamba): Doke MAFLS XX 14 No. 11. |
| E761.4.7 | Life token: sword rusts. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| E761.4.8 | Life token: beads cling together. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E761.4.9 | Life token: milk turns dark. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E761.5 | Life token: object breaks (bursts). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E761.5.1 | Life token: pot breaks. (Cf. D1171.1.) Africa (Basuto): Jacottet 188 No. 27. |
| E761.5.2 | Life token: zither string breaks. *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XX 70 n. 9. |
| E761.5.3 | Life token: ring springs asunder. *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XX 68f. n. 4; Fb "ring" III 60a. |
| E761.5.4 | Life token: cup springs asunder. (Cf. D1171.6.) *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XX 70 n. 7. |
| E761.5.5 | Life token: stone breaks. (Cf. E711.7.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| E761.5.5.1 | Life token: stones prostrate themselves. Jewish: Neuman. |
| E761.5.6 | Life token: sheaves prostrate themselves. Jewish: Neuman. |
| E761.6 | Life token: troubled liquid. (Cf. D1242.) |
| E761.6.1 | Life token: troubled water. *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XX 70 n. 1; Italian: Basile Pentamerone No. 9; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E761.6.2 | Life token: milk becomes red. *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XX 70 n. 1; England: Baughman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E761.6.3 | Life token: boiling liquid. *Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 270 No. 82. |
| E761.6.4 | Life token: beer foams. (Cf. D1045.) *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XX 69 n. 5. |
| E761.6.5 | Life token: wine turns to vinegar. Gaster Exempla 219 No. 156 (155.) |
| E761.6.6 | Life token: milk becomes agitated in pan at death of relative. (Cf. E761.6.2.) England, U.S.: Baughman. |
| E761.7 | Life token: miscellaneous. |
| E761.7.1 | Life token: ring presses finger. (Cf. D1076.) *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XX 70 n. 6. |
| E761.7.2 | Life token: spring goes dry. (Cf. D927.) *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XX 70 n. 10. |
| E761.7.3 | Life token: leaves full from tree. (Cf. D955.) Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 185. |
| E761.7.4 | Life token: light goes out. (Cf. E765.1.) *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XX 70 n. 11; Gaster Thespis 275ff. |
| E761.7.5 | Life token: dogs pulling on leash. Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 123. |
| E761.7.6 | Life token: bird sent each day to tell of hero's condition; when owl comes it will be to announce death. Carib: Alexander Lat. Am. 265. |
| E761.7.7 | Life token: bird feathers sink in river at hero's death. Kirghiz: Radloff Proben der Volksliteratur der türkischen Stämme Südsiberiens III 85. |
| E761.7.8 | Life token: great wind blows. Irish myth: Cross. |
| E761.7.9 | Life token: flaming shield goes out. (Cf. D1101.1.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| E761.7.10 | Life token: armor rattles at home when owner is killed away from home. England: Baughman. |
| E761.7.11 | Life token: music box plays by itself as owner awaits burial. U.S.: Baughman. |
| E761.7.12 | Life token: arrow falls down. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E761.7.13 | Life token: paddy productive or unproductive. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E761.7.14 | Life token: rings will exchange places on girls' fingers. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E761.7.15 | Life token: direction dagger points determines if ogress has been killed. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E765 | Life dependent on external object or event. Person's life is mystically connected with something else and comes to an end when that thing is destroyed. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E765.1 | Life bound up with light (flame). Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "vie"; Fb "lys" II 483ab; Gaster Thespis 275f.; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| E765.1.1 | Life bound up with candle. When the candle goes out, person dies.—*Krappe in Penzer Ocean of Story VIII 107; Anderson Die Meleagrossage bei den Letten (Philologus N. F. XXXIII [1923]); Icelandic: De la Saussaye 315, *Boberg; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 82 No. 708*A. |
| E765.1.2 | Life bound up with burning brand (torch). Hartland Science 205 (Olger the Dane); Greek: *Frazer Apollodorus I 65 n. 5 (Meleager). |
| E765.1.3 | Life-lights in lower world. Each light mystically connected with the life of a person. When light is extinguished, person dies. *Type 332; BP I 377ff., *388. |
| E765.2 | Life bound up with that of animal. Person to live as long as animal lives. *Krappe in Penzer Ocean of Story VIII 107; Irish myth: *Cross (Diarmaid); Italian: Basile Pentamerone IV No. 5; India: *Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian: Hultkrantz 364—374. |
| E765.3 | Life bound up with object. *Krappe in Penzer Ocean of Story VIII 107; India: Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian: Hultkrantz 364. |
| E765.3.0.1 | Life bound up with magic object. When magic object is lost, person dies. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| E765.3.1 | Person to live as long as church stands. Fb "kirke" II 126a, "leve" II 401b. |
| E765.3.2 | Life bound up with calabash. As calabash grows, so does girl. Africa (Hottentot): Bleek 55 No. 24. |
| E765.3.3 | Life bound up with tree. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E765.3.4 | Girl lives until her cowslip is pulled. England: Baughman. |
| E765.3.5 | Man's magic contains his life essence. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 541. |
| E765.4 | Life bound up with external event. Death to come when certain thing happens. |
| E765.4.1 | Father will die when daughter marries. (Cf. E765.4.3.) Irish myth: Cross; Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 187. |
| E765.4.2 | Mother will die when daughter is wooed. Irish myth: Cross. |
| E765.4.3 | Father will die when daughter bears son. (Cf. E765.4.1.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| E765.4.3.1 | Father (and mother) will die on same day as daughter. Irish myth: Cross. |
| E765.4.4 | Person will die year he marries. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| E765.4.5 | Person will die when he drinks from horn. (Cf. D1793.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| E765.4.6 | Snake can die only if it gives away hoarded treasure. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E765.4.7 | Man dies when tortoise shell is dug up. Tonga: Gifford 52. |
| E765.5 | One person's life dependent on another's. Penzer I 131. |
| E766 | Object dies or stops when owner dies. |
| E766.1 | Clock stops at moment of owner's death. England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| E766.2 | Tree dies when owner dies. England: *Baughman. |
| E766.3 | Post falls when owners lose estate. England: Baughman. |
| E767 | Affinity of person and object. |
| E767.1 | Ash pole appears at doorway several times on day owner's daughter dies. (It is used for coffin rests. The pole has previously mysteriously escaped being used for other purposes.)—Canada: Baughman. |
| E767.2 | Clothes of wicked person burn when owner dies. U.S.: Baughman. |
| E770 | Vital objects. Objects that have life in them. (Cf. D1620, D1640.) |
| E771 | Ring with life in it. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "animisme". |
| E772 | Sickle with life in it. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "animisme". |
| E780 | Vital bodily members. They possess life independent of the rest of the body. (Cf. F1096.) India: Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 346 n. 246b. |
| E780.1 | Vital body: kills attacking enemies. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E780.2 | Animal bodily members transferred to person or other animal retains animal powers and habits. (Cf. E781, E782.) Type 660; Haiti: Parsons MAFLS XVII (1) 59—62. |
| E781 | Eyes successfully replaced. Jacobs' list s.v. "Eyes exchanged"; Fb "øje" III 1166a; Köhler-Bolte I 434ff.; Irish myth: *Cross; Gaster Thespis 333f.; India: *Thompson-Balys; Africa (Angola): Chatelain 139 No. 13. |
| E781.1 | Substituted eyes. Lost eyes are replaced by those of another person or animal. (Cf. F512.1.4.) *Type 660; BP II 552; Irish myth: Cross; Japanese: Ikeda; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 299 n. 94. |
| E781.1.1 | Prince regains his eyesight after theft of eyes from water maidens. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E781.2 | Eyes bought back and replaced. *Type 533; *BP II 278 n. 1; *Köhler-Bolte I 463; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 83 No. 711A*; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| E781.3 | Eyes borrowed by animal. Later returned.—Africa (Kaffir): Theal 166. |
| E782 | Limbs successfully replaced. Africa (Basuto): Jacottet 248 No. 36. |
| E782.0.1 | Substituted limbs. Man borrows various limbs and successfully uses them. Africa (Yoruba): Ellis 267 No. 4. |
| E782.1 | Hands restored. *Type 706; *BP I 295; Fb "hеnd" I 765b; Irish myth: Cross; Spanish Exempla: Keller, Nouvelles de Sens No. 12; Italian: Basile Pentamerone III No. 2; India: Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| E782.1.1 | Substituted hand. Man exchanges his hand for that of another. *Type 660; BP II 552. |
| E782.2 | Substituted ribs (chariot ribs). Irish myth: Cross. |
| E782.3 | Arms restored. Irish myth: *Cross; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "bras". |
| E782.3.1 | Substituted arm. Injured arm replaced by another. (Cf. A128.4.1.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| E782.4 | Horse's leg cut off and replaced. *Type 753; *BP III 198; *Lowes Romanic Review V 368; Saintyves Saints Successeurs 248—251; Köhler-Bolte I 132, 297 n. 1; Dh II 169; Hoefler Zs. f. Vksk. I 304; Ons Volksleven III 43, V 28, 136f. |
| E782.4.1 | Substituted leg. Injured leg replaced by another. Alphabet No. 219. |
| E782.4.2 | Severed leg(s) regrow(s). Africa (Somali): Kirk A Grammar of the Somali Language (Cambridge [Eng.], 1905) 162f., (Ishhak): Kirk FL XV 391ff. No. 3, (Saho): Reinisch Die Saho-Sprache I 76ff. No. 3. |
| E782.5 | Substituted tongue. Haiti: Parsons MAFLS XVII (1) 59—62. |
| E783 | Vital head. Retains life after being cut off. (Cf. D992, F511.) Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; West Indies: Flowers 432. |
| E783.1 | Head cut off and successfully replaced. *Kittredge Gawain 147ff.; Irish: MacCulloch Celtic 61, *Cross; India: Thompson-Balys; S. A. Indian (Quiché): Alexander Lat. Am. 175; Africa (Angola): Chatelain 113 No. 8, (Bushman): Bleek and Lloyd 10. |
| E783.2 | Severed head regrows. Penzer III 268 n. 1.—Greek: Fox 81. |
| E783.2.1 | Origin of Pegasus from neck of slain Medusa. Greek: Fox 34. |
| E783.3 | Severed head reddens and whitens. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| E783.4 | Severed head opens eyes. Irish myth: Cross. |
| E783.5 | Vital head speaks. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E783.6 | Headless body vital. Irish myth: Cross. |
| E783.7 | Headless man lives four (seven) years. (Cf. Q551.8.5.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| E783.8 | Dead head grateful for burying it. Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 34. |
| E784 | Flesh regrows. Icelandic: *Boberg; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "chair"; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E785 | Vital skin. Retains life after death of owner. Africa (Bushman): Bleek and Lloyd 3. |
| E785.1 | Substituted skin. Irish myth: Cross. |
| E785.1.1 | Ewe's hide grafted to skinless head of wounded man. Irish myth: Cross. |
| E786 | Heart successfully replaced. *Type 660. |
| E787 | Stomach borrowed by animal. Later returned. Africa (Kaffir): Theal 167. |
| E788 | Severed pap regrows when woman bears child. Child V 177. |
| E789 | Vital bodily members—miscellaneous. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E789.1 | Organs exchanged with those of animal. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E790 | The soul—miscellaneous. |
| E791 | Man who forgets to count himself dies immediately after. India: Thompson-Balys. |
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