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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 ▲ |
|---|---|
| J2235 | Would have shot himself. Fool shoots full of holes a garment left out at night to dry. "It is a good thing I did not have it on or I would have shot myself." Clouston Noodles 90; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 230 No. 79. |
| J818.1 | Yogi advises yogi blood for making king's leaky tank hold water: king cuts off yogi's head. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1515 | You lead and I will follow: hard command thus evaded. |
| J12 | Young ass avoids food eaten by animals before being slaughtered. Runs to his mother and asks to have all remains of the hog's food taken out. Wienert FFC LVI 72 (ET 374), 110 (ST 221); Chauvin III 51 No. 7. |
| J1122.1 | Young crow's alertness. Crow advises young ones to fly away if they see man stooping for a stone to throw. Young crows: "What if he already has stone in hand?" India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2358 | Young heir too frank in celebrating his father's death. He says to the mourners, "When your fathers die, I too will come and lament their departure." They brand him as a fool. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 33. |
| J482.3 | Young man advised to choose as wife a girl whose mother was chaste. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J13 | Young sparrows have learned to avoid men. Sparrow quizzes his four young as to how to avoid danger from men. Their year of experience has taught them enough. BP III 239 (Gr. No. 157); Hervieux Fabulistes latins II 546 No. 70. |
| J2112.1 | Young wife pulls out his gray hairs; old wife his black. Soon all are gone. *Chauvin II 128 No. 134; Fb "hеr" IV 241b; Crane Vitry 215 No. 201; *Herbert III 16; Wienert FFC LVI 82 (ET 489), 129 (ST 372); Halm Aesop No. 56; Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1269.12 | Youth announces fire in imitation of priest's metaphorical language. The fire set by cat's tail gains headway. Nouvelles Récréations No. 21. |
| J141 | Youth educated by seven sages. **Campbell Sages. |
| J1174.1 | Youth in court for kissing prince's daughter pleads his love for her. Prince allows plea: "If we kill those who love us, what shall we do to those who hate us?" Pauli (ed. Bolte) Nos. 120, 733; Alphabet No. 60; Mensa Philosophica No. 16; *Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 20; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J225.1 | Youth made lame: had kicked his mother. *Type 759; Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 682. |
| J1264.5 | Youth says he is associating with a pious person. He has nun as mistress. (Cf. J1161.5.) Wesselski *Bebel I 191 No. 58. |
| J657.1 | Youth trusts self to horse over which he has no control. Thrown off. Wienert FFC LVI *71 (ET 358), 109 (ST 210; cf. 533); Halm Aesop No. 302. |
| J1189.1 | Youth will answer question only when king places him on throne: then youth calls executioners to punish cruel king. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J676 | Youthful fencer yields to infuriated opponent who has picked up a pestle. "Two against me. I surrender." Spanish: Childers. |
| J550 | Zeal—temperate and intemperate. |
| J411.2 | Zeus refuses wedding present from snake. Presents to be received only from equals. Wienert FFC LVI 76 (ET 423), 120 (ST 297); Halm Aesop No. 153. |
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