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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 ▲ |
|---|---|
| K553.4 | Wolf is requested by horse to start eating from the rear; kicked to death. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| K551.20 | Wolf is requested by tailor to be measured for suit of clothes; wolf beaten. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| K551.8 | Wolf kept at door until children have been christened. He loses his feast. *Type 122A. |
| K2061.6 | Wolf offers to act as midwife for sow: plan detected. *Crane Vitry 202 No. 166; Herbert III 15; Wienert FFC LVI 46 (ET 41), 53 (ET 135), 96 (ST 86). |
| K2061.1 | Wolf offers to act as shepherd: plan detected. Wienert FFC LVI 45 (ET 36), 68 (ET 326), 97 (ST 110); Halm Aesop No. 283. |
| K1022.1 | Wolf overeats in the cellar (smokehouse). Cannot escape through the entrance hole. *Type 41; *BP II 109, IV 318; *Dh IV 232; *Chauvin III 45; Wienert FFC LVI 60 (ET 226); Halm Aesop No. 31; *Graf FFC XXXVIII 71ff.; Herbert III 374 No. 11; Fb "ulv" III 971a.—Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 21; N. A. Indian: Thompson CColl II 438; Africa: Frobenius Atlantis XII 291, 327, (Wachaga): Gutmann 188. |
| K2011 | Wolf poses as "grandmother" and kills child. (Red Riding Hood.) *Type 333; BP I 37, *42, 234; *Saintyves Perrault 215, 222; Missouri French: Carrière; Japanese: Ikeda; Africa (Ibo, Nigeria): Thomas 83. |
| K2011.1 | Wolf poses as mother and kills child. Africa (Basuto): Jacottet 62ff. No. 10. |
| K2061.1.1 | Wolf proposes abolition of dog guards for sheep: plan detected. Wienert FFC LVI 53 (ET 138), 96 (ST 99); Halm Aesop No. 269; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K583 | Wolf punished by being married. After debate it is decided that marriage is the greatest punishment. Wesselski Bebel II 103 No. 15; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 35 No. 165*. |
| K1839.1 | Wolf puts flour on his paw to disguise himself. *Type 333; *BP I 42; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "farine"; Japanese: Ikeda; Korean: Zong in-Sob 9 No. 3. |
| K132 | Wolf sold as a goat (sheep). Types 1535, 1539; *BP II 10; Köhler-Bolte I 323; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| K133.1 | Wolf sold as watch-dog. *Type 1542. |
| K1022.2 | Wolf tied to cow's horns. The fox ties one end of the rope around the wolf's neck, the other to the cow they intend to eat. The cow drags the wolf to the house where the man skins it. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 29 No. 47C*, Espinosa III No. 208. |
| K828.3 | Wolf tries to cheat ewe by posing as ram. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2061.4 | Wolf tries to entice goat down from high place: plan detected. Wienert FFC LVI *53 (ET 137), 96 (ST 90); Halm Aesop No. 270; Spanish: Espinosa III No. 216. |
| K2327 | Wolf-captor scared by fiddle-playing of captive ram, who escapes. American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 44 No. 9. |
| K2010.3 | Wolves sign false truce with sheep. After the dogs have been dismissed the wolves devour the sheep. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K778.1 | Woman (Amazon) in disguise invites enemies singly into forest and overcomes them. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1364 | Woman abducted by giving her medicine which appears to have killed her. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K548.1 | Woman alone in house rolls cheeses down the stairs after calling names of men in the house. Attackers think the men of the house are rushing down the stairs. U.S.: Baughman. |
| K2065.1 | Woman and sick husband. "Would that Death take me in his stead." When Death comes she points to her husband. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1651 | Woman bitten by own fierce watchdog. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1549.8 | Woman cooks food for paramour. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K522.1.1 | Woman covers fleeing man with placenta of goat and with blood to convince pursuers she has just given birth and thus prevents their capturing him. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1213.1 | Woman dares husband to try his sword on pile of clothing which hides her paramour. Stops him just in time. Later the paramour entices her to come to him. Exposes her naked, except for face, to his friends. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1353 | Woman deceived into sacrificing honor. Ruler promises to release her brother (husband) but afterward refuses to do so. *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XII 65; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Jewish: bin Gorion Born Judas I 107, 366, Neuman. |
| K2131.3 | Woman destroys men's friendship by pretending to whisper to one. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1828.1.1 | Woman disguised as angel of death. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1837.2 | Woman disguised as pilgrim engages lover in conversation and learns of his faithlessness. (Cf. K1817.2.) Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 26; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K2357.6 | Woman disguises as man to enter enemy's camp. Slays enemy king. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1281 | Woman draws a pelt to her instead of her husband. A woman asks of her husband a hair which will magically draw him to her. He gives her a hair from a pelt. *Wesselski Märchen 196; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 150. |
| K1317.6.1 | Woman drugs sister and substitutes for her with lover. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1546.2 | Woman encourages paramour by song. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1372 | Woman engaged to marry by trick. (Cf. K1371.2, K1377, K1771.9.) Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K1339.3 | Woman enticed into man's room by feigned illness. Heptameron No. 10; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1339.2 | Woman enticed to upper world on a stretching tree. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 332 n. 200. |
| K551.16 | Woman escapes by ruse: must go to defecate. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1588 | Woman excites peasant (secretary), who draws line on floor and dares her to cross it. When she does, adultery is committed. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 23; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1796 | Woman frightens robber away by telling him parrot's cry is husband's voice. Africa (Wakweli): Bender 70. |
| K476.7 | Woman gives friend dried comb while she herself eats the honey. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1536 | Woman has husband made monk while he is drunk, so as to get rid of him. Scala Celi 87a No. 506; Crane Vitry No. 231; Liebrecht 124; *Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 38; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K1549.1 | Woman has paramour steal her husband's clothes. Paramour gains entrance disguised as the husband. The husband without his clothes is driven away from his home. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1228 | Woman humiliates would-be lover. Knowing that he has deceived another by paying her with gilded coin she answers: "You will have to pay in better coin than is your wont!" Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1961.2.1 | Woman in disguise becomes pope. (Pope Joan.) *J. J. I. von Döllinger Die Papst-Fabeln des Mittelalters (Stuttgart, 1890) 1—53; same translated by A. Plummer (London, 1871) 273—9; *M. le Comte d'I*** (= Jules Gay) Bibliographie des ouvrages relatif's а l'amour@3 (Nice and London, 1872) V 419—23; Alphabet No. 601. |
| K1814 | Woman in disguise wooed by her faithless husband. *Bédier Fabliaux 448; *BP IV 254 n. 1, Italian: Basile Pentamerone V No. 6, *Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1837.8 | Woman in male disguise made king. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1837.8.1 | Woman in male disguise made minister. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1086 | Woman induces men to fight over her and kill each other. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1691.2 | Woman killed. Disliking early rising, the servant kills devil's mother or grandmother, who crows in place of the cock. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1029A*. |
| K1227.5 | Woman leaves importunate lover waiting in her room. Feigns illness and then escapes. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K788 | Woman lured into the forest and captured. Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 179 (Idunn), *Boberg. |
| K1085.1 | Woman makes trouble between man and wife (to lick husband's body). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1085 | Woman makes trouble between man and wife: the hair from his beard. She tells the wife to increase her husband's love by cutting a hair from his beard. Also tells the husband that his wife will try to cut his throat. He kills his wife. *Type 1353; *Wesselski Märchen 194; Chauvin II 158 No. 42, 195 No. 20; *Wesselski Mönchslatein 27 No. 22; *Prato Zs. f. Vksk. IX 189ff., 311ff.; Herbert III 399; Hilka Neue Beiträge zur Erzählungslit. d. Mittelalters 19 No. 17; Scala Celi 109b No. 610; Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 48; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K1085.2 | Woman makes trouble between man and wife: to keep certain rendezvous. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K2111.1 | Woman makes vain overtures to stepson and falsely accuses him of murder. She tries to poison him but her own son accidentally takes the beverage and apparently dies. Plot is revealed when doctor states that he had substituted sleeping potion for the poison. Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K959.2.4 | Woman marries king feigning that she can heal him, and murders him in sleep. Afterward she takes the kingdom together with his counsellor. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K1825.2 | Woman masks as lawyer (judge) and frees her husband. *Type 890; Icelandic: Boberg. Cf. Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice. |
| K1317.7 | Woman mistakes passer-by for lover. Substitution in the dark. Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1645 | Woman ordered to strip has lover turn his back; pushes him into water (pit). (Cf. K551.4.3, K926, K1210.) U.S.: Baughman. Cf. Child Ballad No. 4. |
| K1350 | Woman persuaded (or wooed) by trick. |
| K346.3 | Woman persuaded to go after her forgotten comb. Goods stolen by guard. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K714.5 | Woman persuaded to hide head in jug: she is caught. Chinese: Graham. |
| K2221.1 | Woman poisons her successful rival. Irish myth: Cross; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1923.4 | Woman pretends to be mother of child chosen to be king. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K233.8 | Woman promises marriage for pair of earrings: she escapes with them. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K525.1.1 | Woman puts figures of paramour and herself in bed. Husband attacks them. Woman uses it as a lesson to "reform" husband. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K2361 | Woman saves herself from soldiers by receiving them joyfully rather than fearfully. Alphabet No. 541; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1399.4 | Woman secures man's spear (arrow), lures him with it into her hut. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 47f.; Maori: Clark 4. |
| K1393 | Woman seduces boy by feigning illness (chill, etc.) Italian Novella: Rotunda; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 887. |
| K492.1 | Woman serves beggar with coals instead of food. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2112 | Woman slandered as adulteress (prostitute). (Usually by unsuccessful suitor.) (Crescentia, Genoveva, Susanna.) *Types 712, 883A; **Wallensköld Le conte de la femme chaste convoitée par son beaufrère (Acta Societatis Fennicae XXXIV, Helsingfors, 1907); *Köhler-Bolte I 392, 582; *BP I 18, 305 n. 1, Chauvin VI 159 No. 323, *167 No. 327; Ward II 680; Herbert III 342; *Dickson 72, 166 n. 12; *bin Gorion Born Judas I 361f.; *Wesselski Mönchslatein 136 No. 116; Alphabet Nos. 147, 672; **J. Kentenich Die Genovefalegende (Trier, 1927); Oesterley No. 249; Scala Celi 27b, 32a Nos. 179, 183; Hilka Neue Beiträge z. Erzählungslit. des Mittelalters 13 No. 11; *Graber Festschrift für Eugen Mogk (1924) 525ff.; *Revue des Langues romanes LII 163ff.; Archiv f. Literaturgeschichte XII 132ff.; *von der Hagen I c—civ; Hibbard 12, 21, 29ff., 35; *Puckett MPh XIII 609.—Icelandic: *Boberg; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 660; Chinese: Graham; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 152. |
| K2124 | Woman slandered as an ogress. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1922 | Woman substitutes child for her own and sells it. Exchanges sleeping places. Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 46 n. 1. |
| K1317.5 | Woman substitutes for her daughter in the dark. Heptameron No. 30; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K3.3 | Woman substitutes for husband in combat. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K945 | Woman tricked into giving poison to her husband: thinks it a love-philtre. Greek: Fox 94 (Deianeira). |
| K1222 | Woman tricks importunate lover with the head of a pike. Thereafter he thinks the vagina is toothed. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| K1546 | Woman warns lover of husband by parody incantation. (Cf. K1961.1.2.1, V66.1, X441.) Boccaccio Decameron VII No. 1 (Lee 185); Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1546.1 | Woman warns lover of husband by singing song. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| K1624 | Woman who engages false bridegroom for her daughter has plans go astray. Daughter is seduced. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1652 | Woman who tries to push husband into river falls in when he steps aside. She drowns because she has tied his hands and he is unable to aid her. (She also thinks he is blind because she has fed him rich food to induce blindness.) (Cf. Type 1380.) U.S.: *Baughman. |
| K1302 | Woman won and lost by a ruse. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1676.1 | Woman, who pretends to faint, comes to life when beaten by magician in order to drive out alleged evil spirit. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K959.2.1 | Woman's father and brothers kill her husband in sleep for having married against their wishes. Italian Novella: Rotunda |
| K2051.4 | Women adorn their heads, though they are immoral below. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K713.1.8 | Women bind warrior's hair to wall of hostel while he sleeps. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K822 | Women draw warrior aside so that confederate may kill him. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K521.9 | Women escape from enemy's camp disguised as ascetics. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K443.9 | Women lead man into intrigue and then shout for help. Get money. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K2014 | Women pretend to weep over warrior's wounds while attempting to inflame them. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K2352 | Women spread shawls on enemy's path and entangle them. They are easily defeated. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 525. |
| K2356 | Women throw ashes in eyes of attacking soldiers, so that they are defeated. Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 301 No. 17; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| K2346 | Wooden image frightens away invaders. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 388. |
| K1952.5 | Wooing emissary poses as king and suitor, but is refused. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K455.9 | Worthless chests offered to obtain credit. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K147 | Worthless fruits (plants) sold. |
| K331.3 | Worthless object (animal) substituted for valuable while owner sleeps. India: *Thompson-Balys; Africa (Hottentot): Held 21ff. |
| K1626 | Would-be killers killed. |
| K1613.0.1 | Would-be poisoner forced to drink poisoned cup. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1872.4 | Wound masked by other wound in order not to be recognized. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K815.11 | Wounded wolf persuades lamb to bring him a drink, adding that he will get his own food. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1741.4 | Wrestler claims to be able even to carry away a mountain. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K12.5 | Wrestling between porcupine and deer. Deer defeated but always pleads illness. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K12.4 | Wrestling match of man with fever. Man places stone image at wrestling-place; fever enters image and shatters it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K12.2 | Wrestling match won by deception: bear as "grandfather." A man challenged by an ogre persuades the latter to wrestle with his old grandfather instead. By this he means a bear. (Cf. K11.6, K15.1.) *Type 1071; Köhler-Bolte I 477ff.; *Hackman cf. K12. |
| K12.1 | Wrestling match won by deception: where to throw the ogre. The ogre squeezes the man so that his eyes bulge out. The ogre: "Why do you glare so?"—"I am looking to see where to throw you." The ogre flees (Cf. K18.1.) *Type 1070; Hdwb d. Märchens I 193b. n. 9; *Hackman cf. K12. |
| K12 | Wrestling match won by deception. **Hackman En Finländsk-Svensk Saga av östeuropeiskt Ursprung (Brages Еrsskrift IV, Helsingfors 1910); Icelandic: Boberg; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 314 n. 137a. |
| K12.3 | Wrestling match: Antaeus. Giant invincible in wrestling because with each contact with earth his strength is renewed. Greek: *Frazer Apollodorus I 222 n. 2. |
| K3.2 | Young knight substitutes for old man in tournament. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K2213.12 | Young queen murders her old husband in order to get a new one. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K1855 | Younger and preferred brother substituted by mother for elder to deceive father. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| K308 | Youngest brother surpasses elder as thief. Type 1525*; Christiansen Norske Eventyr 140 No. 1654. |
| K301.1 | Youth learns robbery as a trade: boasts of it. *Type 1525; BP III 379ff.; Missouri French: Carrière; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K305.3 | Youths execute a series of clever thefts. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1821.4 | Youths wear false beards (of grass, wool). Irish myth: *Cross. |
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