Folklore Database · Browse
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 ▲ |
|---|---|
| K1532 | Gullible husband under the bed. |
| K499.7 | Gullible king gives large sums to minister for construction of imaginary weapon and then more to have it destroyed. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1057 | Gun as tobacco pipe. The trickster gives the ogre the gun to smoke. *Type 1157; *Fb "tobak" III 814a. |
| K635.1 | Hair of sleeping maiden tied to tree so that she is not able to rise. Tonga: Gifford 50. |
| K1021.1.1 | Hair tied to basket so that dupe kills self when she throws basket down. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K446.1 | Half a grain. Trickster drops half a grain into grain cellar then demands half of the grain supply. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K2112.5.1 | Handkerchief left in woman's room to cause accusation. (Othello.) Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1915.3 | Handsome man substituted for ugly as bridegroom: wins bride. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1991 | Hare (jackal) makes horns of wax and poses as horned animal. Horns melt by the fire. Africa (Ila, Rhodesia): Smith and Dale II 380 No. 5, (Kaffir): Theal 188; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 353 No. 62; Antigua, West Indies: Johnson JAFL XXXIV 59; Bahamas: *Parsons MAFLS XIII 104; West Indies: Flowers 552—554. |
| K521.11 | Hare and bride travel in pot to escape tiger, answer "Ruined pot" when challenged. Africa (Cameroon): Meinhof 102. |
| K11.3 | Hare and tortoise race: sleeping hare. In a race between the fast and the slow animal, the fast animal sleeps on the road and allows the slow animal to pass him. *Dh IV 66ff.; *BP III 341ff.; Jacobs Aesop 162 No. 68; Haupt Zs. f. deutsches Altertum XII (1865) 527; *Wienert FFC LVI 44 (ET 22), 135 (ST 412); Halm Aesop No. 420.—Japanese: Ikeda; Ainu: Chamberlain, B. Aino Folktales (London, 1888) No. 14; N. A. Indian (Ojibwa): Schoolcraft Algic Researches 181, (Cherokee): Mooney RBAE XIX 290 No. 43; Africa (West Africa): Cronise and Ward Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef (London, 1903) 155f.; West Indies: Flowers 494; Bahama: Parsons MAFLS XIII 102; American Negro (Pennsylvania): Parsons JAFL XXX 214, (North Carolina): Parsons JAFL XXX 174, (South Carolina): Parsons MAFLS XVI 79, (Florida): Parsons JAFL XXX 226. |
| K1716 | Hare as ambassador of the moon. Hare claiming to be ambassador of moon shows elephant the moon irritated in a spring. Elephant is persuaded that the moon is angry. *Penzer V 101 n. 1; Chauvin II 96 No. 49; Panchatantra III 2 (tr Ryder 308); B[ö]dker Exempler 294 No. 54; Spanish Exempla: Keller; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K767 | Hare carries disguised lion covered with honey, thus luring animals into trap. Africa (Dzalamo): Meinhof 281. |
| K929.13 | Hare causes pursuing she-bear to stick between trees and kills her. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K521.10 | Hare escapes lion by being bundled in brushwood. Africa (Dzalamo): Meinhof ZsES XI 281. |
| K1018 | Hare flatters other animals into letting it bite off their ears. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K362.5 | Hare in lion's skin gets meat from lioness. Africa (Thonga): Junod 211. |
| K562.2 | Hare persuades cat to perform two gallops before eating him: escapes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K713.3 | Hare persuades wolf and fox to put their heads in loops on rope and thus strangles them to death. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K571.1 | Hare promises to dance if doorway is left free: escapes. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 180*; Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K813.2 | Hare tricks civet cat into being eaten by lion. Africa (Dzalamo): Meinhof ZsES XI 281. |
| K33 | Harpooning contest won by deception. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 314 n. 134. |
| K42 | Harvesting contest. |
| K815.8 | Hawk persuades doves to elect him their king. Kills them. Wienert FFC LVI 47 (ET 60), 97 (ST 107). |
| K2323.2 | He-goat bleats and frightens animals assembled for fight. Spanish: Espinosa III Nos. 246—248; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 89. |
| K233.6 | Healer to take payment in satisfaction at patient's recovery. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2371.1 | Heaven entered by a trick. *Type 330; *BP I 343, II 189, III 303; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 210; Jewish: bin Gorion Born Judas II 164, 349; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2371.1.3 | Heaven entered by trick: "wishing sack" thrown in. Trickster wishes himself in the sack. *Type 330; *BP II 158, 163, 188f.; *Fb "Himmerige" I 611a. |
| K2371.1.6 | Heaven entered by trick: angel tricked by drink into telling woman how to enter. *Stiefel Zs. f. Vksk. VIII 280. |
| K2371.1.2 | Heaven entered by trick: demanding back the charity gift. The trickster demands of Peter an article which he has given in charity. He then sits on it as his own property within the gates. *BP II 163. |
| K2371.1.1 | Heaven entered by trick: permission to pick up cap. Trickster throws a cap or leather apron inside the gate. *BP II 163, 189; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 83. |
| K2371.1.4 | Heaven entered by trick: sitting on Peter's chair. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 49 No. 330. |
| K2371.1.5 | Heaven entered by trick: slipping in along with holy person. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 94 No. 807*. |
| K649.7.2 | Helper dressed in bear's skin helps to escape. Krappe Scandinavian Studies XVIII (1945) 275—283; Icelandic: Þiðriks saga I 261-72 (cf. 339—40), Asbjørnsen og Moe No. 58 (type 590), Boberg. |
| K2036 | Helper steals object obtained at end of quest. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K341.18 | Helpful animal amuses princess with tricks and secures key to treasury. Africa (Nubia): Basset Contes populaires d'Afrique 133ff. No. 52, (Swahili): Steere 13ff. |
| K1954.1 | Helpful cat borrows measure for his master's money. The master thus gains a reputation for wealth. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 70 No. 545C*; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1214 | Hercules spins for his beloved. Is forced to dress as woman and discharge womanly duties including spinning. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K346.2 | Herdsman slaughters animals entrusted to him. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1784 | Herdsman threatens invasion with enormous herds: bought off. He hires himself as herdsman of all his master's flocks for ten years. He then sends notice to surrounding peoples that he is coming with his master's flocks to graze. They bribe him to stay away. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 362. |
| K943 | Hermit (deceived by the devil) kills his own father, supposing him to be the devil. Herbert III 5; Crane Vitry 168 No. 76; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K959.2.5 | Hero attacks and kills at night hero who wanted to go to sleep before their fighting. Icelandic: örvar-Odds saga 52—55. |
| K2369.11 | Hero causes confusion in enemy camp in dead of night: army men fall upon one another, convinced the enemy has infiltrated their camp. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K925.1 | Hero entices enemies into building and sets fire to it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1325.0.1 | Hero feigns death and is copulated with by divine maidens. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1346.1 | Hero flies on magic carpet to maiden's room. Africa (Kordofan): Frobenius Atlantis IV 101ff. No. 11. |
| K1346 | Hero flies to maiden's room. Enters her tower by means of artificial wings (or on flying horse). *Type 575; BP II 134 n. 1; *Krappe Balor 11 n. 40; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1721.1 | Hero frightens dog into giving up eating men by pretending to eat own entrails. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K677.1 | Hero hides in treasure box and thus circumvents plot to leave him below when companions pull up box. Chinese: Graham. |
| K1816.0.3.1 | Hero in menial disguise at heroine's wedding. Types 300, 301, 303; Irish myth: *Cross; Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 94. See nearly all references to N681. |
| K1721 | Hero proves himself a cannibal by trick vomit-exchange. Dh III 142; India: Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 301 n. 102; Africa (Ila, Rhodesia): Smith and Dale II 381 No. 7. |
| K362.11 | Hero reports to king that his ancestors (in heaven) want him rewarded with gold. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1861.1 | Hero sewed up in animal hide so as to be carried to height by bird. Köhler-Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. VI 61; BP III 412 n. 1, IV 171; Basset Contes Berbères No. 13; Turkish: Giese Türkische Märchen 131; Africa (Swahili): Steere 351. |
| K2378.5 | Hero sleeps during the first part of battle and emerges only later. Herrmann Saxo II 185—87; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K1853.2.1 | Hero substitutes for princess as gift to monster. Kills him. Tonga: Beckwith Myth 345. |
| K975.1.1 | Hero tells enemies how he may be killed. Marquesas: Handy 105. |
| K677 | Hero tests the rope on which he is to be pulled to upper world. By placing stones on the rope he discovers his companions' treacherous plan to cut the rope. *Type 301; Köhler-Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. VI 165 (Gonzenbach No. 64). |
| K547.11 | Hero threatens tiger with plowshare and leads him into village. Frightens villagers. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1745 | Hero threatens to haul away the warehouse with a rope. The ogre is intimidated. Type 1046. |
| K1744 | Hero threatens to pull the lake together with a rope. The ogre is intimidated. *Types 1045, 1650; Spanish: Espinosa Nos. 163—167; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| K63.1 | Hero to eat iron grains. Substitutes soft food. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K534.3 | Hero walks backward to leave misleading trail. Africa (Fang): Trilles 139. |
| K1883.9 | Hero wears so many different costumes that he is believed to represent a host. Maori: Beckwith Myth 398. |
| K929.8 | Hero, who has eloped with affianced wife of king, induced to return to court and treacherously slain during enforced absence of his sureties at drinking bouts. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K959.2.2 | Heroes dislike to kill sleeping people. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K1342.1 | Heroine in hiding-box which is bought by prince. *Cox 489. |
| K1971.8 | Hidden man behind image gives unwelcome answer to suppliant: image blamed. *Wesselski Arlotto I 193 No. 22. |
| K443.1 | Hidden paramour buys freedom from discoverer. *Type 1535; *BP II 1ff.; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| K1216 | Hidden paramour taken to his own wife. He hides in a chest. The chest is taken by a creditor who unwittingly delivers it to the paramour's wife. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K439.10 | Hidden person sees robbers concealing treasure and takes it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2324 | Hiding from the strange animal. A cat shrieks and the frightened bear falls out of the tree and hurts himself. *Type 103; BP I 425; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| K306.2 | Highjacking. Thief robbed of his booty. Scotch: Campbell-McKay No. 27. |
| K231.5.2 | Hogs used as a mortgage collateral. (Ground hogs.) U.S.: Baughman. |
| K1252 | Holding down the hat. Dupe persuaded to guard hat supposed to cover something valuable. It covers a pile of dung. (Dupe's goods are sometimes stolen.) *Type 1528; *Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 54; Java: Dixon 186 n. 2; N. A. Indian: *Thompson CColl II 420, 426. Cf. Indonesia: DeVries Volksverhalen II 396 No. 185B. |
| K1251 | Holding up the rock. Trickster makes dupe believe that he is holding up a great rock and induces him to hold it for a while. (Sometimes steals the dupe's goods.) *Type 1530; *Parsons JAFL XXX 237, XXXI 227 n. 2, MAFLS XV (1) 59; N. A. Indian (Mexico): Boas JAFL XXV 206, 237; Africa (Kaffir): Theal 113, 189, (Hottentot, South of Zambezi): Theal 91, (Basuto): Jacottet 44 n. 1; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 314 No. 54. |
| K1251.1 | Holding up the roof. Fox pretends to be holding up the roof; hence cannot help the bear, who must do the threshing alone. *Type 9A; Dh IV 249ff.; Krohn Bär (Wolf) und Fuchs (JSFO VI) 97ff.; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| K636 | Holes bored in enemies' boats prevent pursuit. *Hdwb. d. Märchens I 552a n. 285; Herrmann Saxo 125; Kersbergen Literaire Motieven in de Njala (Rotterdam, 1927) 83; Panzer Hilde-Gudrun; Icelandic: *Boberg; Indonesia: Van Baarde Bijdragen voor Taal-, Landen Volkenkunde van Ned.-Indie VII (2) 464; N. A. Indian: Krickeberg Indianermärchen aus Nord-Amerika (Jena, 1924) 209, (Hupa): Goddard U Cal I 154ff., (Montagnais): Speck JAFL XXXVIII 7. |
| K826 | Hoodwinked dancers. A trickster induces ducks to dance with closed eyes and kills them. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 295 n. 82, (California): Gayton and Newman 83, 85. |
| K491.2 | Horse to be taught to speak. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K134.1 | Horse which will not go over trees. Salesman tells buyer that he is selling the horse because it eats too much and will not climb trees. On the way home the horse bites everyone and refuses to cross a bridge. Seller is literally correct. *Wesselski Bebel I 133 No. 33; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 112; England: Baughman; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *1631. |
| K2351.6.1 | Horse with basket of powdered peppers sent into hostile camp: enemy overcome. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K231.3.4 | Horse withheld as sacrifice to a saint refuses to move. The deceiver takes the horse to the church planning to remove him again, but the horse will not stir until a money equivalent has been paid. Wesselski Bebel II 157 No. 179. |
| K1444 | Horse's intestine fastened to stone. Horse twists intestines out of himself. *Fb "tarm" III 776a. |
| K2351.5 | Horses frightened by instruments of war are backed into enemy's ranks. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K385 | Host robs guest. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K484.2 | Host with overstock of sour wine spreads rumor of dragon at his house. A crowd gathers and he sells all his wine. *Wesselski Morlini 309 No. 65. |
| K1292 | Hostile brother-in-law made king's inferior by being tricked to hold his sword, while the king arranges his breeches belt. (Old custom). Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K811.4 | Hostile visitors lured into iron house concealed by wooden walls. Hosts set fire to house. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K2351.6.1.1 | Hot pepper mixed with flour supplying enemy camp. Thinking they have been poisoned, they beat a retreat. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1033 | Hot porridge in the ogre's throat. He is tricked into burning his throat. *Type 1131. |
| K1181 | Hot tin under the horse's tail. The smith promises to make the horse wild. The numskull on the horse's back. *Type 1142; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 224 No. 64. |
| K336 | House filled with smoke so that owner gives trickster lodging. Type 1527*. |
| K1889.1 | House seems to be afire. (Cf. K1886.) Irish: Plummer clxix, *Cross. |
| K1839.10 | Housemaid disguised as minister. Jewish: Neuman. |
| K1815 | Humble disguise. (Cap o' Rushes, Peau d'âne Allerleirauh.) Usually in rough clothing. (Cf. K521.4.3, K1812, K1816.) Type 510B; BP II 45ff.; **Cox passim; Cosquin Etudes 4f.; Icelandic: Boberg; Irish myth: *Cross; English: Wells 9 (King Horn); Italian Novella: Rotunda; Greek: *Frazer Apollodorus II 226 n. 2; Japanese: Ikeda; N. A. Indian (Ojibwa): Laidlaw Ontario Archeological Report (1918) 36 No. 111, (California): Gayton and Newman 95. |
| K1210 | Humiliated or baffled lovers. Child II 480—93 No. 112; Braga Romanceiro geral Portuguez (Lisbon, 1906) I 230, 260, III 414f.; *Krappe Romania LX 80ff.; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K2271 | Hunchback villain. *Cosquin Lorraine I 46 No. 3; Malone PMLA XLIII 417 n. 9; Icelandic: *Boberg; Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K30 | Hunting contest won by deception. |
| K1563 | Husband (god) traps wife and paramour with magic armor. (Vulcan, Mars, Venus.) *Basset RTP XXIII 167. |
| K1839.14 | Husband and wife disguised as brother and sister. Icelandic: Lagerholm 110-14, Boberg. |
| K482.1 | Husband and wife each receive money (from different persons) to bury the other, who is supposed to be dead. Philippine: Fansler MAFLS XII 154. |
| K1971.1 | Husband answers behind the statue when wife wants to know how to fool him. He says to feed him well. *Type 1380; *Taylor MPh XV 227 n. 1; Stiefel Zs. f. Vksk. VIII 74ff.; Panchatantra III 18, (tr. Ryder) 370; Russian: Andrejev No. 1380; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1971.5 | Husband as God behind the tree forces his wife to confess adultery. Type 1380*; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1380A*; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV No. 1380*; Russian: Andrejev No. 1380*; India: Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 272. |
| K1514.4.1 | Husband beaten by paramour. Husband, dressed in wife's clothing, is beaten by forewarned paramour. The latter says that he is testing the wife's fidelity to her husband. Spanish: Childers; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1971.4 | Husband behind saint's statue advises wife to spin. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 125 No. 1375*. |
| K1521.6 | Husband busied with performing task while paramour escapes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1555 | Husband carries off box containing hidden paramour. Latter exposed (otherwise discomfited). *Type 1535; **A. Stepphun Das Fabel vom Prestre comporté und seine Versionen (Königsberg, 1913); *BP II 18; *Basset 1001 Contes II 45; *Toldo Zs. f. Vksk. XIII 412, 420; *Wesselski Mönchslatein 10 No. 5; Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 73; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| K1558.1 | Husband castrates paramour. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1569.5 | Husband catches paramour by using wife's pre-arranged signal. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1562 | Husband catches paramour in pitfall. The wife sends her maid to investigate. The maid falls in and finally the wife herself. The husband calls the neighborhood to see them. *Wesselski Mönchslatein 9 No. 4; Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 56; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1569.1 | Husband collects fee from paramour. Surprised paramour pays. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 43; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1549.7 | Husband deceived as to noise made by hidden paramour. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1844 | Husband deceives wife with substituted bedmate. |
| K1569.8 | Husband discomfits paramour and wife by clever remark showing that he knows all. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 35. |
| K1557.1 | Husband discovers paramour's love letter in his wife's purse after having made her drunk. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1557 | Husband discovers wife's adultery by riddling conversation. In this indirect manner the wife confesses and promises reform. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 122 No. 1358*. |
| K1550.1 | Husband discovers wife's adultery. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1839.13 | Husband disguised as wife's brother. Jewish: Neuman. |
| K1836.1 | Husband disguises as woman to spy on wife. (Cf. K1835.) Icelandic: Boberg; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1583 | Husband duped by paramour into taking his wife to him. She is veiled. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1514.3 | Husband duped into believing he is in purgatory. Boccaccio Decameron III No. 4 (Lee 91); Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1514.2 | Husband duped into doing penance while rascal enjoys the wife. Boccaccio Decameron III No. 4 (Lee 75); Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1553 | Husband feigns blindness and avenges himself on his wife and her paramour. *Type 1380; *BP III 124; *Taylor MPh XV 227 n. 1; Stiefel Zs. f. Vksk. VIII 74; Russian: Andrejev No. 1380; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1553.1 | Husband feigns illness to surprise wife with paramour. (Cf. K1514.11.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1542 | Husband frightened by wife's paramour in hog pen. The husband sees the paramour who has hidden in the pen and says, "Who are you?" "I am a miserable hog." The husband thinks that his hogs are possessed. (Cf. K1515, K1555, K1566, K1574.) Wesselski Bebel I 206 No. 92; Spanish: Espinosa III No. 193. |
| K1514.17.2 | Husband frightened into sleeping alone. Adulteress has servants impersonate demons. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1581.12 | Husband gets gift which paramour has given to wife. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| K1844.1 | Husband has his strong servant substitute in bed with strong wife. The supernaturally strong wife is about to kill her husband. *Type 519; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1844.1.1 | Husband has servant substitute in bed. Instructed not to deceive him while he is calling on mistress. Instructions are not followed. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1514.5 | Husband hides in chest to catch paramour. (Cf. K1566.) Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 27; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1514.4.2 | Husband hides in curtain to catch paramour. On entering, paramour threatens to kill husband if he should appear. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 4. |
| K1561.1 | Husband hides in wife's room and kills paramour. Heptameron No. 32. |
| K1568 | Husband in disguise begs food of his wife's suitors. Greek: *Frazer Apollodorus II 299 n. 6. |
| K1522 | Husband in hanging tub to escape coming flood. The priest who has thus duped the husband enjoys the wife. *Type 1361; *F. N. Robinson Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer (Boston 1933) 786b (Miller's Tale); *Hammond Chaucer: a Bibliographical Manual 275; *Barnouw "The Miller's Tale van Chaucer" Handlingen van het 6. nederlandsche Philologencongres (1910), Mod. Lang. Rev. VII 145; *Thompson in Bryan and Dempster 106ff. |
| K1641.1 | Husband intending to push wife down mountain is pushed over by her. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1569.9 | Husband kills surprised paramour. Wife persuades him he has killed thief. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K435.1 | Husband makes rhymes about cakes wife has stolen. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1550 | Husband outwits adulteress and paramour. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1569 | Husband outwits wife and paramour—miscellaneous motifs. |
| K1388.1 | Husband persuaded to dig up a treasure buried in an ant hill. He is poisoned by a snake and his wife taken. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1569.6 | Husband persuades wife to light wicks and carry knife in hand before committing adultery: lovers frightened away. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1919.1 | Husband poses as wife's brother. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| K235.1.1 | Husband promises a cow to tiger; wife frightens the tiger away. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1564 | Husband proves intrigue by secretly blacking paramour's mouth. When he returns, his wife's face is black. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 863. |
| K1544.1 | Husband rescues wife's paramour. Not knowing lover's identity, husband takes him to his wife and entrusts him to her care. He then leaves on a trip. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1551 | Husband returns home secretly and spies on adulteress and lovers. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1551.1 | Husband returns secretly and kills unwelcome suitor. Icelandic: *Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1569.2 | Husband surprises wife and paramour. Rebukes them for not shutting the door. Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 71. |
| K1569.4 | Husband takes place of paramour. Beats or otherwise discomfits wife. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 65; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1531 | Husband transformed to goat must witness wife's adultery. The devil has let him see his wife's unfaithfulness in this way. Type 824*; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 824*; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV No. 824*; Russian: Andrejev No. 824*. |
| K1567 | Husband tricks wife into riding a mule which has been denied water. On fording a stream the mule plunges into the water. Wife drowns. (Sometimes also paramour.) Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 47; Nouvelles Récréations No. 90; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1814.4 | Husband twits wife regarding "bought kiss"; she makes him buy one from her by disguising herself. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1544 | Husband unwittingly instrumental in wife's adultery. (Usually shares his bedmate with others, not knowing that she is his wife.) Heptameron No. 8; Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 9; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1518.1 | Husband who has surprised wife and paramour is made to believe that he has had an illusion. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K2117.1 | Husband's letter ordering the calumniated wife to be treated well is altered into an order of execution. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1311.1 | Husband's twin brother mistaken by woman for her husband. *Type 303; *BP I 528ff.; Icelandic: Boberg; Italian: Basile Pentamerone I Nos. 7, 9, Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K419.6 | Husks replaced in granary so theft of grain is unnoticed. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2011.1.3 | Hyena poses as father and kills child. Africa (Larusa): Fokken ZsKS VII 95f. No. 5. |
| K2096 | Hypocrisy concerning charity. |
| K2095 | Hypocrisy concerning thefts. |
| K2096.1 | Hypocrite breaks vow to give coin in charity. Finds coin is short weight. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2010 | Hypocrite pretends friendship but attacks. Jewish: Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K2057 | Hypocrite refuses gifts orally but stretches out his hands. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| K2095.2 | Hypocrite will not share in stolen chicken—only takes some gravy. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2000 | Hypocrites. |
| K2056 | Hypocritical stepmother weeps as she tells departing husband she will take good care of stepchildren though they beat her (she beats them instead). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1955.9 | Ignorant doctor draws his prescriptions by lot. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1955.8.1 | Ignorant youth buys a medical degree. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K551.2.1 | Iguana persuades jackal to let him go so he can finish his drink. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1795 | Illiterate man pretends to be weeping because he cannot make others understand the book he is reading. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K523.0.1 | Illness (madness, dumbness, etc.) feigned to escape unwelcome marriage. (Cf. K522.0.1, K523.1.) *Toldo Zs. f. Vksk. XV 365. |
| K2091.1 | Illness feigned in order to get better food. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2091 | Illness feigned in order to learn secret. Africa (Fang): Trilles 259 No. 31. |
| K1514.11 | Illness feigned to call physician paramour. Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K523.0.1.1 | Illness feigned to escape rendezvous with undesired mistress. Heptameron No. 63. |
| K523.0.2 | Illness feigned to escape unwelcome meeting. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1569.3 | Illness feigned to go to mistress. Husband leaves bed to go to serving maid. Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1884 | Illusion of death. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1886 | Illusions in landscape. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1870 | Illusions. *BP III 201ff.; *Hibbard 205 n. 9; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1883 | Illusory enemies. |
| K1888 | Illusory light. |
| K1886.7 | Illusory mountain (hill). Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1889.5 | Illusory night (darkness). Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1886.6 | Illusory shapes of animals made to appear on hilltops. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1887 | Illusory sounds. |
| K1883.8 | Images set up to resemble watchmen. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 409. |
| K1218.1.4 | Importunate lover (priest) is forced to hide in chest. Husband takes the chest to the waiting congregation. Clever priest comes out enacting the resurrection of Lazarus. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1218.6 | Importunate lover beaten and sent on street bearing humiliating placard. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1218.8 | Importunate lover beaten with canes filled with straw. He thinks he is severely wounded. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1218.1.3.1 | Importunate lover imprisoned and starved: later given choice of lady or food. Chooses food. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1214.1 | Importunate lover induced to dress as woman and sift flour. Is shown to his wife. Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Heptameron No. 69; Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 17. |
| K1218.9.1 | Importunate lover is given a rendezvous. Obscene tricks played on him. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1214.1.1 | Importunate lover is induced to undergo series of humiliations. (1) Disguise as bakery woman. (2) Disguise as priest. (3) Disguise as corpse. (4) Hiding in wine skin. Humiliated each time. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1227.9 | Importunate lover kept overlong at supper: must leave. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1218.7 | Importunate lover tied to tree. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1218 | Importunate lovers led astray. |
| K1218.1.5 | Importunate suitor enticed into sack and beaten by husband. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1218.1.7 | Importunate suitor has his head shaved and tarred and is put into a sack and returned to his men. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1945 | Imposition by sham sickness. |
| K1934.1 | Impostor (magician, demon) takes the place of the king. The ladies of the harem recognize the false king, and the true king is reinstated. *Krappe American Journal of Philology (1933) 260—268; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| K1931.7 | Impostor abandons hero on high hill. Pulls down rope on which he is to be lowered. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| K1971.12 | Impostor acting as God in tree suspected and tree burned. *Penzer V 59 n. 2; Italian Novella: Rotunda; Jewish: bin Gorion Born Judas IV 61, 277; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1952.6 | Impostor appears with letter authorizing that he be set on the throne. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1952.4 | Impostor claims to be earl's son in exile. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1936 | Impostor claims to be father of princess's child. *Type 304. |
| K1944 | Impostor demands box in name of king. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| K1934 | Impostor forces hero (heroine) to change places with him (her). *Types 408, 531, 533; *BP II 284 n. 1, III 18 n. 4. |
| K1933 | Impostor forces oath of secrecy. Hero or heroine swears not to tell of imposture. *Types 300, 301, 533; *BP II 273ff., 284 n. 1; Icelandic: Göngu Hrуlfs saga (FAS III) 274ff.; Spanish: Espinosa III Nos. 139, 151, 157. |
| K1937 | Impostor impersonates dead count. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1911.1.10 | Impostor kills fairy, hides body and dresses in fairy's clothes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1931.6 | Impostor leaves hero alone on island. (Cf. S145.) |
| K1931.1.1 | Impostor tries to push foster brother into the water and then cuts rope so that he drifts alone out on the sea in boat without oars. Icelandic: *Boberg; Tonga: Gifford 128. |
| K1988.1 | Impostor: one sister borrows another's clothes and gets religious blessing in her place. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1931 | Impostors abandon (or kill) their companion and usurp his place. |
| K1931.2 | Impostors abandon hero in lower world. Usually let rope drop on which he is to be raised. *Type 301; *BP II 301; Missouri French: Carrière; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 53 No. 400B*; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1932 | Impostors claim reward (prize) earned by hero. *Types 300, 301, 303, 506, 550, 551, 667*; *BP I 528ff., III 490ff.; *Ranke FFC CXIV 213f., 236; Liljeblad Tobiasgeschichte; *Parsons FL XXXII 194ff.; *Tille FFC XXXIV 370; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; Missouri French: Carrière; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 327 n. 183; Jamaica: *Beckwith MAFLS XVII 278 Nos. 89, 90. |
| K1935.1 | Impostors exposed by girl at her wedding. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1931.3 | Impostors kill hero. *Type 665; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| K1935 | Impostors steal rescued princess. *Types 300, 301, 303, 304*; Missouri French: Carrière; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1931.4 | Impostors throw hero into pit. *Types 550, 551; *BP I 503ff., II 394ff.; Missouri French: Carrière; Spanish: Espinosa III No. 143. |
| K1931.5 | Impostors throw hero into prison. Type 301C*. |
| K1931.1 | Impostors throw hero overboard into sea. *Type 506; **Liljeblad Tobiasgeschichte; *BP III 490ff., 494; Spanish: Espinosa II Nos. 133—135; N. A. Indian: Thompson CColl II 404ff.; Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 284 No. 119. |
| K1942 | Impostors tricked into carrying hero in box. Woman makes them think they will have her as reward. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1969.3.1 | Impostors: servant enters dead body of master and takes his place. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1900 | Impostures. |
| K1848.1 | Impotent husband deceives wife by having a substitute in virility test. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K171.6 | In dividing the fish, the dupe gets the bones. Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 22. |
| K785 | In duel with long poles the ogre is forced into the pig-sty. Type 1083; Magyar: Honti FFC LXXXI 35 No. 1083. |
| K525.1.3 | In order to save child from death, maid substitutes block dressed to resemble it. Enemy strikes block. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1377 | Incestuous marriage arranged by trick. India: Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian: **Schmerler JAFL XLIV 196-207. |
| K1812.12 | Incognito king comes to the aid of an enemy who has refused to vilify him. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1812.1 | Incognito king helped by humble man. Gives reward. Type 952; *BP III 450; Child V 67; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1812.5 | Incognito king in victor's court. Asks forgiveness. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1812.1.1 | Incognito king is asked by humble man to aid him. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1812.4 | Incognito king is given hospitality by fisherman. Rewards him with a city. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1812.2.1 | Incognito king joins robbers: to take only six shillings. The robber tells him that he must take no more, since the king has so many robbers. Type 951A. |
| K1812.2 | Incognito king joins robbers. *Type 951; *BP III 393, 450; Penzer II 184f. n., VII 215ff.; India: *Thompson-Balys; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1812.9 | Incognito king rewards farmer for gift. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1812.13 | Incognito king rewards strangers who treat him as companion. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1812.11 | Incognito prince (king) sold into slavery. Disguised as sailor. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1812.2.2 | Incognito prince joins gamblers. He is beaten for showing courtesy. Realizes his folly and returns home. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1812.8.2 | Incognito princess travels as bishop (monk). Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1812.8 | Incognito queen (princess). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2116.1.4 | Incognito queen falsely accused of having killed child left in her care. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1853.1 | Inferior animals substituted in sacrifice. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| K2371.3 | Ingeniously worded boon asked of God combines riches, issue, and restoration of eyesight: "Oh God! I want to see from above the seventh story of my mansion my great-grandsons playing in the streets and eating their cakes from golden vessels." India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1889.4 | Injurious food (drink) has delusive sweet taste. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K343.0.1 | Innkeeper deceived into going under the floor of the granary; meantime robbed. Type 967**. |
| K476.3.1 | Innkeeper serves sweetened water for wine, cat for rabbit, mule for beef. Revue Hispanique XLV 114. |
If you wish to get access to data for projects and research, then please contact us, we do our best to help
How to cite: Fielder-White, Jonathan (2026). The Folklore Database. https://folkloredatabase.com
0009-0006-1672-4451
Please cite the relevant sources, catalogues, and classification systems, including the Folklore Database, Berezkin-Duvakin Catalogue, ATU, Thompson, alongside the page accessed and the last time accessed. Please respect copyright and licenses.
Editorial annotations and database enhancements © Jonathan Fielder-White licensed under CC BY 4.0. Berezkin-Duvakin derived narrative and metadata licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Full rights information can be found here.
All rights are reserved in the database structure, selection, arrangement, metadata, classifications, software, interface design, and original editorial content.
Important: The Folklore Database expressly reserves all rights in relation to text and data mining, automated extraction, scraping, machine learning, dataset creation, and the training, development, validation, or improvement of artificial intelligence technologies or systems. No part of this website or database may be scraped, copied, reproduced, harvested, downloaded in bulk, or otherwise used for AI training or commercial data extraction without prior written permission.
Designed and Developed by Jonathan Fielder-White.
© 2024–2026 Crecganford / Jonathan Fielder-White. All rights reserved.