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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 ▲ |
|---|---|
| N572.1 | "White woman" as guardian of treasure. *Norlind 69ff.; *Winter 47. |
| N848.2 | A wise man (saint, brahmin) recognizes that a man unwittingly carries a venomous serpent in his proviant sack and warns him. Krappe Moyen Age (1937) No. 4. |
| N768 | Abandoned children accidentally discovered by villainess. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N425 | Abducted princess wishes that she were with rejected suitor; discovers that she is. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N630 | Accidental acquisition of treasure or money. |
| N339.13 | Accidental death by striking head against lintel of door. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N339.8 | Accidental death from fall on own weapon (shield). Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N335.4 | Accidental death from flying splinter of bone. Bone being gnawed by animal lets splinter fly and kills young animals. Africa (Larusa): Fokken "Erzählungen und Märchen der Larusa" ZsKS VII 82ff. No. 1, (Wachaga): Gutmann 87ff. No. 44, (Masai): Fuchs Sagen, Mythen und Sitten der Masai (Jena, 1910) 50ff., (Uganda): Rowling The Tales of Sir Apolo: Uganda Folklore and Proverbs (London, n.d.) 47ff., (Congo): Stanley My Dark Companions and their Strange Stories (New York, 1906) 161ff., Casati Ten Years in Equatoria and the Return with Emin Pasha (New York, 1891) II 45f. |
| N339.8.1 | Accidental death of father from fall into the fire when taking down weapons for his son. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N336 | Accidental death through dream. Man dodging blow in dream hits his head against wall and kills himself. Alphabet No. 285. |
| N337 | Accidental death through misdirected weapon. Irish myth: *Cross; Greek: Frazer Apollodorus II 63 n. 2; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 715; Africa (Fang): Tessman 135, (Congo): Grenfell 820. |
| N339 | Accidental death—miscellaneous. |
| N610 | Accidental discovery of crime. |
| N700 | Accidental encounters. |
| N660 | Accidental escapes. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N334 | Accidental fatal ending of game or joke. |
| N640 | Accidental healing. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N330 | Accidental killing or death. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N350 | Accidental loss of property. |
| N734 | Accidental meeting of brother and sister. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N733 | Accidental meeting of brothers. Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; Jewish: Neuman. |
| N746 | Accidental meeting of cousins. Icelandic: borsteins saga Vík. 446, Boberg. |
| N732 | Accidental meeting of father and daughter. Missouri French: Carrière. |
| N710 | Accidental meeting of hero and heroine. |
| N736 | Accidental meeting of mother and daughter. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N735 | Accidental meeting of mother and son. Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham. |
| N738 | Accidental meeting of nephew and uncle. Hero takes refuge unwittingly at his uncle's court. *Dickson 143 n. 143; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| N745 | Accidental meeting of seeker of exiled prince with prince at meal. Messenger in pilgrim garb invites unknown prince to eat with him. Recognition. *Boje 85. |
| N743 | Accidental meeting of sisters. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N718 | Accidental meeting with the son of the only person who can overcome curse on hero. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N332 | Accidental poisoning. |
| N730 | Accidental reunion of families. *Chauvin VI 167ff. No. 327E; Boccaccio Decameron II Nos. 6, 8 (Lee 34, 39); Irish myth: *Cross; Missouri French: Carrière; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Jewish: Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 947. |
| N737 | Accidental reunion of lovers. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| N397 | Accidental self-injury. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N318 | Accidental separation of lovers. |
| N310 | Accidental separations. Missouri French: Carrière. |
| N620 | Accidental success in hunting or fishing. |
| N131 | Acts performed for changing luck. *Fb "lykke" II 474f. |
| N399 | Additional unlucky accidents. |
| N773 | Adventure from following animal to cave (lower world). *Type 301; Irish myth: *Cross; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 66 No. 508 A*, Espinosa Jr. No. 67; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 163; N. A. Indian (California): Gayton and Newman 74. |
| N773.1 | Adventure from following ogre to cave. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N774.1 | Adventure from pursuing thieving birds. Type 610; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N773.2 | Adventure from returning for forgotten comb. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N777.1 | Adventures encountered in running after cotton being blown away by wind. Type 480; *Roberts 130; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N776.3 | Adventures from having slept beneath tree. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N774.3 | Adventures from pursuing animal (not magic). India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N774 | Adventures from pursuing enchanted animal (hind, boar, bird). (Guiding Beast.) Types 710 (Grimm No. 3), 425; *Tegethoff 14; **Pschmadt Die Sage von der verfolgten Hinde (Greifswald, 1911); Dickson 53f.; Clouston Tales I 215; *Fb "hjort" I 625a; Hibbard 244 (Chevalere Assigne). — Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Lagerholm 25—26, Sveinsson FFC LXXXIII xxxiii, *Boberg; Italian: Basile Pentamerone I No. 9, *Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys; New Britain: Dixon 140. |
| N791 | Adventures from pursuing object carried off by river. Type 480; Roberts 129. |
| N792 | Adventures from pursuing objects carried off by bird. Type 480; Roberts 130. |
| N774.2 | Adventures from seeking (lost) domestic beast (bull). Type 511; Icelandic: Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N785 | Adventures from seeking water. Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N776.2 | Adventures from trying to strangle oneself in tree. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N333 | Aiming at fly has fatal results. |
| N786 | Anchor catching in oratory of submarine monastery leads to adventures. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N583 | Angel as guardian of treasure. Jewish: Neuman. |
| N211.3 | Angel helps to find lost pin. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N342.5 | Angry brother kills husband, thinking latter had killed wife (sister) and baby. Heptameron No. 23. |
| N656 | Angry man strikes king just in time to save his life. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N381.1 | Ant pinching frog causes chain of accidents. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N694 | Apparently dead woman revives as she is being prepared for burial. Cf. Type 990. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N694.1 | Apparently dead woman revives when dropped. Had swallowed a bone. Lover exhumes her. Stumbles as he carries her. She revives and later marries him. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N111.2 | Appearance of Fortuna. |
| N339.7 | Army drowned by unnoticed incoming tide. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| N621.1 | Arrow accidentally makes shot for which prize is given. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N626 | Ass falls into water and catches fish in his ear. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 744. |
| N255.2 | Ass gets progressively worse masters. Finally the farmer beats him living and will not spare his hide when he is dead. Wienert FFC LVI 77 (ET 435), 109 (ST 214, 390); Halm Aesop No. 329. |
| N731.4 | At execution block condemned man discovered to be king's unknown son. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N335.6.1 | Attacking animal is killed by another in ambush. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N337.3 | Axe thrown at one animal misses but kills another. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N250.4 | Bad luck banished and freed. The poor man in some way banishes his bad luck and becomes prosperous. Out of envy his rich brother sets it free; it then follows him. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 735A*; Russian: Andrejev No. 735 I*. |
| N250.1 | Bad luck follows man who shoots stork. *Fb "stork" III 592b. |
| N112 | Bad luck personified. |
| N112.1 | Bad luck put into a sack. Köhler-Bolte I 258. |
| N351.2 | Beggar accidentally overlooks money put into his way. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N177 | Beggar escapes from fire. Refused hospitality, he must sleep outdoors. The house burns down. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 479; Jewish: Neuman. |
| N735.1 | Begging ascetics beg alms of their own mother. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 511. |
| N1.3 | Betting contest between two kings. Philippine: Fansler MAFLS XII 8. |
| N555.1 | Between midnight and cockcrow best time for unearthing treasure. Fb "midnat" II 587. |
| N352.1 | Bird carries off jeweled veil with which girl had covered sleeping lover's face. Lover pursues bird and becomes separated from the girl. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N352 | Bird carries off ring which lover has taken from sleeping mistress's finger. He searches for the ring and becomes separated from her. *Penzer IV 192 n. 1; *von der Hagen I cxxxiii; *Köhler-Bolte II 351; Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N335.1 | Bird hunter killed by adder just as he is shooting bird. Wienert FFC LVI 65 (ET 295), 207 (ST 197); Halm Aesop No. 171; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N642.1 | Blind and deaf cure each other by blow on head. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N886 | Blind man carries lame man. They thus combine and are able to get along. *Type 519; *Wesselski Arlotto II 255 n. 1; Herbert III 192; Oesterley No. 71; Scala Celi 23b No. 151. — Irish: MacCulloch Celtic 68, *Cross; Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Philippine: Fansler MAFLS XII 53; N. A. Indian (Navaho): Alexander N. Am. 174. |
| N577 | Blind man carrying lame man as guardians of treasure. Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
| N388 | Blind men accidentally hurt each other. (Trying to kill pig, or the like.) Herbert III 71. |
| N337.1 | Blind poet unintentionally kills friend. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| N335.2 | Blood bath causes woman to be carried off by bird. A pregnant woman demands a bath of blood: husband substitutes a bath of red dye. A Garuda bird attracted by the dye carries her off. Penzer I 97; Dunlop-Liebrecht 135. |
| N234 | Boast of poor boy made good by fate: he boasts to elder brothers he will build a palace on a certain spot; accidentally comes on treasure trove and makes good his boast. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N2.3 | Bodily members wagered. |
| N115 | Book of fate. India: *Thompson-Balys; Gaster Thespis 348. |
| N339.17 | Bottle wherein jinn is imprisoned inadvertently opened and jinn escapes to kill his captor. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N332.4 | Boy accidentally drinks "poison" intended for his stepbrother. Doctor had substituted sleeping potion for the requested poison. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| N832 | Boy as helper. (Cf. N827). Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| N832.1 | Boy as mysterious housekeeper for buffalo herd. (Cf. H831.1.) India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N347.3 | Boy is hanged for cattle theft; the strayed cattle are discovered later. U.S.: Baughman. |
| N365.3.2 | Boy says, "Whoever eats this mushroom is my wife." His own sister eats it and he runs away. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N365.1 | Boy unwittingly commits incest with his mother. See all references to M344. Heptameron No. 30; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 117 No. 983; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Minehassa (Celebes): Dixon 158. |
| N699.5 | Boy while cutting trees comes to one which happens to be bound up with the life of an ogre. Ogre bribes him with large fortune not to cut tree. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N351.1 | Boy's servant takes pearl to his wife instead of to merchant; she throws it away. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N361.1 | Brahmin unwittingly kills calf. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N331.2 | Bread accidentally dropped from tree on bear's nose kills bear. Type 2006*. |
| N331.1.3 | Bride lets dagger fall and kill husband. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N178.1 | Broken leg saves man from fatal fight. King has ordered that he be killed in a fight. He breaks his leg and cannot take part. Meantime the king learns of his innocence. Chauvin II 152 No. 18; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| N783 | Broken vessel (calabash, etc.) to be mended leads to adventure. Africa (Guinea Coast): Trautmann La Litterature а la Cфte des Esclaves (Paris, 1927), West Africa: Travélé Proverbes et contes Bambara (Paris, 1923) 205ff., No. 66, Frobenius Atlantis VIII 274ff. No. 120. |
| N211.1.5 | Brooch lost by saint found in fish. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N365.3.1 | Brother and sister unwittingly in love with each other. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N733.2 | Brother unwittingly kills half brother in fight. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N733.5 | Brothers accidentally reunited when wedding of one to a king's daughter is celebrated and neighboring rulers are invited. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N384.13 | Brothers fall dead at sight of long lost brother whom they sold into captivity. (Cf. N733.) Jewish: *Neuman. |
| N733.1 | Brothers unwittingly fight each other. (Cf. N731.2.2.) Dickson 100, 109, 153; Icelandic: Boberg; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (z-G. 13/317). |
| N777.2 | Bucket dropped into well leads to adventures. Type 480; *Roberts 125. |
| N119.2 | Buffalo's fate in bamboo growing from head. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N511.1.4 | Buried treasure wanders from place to place. Indicated by a light. (Cf. N532.) *Winter 30. |
| N455.10 | By hiding, stupid son overhears conversation and claims magic power for bamboo cup. Chinese: Graham. |
| N741.3.1 | Calumniated wife is forced to flee. (Cf. K2210.) Reunited by chance after many years at Emperor's court. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N614 | Cane as evidence of robbery. A man believing that he has killed a robber forgets his cane. Later finds it in robber's house. Type 961*; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 961*; Russian: Andrejev No. 961*. |
| N5 | Card-playing parson. The parson plays cards all Saturday night, goes to sleep at church, and calls out the names of the cards. Type 1839A; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1785E*. Cf. Type 1839B. |
| N174 | Careful builder outside when storm comes is killed; careless builder saved. Spanish Exempla: Keller; Africa (Angola): Chatelain 247 No. 58. |
| N113.1.1 | Casket with Good Luck in it given to men by Zeus. Wienert FFC LVI 36; *Babrius No. 58. |
| N145 | Cast-out princess prospers because of Good Luck. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N411.1.1 | Cat as sole inheritance. *Types 1650, 1651, 545AB; *BP I 325, II 69ff., III 487; Missouri French: Carrière; Italian: Basile Pentamerone II No. 4. |
| N554 | Ceremonies and prayers used at unearthing of treasure. *Winter 77. |
| N543 | Certain person to find treasure. Lithuanian: Balys Index Nos. 3612, 3616, 3620. |
| N130 | Changing of luck or fate. |
| N15.1 | Chastity wager: woman succumbs. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 51. |
| N15 | Chastity wager. A man makes a wager on his wife's chastity. In spite of unsuccessful attempts to seduce her and of false proofs presented, he wins the wager. *Type 882; *Köhler-Bolte I 211f., 375, 581; **G. Paris Romania XXXII 481ff.; *von der Hagen III lxxxiii; Boccaccio Decameron II No. 9 (Lee 42); Shakespeare's "Cymbeline"; *Child V 500 s.v. "wager".—Irish myth: Cross; Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 110; England: Baughman; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Jewish: bin Gorion Born Judas I 276ff., III 109, 304; India: *Thompson-Balys; Philippine: Fansler MAFLS XII 62, 253ff. |
| N812.7 | Chief with three supernatural ogre helpers. Marquesas: Handy 76. |
| N827 | Child as helper. (Cf. N832.) Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 105 No. 860; Chinese: Graham; Korean: Zong in-Sob 47. |
| N121.1 | Child born with objects that indicate fate. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| N215 | Child borne off by tiger, which is caught by griffin, which is killed by lioness, which rears child with her whelps. English: Wells 118 (Octavian); India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N653 | Child falls from cliff; uninjured. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N313 | Child follows bird and loses its mother. Tobler Epiphanie der Seele 71. |
| N271.6.1 | Child's song reveals murder. Africa (Bantu): Torrend Specimens of Bantu Folk-lore from Northern Rhodesia (New York, 1921) 9ff. No. 1, 14ff. No. 2. |
| N825.1 | Childless old couple adopt hero. Malone: PMLA XLIII 399. |
| N334.1 | Children play hog-killing: one killed. *Type 2401; *BP I 202; Wesselski Archiv Orientální II 431; England, U.S.: Baughman. |
| N125 | Choices by chance. |
| N846 | Cleric as helper. |
| N347.1 | Clerk who enters tavern arrested with others for murder. Scala Celi 59a No. 326; Chauvin IX 19; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N776.1 | Climbing tree to look around leads to adventures. India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham. |
| N699.3 | Companions arrive as hero is about to be killed. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N741.1 | Concealed wife. Unknown wife supernaturally conceals herself until the favorable moment to come forward. Italian: Crane 340; Greek: Garnett II 18; Hindu: Rouse FL V 85. |
| N1.2 | Conquering gambler. Bankrupt gambler gets supernatural power and wins back his fortune. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 354 n. 276, (Zuсi): Benedict II 342, (Klikitat): Jacobs U Wash II 5. |
| N533.4 | Consecrated wine used to discover treasure. Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 77 No. 649. |
| N550.1 | Continual failure to find or unearth hidden treasure. Texas: Dobie Coronado's Children passim. |
| N454 | Conversation of objects overheard. |
| N842.1 | Cook as foster father. Arabian: Burton I 226. |
| N842 | Cook as helper. |
| N856.2 | Cowherd as foster father. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N270 | Crime inevitably comes to light. Irish: Beal XXI 336, O'Suilleabhain 119; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N611 | Criminal accidentally detected: "that is the first." India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N611.2 | Criminal accidentally detected: "That is the first" — sleepy woman counting her yawns. Robber hearing her flees. (Cf. N612.) *BP II 412; U.S.: Baughman. |
| N611.1 | Criminal accidentally detected: "that is the first"—sham wise man. The sham wise man employed to detect theft is feasted. As the servants enter with food he remarks to his wife, "That is the first" (course). (Or allowed to feast for three days remarks at end of first day "That is the first.") The servants, thinking they are detected, confess. *Type 1641; BP II 401ff., *409; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 818; *Penzer III 75f.; India: *Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 302. |
| N275 | Criminal confesses because he thinks himself accused. *BP II 534, 412; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N275.2 | Criminal confesses because of misunderstanding of a dialect. BP II 534, 412. |
| N275.1 | Criminal confesses because of misunderstood animal cries. BP II 534, 412; Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 66. |
| N275.5 | Criminal in church mistakes words of service as accusation. (Cf. Type 1833.) |
| N6.2 | Cuckold loses luck. A man's wife is deceived in order that he may lose in gambling. N. A. Indian (California): Gayton and Newman 81. |
| N644 | Cure by fall which causes bleeding. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N591 | Curse on treasure. Finder or owner to have bad luck. *Fb "skat" III 234b, 235b; Icelandic: *Boberg; N. A. Indian (Wampanoag): Knight JAFL XXXVIII 134; Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 185. |
| N331.1 | Dagger in wall above bed falls and kills girl. Has been placed there by her lover. Indonesia: De Vries's list No. 219. |
| N2.6.3 | Damsel as wager. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N2.6.2 | Daughter as wager. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N466 | Daughter lousing mother weeps and reveals secret. Chinese: Graham. |
| N367 | Daughter unwittingly turns her own parents out of doors. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N732.2.1 | Daughter's good fortune accidentally discovered by father who has become a beggar. Chinese: Graham. |
| N255.5 | Daw fleeing from captivity caught in trees by thread around foot. Starves. Wienert FFC LVI 63 (ET 265), 116 (ST 259); Halm Aesop No. 202. |
| N128.0.1 | Days of the week on which certain tragic deaths occurred. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| N338 | Death as result of mistaken identity: wrong person killed. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| N335.3 | Death by rebounding bow. Ants gnaw a bowstring, so that the bow rebounds and cuts off head of man who is leaning on it. *Bloomfield in Penzer VII xx ff. |
| N121.2 | Death forestalls evil fates. Mother shown what would have been the evil fates of her children if they had not died. BP III 472ff.; Irish: Beal XXI 336, O'Suilleabhain 120. |
| N384 | Death from fright. (Cf. N383.3.) Italian Novella: Rotunda; Eskimo (Greenland): Rink 228, 439, 452, Rasmussen I 148, II 334, III 61, 97, Holm 26. |
| N384.2 | Death in the graveyard; person's clothing is caught; the person thinks something awful is holding him; he dies of fright. Ireland, England, U.S.: Baughman. |
| N817 | Deity as helper. Greek: Iliad and Odyssey passim; India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 840, II 504. |
| N394 | Delay in bringing pardon allows deserved execution. Messenger, ignorant of contents of message, stops to view culprit's execution. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N844 | Dervish as helper. Malone PMLA XLIII 400. |
| N732.2 | Deserted daughter's good fortune discovered by accident. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 348 n. 251. |
| N142 | Destiny better than work, show, or speculation. A peasant makes a little by his work; a nobleman more by his outward show; a merchant still more by speculation; but a prince most of all by his destiny. Chauvin II 109 No. 72; Bødker Exempler 305 No. 76; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| N627 | Destructive elephant eats poison man has prepared for himself. Man rewarded. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N275.3 | Detection by accidental remark. Wife misunderstands husband's remark and confesses. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 32. |
| N120 | Determination of luck or fate. |
| N571 | Devil (demon) as guardian of treasure. *Fb "skat" III 235b, "djævel" IV 99b; *Kittredge Witchcraft 204f., 517 n. 8; *Penzer III 133n.; *Winter 41; U.S.: Baughman; Icelandic: *Boberg; Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 16 No. 9; India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 678. |
| N4 | Devil as gambler. Fb "kort" II 279a, "klör" II 204; Alphabet No. 450; Scala Celi 110b, 111a Nos. 615, 616; Irish: O'Suilleabhain 33, 36, Beal XXI 311, 313; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| N4.0.1 | Devil cheated at card playing. Fb "fanden" I 267b. |
| N4.1 | Devil makes wager with builder of Cologne Cathedral. Wünsche 83f. |
| N527.1 | Diamond in meat carried to eagle's nest. *Chauvin VII 11 No. 373B n. 1. |
| N1.2.2 | Dice made from bones from graveyard. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N127.0.1 | Different kinds of luck attending persons born on the several days of the week. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| N173 | Disagreeable and disliked youth as favorite of Fortune. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N596 | Discovery of rich mine. |
| N135.2.1 | Discovery of treasure brings luck. Chinese: Graham. |
| N549 | Discovery of treasure—miscellaneous. |
| N530 | Discovery of treasure. *Fb "skat" III 235a; India: Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham. |
| N597 | Discovery of underground oil pools. |
| N125.4 | Districts named from first person met in each. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N688.1 | Doctor know-all accidentally saves raja. Roof caves in after he has dragged raja out with the intention of killing him and putting an end to all of his questions. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N119.1 | Dog tries to catch its fate in its own tail. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N531.2 | Dream brings treasure: trade vineyards with neighbor. A treasure is found in the new vineyard. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 328. |
| N531.3 | Dream of treasure bought. Treasure has been seen by man's soul absent in sleep in form of a fly. The purchaser of the dream finds the treasure. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3520; Persian: Lorimer Persian Tales 311 No. 49; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| N531.1 | Dream of treasure on the bridge. A man dreams that if he goes to a distant city he will find treasure on a certain bridge. Finding no treasure, he tells his dream to a man who says that he too has dreamed of treasure at a certain place. He describes the place, which is the first man's home. When the latter returns home he finds the treasure. *Type 1645; **Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XIX 289ff.; *Wesselski Mönchslatein 120 No. 101; *Hauffen Zs. f. Vksk. X 432; *Tille in Veckenstedt's Zs. f. Vksk. III 132ff.; DeCock RTP XV 294; *Fb "skat" III 235a, "bro" IV 62b; *Chauvin VI 94 No. 258; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3636; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| N381 | Drop of honey causes chain of accidents. Hunter drops honey in a grocery; weasel eats honey; cat chases weasel; dog chases cat; grocer kills dog: all the cause of a bloody feud between villages. *Taylor JAFL XLVI 87 No. 2036; BP II 104 n. 2; *Wesselski Hessische Blätter f. Vksk XXXII 21; Chauvin VIII 41 No. 9; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| N777 | Dropped ball (basket) leads to adventures when recovery is attempted. Italian: Basile Pentamerone III No. 10 (Type 440). |
| N574 | Dwarf as guardian of treasure. *Winter 58. |
| N111.1 | Dwelling place of Fortuna. |
| N836.2 | Each of four kings does something to save dying falcon. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N322.1 | Eavesdropping man in disguise as devil killed unwittingly by daughter's lover. Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 305 No. 4. |
| N322 | Eavesdropping person unwittingly killed. Icelandic: *Boberg. Cf. death of Polonius in Shakespeare's "Hamlet". |
| N322.2 | Eavesdropping wife hidden in bushes killed unwittingly by husband. Greek: Fox 72 (Prokris). |
| N561 | Electric shock scares away treasure diggers. Scotland: Baughman. |
| N332.2.1 | Elephant on rampage accidentally poisoned instead of man. Man claims having killed elephant. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N857 | Enemy's servant as helper. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N456 | Enigmatical smile (laugh) reveals secret knowledge. *Type 670; **Aarne FFC XV 31ff.; Wesselski Mönchslatein 93 No. 153; Wesselski Archiv Orientální I 82; Krappe Revue Celtique XLVIII 401ff.; *Schoepperle I 198 n. 1; *Penzer I 46 n. 2; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Corpus Poeticum Boreale I 358; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N255 | Escape from one misfortune into worse. |
| N392.1 | Escaping prisoner falls by accident onto tiger's back and is carried away. Korean: Zong in-Sob 175 No. 75. |
| N770 | Experiences leading to adventures. |
| N2 | Extraordinary stakes at gambling. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N2.3.3 | Eyes wagered. *Type 613; Christiansen FFC XXIV 48ff., 55; India: *Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian (California): Gayton and Newman 82. |
| N815 | Fairy as helper. Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N815.1 | Fairy nurse as helper. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N342.1 | Faithful servant guarding master's wife from danger falsely condemned for betraying his master. *Type 516; *BP I 42ff.; *Rösch FFC LXXVII 129; Italian: Basile Pentamerone IV No. 9; India: *Thompson-Balys; Korean: Zong in-Sob 155ff. No. 68. |
| N342.1.1 | Faithful son guarding his father from monster falsely accused by stepmother. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N844.2 | Fakir as helper. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N342.4 | False accusation overheard causes hasty killing. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N121 | Fate decided before birth. Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: *Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N699.1 | Father and brother accidentally return home just as they are most needed in fight. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N344.2 | Father causes death of innocent son, believing him guilty of adultery with father's wife. Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N94 | Father hides wealth to keep son from gambling it away. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N349.2 | Father kills his son in battle rage. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N344 | Father kills self believing that son is dead. The son forgets to spread white sails, the prearranged signal of his safety. (Told also of lovers.) *Schoepperle II 437f.; Greek: Frazer Apollodorus II 137 n. 4. |
| N338.3.1 | Father orders unrecognized son thrown into sea. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 480. |
| N731.3 | Father unexpectedly meets abandoned son and reinstates him. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N732.1 | Father unwittingly buys daughter who has been sold into slavery. Greek: Frazer Apollodorus I 389 n. 1 (Tisiphone). |
| N365.2.1 | Father unwittingly falls in love with daughter. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N731.2 | Father-son combat. Neither knows who the other is. (Sohrab and Rustem.) **Potter Sohrab and Rustem; Deutschbein I 232ff.; Potter FL XV 216ff.; Rank Inzest-Motif 164ff.; Hibbard 227 n. 5; *Köhler-Bolte II 256ff.; L. Wolff Hessische Blätter f. Volksk. XXXIX 54—63. — Irish: *Cross, MacCulloch Celtic 145, 169 (Cuchulainn, Fionn), Thurneysen 403ff.; English: Wells 135 (Sir Degare); Icelandic: *Boberg; Greek: Fox 140 (Telegonos and Odysseus); Arabian: Burton Nights VII 89 n.; Persian Carnoy 332; Chinese: Werner Myths 315—319, Coyajee JPASB XXIV 179; Philippine: Dixon 235; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 508. |
| N16.2 | Fathers whose unborn children are affianced wager as to mastery in the house. (Cf. N12.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N770.0.1 | Feast as occasion for the beginning of adventures or the arrival of questers. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| N135.3.1 | Feast for those who have not known sorrow. Dying Alexander's letter to his mother orders such a feast. No one comes. *Köhler-Bolte I 579; Köhler Aufsätze 130. |
| N387 | Feud starts over trifle. |
| N222 | First objects picked up bring fortune. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N625 | Fish jumps into boat of disheartened fisherman. Wienert FFC LVI 67 (ET 311), 141 (ST 472); Halm Aesop No. 24. |
| N777.3 | Flax dropped into well leads to adventures. Type 480; *Roberts 125. |
| N339.2 | Flies caught in honey. Death from greed. Wienert FFC LVI 61 (ET 242), 146 (ST 512); Halm Aesop No. 293. |
| N338.2 | Fool (person) disguised as (supposed) king killed. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| N685 | Fool passes as wise man by remaining silent. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 32; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| N471 | Foolish attempt of second man to overhear secrets (from animals, demons etc.). He is punished. *Types 461, 503, 613, 676; *BP II 468ff., III 137ff., 324ff.; *Aarne FFC XXIII 169; *Christiansen FFC XXIV 103ff.; *Hdwb. d. Märchens I 230b s.v. "Belauschen von Dämonen". — Missouri French: Carrière; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 117; India: Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda, Mitford 191; Korean: Zong in-Sob 151 No. 66; Indonesia: Dixon 216; N. A. Indian (Pochulata): Boas JAFL XXV 223; Africa (Yoruba): Ellis 249ff. No. 2. |
| N856.1 | Forester as foster father. *Type 652; BP II 121ff., *122; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N111.2.1 | Fortuna blind. *Patch Fortuna 44 n. 2. |
| N111.2.3 | Fortuna half white, half black. *Patch Fortuna 43 n. 4. |
| N111.2.2 | Fortuna with two faces. *Patch Fortuna 43 nn. 3, 4. |
| N111 | Fortuna. Luck (fate) thought of as a goddess. **Patch Fortuna; *Penzer I 106f., 135, II 49, 116, III 24, 74, 298, VI 42, 72, 105 n. 1, 124, 156, 159, VII 70, VIII 87; Frazer Pausanias III 424; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N114 | Fortune as an old woman. India: Thompson-Balys. |
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