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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 |
|---|---|
| Q595.4 | Loss of money as punishment. Jewish: Moreno Esdras (Q585.1). |
| Q595.4.1 | Tribute as punishment for trickery. Irish myth: Cross (Q261.2). |
| Q596 | Punishment in effigy. |
| Q596.1 | Quartering in effigy for uxoricide. (Cf. Q211.3.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| Q597 | Animals avenge injury. (Cf. Q557.) |
| Q597.1 | Snake carries into fire man who has banned snakes. Finnish: Aarne FFC XXXIII 46 No. 79; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV 132 No. 79. |
| Q597.2 | Birds take back their feathers from ungrateful wolf to whom they have lent them. (Cf. Q281.) Cape Verde Islands: *Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 310 n. 1; West Indies: Flowers 570. |
| Q597.3 | Bees sting honey-thieves. (Cf. Q212.) Wienert FFC LVI *67 (ET 312), 98 (ST 122); Halm Aesop No. 288. |
| Q598 | Punishment: fighting all who pass through forest. Dickson 69 n. 16. |
| Q599 | Other punishments. |
| Q599.1 | Punishment: marrying shrewish wife. India: Thompson-Balys. |
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