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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 |
|---|---|
| V0 | Religious services. Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; Norwegian: Solheim 22; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| V1 | Objects of worship. *Encyc. Rel. Ethics Index 649b; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 214, *Boberg. |
| V1.1 | Worship of particular gods and goddesses. |
| V1.1.1 | Worship of one god. Jewish: Neuman. |
| V1.2 | Worship of spirits. |
| V1.2.1 | Worship of fairies. Irish myth: Cross (V1.16, V1.16.1); Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| V1.2.2 | Worship of devil. Irish myth: Cross (V1.15, V1.15.1). |
| V1.2.3 | Worship of "disar". Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| V1.2.4 | Worship of angels. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| V1.3 | Worship of ancestors. Encyc. Rel. Ethics I 425—67; Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 411 s.v. "Ahnenfiguren"; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 160; Society Islands: Henry Ancient Tahiti (Honolulu, 1928) 561; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (T-G. 3/619); Africa (Cameroon): Mansfield 233, (Fang): Trilles 140. |
| V1.4 | Worship of heavenly bodies. Jewish: Neuman. |
| V1.4.1 | Worship of the sky. (Cf. A210.) |
| V1.4.2 | Worship of the sun. (Cf. A220.) Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; Jewish: Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 12. |
| V1.4.3 | Worship of moon. (Cf. A240.) Jewish: Neuman. |
| V1.4.4 | Worship of stars. (Cf. A250.) Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| V1.5 | Worship of manifestations in nature. |
| V1.5.1 | Worship of clouds. (Cf. A283.) |
| V1.5.2 | Worship of thunder. (Cf. A284.) |
| V1.5.3 | Worship of wind. (Cf. A282.) |
| V1.5.4 | Worship of storm. (Cf. A281.) |
| V1.5.5 | Worship of dawn. (Cf. A270.) |
| V1.5.6 | Worship of light. (Cf. A260.) |
| V1.5.6.1 | Worship of rainbow. (Cf. A288.) |
| V1.5.7 | Worship of frost. (Cf. A289.1.) |
| V1.6 | Worship of elements of nature. |
| V1.6.1 | Worship of earth. (Cf. A400.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| V1.6.1.1 | Worship of mountains and hills. (Cf. A495.) Danish: Kristensen Danske Sagn III (1895) 65ff., (1931) 47ff. |
| V1.6.2 | Worship of water. (Cf. A420.) |
| V1.6.2.0.1 | Worship of water-goddess. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| V1.6.2.1 | Sacred rivers and lakes. (Cf. A425.) |
| V1.6.2.2 | Worship of sea. (Cf. A421.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| V1.6.3 | Worship of fire. (Cf. A493.) Encyc. Rel. Ethics Index 202c; Penzer III 160; Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| V1.6.3.1 | Sacred fire. *Encyc. Rel. Ethics Index 202b; Penzer I 260, II 247—55; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| V1.6.3.1.1 | (Sacrificial) fire from which all others must be lighted. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| V1.6.4 | Worship of minerals and metals. (Cf. A492.) |
| V1.6.4.1 | Sacred stones. Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Corpus Poeticum Boreale I 322, Boberg, Schmidt DF XXXIX 86ff.; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 88ff.; Tahiti: Henry Ancient Tahiti (Honolulu, 1928) 382. |
| V1.6.4.2 | Sacred shells. Tonga: Gifford 52; Tahiti: Henry 391. |
| V1.7 | Worship of trees and plants. (Cf. A430, C51.2.2.) *Encyc. Rel. Ethics Index 611b; *Penzer II 96 n. 1, VII 162 n. 1; Schmidt Brandtrær og Ulykkestrær Danske Studier (1928) 54ff.; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 214; S. A. Indian (Antilles): Alexander Lat. Am. 25f. |
| V1.7.1 | Sacred tree. *Encyc. Rel. Ethics Index 611a; *Fb "træ" III 866a; Wimberly 156; Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
| V1.7.1.1 | Sacred oak. Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
| V1.7.1.2 | Sacred ash. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| V1.7.1.3 | Sacred yew. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| V1.7.1.4 | Sacred bo-tree. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| V1.8 | Worship of animals. *Encyc. Rel. Ethics Index 28a; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| V1.8.1 | Cow worship. Encyc. Rel. Ethics Index 142bc; **Burnell FL LVIII 377ff.; *Penzer II 240; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| V1.8.1.1 | Bull worship. Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| V1.8.2 | Horse worship. Penzer II 57; Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 216, *Boberg. |
| V1.8.3 | Dog worship. Encyc. Rel. Ethics Index 167b; Jewish: Neuman; Chinese: Werner 422. |
| V1.8.4 | Swine worship. Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 109, *Boberg. |
| V1.8.5 | Wolf worship. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| V1.8.6 | Serpent worship. *Encyc. Rel. Ethics Index 539a; *Penzer III 142; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| V1.8.7 | Bird worship. (Cf. A132.6.1.) Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: Neuman; Easter Island: Métraux Ethnology 313f. |
| V1.8.8 | Dragon worship. Jewish: Neuman; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 103f. |
| V1.8.9 | Lion worship. Jewish: Neuman. |
| V1.8.10 | Ass worship. Jewish: Neuman. |
| V1.8.11 | Fish worship. Marquesas: Handy 104; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 129. |
| V1.9 | Worship of tools and implements. |
| V1.9.1 | Plow worship. (Cf. A432.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| V1.9.2 | Worship of weapons. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| V1.9.3 | Worship of hammer (axe). Tahiti: Henry Ancient Tahiti (Honolulu, 1928) 147. |
| V1.10 | Worship of fetish. (Cf. D1274.) *Encyc. Rel. Ethics Index 200a; Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: *Neuman; Africa (Fjort): Dennett 96. |
| V1.10.1 | Man worships a cake which from time to time he eats. *Chauvin V 24 No. 13 n. 1. |
| V1.10.2 | Cult of heads. Irish myth: Cross. |
| V1.10.3 | Sacred feather. Tuamotu: Beckwith Myth 289. |
| V1.11 | Worship of idols. (Cf. Q558.12, V11.10.) Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| V1.11.1 | Worship of golden calf. Jewish: Neuman. |
| V1.11.2 | Worship of stone idols. Jewish: Neuman. |
| V1.11.3 | Worship of wooden idol. Icelandic: *Boberg; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 16. |
| V4 | Value of religious exercises. |
| V4.1 | Religious exercises weighed in balance. A son doubts whether the words spoken by the priests to whom his father has willed a sum of money is worth so much. The words are put on paper and are found to outweigh the money. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 465; Irish: O'Suilleabhain 65, 113, Beal XXI 325, 335. |
| V5 | Negligence in religious exercise. (Cf. Q223.) |
| V5.1 | Virgin Mary reproves a monk who sleeps at altar. Alphabet No. 284. |
| V5.2 | Negligent priests buried under bags filled with words omitted from service. *Crane Vitry 141 No. 19. |
| V5.3 | Devils cause monk to perspire and stay away from church service. Pauli (ed. Bolte). No. 260. |
| V10 | Religious sacrifices. *Encyc. Rel. Ethics Index 511b; *Hdwb. d. Abergl. IX Nachträge 19—54, 496—547; Irish: *Cross, Beal XXI 329; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| V10.1 | Goddess prevents suicide of man despairing of ability to make sacrifice. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| V10.2 | God dislikes offerings beyond one's ability. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| V11 | Power to which sacrifice is made. |
| V11.1 | Sacrifice to tree. (Cf. V1.1.) *Encyc. Rel. Ethics Index 611a; Fb "træ" III 866a. |
| V11.2 | Sacrifice to sea. *Penzer II 72 n. 1, VII 146 n. 1; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| V11.2.1 | Sacrifice to river. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| V11.3 | Sacrifice to stone. *Encyc. Rel. Ethics Index 570; *Fb "sten" III 553a; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 225, *Boberg; Danish: Schmidt DF XXXIX 90ff. |
| V11.4 | Sacrifices to Confucius. Encyc. Rel. Ethics IV 13f.; Chinese: Werner 102. |
| V11.5 | Sacrifice to wind. Encyc. Rel. Ethics Index 645b; Icelandic: *Boberg; Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 307 No. 29; Greek: Euripides Iphigenia at Aulis. |
| V11.6 | Sacrifice to the dead. (Cf. A108.1.) *Encyc. Rel. Ethics Index 512b; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| V11.6.1 | Human sacrifice in connection with funeral. (Cf. S260.1.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| V11.6.2 | Animal sacrifice in connection with funeral. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| V11.7 | Sacrifice to animal. Jewish: Neuman. |
| V11.7.1 | Sacrifice to serpent. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| V11.8 | Sacrifice to saint. Irish: O'Suilleabhain 89. |
| V11.9 | Sacrifice to deity. Jewish: Neuman. |
| V11.9.1 | Sacrifice to unknown god. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 70. |
| V11.10 | Sacrifice to idols. (Cf. V1.11.) Jewish: *Neuman. |
| V12 | Nature of sacrifice. |
| V12.1 | Blood as sacrifice. Irish: O'Suilleabhain 90. |
| V12.2 | Jewels as sacrifice to sea. (Cf. V11.2.) *Penzer II 72 n. 1. |
| V12.3 | Skulls as sacrifice to a god. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| V12.4 | Animals as sacrifice. Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: *Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| V12.4.0.1 | Sacrifice of animals at the edification of a temple. Jewish: Moreno Esdras (V17.8). |
| V12.4.1 | Dog as sacrifice. Irish myth: Cross; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 218 No. 167. |
| V12.4.2 | Cat as sacrifice. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| V12.4.3 | Pig as sacrifice. Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: Neuman; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 218 No. 167. |
| V12.4.3.1 | Hog as sacrifice. Icelandic: Boberg; Greek: Homer Odyssey XIV 435; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 123. |
| V12.4.4 | Ox (bull) as sacrifice. Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg: Greek: Homer passim; Jewish: Neuman. |
| V12.4.4.1 | Cow as sacrifice. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| V12.4.4.1.1 | Heifer as sacrifice. Greek: Homer passim. |
| V12.4.4.2 | Calf as sacrifice. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| V12.4.5 | Goat as sacrifice. Icelandic: *Boberg; Jewish: Neuman. |
| V12.4.6 | Sheep (ram) as sacrifice. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges; Jewish: Neuman. |
| V12.4.7 | Hare as sacrifice. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| V12.4.8 | Ass as sacrifice. *Krappe Classical Philology XLII (1947) 223—34; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| V12.4.9 | Horse as sacrifice. *Encyc. Rel. Ethics Index 262b; *Howey 185ff.; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| V12.4.10 | Fish as sacrifice. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 19, 420; Tahiti: Henry Ancient Tahiti (Honolulu, 1928) 241. |
| V12.4.11 | Bird as sacrifice. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| V12.5 | Gold as sacrifice to false wooden god. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| V12.6 | Thrall as sacrifice. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| V12.7 | Eyes (human or animal) as sacrifice. Marquesas: Handy 134; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 130, 497. |
| V12.8 | Flowers as sacrifice. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 16. |
| V12.9 | Libations. Drink poured out to the gods. Greek: Homer passim; Chinese: Graham. |
| V12.10 | Incense as sacrifice. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| V13 | Sacrifice made when treasure is found. Fb "skat" III 235b. |
| V14 | Sacrifice must be without blemish. Greek: Homer passim; Jewish: Neuman. |
| V15 | Sacrifice: olive branch laid on altar of Mercy. Greek: Frazer Apollodorus I 375 n. 2. |
| V16 | Sacrifice at religious festivals. Jewish: Neuman. |
| V16.1 | Sacrifices at Passover. Jewish: Moreno Esdras, *Neuman. |
| V17 | Purpose of sacrifice. |
| V17.0.1 | Sacrifice to deity in order to obtain favors. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| V17.1 | Sacrifice for a good year, crops. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| V17.2 | Sacrifice after committing a sin. Jewish: Neuman. |
| V17.3 | Sacrifice to get help in danger. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| V17.4 | Sacrifice for good weather. (Cf. V17.1.) Icelandic: örvar-Odds saga 38f. |
| V17.4.1 | Sacrifice to get snow and good conditions for skiing. Icelandic: Flateyjarbуk I 21f., Boberg. |
| V17.5 | Sacrifice to get knowledge. |
| V17.5.1 | Sacrifice to find out where abducted daughter is. Icelandic: Flateyjarbуk I 219, Boberg. |
| V17.6 | Sacrifice in order that king may live 300 years. (Cf. F571.7.) Icelandic: Boberg. |
| V17.7 | Sacrifice to deity for return of abducted persons. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| V17.8 | Sacrifice at edification of temple. (Cf. V12.4.0.1.) Jewish: Neuman. |
| V17.9 | Sacrifice by women at childbirth. Jewish: Neuman. |
| V18 | Ceremony of sacrifice. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| V19 | Religious sacrifices—miscellaneous. |
| V19.1 | Rising smoke as sign of acceptance of sacrifice. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| V20 | Confession of sins. *Encyc. Rel. Ethics Index 133b; *De Vooys Middelnederlandse Legenden en Exempelen (Den Haag, 1926) 241ff.; *R. Pettazzoni La confessione dei peccati (Bologna, 1929); Jewish: *Neuman; Tahiti: Henry Ancient Tahiti (Honolulu, 1928) 143. |
| V20.1 | Protection of sinners by confession. *Crane Vitry 245 No. 261, 246f. No. 263; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| V20.1.1 | A man without a confessor is a body without a head. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| V20.1.2 | Confessor as "soul-friend". Irish myth: *Cross. |
| V21 | Confession brings forgiveness of sin. Nouvelles de Sens No. 15; Spanish: Keller, Espinosa Jr. No. 182. |
| V21.1 | Sincere confession miraculously obliterated as sign of forgiveness. *Crane Vitry 266f. Nos. 301, 302; Alphabet Nos. 205, 209; Scala Celi 44b, 46a, 55a, 56b, 85b, 104a Nos. 251, 258, 308, 316, 493, 561; Ward II 663 No. 12; Herbert III 259, 380, 432, 469. |
| V21.2 | Woman confesses murder: unharmed by execution fire. Alphabet No. 466; Scala Celi 47a No. 265; Wright Latin Stories 66. |
| V21.3 | Confession of monk who intended to rob monastery brings forgiveness. Eventually elected prior. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| V21.4 | Prior pardons sinning friar who has confessed. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| V21.5 | Sinner confesses before sinning and thus is pardoned. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| V21.6 | Sinner's tearmarks on written confession cause bishop to pardon his sins. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| V22 | Condemnation because of death without confession. (Cf. Q223.4.) Alphabet Nos. 231, 455; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 89 No. 760A*, Keller. |
| V23 | Miracle to permit confession. |
| V23.1 | Unshriven man restored to life in order to confess. (Cf. V251.) Herbert III 14; *Crane Vitry 267 No. 303; *Crane Miraculis 93 No. 27; English: Wells 167 (Vernon Miracles). |
| V23.2 | Dumb man recovers speech in order to confess. *Fb "stum". |
| V24 | Miraculous manifestation at confession. |
| V24.1 | Confession of sins of a pilgrim calms a great storm at sea. Alphabet No. 174. |
| V25 | Easy confession not effective. |
| V25.1 | Man returns from dead to protest against priest who has been too easy with him at confession. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 303. |
| V25.2 | Confession without giving up sin punished. Scala Celi 55a No. 309. |
| V27 | Penance magically concluded by confession. Type 756B; *Andrejev FFC LXIX 136ff. |
| V29 | Confession—miscellaneous motifs. |
| V29.1 | Search for confessor. Great sinner sent from one confessor to another. All say that his sins are too great for forgiveness. Finally he succeeds. *Type 756C; **Andrejev FFC LIV 28ff.; Irish: O'Suilleabhain 46, 48, Beal XXI 317. |
| V29.2 | Monks shrive selves clean under threat of complete exposure of their sins by brother possessed of fiend. Alphabet No. 171. |
| V29.3 | Miracle attests fact that man does not need to confess. He hangs his sack on a sunbeam. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 146 No. 1805A. |
| V29.4 | Sodomist makes sport of confession. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| V29.5 | Unnecessary for husband to confess as his wife has already done it for him. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| V29.6 | Penitent brings manuscript of sins to confession. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| V29.6.1 | List of sins: schedule is returned miraculously cleansed of all his sins. *Loomis White Magic 131. |
| V29.7 | Confessor and penitent exchange confidences. Balance sins and cancel wrongs. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| V29.8 | The devil goes to confession. Performs very severe penance, but cannot bear to humble himself and to stoop before the altar. (Cf. G303.16.9.) Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 818*. |
| V29.9 | Extortionate confessor demands golden statue. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| V30 | Sacrament. *Encyc. Rel. Ethics Index 510; DeVooys Middelnederlandse Legenden en Exempelen (Den Haag, 1926) 230ff.; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| V30.1 | The eaten god. *Encyc. Rel. Ethics V 136—39. |
| V30.1.1 | Flesh of Artemis eaten as quail or bear. Greek: Fox 183. |
| V31 | Unconsecrated host. |
| V31.1 | Host taken away from sinful priest. Alphabet Nos 689, 691; Scala Celi 40b, 41a Nos. 229—36; Herbert III 398, 399, 465, 480, 483, 609, 709; Lithuanian: Balys Legends No. 409; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| V31.2 | Unconsecrated host ineffective. Alphabet No. 162. |
| V31.3 | Unconsecrated host refused. Alphabet Nos. 161, 310. |
| V31.4 | Altar casts away host with louse baked in it. Alphabet No. 690. |
| V31.5 | Devil eats unblessed bread. Scala Celi 64b No. 353. |
| V32 | Host miraculously given when it is refused a man by the priest. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 129; Alphabet Nos. 160, 420; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| V33 | Incredulity as to sacredness of host punished. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 687; Alphabet No. 309. |
| V33.1 | Incredulity as to sacredness of host confounded by miraculous appearance. Scala Celi 42a, 65b, 66a Nos. 239, 357—60, 364; Herbert III 539. |
| V33.1.1 | Incredulity of true transformation of host banished by actual appearance of Jesus's body and blood. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| V34 | Miraculous working of the host. |
| V34.1 | Host cures disease. Alphabet No. 164. |
| V34.2 | Princess sick because toad has swallowed her consecrated wafer. *Type 613; **Christiansen FFC XXIV 83f.; *BP I 322ff. |
| V34.3 | Man who has received sacrament overcomes enemy, a blasphemer. Alphabet No. 163; Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 535. |
| V34.4 | Clothes of knight who kneels in mud before host as it passes miraculously kept clean. Alphabet No. 492; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| V35 | The stolen sacrament. |
| V35.1 | Jews bribe woman to steal host for them: miraculous manifestations. Scala Celi 64a No. 350. |
| V35.1.1 | Horse kneels before stolen sacrament. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 556; Mensa Philosophica No. 59; Scala Celi 64a Nos. 349f. |
| V35.1.2 | Sacred image miraculously appears on stolen sacrament. (Cf. V39.5.) Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 557. |
| V35.2 | Stolen sacred hosts put into coffin. Before death, a woman asks to put a bag into coffin. It is filled with hosts. (Cf. C55, D1031.1.1.) Lithuanian: Balys Legends Nos. 628ff. |
| V39 | Sacrament—miscellaneous motifs. |
| V39.1 | Man considering self unworthy to receive host given it by God himself. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 687. |
| V39.2 | Wicked woman unable to endure presence of host at mass. English: Wells 151 (Richard Coer de Lyon). |
| V39.3 | Sacrament effective even from unworthy priest. Man who has refused such a sacrament shown a vision of a leper giving men good water without harm. Alphabet No. 687; Irish: O'Suilleabhain 126, Beal XXI 334, 337. |
| V39.4 | Vision of sacrament in form of young child. Alphabet No. 694; Scala Celi 66a Nos. 360—64; Toldo IV 49ff.; Irish: O'Suilleabhain 109. |
| V39.5 | Sacred image appears on host. Woman who has vowed not to use make-up or ornaments thus rewarded. (Cf. V35.1.2.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| V39.6 | Host given as pledge to keep one's word. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| V39.7 | Voice from grave asks that it be opened. Corpse spits out host because he has missed confession. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| V39.8 | Sick men die and go to hell because they hesitate to take sacrament. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| V39.9 | Woman who eats before communion cannot swallow the wafer. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| V40 | Mass. *Encyc. Rel. Ethics Index 368a; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| V41 | Masses work miracles. *Herbert III 273ff. passim; Scala Celi 130b, 131a Nos. 712—16. |
| V41.1 | Imprisoned miner kept alive by masses performed by his wife. Ward II 675; Herbert III *85, 284, 324, 365; Alphabet No. 499. |
| V41.2 | Hearing masses causes triumph in tournament. Angel takes absent knight's place. He is delayed by going to mass. *Liebrecht 29; Alphabet No. 462; Scala Celi 130b No. 714; *Ward II 662; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| V42 | Masses release souls from hell (purgatory). Herbert III 284 Nos. 54ff. passim, 473; Alphabet Nos. 613, 652; Scala Celi 111b No. 620; Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 228; Irish: O'Suilleabhain 99, Beal XXI 332; English: Wells 172 (Trentalle Sancti Gregorii); Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 298 No. 11; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. Nos. 192—97. |
| V43 | Holy man has his own mass. (Cf. F1011.1, V29.3.) When upbraided for not coming to mass, he hangs his coat on a sunbeam. Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 309 No. 10; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 147 No. 1805B. |
| V44 | Faithful attendance at mass outweighs evil deeds. *Crane Vitry Nos. 223ff. passim; Irish: O'Suilleabhain 98, Beal XXI 331. |
| V45 | Mass said for dead; they arise and say "Amen". Scala Celi 133a No. 732. |
| V46 | Pebble put in box each time mass is heard. Irish: O'Suilleabhain 127. |
| V48 | The canonical hours. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| V49 | Mass—miscellaneous motifs. |
| V49.1 | Werwolves hold mass. (Cf. D113.1.1, E492, G243.) Köhler-Bolte I 134; Gascon: Bladé Contes pop. de Gascogne II 360 No. 4. |
| V49.2 | Angel holds mass in church on the day that the king absents himself for sake of hunting trip. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| V50 | Prayer. *Encyc. Rel. Ethics Index 470a; Irish myth: *Cross; Missouri French: Carrière; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| V51 | Learning to pray. Jewish: Neuman. |
| V51.1 | Man who does not know how to pray so holy that he walks on water. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 332; **Andrejev "Tri Starca" Novoje Delo (Kazan, 1922) (see Anderson Zs. f. Vksk. XXX-XXXII 171); Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 827*; Russian: Andrejev No. 827*. |
| V51.2 | Worldly-minded learn to pray by thinking of their usual business. Pauli (ed. Bolte) Nos. 334, 338; Scala Celi 37b No. 209. |
| V51.3 | Woman shows that the Lord's Prayer is the best. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 333. |
| V51.4 | Woman taught that it is better to pray before Christ's image than before a saint's. Wesselski Arlotto I 201 No. 26. |
| V51.5 | "Beatus" best prayer for saving condemned souls. (Cf. E754.1.1.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| V52 | Miraculous power of prayer. Irish: *Cross, Beal XXI 334, O'Suilleabhain 112; Spanish Exempla: Keller; West Indies: Flowers 579. Cf. Nouvelles de Sens No. 26. |
| V52.1 | Man saved from lechery through prayer. Alphabet No. 65; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| V52.2 | Continuous prayer sustains man through frightful vigil. *Type 307; *BP III 534; *Köhler-Bolte II 213ff.; Irish: Beal XXI 313, 319, O'Suilleabhain 37, 53; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| V52.3 | Prayer before battle brings victory. Scala Celi 151b No. 833; Irish myth: *Cross; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| V52.4 | Objects supplied through prayer. Irish myth: Cross. |
| V52.5 | Prayer restores shattered vessel. Irish myth: Cross. |
| V52.6 | Mariners saved from maelstrom through prayer. Irish myth: Cross. |
| V52.7 | Prayer at saint's flagstone averts trouble. Irish myth: Cross. |
| V52.8 | Prayer brings death to enemy. Irish myth: *Cross; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 105, 345. |
| V52.9 | Prayer for protection on journey to land of dead. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| V52.10 | Prayers of devout woman free husband from death and imprisonment. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| V52.11 | Prayer of sinner changes his color from black into white. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| V52.12 | The clever brothers work, the foolish brother only prays; finally he acquires all the property. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1666*. |
| V52.13 | Saint's Paternoster outweighs ox. Irish myth: Cross. |
| V52.14 | Reciting martyrology will prevent decomposition of body of one who recites it. Irish myth: Cross. |
| V52.15 | Prayer said by saint into his right hand restores displaced eye of opponent. Irish myth: *Cross |
| V53 | Prayers of family comfort prisoner. Alphabet No. 298. |
| V53.1 | Prayer unfastens boy's fetters. (Cf. R211.) Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 345. |
| V55 | Man worships devil's image in order to secure advancement. Scala Celi 8b No. 56; Alphabet No. 50. |
| V57 | Purpose of prayer. |
| V57.1 | Prayer for good harvest. India: Thompson-Balys; Maori: Clark 32. |
| V57.2 | Prayer for shower of gold. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| V57.3 | Prayer on special occasions. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| V58 | Prayer as ceremony. |
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