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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 |
|---|---|
| W153.11.1 | Dying miser tells son to extinguish candle just as soon as he dies. Spanish: Childers. |
| W153.11.2 | Miser runs back home to put out lamp left burning. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| W153.12 | Miser is kidnapped and held for ransom. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| W153.13 | Wood dealer prays for raja's death so that he can sell sandal wood for funeral pyre. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| W153.14 | Miser tries to reduce sacrifice promised to god. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| W153.15 | Miser prays to enter heaven with his clothes on: gold coins sewn into undergarments. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| W154 | Ingratitude. Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| W154.1 | Man dismissed after years of service with a pittance. *Type 592; BP II 490ff. |
| W154.1.1 | Usurer's ingratitude toward servant. Dismisses him and charges him for a rope which he had cut while saving the usurer from hanging. Spanish: Childers. |
| W154.2 | Monster ungrateful for rescue. *Type 426; BP II 420; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| W154.2.1 | Rescued animal threatens rescuer. *Type 155; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| W154.2.2 | Man ungrateful for rescue by animal. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| W154.3 | Crane pulls bone from wolf's throat: wolf refuses payment. "That you were allowed to take your beak from my throat is payment enough." (Cf. B382.) *Type 76; *Crane Vitry 192 No. 136; *Wienert FFC LVI 54 n. 3 (ET 145), 147 (ST 517); Halm Aesop No. 276; Jacobs Aesop 200 No. 5. — Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: Rotunda; Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| W154.3.1 | Lion rescued from net by rat: eats rat. Cf. Type 75. Italian Novella: Rotunda; Africa (Ibo, Nigeria): Thomas 86, (Kaffir): Kidd 243 No. 10 (lion and gazelle); West Indies: Flowers 582. |
| W154.3.2 | Tiger has thorn pulled by man: attacks man. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| W154.4 | Hunter beats dog which has grown old in his service. Wienert FFC LVI 73 (ET 380), 89 (ST 14); Spanish Exempla: Keller. Cf. Type 101. |
| W154.5 | Dog tries to bite man rescuing him from well. Wienert FFC LVI 72 (ET 370), 147 (ST 523); Halm Aesop No. 192. |
| W154.5.1 | Ungrateful fox hits with tail the man who carries him across stream. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| W154.5.1.1 | Man kills whale which carried him home across sea. Tonga: Gifford 142. |
| W154.5.1.2 | Man who has been rescued from pit tries to kill his monkey rescuer for food. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 472f. |
| W154.5.1.3 | Ungrateful ape plucks feathers from heron who has carried him across water. Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 34. |
| W154.6 | Ungrateful wanderer pulls nut tree to pieces to get the nuts. Wienert FFC LVI *74 (ET 394), 147 (ST 520); Halm Aesop No. 188. |
| W154.7 | Wanderers in shade of plane tree blame it for not bearing fruit. Wienert FFC LVI *74 (ET 396), 147 (ST 519); Halm Aesop No. 313. |
| W154.8 | Grateful animals; ungrateful man. A traveler saves a monkey, a snake, a tiger, and a jeweler from a pit. The monkey gives him fruit; the tiger a necklace of a princess he has killed. The jeweler accuses the rescuer before the king. The serpent saves him by biting the prince and then showing the man the proper remedy. *Type 160; Chauvin II 106 No. 71; *Penzer V 157 n. 1; Cosquin études 22ff.; Moe Samlede Skrifter I 192ff.; *BP IV 139; *Wesselski Theorie 82ff.; *Oesterley No. 119; Fb "ulvgrav"; Bødker Exempler 304 No. 25.—Spanish Exempla: Keller; Jewish: bin Gorion Born Judas IV 51, 277, Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Africa: Frobenius Atlantis IX 385f. Nos. 103, 104, (Gold Coast): Barker and Sinclair 163 No. 32, (Zanzibar): Bateman 81ff. No. 6. |
| W154.9 | Man rescued from drowning kills rescuer. Oceanic: Dixon 193 nn. 20—25. |
| W154.9.1 | Whales rescue drowning king who planned to kill them. Polynesia: Beckwith Myth 502—05; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (T-G. 3/912). |
| W154.10 | Snake kills ungrateful tamer. Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 33 No. 19. |
| W154.11 | Tiger returns rope to former captor: rewarded by having tail cut off. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| W154.12 | Man kills his rescuer in order to collect reward. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| W154.12.1 | Knight is ungrateful for rescue in battle. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| W154.12.2 | Ungrateful Brahmin brings his wild goose rescuer to king as remedy against leprosy. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| W154.12.3 | Ungrateful brothers plot against rescuer. *Types 550, 551. |
| W154.13 | Benefactor falsely accused of theft by ungrateful youth. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| W154.14 | Woman who saves suitor from death is later condemned to die by the ingrate. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| W154.15 | Kind magistrate is victim of ingratitude. Gives lawbreaker a light sentence. The latter seduces the magistrate's wife. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| W154.16 | Ruler persecutes his friends and is kind to his enemies. Is killed. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| W154.17 | Man beheads rescuer for leaving him so long in pain. Irish myth: Cross. |
| W154.18 | Man ungrateful for life saved because rescuer helped others also. Irish myth: Cross. |
| W154.19 | Ungrateful Jew steals horse of Christian who has lent it to him. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| W154.20 | Man beats people bearing him gifts. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| W154.21 | Workers (builder) killed when secret building or grave is finished. (Cf. W181.2.) Krappe "Les funérailles d'Alaric" Annuaire de l'institut de philologie et d'histoire orientales et slaves VII (1939—44) 229ff. |
| W154.22 | Person compared to nettle, which stings the hand that protects it. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| W154.23 | Ingratitude from ignorance. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| W154.24 | Man fails to feed his animal rescuer. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| W154.25 | Man sets dogs onto bear after bear has carried him home to safety. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| W154.26 | Man demands ever larger gifts. |
| W154.26.1 | Man trades an egg for a needle, demands treat of a gill of rum, the traditional reward for traders. The storekeeper gives him the rum; he asks for an egg in it. The storekeeper breaks an egg (the one he has just traded the needle for) into the rum. It has two yolks; the trader asks for two needles. U.S.: Baughman. |
| W154.27 | Man works his horses to death, then complains that borrowed horse overeats. U.S.: Baughman. |
| W154.28 | Wizard makes pupil think himself Emperor and exposes pupil's ingratitude. Herbert III 94, 431, 536; Chauvin II 150. |
| W155 | Hardness of heart. England, U.S.: Baughman; West Indies: Flowers 583. |
| W155.1 | Hardhearted horse allows ass to be overburdened until it is crushed. Horse must then assume the load. Wienert FFC LVI *56 (ET 170), 144 (ST 397); Halm Aesop No. 177. |
| W155.1.1 | Old bullock deserted and left to die. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| W155.1.2 | Man overloads and starves camel. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| W155.2 | Man helping another across stream drops him when he learns that he has lost his high position. Jaworskij Der Urquell II 195. |
| W155.3 | Man unable to weep for hardness of heart. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| W155.4 | Hardhearted person refuses reprieve for father's murderers. Irish myth: Cross. |
| W155.5 | Permission refused to drink from water tank. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| W156 | The dog in the manger. Has no use for the manger but refuses to give it up to the horse. Wienert FFC LVI 54, 58 (ET 142, 195), 132, 147 (ST 385, 518); Halm Aesop No. 228; Phaedrus I No. 19; Hervieux II 11; Herbert III 14; Crane Vitry 201 No. 161; Jacobs Aesop 209 No. 40. |
| W157 | Dishonesty. Irish: Beal XXI 327, O'Suilleabhain 75; Icelandic: *Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| W157.1 | Priest uses fortune dishonestly made to erect monuments to himself. Wesselski Bebel I 171 No. 10. |
| W158 | Inhospitality. (Cf. Q292.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| W161 | Love of publicity. |
| W161.1 | Three envoys debate as to which of them should be received with the greatest honor. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| W165 | False pride. Son ashamed of his peasant father who brings him money. Father disinherits him. (Cf. Q331.) *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 643; U.S.: Baughman. |
| W165.1 | Humble man after speaking to king disdains his own family. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| W165.2 | Ass after associating with lion disdains his own family. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| W167 | Stubbornness. Grimm No. 3 (Type 710); U.S.: Baughman. |
| W167.1 | Two stubborn goats meet each other on a bridge. Neither will step aside; both fall into water. Type 202*; Wienert FFC LVI 56 (ET 171). |
| W167.2 | Woman's stubbornness causes loss of chance to go on pilgrimage. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| W171 | Two-facedness. |
| W171.1 | Man winks both at buyer and seller. He tries to appear friendly to both. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 491. |
| W175 | Changeableness. Wienert FFC LVI 134. |
| W175.1 | Sister gives due honor and regard to brother only in times of his prosperity. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| W181 | Jealousy. Irish myth: *Cross; Missouri French: Carrière; Icelandic: *Boberg; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. Nos. 142—45. |
| W181.1 | Sheep jealous of dog because he does nothing. Do not consider that he guards the flock. Wienert FFC LVI *58 (ET 197), 132 (ST 386); Halm Aesop No. 317. |
| W181.2 | King kills architect after completion of great building, so that he may never again build one so great. (Cf. S161.0.1, W154.21.) Wesselski Theorie 15; Ireland, England: Baughman. |
| W181.2.1 | Architect kills pupil who has surpassed him in skill. England: *Baughman. |
| W181.2.2 | Architect commits suicide when he discovers that his pupil has surpassed him in skill. England: Baughman. |
| W181.3 | Raven wants to be as white as a swan. Wienert FFC LVI *46 (ET 49), 90 (ST 26); Halm Aesop No. 206. |
| W181.4 | Jealous fox betrays wolf to peasant and then appropriates wolf's cave and food. Peasant kills him in a few days. Wienert FFC LVI 58 (ET 194), 132, 139 (ST 383, 453). |
| W181.5 | Raven jealous of partridge's way of flying. Wienert FFC LVI 46 (ET 50), 90 (ST 25). |
| W181.6 | Jealousy of Venus in the love of Psyche and Cupid. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| W181.7 | Ruler who is jealous of his subjects' happiness prohibits their games. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| W182 | The crying child. He stops crying so that after a rest he can cry louder than ever. *Crane Vitry 265 No. 300; Herbert III 13 No. 85; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 594; Scala Celi 158b No. 892. |
| W185 | Violence of temper. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| W185.1 | Man demonstrates his violence of temper. He overhears a man tell of his temper. In anger he enters and demands to know when he has ever lost his temper. Penzer V 90f. |
| W185.2 | Prayer that overbearing knight's illness be increased. A little sickness has made him kind; more may make him kinder. Crane Vitry 48 No. 103; Mensa Philosophica No. 143. |
| W185.3 | Temper lost from reading history. Man so angered that he refuses to pay his workmen. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| W185.4 | Monk loses temper at cup and breaks it. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| W185.5 | Violence of judge's temper leads him to have men given death sentence unjustly. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| W185.6 | Insult worse than wound. The lion to the man: "The wound has healed, but the pain of harsh words still remains." Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 161*; Rumanian: Schullerus FFC LXXVIII No. 159IV*; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| W187 | Insolence. Irish myth: Cross. |
| W188 | Contentiousness. (Cf. Q300.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| W193 | Extortion. |
| W193.1 | Man extorts large price for betel leaf from addict. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| W195 | Envy. (Cf. Q302.) |
| W195.1 | Goose and turkey envious of peacock point out its ugly legs and voice. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| W196 | Lack of patience. U.S.: Baughman. |
| W200 | Traits of character—miscellaneous. |
| W211 | Active imagination. |
| W211.1 | The boy: "If I had one and then got two more, I should have three." Type 2411. |
| W211.2 | "I surely saw a hundred wolves (snakes)."—"There weren't so many as that."—"Well, what made the noise in the bushes?" Type 2009*; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1863*; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV No. 2009*; Russian: Andrejev No. 2009; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| W211.3 | "I am not alone!" Man travelling alone through the forest at night, is afraid of robbers. He hangs his cap on a stick and keeps repeating: "I am not travelling alone, there are two of us." Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1862*. |
| W212 | Eagerness for combat. Irish myth: Cross. |
| W212.1 | Eager warriors go through tent wall. Warriors so eager for battle they do not take time to go out of tent door but go through the tent wall. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| W212.2 | Warriors contend with each other until battle starts. When they agree to engage in battle, they cannot endure to be without combat. Irish myth: Cross. |
| W213 | Man will not allow food served to strangers until a man of them wrestles with him. Irish myth: Cross. |
| W213.1 | Host requires deed of bravery before feast is eaten. Irish myth: Cross. |
| W214 | Man will not do a woman's bidding. Irish myth: Cross. |
| W215 | Extreme prudence. Irish myth: Cross. |
| W215.1 | Magic help sent to enemy. Hero sends fairy healing charms to his enemy so that when they resume fighting it cannot be said he wins because of superior care. Irish myth: Cross. |
| W215.2 | Refusal to fight wounded enemy. Hero feels it dishonorable to fight with sorely wounded enemy, because it would be said he died of previous wounds rather than the ones hero might inflict. Irish myth: Cross. |
| W215.3 | Long life sacrificed that descendants may be kings as prophesied. (Cf. M314.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| W216 | Thrift. |
| W216.1 | Thrifty merchant tells son that even a snake laid by will be useful. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| W225 | Taciturn man. |
| W225.1 | Man is rebuked for loquaciousness when he speaks after thirty-seven days. U.S.: Baughman. |
| W226 | Moving home simple for poor man. Man is so poor that when he moves all he has to do is to put out the fire and whistle for the dog to follow him. U.S.: Baughman. |
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