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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 |
|---|---|
| Q455.2.1.1 | Adulteress confined in room containing the corpse of her paramour. She becomes ill and dies. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| Q456 | Burial alive as punishment. (Cf. S123.) *Müllenhoff Deutsche Alterthumskunde (ed. Roediger, Berlin, 1920) IV 244ff.; **Feilberg "Levende Begravet" (Еrbog for dansk Kulturhistorie [1892] pp. 1—60); DeCock Volkssage 83.—Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; Greek: Aeschylus Prometheus Bound 366, 1016; Jewish: Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Q456.0.1 | Burial alive as punishment for adultery. (Cf. Q241.) *Schoepperle II 420 n. 1; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q456.0.2 | Burial alive as punishment for swindling. (Cf. Q274.) Alphabet No. 755. |
| Q456.0.3 | Burial alive as punishment for disobedience to king. (Cf. Q325.) Greek: Frazer Apollodorus I 373 n. 2 (Antigone). |
| Q456.1 | Punishment: burial alive up to the breast (neck). BP I 432; Köhler-Bolte I 571; Cowell Jataka I 130; India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 597. |
| Q456.1.1 | Cast-forth wife buried up to the waist for seven years and despitefully used. Wesselski Märchen 174 No. 64. |
| Q456.2 | Burial alive for uncharitableness. (Cf. Q286.2.) Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| Q457 | Flaying alive as punishment. Grimm Deutsche Rechtsalterthümer II 291; DeCock Volkssage 85f.; Fb "menneskehud" II 579; Irish: O'Suilleabhain 43, Beal XXI 316; Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 309 No. 18. |
| Q457.1 | Flaying alive as punishment for contesting with a god. Greek: *Frazer Apollodorus I 30 n. 1 (Apollo and Marsyas). |
| Q457.2 | Devil flays impious person. (Cf. G303, Q220.) Finnish: Aarne FFC XXXIII 42 No. 50**; Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 12 No. 108. |
| Q457.3 | Flaying alive as punishment for adultery. (Cf. Q241.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| Q457.4 | Flaying alive as punishment for opposition to holy person. (Cf. Q227.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q458 | Flogging as punishment. *Roberts 212; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. Nos. 109, 164f.; Jewish: Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Q458.0.1 | Flogging as punishment for adultery. (Cf. Q241.) Malone PMLA XLIII 410. |
| Q458.0.2 | Flogging as punishment for disobedience to rulers. (Cf. Q325.) Alphabet No. 441; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 142. |
| Q458.0.3 | Flogging as punishment for theft. (Cf. Q212.) Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| Q458.0.4 | Flogging as punishment for imposture. (Cf. Q262.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| Q458.0.5 | Flogging as punishment for reviling church. (Cf. Q225.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q458.0.6 | Flogging as punishment for desire to commit adultery. (Cf. Q241.1.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q458.1 | Daily beatings as punishment. Chauvin V 266 No. 154 and frequently elsewhere in Chauvin. |
| Q458.2 | Flogging to death as punishment. (Cf. Q410, S122.) Africa (Fang): Trilles 270. |
| Q458.2.1 | Brother flogs unchaste sister to death. (Cf. Q243.) Child II 102. |
| Q458.2.2 | Flogging to death as punishment for theft. (Cf. Q212.) Fb "piske" II 834. |
| Q458.2.3 | Flogging to death as punishment for seduction. (Cf. Q243.2.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| Q461 | Impalement as punishment. Chauvin V 3 No. 2; Taylor Romanic Review IX 21ff.; India: Thompson-Balys; Hindu: Penzer I 111, Meyer Hindu Tales 226. |
| Q461.1 | Impalement as punishment for faithlessness. Enemy chief has the faithless widow of his victim impaled. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| Q461.2 | Bodies from which limbs have been cut hung on stakes as punishment. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q461.3 | Impaling as punishment for adultery. (Cf. Q241.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q462 | Crucifixion as punishment. (Cf. Q522.1.) Irish myth: Cross; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Jewish: *Neuman; Hindu: Tawney I 147, 396. |
| Q462.1 | Punishment: nailing to pillar. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q462.2 | Punishment by hanging up by the feet. Eskimo (Smith Sound): Kroeber JAFL XII 179. |
| Q463 | Spiked-cask punishment. Rolling down hill in a cask with spikes on inside. DeCock Volkssage 87; BP I 108; Sébillot France I 302, II 90, 271, IV 293ff.; Fb "spigertønde"; Child II 343, IV 30 n. 32, V 48; *Page JAFL LIX 20ff.; Italian: Basile Pentamerone V No. 8; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| Q464 | Covering with honey and exposing to flies. DeCock Studien 11ff.; Boccaccio Decameron II No. 9; *Gaster Beiträge zur vgl. Sagen- und Märchenkunde 21; Grimm Deutsche Rechtsalterthümer (1828) 701; Icelandic: Heinzel Beschreibung der isländischen Saga 162, Boberg; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "supplice"; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| Q465 | Throwing into a pit as punishment. Jewish: Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Q465.1 | Throwing into pit of snakes as punishment. *Type 403; BP I 99ff.; Krappe "The Snake Tower" Scandinavian Studies XVI (1940) 22—33.— Icelandic: *Boberg; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Q465.2 | Prisoners put into pit filled with corpses in order to starve. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| Q465.3 | Punishment: pushing into well. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Q465.4 | Punishment: throwing into water-filled lime pit. Jewish: Neuman. |
| Q466 | Embarkation in leaky vessel as punishment. *Type 612; BP I 126, *127. |
| Q466.0.1 | Embarkation in rudderless boat as punishment. Icelandic: Herrmann Saxo II 650. |
| Q466.0.2 | Punishment: setting adrift in boat. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q466.1 | Husband substitutes leaky vessel so that his wife and paramour are drowned. (Cf. Q241.) *Fischer-Bolte 131. |
| Q466.2 | Punishment: abandonment on cliff that is submerged at high tide. Icelandic: Boberg; Maurer Bekehrung des norwegischen Stammes I 301 and n. 8. |
| Q467 | Punishment by drowning. (Cf. Q552.19.) India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham. |
| Q467.1 | Casting into water in sack (barrel) as punishment. (Cf. Q474, S142.) H. Goldsmith Zs. f. vgl. Rechtswissenschaft LXI—LXII; Fb "sæk" III 720b, "tønde" III 934b; Italian: Basile Pentamerone IV No. 6. |
| Q467.2 | Thief cast into water in a sack containing a cock, a snake, and a monkey. He had stolen a sacred statue of gold. (Cf. Q212, Q220.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| Q467.3 | Punishment: drowning in swamp. (Cf. Q474.) Grimm Rechtsalterthümer II 276ff.; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| Q467.3.1 | Punishment: sea-spell chanted by druidess causes rival to drown. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q467.4 | Man thrown into waterfall as punishment for alleged violating of princess. (Cf. Q244.) Icelandic: FSS 110, Boberg. |
| Q467.5 | Marooning as punishment. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 499f.; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (z-G 13/346). |
| Q469 | Other cruel punishments. |
| Q469.1 | Adulteress caused to fall down stairs from which steps have been removed. (Cf. Q241.) *Fischer-Bolte 217. |
| Q469.2 | Punishment: climbing red-hot rod. (Cf. S112.2.) Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 75 No. 68. |
| Q469.3 | Punishment: grinding up in a mill. Liebrecht 258f.; Fb "male" II 535a; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q469.4 | Punishment: millstone hung around neck. Woman has had desire to kill frog. (Cf. Q211.8.) Tobler 28. |
| Q469.5 | Punishment: choking with smoke. This given a lawyer who has "sold smoke", i.e., idle words. BP III 495 n.; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 786; Scala Celi 7b No. 48. |
| Q469.6 | Heart and liver of murderer torn out. (Cf. Q211.) Icelandic: *Boberg; Chinese: Werner 339. |
| Q469.6.0.1 | Heart of murderer cut out. (Cf. Q211.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q469.6.1 | Heart and liver of son to be torn out. (Cf. S194.) French Canadian: Sister Marie Ursule. |
| Q469.7 | Punishment: twisting entrails from body. Fb III 776a; Mannhardt Wald- und Feldkulte I 28; Heinzel Beschreibung der isländischen Saga 162. |
| Q469.7.1 | Man fettered with the entrails of his own sons as punishment for treachery. (Cf. Q261.) Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 146 (Loki). |
| Q469.8 | Punishment: sawing in twain. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| Q469.9 | Punishment: boring hot irons through ears. (Cf. S112.2.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| Q469.9.1 | Punishment: tearing off flesh with hot pincers. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| Q469.9.2 | Punishment: piercing with needles. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q469.10 | Scalding as punishment. |
| Q469.10.1 | Scalding as punishment for attempted seduction. (Cf. Q243.2.1.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| Q469.10.2 | Scalding as punishment for theft. (Cf. Q212.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| Q469.10.3 | Scalding as punishment for insult. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| Q469.11 | Baby son hurled into battle as punishment for desertion of fairy mistress. (Cf. Q247, Q411.3.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q469.12 | Murderer torn limb from limb. (Cf. Q211, Q416.) Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; Jewish: Neuman. |
| Q469.13 | Hands in cleft log as punishment. (Cf. K1111, Q435.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q470 | Humiliating punishments. Irish myth: *Cross; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q471 | Spitting in face as punishment. Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 138; Jewish: *Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q471.1 | Persecuted queen meanly clothed and set where all are commanded to spit on her. Köhler-Bolte I 571. |
| Q471.2 | Beggar avenges self on queen who spits at him by disguising as prince and spitting in her face. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q472 | Branding as punishment. (Cf. H55.) BP III 114 n. 1; Cosquin études 428ff.; *Fischer-Bolte 215; Child II 240ff., 513a, III 514, IV 476, V225b; Icelandic: *Boberg; Spanish: Espinosa III No. 192; India: *Thompson-Balys; Hindu: Meyer Hindu Tales 110. |
| Q473 | Punishment: disgraceful journey through streets. (Cf. Q432.2.) |
| Q473.0.1 | Insolvent debtor drawn through streets. (Cf. Q271.) Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "débiteur". |
| Q473.0.2 | Corpse of adulteress drawn through streets. (Cf. Q241.) Icelandic: Boberg. |
| Q473.1 | Punishment: riding through street on bull. |
| Q473.1.1 | Adulteress ridden through street on bull. (Cf. Q241.) *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 185 No. 349. |
| Q473.2 | Punishment: tying to horse's tail. Fb "hest" IV 212a; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| Q473.2.1 | Wife's paramour tied to horse's tail and conducted through streets. (Cf. Q241.) Malone PMLA XLIII 413. |
| Q473.3 | Seducer, who had disguised as woman, is led naked through streets. (Cf. Q243.2.) Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 45; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| Q473.4 | Importunate lover put asleep in street. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| Q473.5 | Punishment: sending out of town on donkeys. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Q473.5.1 | Punishment: shaving head and covering with tar and driving forth on back of donkey to sound of drum. Stranger thinks he is being honored. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q473.5.2 | Riding backwards on donkey as punishment. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q473.6 | Punishment: princess to display self on roof. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q474 | "Cucking-stool" as punishment. (Cf. Q467.3, Q467.1.) Victim is suspended in a basket over filth and thrown in. *Spargo Virgil the Necromancer (Cambridge, Mass., 1934) 147ff.; *J. Grimm Deutsche Rechtsalterthümer (ed. Hensler u. Hübner, Leipzig, 1899) II 162, 363ff. |
| Q475 | Tar and feathers as punishment. (Cf. K31.1, K216.2.) *Fb "tjære" III 811a, "fjer" I 301; Icelandic: *Boberg; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| Q475.1 | Tar and feathers as punishment for vanity. Type 833*. |
| Q475.2 | Shower of pitch as punishment. Roberts 208. |
| Q476 | Exposing mistress's person (excepting face) to her husband (paramour's friends). Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| Q478 | Frightful meal as punishment. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 597. |
| Q478.1 | The Eaten Heart. Adulteress is caused unwittingly to eat her lover's heart. (Sometimes other parts of his body.) (Cf. Q241.) **Matzke MLN XXVI 1; **K. Nyrop Sangerens Hjærte (København, 1908); *Child V 482 s.v. "heart"; Clouston Tales II 187ff.; *v. d. Hagen I cxvi; DeCock Volkssage 94ff.; *Hibbard 253ff.; Boccaccio Decameron IV Nos. 1, 9 (Lee 116, 143); Schofield PMLA XV 123; Malone PMLA XLIII 413, 430; Numes "A lenda de coraçao comido" Revista Lusitana XXVIII 5—15.—Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys; Marquesas: Handy 104; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 136; Eskimo (Cumberland Sound): Boas BAM XV 223, (Greenland): Rasmussen III 241; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 344 n. 241; Cape Verde Islands: *Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 140 n. 1. |
| Q478.1.1 | Man sends his daughter the heart of her lover. She pours poison over it and drinks the potion. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| Q478.1.2 | Adulteress made to drink from paramour's skull. (Cf. Q241, Q491.5.) Heptameron No. 32. |
| Q478.1.2.1 | Adulteress forced to eat out of lover's skull. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q478.1.3 | Adulteress punished by having skeleton of her former paramour hang in her room. Heptameron No. 32. |
| Q478.1.4 | Adulteress forced to have lover's head before her at meals. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q478.2 | Adulteress compelled to eat with dog. (Cf. Q241, Q478.) *Chauvin VIII 162 No. 170; Malone PMLA XLIII 430; Gibb History of the Forty Vezirs 331ff.; Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q478.3 | Adulteress compelled to eat a dog's leavings. (Cf. Q241, Q523.3.) Malone PMLA XLIII 405—430 passim. |
| Q478.4 | Punishment: using fat rendered from daughter's mutilated corpse to cook with and to light candles. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q478.5 | Punishment: eating ashes instead of food. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q478.5.1 | Punishment: eating ashes (coal) mixed with food. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q481 | Princess (queen) compelled to keep an inn. (Cf. Q523.5.) *Type 304; BP II 503; Fb "kro" II 303. |
| Q482 | Punishment: noble person must do menial service. (Cf. A181, H465.) Irish: *Cross, Beal XXI 319f., O'Suilleabhain 53; Missouri French: Carrière; Greek: Grote I 54; Jewish: Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (z-G. 13/48, z-G. 3/1386). |
| Q482.1 | Princess serves as menial. *Type 425; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q482.1.1 | Second wife (slave) must serve as menial. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q482.2 | Queen placed in kitchen and abused by butcher. Irish myth: Cross. Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 101. |
| Q482.2.1 | Queen forced to do menial service rescued by son. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q482.2.2 | Queen ordered to go and live in woodcutter's house as servant. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q482.3 | Nobleman after death must serve as menial. *Herbert III 283ff. |
| Q482.4 | Cast-forth wife must sit at horse-block of palace and tell story to each newcomer and offer to carry him inside. Irish myth: *Cross; Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 94. |
| Q482.5 | Queen made to scare crows away in fields. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q482.6 | Punishment: man must do women's work. Jewish: Neuman. |
| Q483 | Princess must sell goods on market as punishment. *Type 304, 900; BP I 443ff., II 505; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q483.1 | Condemned queen exposed in leather on market place. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q484 | Husband fondles second wife in presence of first as punishment for adultery. (Cf. Q241.) Malone PMLA XLIII 423. |
| Q485 | Noble person must live in hovel. |
| Q485.1 | Princess married to lowly hero must live in slave quarters. Africa (Kordofan): Frobenius Atlantis IV 216ff. No. 19. |
| Q486 | Criminal's property destroyed as punishment. Jewish: Neuman. |
| Q486.1 | Criminal's house burned down. *Chauvin VI 163 No. 327; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q486.1.1 | Sinful city burnt as punishment. Jewish: Moreno Esdras (Q488), Neuman. |
| Q487 | Adulteress forced to wear symbolic dress. Husband makes her dress in coarse cloth except for her undefiled parts which are covered with gold brocade. (Cf. Q241.) Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 49; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| Q488 | Cutting hair as punishment. |
| Q488.1 | Lying goat punished by being half-shorn. (Cf. Q263, K1151.) *Type 212; *BP I 346ff. |
| Q488.2 | Head shaved as punishment. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Q491 | Indignity to corpse as punishment. (Cf. Q271.1.) Jewish: *Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q491.1 | Disgraceful burial as punishment. Jewish: Neuman. |
| Q491.1.1 | Swindler buried on dungheap. (Cf. Q274.) Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 143 No. 1720. |
| Q491.1.2 | Burial in deserted barn as punishment for desecration of holy places. (Cf. Q222.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q491.2 | Debtor's corpse flogged. (Cf. Q271.) *Fb "gjæld" I 448. |
| Q491.3 | Devil beats wicked man's corpse. Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV 124 No. 50. |
| Q491.4 | Toads and snakes devour corpse of rich man in his grave. Scala Celi 74b No. 426; Herbert III 99 No. 65, 666 No. 261; Irish: Beal XXI 327, O'Suilleabhain 74. |
| Q491.5 | Skull used as drinking cup. (Cf. Q478.1.2.) DeCock Volkssage 96ff.; Icelandic: *Boberg; Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q491.6 | Corpse of murderer mutilated. (Cf. Q211.) Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Greek: Grote I 275, 278. |
| Q491.6.1 | Murderer's corpse cut into pieces. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q491.7 | Punishment: throwing dead body into river. Africa (Fang): Trilles 270. |
| Q492 | Woman must relight magic fires as punishment. Magician in revenge for ill-treatment causes the lights of the city to go out. They can be relighted only from the naked body of the woman in the public square. None can be relighted until all have applied their torches. Spargo Virgil the Necromancer (Cambridge, Mass., 1934) 199ff.; *Oertel Studien zur vgl. Literaturgeschichte VIII 113; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| Q493 | Punishment: being saddled and ridden as horse. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Q493.1 | Adulteress transformed to mare and stirruped. (Cf. Q241.) *Penzer VI 8. |
| Q494 | Loss of social position as punishment. Jewish: Neuman. |
| Q494.1 | Line of kingship taken from king who defies saint. (Cf. Q227.) Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: Neuman. |
| Q494.1.1 | Uncharitable king loses power. (Cf. Q286.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q494.2 | Removal from priesthood as punishment. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| Q495 | Punishment: unseemly exposure of body. Jewish: Neuman. |
| Q495.1 | Lazy wife taken naked in bundle of straw to a wedding. (Cf. Q321.) Type 902*; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 902*; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV No. 902*; Russian: Andrejev No. 902*; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| Q497 | Beard shaved as punishment for murder. (Cf. Q211, P672.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| Q497.1 | Moustache pulled out as punishment. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q499 | Other humiliating punishments. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q499.1 | Humiliating kiss as punishment. |
| Q499.1.1 | Humiliation through kissing a leper as punishment. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q499.2 | Humiliating death as punishment. (Cf. Q411.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q499.2.1 | Humiliating death as punishment for adultery. (Cf. Q241.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q499.2.2 | Humiliating death as punishment for taking concubine. (Cf. Q243.3.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q499.3 | Sacrament refused as punishment for desecration of holy place. (Cf. Q222.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q499.4 | Satirizing as punishment for refusal to grant request. (Cf. Q287.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q499.4.1 | Satirizing as punishment for breaking treaty. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q499.5 | Debtor clerics forbidden churchly offices. (Cf. Q271.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q499.6 | Penance for three years and a half for eating horseflesh. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q499.7 | Humiliating marriage as punishment. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| Q499.8 | Humiliating penance: king to rub nose five times on red hot griddle. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q500 | Tedious punishments. |
| Q501 | Unremitting torture as punishment. |
| Q501.1 | Punishment of Sisyphus. Must keep rolling a great stone up hill. It continually falls down. Reinach Revue Archéologique 1903 (4) Series I 154ff.; Greek: Frazer Apollodorus I 78 n. 3. |
| Q501.2 | Punishment of Tantalus. Stands in a pool that ever recedes from his thirsty lips; branches of fruit spring away from him; stone over his head continually threatens to fall. Reinach Revue Archéologique 1903 (4) series I 154ff.; *Frazer Pausanias V 392; Greek: *Frazer Apollodorus II 154 n. 2; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| Q501.2.1 | When hungry man tries to gather fruit it flies out of his reach. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q501.2.2 | Punishment: delicious food always fills with maggots just as man is about to eat it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q501.3 | Punishment of Loki. A serpent above him continually drops venom in his face. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| Q501.4 | Punishment of Prometheus. Chained to a mountain with eagle preying on his vitals, which are restored nightly. (Punishment for theft of fire.) Greek: *W. Schmid Untersuchungen zum gefesselten Prometheus (Stuttgart, 1929), Fox 13, *Frazer Apollodorus I 228 n. 2; Jewish: Neuman. |
| Q501.5 | Punishment of Ixion. Lashed to a wheel which revolves continually. Greek: Fox 144, *Frazer Apollodorus II 148 n. 1. |
| Q501.6 | Punishment of Io. Transformed to cow with gadfly ceaselessly pursuing. Greek: Fox 29. |
| Q501.7 | Unremittent thirst as punishment. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q501.7.1 | Salt food without drink as punishment for man who accepts Christianity. (Cf. Q232.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q501.8 | Ceaseless humming (singing) as punishment for immoderate request. (Cf. Q338.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q501.9 | Spirit in hell must bathe people endlessly. (Cf. Q578.) Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| Q502 | Wandering as a punishment. |
| Q502.1 | The Wandering Jew. Ceaseless wandering with inability to die as punishment for blasphemy. (Cf. Q221.3.) Type 754**; **L. Neubaur Die Sage vom Ewigen Jude (Leipzig, 1893); **Zirus Ahasverus, der Ewige Jude (Stoff- und Motivgeschichte der deutschen Literatur No. 6 [Berlin, 1930]); Gielen de Wandelende Jood (Amsterdam, 1931); *K. Nyrop Den evige Jøde (København, 1907); **Neubaur Zs. f. Vksk. XXII 33, Zentralblatt für Bibliothekswesen XXVIII 495ff.; *Dübe Zs. F. Vksk. XVII 143; *Bolte ibid. XIX 308; G. Paris. Légendes du moyen âge (1904) 149ff.; *Fb "Jerusalems skomager" II 40, IV 246a; *Wehrhan 50; Taylor MLN XXXIII 394ff.; Anderson Journal of English and Germanic Philology XLVI 367—82; Braddy California Folklore Quarterly IV 82f.; Bagatti Franciscan Studies IX 1—9.—Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 105 No. 933; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 778*; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV No. 754*. |
| Q502.2 | Punishment: wandering till iron shoes are worn out. *Types 400, 425; *BP II 272; Missouri French: Carrière; Italian: Basile Pentamerone V No. 4. |
| Q502.3 | Tribe's long wandering in wilderness as punishment. Jewish: Neuman. |
| Q503 | Wandering after death as punishment. |
| Q503.1 | Skull of suicide must roll in dust until it has saved a life. Man uses the skull to kill an owl that was about to kill a rabbit; thus after 777 years of rolling it has saved a life and is freed. (Cf. Q211.5.) Köhler-Bolte I 406. |
| Q511 | Punishment: carrying corpse of murdered man. (Cf. Q211.) RTP II 267, VIII 586; FL IX 375ff. No. 3; Zs. f. österreichische Volkskunde VII 197; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q511.1 | Punishment: carrying corpse of murdered man until stone as long as murdered man is found. This is to be put on the grave. Irish: MacCulloch Celtic 72, Cross. |
| Q511.2 | Punishment: carrying corpse of murdered man until another can be induced to take it. Africa (Gold Coast): Barker and Sinclair 66 No. 9. |
| Q512 | Punishment: performing impossible task. (Cf. H1010.) |
| Q512.0.1 | Performing impossible task as punishment for murder. (Cf. Q211.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q512.1 | Punishment: filling leaky vessels with water from a bottomless jar. (Cf. H1023.2.) Greek: Fox 31. |
| Q512.2 | Punishment: binding together sand and string. (Cf. H1021.1.) Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 304 No. 24. |
| Q512.3 | Punishment: ridding country of pests. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q520 | Penances. *Types 756ABC; *BP III 463; **Andrejev FFC LIV, LXIX 126ff., 234ff.; *Toldo II 87; Irish: Beal XXI 316, *Cross; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| Q520.0.1 | Substitutions for penances. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q520.1 | Murderer does penance. (Cf. Q171.1.1, Q211.) *Types 756BC; **Andrejev FFC LIV, LXIX 85, 118ff., 238ff.; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| Q520.2 | Robber does penance. (Cf. Q212.) *Types 756B; **Andrejev FFC LXIX 81, 118ff., 236ff; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| Q520.3 | Life-long penance for brother-sister marriage. *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XXVIII 75. |
| Q520.4 | King who loved to give death sentence accepts penance of always postponing sentence until thirty days period of examination has passed. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| Q520.5 | Penance in wilderness as punishment for men who left holy orders to marry. (Cf. Q226.) Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| Q520.6 | Warrior retires to a cloister which he later defends against robbers. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| Q521 | Tedious penances. (Cf. H1110, Q500.) |
| Q521.1 | Doing penance till green leaves grow on a dry branch. *Types 756ABC; *BP III 463; **Andrejev FFC LIV 34, LXIX 126, 129ff., 241ff.; Irish: O'Suilleabhain 49; Spanish: Espinosa II Nos. 79f., Espinosa Jr. No. 186; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 143. |
| Q521.1.1 | Penance: crawling on knees and watering a dry staff until it blooms. Types 756BC; **Andrejev FFC LIV 34, LXIX 132; *BP III 471 n. 1; Scala Celi 136a No. 755; Alphabet No. 568. |
| Q521.1.2 | Penance: carrying water in mouth from a distance and watering dry staff until it blooms. *Types 756BC; **Andrejev FFC LIV 34, LXIX 133; *BP III 471 n. 1. |
| Q521.2 | Penance: carrying bag of stones (one for each murder) on the back until it falls off. (Cf. Q211.) *Type 756C; *Andrejev FFC LIV 35. |
| Q521.3 | Penance: carrying iron hoop on head until it falls off. *Types 756C; *Andrejev FFC LIV 35. |
| Q521.4 | Penance: pasturing black sheep until they become white. *Types 756C; *Andrejev FFC LIV 35. |
| Q521.5 | Penance: ferryman setting people over a stream until relieved by another. *Types 460, 461; *Aarne FFC XXIII 138. |
| Q521.6 | Penance: holding midnight mass until someone will make responses. *Sébillot RTP X 584, XIII 179, XV 621; Ireland: Baughman, O'Suilleabhain 27, Beal XXI 308; Spanish: Espinosa II Nos. 70f. |
| Q521.7 | Penance to be done until seven spires of Benares are reduced to powder and rebuilt. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q522 | Self-torture as penance. *Andrejev FFC LXIX 127, 156. |
| Q522.1 | Self-crucifixion as penance. (Cf. Q462.) *Andrejev FFC LXIX 156f. |
| Q522.2 | Penance: killing oneself with wooden knife. *Andrejev FFC LXIX 156. |
| Q522.3 | Penance: creeping naked through thorns. *Type 756B; *Andrejev FFC LXIX 127; Hdwb. d. Märchens I 202a; Irish: O'Suilleabhain 44, Beal XXI 316; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| Q522.4 | Penance: pilgrimage with hands and loins weighted with iron. Child II 128. |
| Q522.5 | Penance: iron band forged round a man's waist. Child I 172. |
| Q522.6 | Penance: hanging for a thousand years head downward over a fire of chaff. Hindu: Keith 168. |
| Q522.7 | Penance: wearing friar's cord about bare skin. Heptameron No. 41. |
| Q522.8 | Penance: man wears huge serpent coiled around him in lieu of clothing. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| Q523 | Humiliating penances. (Cf. Q470.) |
| Q523.1 | Penance: crawling to Rome on knees. *Andrejev FFC LXIX 127. |
| Q523.1.1 | Penance: crawling to grave on knees. Irish: O'Suilleabhain 48. |
| Q523.2 | Penance: walking on all-fours like beast. Herbert III 131, 339, 465, 571; *Williams 10; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| Q523.3 | Penance: eating food offered to dogs. *Dickson 257 n. 80; English: Wells 136 (Sir Gowther); Irish: Beal XXI 330; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 86 No. 756B. |
| Q523.4 | Penance: living under stairs as mendicant. *Dickson 255 n. 77; Alphabet No. 600 (Alexius). |
| Q523.5 | Penance: planting garden and offering free hospitality to all. (Cf. Q481.) *Type 756C; *Andrejev FFC LIV. |
| Q523.6 | Penance: slain cats, dogs, etc. to be hung up and covered with grain by man who has killed them. Köhler-Bolte I 261. |
| Q523.7 | Penance: seven years' service for seven days' neglect of religious duty. (Cf. Q223.) Jewish: bin Gorion Born Judas I 179f., 374. |
| Q523.8 | Penance: performing all services asked for by anyone. Klapper Erzählungen des Mittelalters 112 No. 101. |
| Q523.9 | Penance: king to take off crown and lick spittle from ground. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q523.10 | Penance: fasting in sackcloth and ashes. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| Q524 | Fearful penances. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q524.1 | Penance: spending lonely night in cave. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q524.2 | Penance: lying the first night with every corpse brought to certain church. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q525 | Dangerous penances. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q525.1 | Penance: staying on rock in dashing sea. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q526 | Pilgrimage as penance. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Q527 | Penance: inviting one Brahmin for dinner every Wednesday. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q535 | Negative penances. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q535.1 | Penance: not to speak. *Krappe Balor 181ff.; *Toldo II 91; *Dickson 255 nn. 76, 77; English: Wells 136 (Sir Gowther); Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 86 No. 756B, Keller. |
| Q535.2 | Penance: lioness foregoes meat. Her two cubs are killed. The jackal tells her that he has had the same experience. She gives up eating meat and lives on grass. Chauvin II 105 No. 68; Bødker Exempler 302 No. 71; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| Q535.3 | Refraining from sexual intercourse as penance. (Cf. C110.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q535.4 | Lone fasting as penance. Jewish: Neuman. |
| Q537 | Penance: resisting temptation. (Cf. T330.) |
| Q537.1 | Penance: adulteress masks as monk and lives chastely in monastery. (Cf. Q241.) Toldo Zs. f. Vksk. XIV 52 (St. Theodora). |
| Q537.2 | Cleric tempts self among beautiful women, lives chastely. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q541 | Sitting (standing) in uncomfortable position as penance. |
| Q541.1 | Penance: sitting in water. *Dickson 91f. nn. 57—69; *Toldo II 94f.; Irish myth: *Cross. |
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