Writing, Films & Other Creative Story-based Projects
We might write a story with a motif as it's seed, develop more interesting aspects to a character in a story, or help develop hidden symbols within a film. We also frequently get asked for consulting help if you'd like help, please let us know.
| X | Code | Original | Cultures |
|---|---|---|---|
| A52.1.2 | Angel Michael created from fire | Jewish | |
| A52.1.5 | Angel of destruction created from hail and fire | Jewish | |
| A52.3 | Material of which angels are created (fire, water and snow) | Jewish | |
| A123.1.7 | Goddess with three supernatural bodies: fire, cliff, sea | Hawaii | |
| A124.3 | Goddess with body full of fire | India | |
| A136.3.1 | Chariot of fire drawn by four steeds of fire | Jewish | |
| A137.14.1 | God represented with bow of fire | Jewish | |
| A137.17 | God represented as among seven sheaths of fire | Jewish | |
| A139.8.3 | Smoldering fire of volcano as head of goddess | Hawaii | |
| A199.3 | Deity‘s child becomes fire as soon as he is born | India | |
| A493 | God of fire | Armenian, Buddhist, Chinese, Finno-Ugric, Greek, Hawaii, Hindu, Huichol, Iceland, India, Jewish, Maori, Persian, Russian, Siberian, Tahiti | |
| A493.0.1 | Angel of fire | Jewish | |
| A493.1 | Goddess of fire | Oceanic, India | |
| A622 | Universe created out of fire world | Iceland | |
| A661.0.1.1.1 | Doors of heaven guarded by rivers of fire | Ireland | |
| A661.0.1.1.2 | Veils of fire and ice before chief door of heaven | Ireland | |
| A661.0.1.4 | Abersetus as guardian of river of fire at one of the doors of heaven | Ireland | |
| A671.0.2.1 | Fire in hell | Lithuanian | |
| A671.2.2.3 | Rivers of fire in hell | Ireland | |
| A671.2.4 | The fires of hell | Ireland | |
| A671.2.4.1 | Sea of fire in hell | Ireland | |
| A671.2.4.2 | Islands in sea of fire in hell | Ireland | |
| A671.2.4.13 | Four fires in hell | Ireland | |
| A700.3 | A woman has four children: sun, moon, fire, and water | India | |
| A700.7 | Sun, moon, and stars nourished on fire | Fang | |
| A712 | Sun as fire rekindled every morning | Australian | |
| A712.1 | Moon from light, sun from fire | Jewish | |
| A714.3 | Sun from fire flung into sky | Siberian | |
| A714.5 | Sun as grindstone full of fire | India | |
| A722.5.1 | Sun bathes in stream of fire at night | Jewish | |
| A733.3 | Two faces of the sun: fire, directed toward earth; hail, directed toward heaven | Jewish | |
| A741.3 | Moon as grinder which brings fire out of the sun | India | |
| A761.4 | Stars as fires in the hearths of ghosts | India | |
| A814.5 | Earth from steam made by fire thrown into primeval water | Tungus | |
| A857.1 | Why earth becomes warm and wet: two huge copper vessels steaming over fire are underneath earth | India | |
| A871.0.2 | Unextinguishable fire at end of earth | Mataco | |
| A969.3 | Mountains and valleys formed from great fire | India | |
| A975.2 | Why certain rock produces fire when struck with steel | ||
| A975.2.1 | Fire producing rock result of contest between god of fire and god of rain | India | |
| A1006.9 | After world-fire life recreated from tree | Fang | |
| A1019.4 | Flood puts out world-fire | Cubeo, Tucuna, Tupinamba | |
| A1030 | World-fire | North American, Araucanian, Babylonian, Bacairi, Brazil, Chinese, Greek, Hindu, Iceland, India, Jewish, Lithuanian, Maori, Mataco, Siberian, Toba, Tucuna, Yuracare | |
| A1031 | Causes of world-fire | ||
| A1031.1 | A “flame of fire swifter than a blast of wind” as punishment for the sin of the Irish | Ireland | |
| A1031.2 | World-fire after theft of fire | India | |
| A1031.3 | Evil demons set world on fire | Arawak | |
| A1031.4 | Fall of sun causes world-fire | Lengua, Mocoví | |
| A1031.4.1 | All countries burned while the wife of sun god pours fire from a small bowl | India | |
| A1031.5 | World-fire because of man’s arrogance | Fang | |
| A1031.6 | Miscellaneous reasons for world-fire | Chiriguano, Guarani, Inca, Toba | |
| A1035 | Quenching the world-fire | ||
| A1035.1 | Rain invoked to destroy world-fire | Melanesia | |
| A1035.2 | Creator puts out world-fire with his staff | Inca | |
| A1036 | Earth recreated after world-fire | Munderucu | |
| A1038 | Men hide from world-fire and renew race | Chiriguano, Fang, India, Swiss, Tupinamba | |
| A1039 | World-fire--miscellaneous | ||
| A1039.1 | Vulture sent out as scout to see whether earth has cooled from world-fire | ||
| A1068 | Sun thrown on fire: period of darkness, rain | California Indian | |
| A1115.3 | Why the sea is salt: heavy rain showers on ashes of wood burnt by primeval fire | Tupinamba, Tupi | |
| A1141.7 | Lightning from fire | Ashluslay, Tupinamba | |
| A1179.1.1 | Twilight reflection of fires of hell | Jewish | |
| A1221.5 | Mankind from mating of frog and “daughter of fire | African | |
| A1268.1 | Tribe born from fire | India | |
| A1337.8 | Origin of illness from fire and cold | Togo | |
| A1346.1 | Man must work as punishment for theft of fire | Greek | |
| A1414 | Origin of fire | South American, Aztec, California Indian, Chiriguano, Ireland, Jibaro, Kaska, Micronesia, Persian, Peru, Shasta, Sinkyone, Tahltan, Tropical Forests | |
| A1414.1 | Origin of fire--rubbing sticks | Greek, Jewish, Kaffir, Marquesas | |
| A1414.1.1 | Fire drill invented | Bushongo, California Indian, India, Toba, Kaskiha | |
| A1414.2 | Origin of fire--found in person‘s own body | Marquesas, New Guinea, Warrau | |
| A1414.3 | Origin of fire--children strike rocks together, accidentally produce fire | California Indian | |
| A1414.4 | Origin of fire--gift from god (supernatural person) | African, Bushongo, Cashibo, Chiriguano, Congo, Hawaii, India, Isabel Is., Maori, Sherente, Toba, Tumupasa, Warrau, Chamacoco | |
| A1414.6 | Bird as guardian of primordial fire | Guarani | |
| A1414.7 | Repository of fire | ||
| A1414.7.1 | Tree as repository of fire | California Indian, Chiriguano | |
| A1414.7.2 | Rock as repository of fire | California Indian | |
| A1414.7.3 | Cave as repository of fire | Marquesas | |
| A1415 | Theft of fire | African, Amazon, Australian, Botocudo, Bushongo, Caingang, Chiriguano, Congo, Finnish, Greek, Guaproré, Guarani, Hawaii, Hindu, Indonesia, Maori, Marquesas, Melanesia, Micronesia, New Guinea, Tapirapé, Tenetchara, Tonga, Tucuna, Ungava, Western Colombia, Woodlark Is., N. A. Indian, Chamacoco, Colombia | |
| A1415.0.1 | Fire witheld from men as punishment | Greek | |
| A1415.0.2 | Original fire property of one person (animal) | Chiriguano, Hawaii, Marquesas, Munderucu, Tapirapé, Warrau, Ashlushlay | |
| A1415.1 | Fire stolen in hollow reed | Eastern Ecuador, Ecuador, Greek, Tenetchara, N. A. Indian | |
| A1415.1.1 | Fire carried from heaven in fingernails | Jewish | |
| A1415.2 | Theft of fire by animals | Brazil, Carolina, Chiriguano, Eastern Brazil, Ekoi, England, Fang, Guarani, Lithuanian, New Guinea, North Carolina, Rhodesia, Toba, N. A. Indian | |
| A1415.2.1 | Theft of fire by bird | Cashinawa, India, Jivaro, Persian, Toba | |
| A1415.3 | Theft of fire--trick exchange | ||
| A1415.4 | Vain attempts to circumvent theft of fire | New Guinea, Polynesia | |
| A1546.6 | Origin of fire worship | Jewish | |
| A1614.8 | Black tribe because woman is put on fire | Chiriguano | |
| A1616.1 | Cold before theft of fire impedes speech: explanation of difficulty of certain languages | California Indian | |
| A1689.2 | Why Agaria are not afraid of fire | India | |
| A1861.2 | Creation of monkeys: old woman thrown into fire | Esthonian, Finnish, Flemish, German | |
| A2094 | Creation of fireflies | India | |
| A2211.12 | Buffalo helps tiger quench fire: white mark left on buffalo‘s neck where tiger held on while being ducked in water | India | |
| A2213.5.1 | Mole struck on head in attempt to steal fire: hence his flat head | Toba | |
| A2218.1.1 | Animal scorches self while putting out fire in land of fire, woe and darkness | Wales | |
| A2218.3 | Animal who steals fire scorched: cause of his color | India | |
| A2218.4 | Coyote burnt when hay is set afire: hence yellow patch behind his ears | Salinan | |
| A2218.5 | Robin steals fire, has breast scorched | England | |
| A2229.1 | Dog rescues cow‘s teats from fire: origin of his black muzzle | Estonian, Finnish | |
| A2229.4 | Fly steals fire from spider: may eat everywhere | Livonian | |
| A2253.1 | Dog burned in jumping contest over fire: enmity between dog and hare | ||
| A2286.1 | Creation interrupted since God must go to a fire | ||
| A2286.1.1 | Creation of hog incomplete since God has to go to a fire: cause of hog‘s round snout | Finnish | |
| A2426.3.6 | Speech of fireflies | India | |
| A2436 | Why animals lack fire | Fang | |
| A2468.3 | Why dragon dies by means of fire | Rhodesia | |
| A2471.3 | Why hawk (vulture) hovers over camp-fire: seeks grandmother | ||
| A2471.8 | Why mason-wasp looks for fireplace | Rhodesia | |
| B11.2.11 | Fire-breathing dragon | Iceland, Ireland | |
| B15.4.2.1 | Dog with fire in eyes | ||
| B15.5.1 | Horse with fire-breathing nostrils | Iceland | |
| B15.7.14 | Bird with tail of fire | Ireland | |
| B16.1.1.2 | Cat leaps through man like arrow of fire and burns him to ashes | Ireland | |
| B19.1 | Brazen-footed, fire-breathing bulls | ||
| B19.4.4 | Hound flame of fire by night | Ireland | |
| B172.10.1 | Innumerable birds (black birds) fly into and out of tower (steeple) of fire | Ireland | |
| B182.1.5 | Dog that is hound by day and flame of fire by night | Ireland | |
| B184.1.12 | Magic horse goes through fire | Iceland | |
| B364.2 | Animal grateful for rescue from fire | Italian | |
| B482.1 | Helpful firefly | Indonesia | |
| B526.1 | Helpful animals quench execution fire | ||
| B531.5 | Birds save man from hunger by pitching themselves to roast in fire he has made | India | |
| B596 | Animal helps saint by setting fire to neglected church | Ireland | |
| B742 | Animal breathes fire | ||
| B742.1 | Lion breathes fire | Breton | |
| B742.2 | Birds spit fire | England, Ireland | |
| B742.3 | Fire-breathing horses | ||
| B742.4 | Fire-breathing dogs | Ireland | |
| B768.2 | Salamander subsists on fire | Ireland, Jewish | |
| B788 | Bats keep fireflies to light their houses | India | |
| C51.1.3 | Tabu: breathing on sacred fire | British, Ireland | |
| C67 | Tabu: neglect of sacred fires | Hawaii | |
| C99.1.1 | Tabu: urinating on fire (fire-god) | India | |
| C542.2 | Tabu: touching fire in other world | Toba | |
| C751.1 | Tabu: lighting fire at certain time | Ireland, Jewish | |
| C751.1.1 | Tabu: lighting fire before king lights one | Ireland | |
| C851.2 | Tabu: throwing “living fire” into river | India | |
| C887 | Tabu: being in same house with fire, weapon, dog | Ireland | |
| C891.3 | Tabu: urinating on fire | India | |
| C934.3 | Elves set country afire because of broken tabu | Ireland | |
| D184.2 | Transformation: man to firefly | Tinguian | |
| D285 | Transformation: man to fire | Hottentot, India | |
| D285.0.1 | Transformation: god to fire | India | |
| D439.6 | Fire takes the form of a woman and runs away | India | |
| D452.1.7 | Transformation: stone to firebrand | Duala | |
| D457.12.1 | Transformation: bone-dust becomes blazing fire | India | |
| D457.17.1 | Transformation: flesh to fire | Jewish | |
| D469.5 | Transformation: furnace of fire to garden | Jewish | |
| D475.1.5 | Transformation: fire to gold | ||
| D478.3 | Transformation: water to fire | Ireland, Jewish | |
| D657.3 | Transformation in order to steal fire | Choco, Toba | |
| D712.2.1 | Disenchantment by throwing into fire | India | |
| D784 | Disenchantment by lighting fire | ||
| D1096 | Magic firearms | ||
| D1175.2 | Magic fire-steel (flint, strike-a-light) | ||
| D1271 | Magic fire | Breton, Fang, Iceland, Ireland, Jewish | |
| D1298 | Magic firewood | Ireland | |
| D1313.16 | Magic pillar of fire indicates direction | Jewish | |
| D1336.6 | Magic fire gives weakness | Ireland | |
| D1344.2.1 | Magic drug gives immunity from fire and iron | Greek | |
| D1380.1.1 | Pillar of fire protects in desert | Jewish | |
| D1382.1.0.1 | Magic stones from holy well protect against loss by fire or water | Ireland | |
| D1382.5 | Magic fire does not burn one | Breton, Ireland | |
| D1382.6.1 | Magic garment protects from fire | Chinese, Iceland, Jewish | |
| D1382.7 | Song protects from fire | Ireland | |
| D1382.7.1 | Magic hymn protects from fire | Ireland | |
| D1382.8 | Magic stream quenches fire | ||
| D1382.9 | Magic cowl protects from fire | Ireland | |
| D1382.11 | Magic ring protects against fire | Iceland | |
| D1382.13 | Blood of salamander protects against fire | Jewish | |
| D1391.1 | Miraculous rain extinguishes fire used at stake | Ireland | |
| D1402.0.1.1 | Magic shield shoots balls of fire among enemies | Ireland | |
| D1402.4 | Magic fire kills | Jewish | |
| D1408.1.1 | Magic bark sets creek on fire and burns it up | Chinese | |
| D1421.0.3 | Magic hair when thrown into fire summons supernatural | India | |
| D1421.1.2 | Magic fire-steel summons genie | ||
| D1445.6.2 | Magic heavenly fire burns animals | Jewish | |
| D1481.2 | Magic object provides fire | Chinese | |
| D1501.4 | Magic fruit from Yggdrasil placed in fire makes childbirth easy | Iceland | |
| D1540.2 | Magic white, red and yellow stone causes hail, sunshine or fire, according to which side is scratched | Iceland | |
| D1566 | Magic object controls fire | Ireland | |
| D1566.1 | Magic object sets things afire | ||
| D1566.1.1 | Magic arrow sets fire to whatever it hits | Menomini | |
| D1566.1.2 | Magic fire-moccasins | N. A. Indian | |
| D1566.1.3 | Magic sword causes fire and smoke | Chinese | |
| D1566.1.5 | Shower of fire from magic anvil | Ireland | |
| D1566.1.7 | Holy water procures fire or light | Iceland | |
| D1566.2 | Magic object quenches fire | ||
| D1566.2.1 | Saint‘s bachall quenches fire | Ireland | |
| D1566.2.2 | Magic fan quenches fire | Chinese | |
| D1566.2.3 | Magic song quenches fire | Iceland | |
| D1566.2.4 | Runes quench fire (†D1266 | Iceland | |
| D1566.2.6 | Salamander’s blood quenches fire | Jewish | |
| D1566.2.7 | Magic girdle produces stream of water to quench fire | Tuamotu | |
| D1601.6 | Oven heats without fire | ||
| D1601.7 | Lamp (fire) lights itself | Angola, India | |
| D1601.24 | Automatic fire tongs | Scotland | |
| D1641.10 | Magic fire removes itself | Ireland | |
| D1643.1 | Stick of fire comes to river bank of itself | India | |
| D1652.10.1 | Inexhaustible firewood | Ireland | |
| D1671 | Silver in chain increases in fire | England | |
| D1672 | Unquenchable fire | Jewish | |
| D1672.0.1 | Magic fire burns for seven years | Ireland, Jewish | |
| D1733.1 | Magic power by jumping into fire | Mpongwe | |
| D1812.5.0.3 | Behavior of fire as omen | India | |
| D1836.1 | Ghost‘s strength waxes and wanes with height of fire | Teton | |
| D1841.3.2 | Fire does not injure a saint | ||
| D1841.3.2.3.1 | Saint carries fire in hand to warm guests | Ireland | |
| D1841.3.3 | Sacred book or manuscript does not burn in fire | ||
| D1967 | Person in magic sleep surrounded by protecting fire | ||
| D2031.11 | Illusive fire stops men | Danish, Iceland | |
| D2061.2.1.1 | Evil eye sets bird on fire | India | |
| D2064.2 | Sickness of princess dependent on witch’s fire | ||
| D2065.4 | Insanity of princess dependent on height of fire | Spanish | |
| D2089.10 | Fire drills magically made not to function | Cumberland Sound | |
| D2091.1 | Magic fire drawn down on foe | Ireland | |
| D2121.7.1 | Magic journey in cloud of fire | Ireland | |
| D2158 | Magic control of fires | Iceland, Ireland, Jewish | |
| D2158.1 | Magic kindling of fire | ||
| D2158.1.1 | Fox produces fire by striking tail to ground | Chinese | |
| D2158.1.2 | Saint sets fire to stone | Ireland | |
| D2158.1.3 | Fire obeys the saints | ||
| D2158.1.3.2 | Fire turns aside and refuses to catch hold of holy garments, wooden altars and similar sacred things | ||
| D2158.1.5 | Saint creates fire unnaturally when needed | ||
| D2158.1.5.1 | Saint kindles her lamp or candle without using fire | ||
| D2158.1.5.2 | Cooking and baking done without fire | ||
| D2158.2 | Magic extinguishing of fires | Buddhist, Hawaii, Iceland, Ireland | |
| E15.0.1 | Bone of man being burned jumps out of fire | Pahouine | |
| E257 | Ghosts seek firewood to roast man | Ekoi | |
| E421.3.2 | Ghost as firebrand | ||
| E422.1.1.2 | Revenant with ball of fire in place of head | England | |
| E439.5 | Revenant forced away by fire | Iceland | |
| E501.4.2.4 | Horse in wild hunt breathes fire | ||
| E501.7.6.1 | Wild huntsmen exhale fire | ||
| E501.7.6.4 | Wild huntsmen surrounded by fire | ||
| E501.13.7 | Wild hunt heralded by fire | ||
| E501.16.4 | Wild hunt disappears in column of fire | ||
| E530.1.2 | Ball of fire haunts murderer | U.S. | |
| E578 | Dead persons build fires | India, Russian | |
| E578.2 | Ghosts warm themselves around fire | India | |
| E643.1 | Smoke from funeral fires of two lovers mingles in sky | India | |
| E692.5 | Cruel woman reborn as firefly | India | |
| E701.4 | Soul of fire | Cheremis | |
| E755.2.4 | Ghosts gather wood for hell fires | Jewish | |
| E755.2.4.1 | Hell fires kindled according to sins of sinners | Ireland | |
| F142 | River of fire as barrier to otherworld | India, Ireland | |
| F162.6.1 | Lake of fire in otherworld | Ireland | |
| F165.7 | Fire in otherworld dwelling | Ireland | |
| F165.7.1 | Four columns around fire in otherworld castle | Ireland | |
| F167.8 | Otherworld people unacquainted with fire | Polynesia, Wachaga | |
| F169.7.1 | Fire in otherworld makes one feel colder | Toba | |
| F171.6.5 | Man in otherworld kindles fire | Ireland | |
| F222.1.1 | Fairies’ underground palace cannot be burned by fire nor destroyed by water | Ireland | |
| F239.3 | Fairy breathes fire | Ireland | |
| F321.1.1.6 | Threat to throw on fire causes changeling to cry out and betray his nature | ||
| F321.1.4.3 | Changeling thrown on fire and thus banished | England, Ireland, Scotland | |
| F369.1 | Fairies set fire to buildings | Ireland | |
| F381.8 | Spinning fairies lured away from the house by fire alarm | Lithuanian | |
| F389.1 | Fairies driven off with fire | India | |
| F401.7 | Fire-breathing spirit | Ireland | |
| F405.8 | Spirits leave when report is made of fire at their home | ||
| F405.12 | Demons flee from fire | Chinese | |
| F407.1.1 | Spirits ascend to heaven by building fire | New Hebrides | |
| F416 | Spirits set fire to mill | Easter Is, Finnish-Swedish, Swedish | |
| F441.2.1.1 | Wood-nymph comes to the fire to warm | Danish, Finnish, Finnish-Swedish, Swedish | |
| F451.5.1.15 | Dwarfs warm heath by underground fire | ||
| F451.5.1.21 | House of dwarf’s friend spared in fire | Dutch | |
| F451.5.7.1 | Dwarf wants to warm self at fire | Breton, German | |
| F473.6.5 | Spirit throws back shots fired at it | U.S. | |
| F493.5 | Sign of great plague: sky seems afire | Ireland | |
| F497 | Fire-spirits | Dutch, Greenland | |
| F497.1 | Conversation of two fire-spirits | ||
| F531.1.10 | Fire giants | Iceland | |
| F541.1.1 | Eyes flash fire | Greek | |
| F552.1.2 | Fingers of saint (angel) give light or fire | Ireland, Jewish | |
| F559.3.1 | Excreta is so fiery it starts great fires | India | |
| F610.3.5 | Competition with berserks in their particular sports: walk through fire, etc | Iceland | |
| F622.2 | Mighty blower blows firebrand so that sparks fly far, blows seawaves back and forth | Ireland | |
| F679.6 | Skillful cast of stone: carries away roof tree of burning house and so puts out fire | Ireland | |
| F683.1.1 | Fire drops from fingers of warrior whenever he wills it | Ireland | |
| F702 | Land of fire | ||
| F710.1 | Water resembling fire | Buddhist, Jewish | |
| F715.6 | River that burns like fire | Ireland, Jewish | |
| F744 | Island surrounded by wall of fire; water prevents it from being consumed | India | |
| F753 | Mountain of fire | Jewish | |
| F756.1 | Valley of fire | ||
| F763 | City of fire | ||
| F771.1.11 | Castle of fire | ||
| F774.2.1 | Pillar of fire | Jewish | |
| F782.5 | Doors of fire | Jewish | |
| F785.3 | Throne of fire | Jewish | |
| F797 | Fire from heaven kills people | Ireland | |
| F809.6 | Stones of fire | Jewish | |
| F809.6.2 | Mysterious characters engraved upon rock of fire | Jewish | |
| F811.1.4 | Tree of fire | ||
| F811.22 | Extraordinary firewood, of elephant tusks | India | |
| F812.8 | Wood which cannot be consumed by fire | Jewish | |
| F828.2 | Crown of fire | Jewish | |
| F831.2 | Arrows of fire | Iceland, India, Ireland | |
| F833.4.1 | Sword shines as fire or as the sun | Iceland | |
| F834.1.1 | Spear of fire (thrown by God) | Jewish | |
| F848.4 | Ladder of fire | Jewish | |
| F861.4.4 | Chariots of fire | Jewish | |
| F863.2 | Chains of fire | Jewish | |
| F872.5.1 | Bath of fire | Jewish | |
| F882 | Extraordinary fire | Ireland | |
| F882.2 | Multicolored fires | Jewish | |
| F883.1.2 | Book written with black fire on white fire (in God’s lap) | Jewish | |
| F883.1.4 | Books unscathed by water and fire | Jewish | |
| F913.2 | Deity lights a great fire, and all the children ogress has devoured come out of it | India | |
| F932.11 | Firelike waters of river used by strange beings to cook flesh | Chiriguano | |
| F962.2 | Fire from heaven | Ireland, Jewish | |
| F962.2.1 | Sacrifice consumed by heavenly fire | Jewish | |
| F962.2.2 | Pillar of fire reaches from heaven to earth | Jewish | |
| F962.2.3 | Fire from heaven cannot be quenched by water | Jewish | |
| F962.2.4 | Fire from heaven burns and freezes | Jewish | |
| F962.9 | Icicles gathered by saint as firewood burn | Ireland | |
| F964 | Extraordinary behavior of fire | Ireland | |
| F964.0.1 | Pillar of fire (in sky) | Ireland, Jewish | |
| F964.1 | Fire bends bough to shape of crozier | Ireland | |
| F964.2 | Fire spares saint‘s tunic, though wearer is burned | Ireland | |
| F964.3 | Fire from extraordinary fuel | ||
| F964.3.2 | Extraordinary blood catches fire | India | |
| F964.3.4 | Extraordinary stone catches fire | India | |
| F1041.16.1 | Man spits fire when enraged | Iceland, Ireland | |
| F1041.16.4 | Heat of saint’s anger sets cowl afire | Ireland | |
| F1078 | Detonation from spark struck for fire hurls ships out to sea | Ireland | |
| G125 | Fire-spewing giantess | Iceland | |
| G212.5 | Witch in form of ball of fire | England | |
| G229.8 | Fire burns up and crackles when wizard passes fireplace | England | |
| G272.4 | Fires burnt in streets to ward off witches | ||
| G272.8 | Pouring water on fire from new cup protects from witch | Carolina, North Carolina | |
| G303.1.3.5 | Satan created out of hell fire | Jewish | |
| G303.3.4.2.1 | Devil as a ball of fire | Lithuanian | |
| G303.4.1.2.3 | Two beams of fire shoot from devil‘s eyes | England | |
| G303.4.6.2 | Boy recognizes devil when he fans fire with his tail | Masai | |
| G303.4.8.2.1 | Devil holds fire in his hands | Ireland | |
| G303.7.3.2 | Devil drives carriage drawn by horses whose nostrils shoot fire | Finnish-Swedish, French, Swedish | |
| G303.7.3.5 | Devil travels in coach drawn by four blood-red horses, the hoofs of which strike fire from the pavement | German | |
| G303.17.2.4 | Devil and sinful priest disappear amid blaze of fire in the river | England | |
| G303.17.3.5 | Satan punished in hell fire | Jewish | |
| G303.22.13 | Devil saves heretic from fire, until priest brings host | ||
| G304.2.1 | Fire-producing troll | ||
| G304.2.1.2 | Troll stretches neck so long that fire comes from lips | ||
| G345 | Man with fire moccasins | N. A. Indian | |
| G451 | Following witch‘s fire into her power | ||
| G581 | Ogres chased away by fire | ||
| H175.4 | Fire issues spontaneously from fireless hearth when man approaches | India | |
| H221 | Ordeal by fire | Brazil, England, Georgia, Hindu, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Jewish | |
| H221.1.3 | Sanctity of books tested by throwing them into fire | Ireland | |
| H256.1 | Test of child’s innocence: onyx stone and coal of fire offered | Jewish | |
| H331.1.5 | Suitor contest: riding through fire | Iceland | |
| H412.4 | Chastity ordeal: passing through fire | India, Ireland | |
| H506.9 | Test of resourcefulness: to cook rice without fire (in hot sand) | India | |
| H581.2 | Arrested man tells who he is: the hospitable fire of his father is sought (bean merchant) | ||
| H619.4 | Symbolic interpretation of ineffectual thatching of house and building of fire in otherworld | Ireland | |
| H842.2 | What animal which lives in fire will burn if taken out of it? (Tegillus, now called salamander | Ireland | |
| H1067 | Task: light fire but do not light it | ||
| H1095.1 | Task: collecting firewood quickly, sufficient to last remainder of one‘s life | India | |
| H1116.1 | Task: cutting firewood from rocks with brass axe (rock struck to splinters by lightning used) | Ganda | |
| H1129.5 | Task: building a fire; whole tree burns up while man is bringing another | Ireland | |
| H1129.5.1 | Task: gathering firewood; bundle continually swept away from swimming man | Ireland | |
| H1132.2 | Task: recovering object in large fire | India | |
| H1145.1 | Task: weighing fire | Jewish | |
| H1156.1 | Task: setting fire to brush wood near abode of sacred cobra | India | |
| H1199.10 | Task: jumping over fire | Iceland | |
| H1264 | Quest to upper world for fire | Fjort, Papuan | |
| H1484.1 | Large fire and water for washing eyes as device of expectant lover | Ireland | |
| H1542.1 | Contest in crossing river of fire | India | |
| H1562.2 | Test of strength: lifting stone (fireplace, etc | Danish, England, Iceland | |
| J834 | Fire burns man who doesn‘t understand it | ||
| J1064.1 | Raven killed by apes who will not receive his teaching that a shining stone is not fire | ||
| J1143 | Thief detected by building straw fire so that smoke escapes through thief‘s entrance | Italian | |
| J1175.2 | Intentional and accidental fire | ||
| J1191.1.1 | “The sea is on fire”--not more absurd than the decision about the colt | India | |
| J1191.7 | Rice pot on pole, fire far away | India | |
| J1269.12 | Youth announces fire in imitation of priest‘s metaphorical language | ||
| J1293.1.1 | Absurdity: sea (river) is on fire | India | |
| J1759.3 | Numskull thinks fireflies are mosquitoes carrying lanterns to find victims | England, U.S. | |
| J1761.3 | Glowworm thought to be a fire | ||
| J1806 | Setting sun mistaken for fire | American Negro | |
| J1809.1 | Old woman‘s sneeze mistaken for gunfire | India | |
| J1812.4 | Hissing of fire thought to be noise of cooking muffins | India | |
| J1812.4.1 | Noises fire is making misunderstood | India | |
| J1952 | Fire and water mixed to make sacrifice | ||
| J1976 | Numskulls are affected by heat from stove which has no fire in it | U.S. | |
| J2104 | Moving the fireplace | ||
| J2162 | Short-sighted use of fire | ||
| J2162.2 | Fool whose house is burning puts wood on the fire | ||
| J2183.6 | Short-sightedness in case of fire | ||
| J2183.6.1 | Whose duty to put out fire? Officers investigate; meanwhile fire burns town | India | |
| J2411.6 | Imitation of jumping into fire without injury: dupe burned up | India | |
| J2461.1.2 | Literal numskull is gay at a fire | India | |
| J2516.3.4 | ”Only light the fire | India | |
| J2532 | Bureaucrats debate as to who shall put out palace fire: meantime palace burns | India | |
| J2627 | Frightened by fireworks | ||
| K336.1 | Fire set to village so that robbers can steal goods | Korea | |
| K341.23 | Fire set in order to distract attention | Duala, India | |
| K345.4 | Antelope sends leopard for fire, eats game while leopard is gone | Kiyansi | |
| K382 | Fire stolen by swallowing it and then escaping | Upoto | |
| K547.3 | Man hides in hollow log, fires rifle while Indians are sitting on the log, scares them away | U.S. | |
| K619.1.1 | Cleanest girl to be eaten by ogress: clever girl shakes sesame into fire to simulate sound of burning lice | Chinese | |
| K634.1 | Escape by throwing captor‘s clothes on the fire | ||
| K762 | Stranger asks woman for fire: abducts her | India | |
| K812.1 | Dupe‘s house set afire so that he is burned in trying to put out fire | India | |
| K812.1.1 | Boy teaches giants how to lay a carpet of dried grass and naphtha over the hard ground floor of their cave, sets fire to it and thus suffocates them | India | |
| K812.2 | Men lured to their death when their fields are set on fire | ||
| K812.3 | Monkey lures tiger into tree-top and sets fire to it | India | |
| K916.1 | Peacock helper dances before enemy army of hero; flame of fire from her tail burns them all to ashes | India | |
| K925 | Victim pushed into fire | India, Spanish | |
| K925.1 | Hero entices enemies into building and sets fire to it | India | |
| K940.1.1 | Man betrayed into eating his own children and setting the village on fire | Indonesia | |
| K1032.1 | Jackal persuaded to come to fireplace for food | India | |
| K1521.1 | Paramour successfully hidden in chimney (fireplace) | Italian | |
| K1554 | The husband sets house afire and ousts hidden paramour | ||
| K1554.1 | Trickster sets fire to barrel of tow in which paramour is hidden | England, U.S. | |
| K1733 | Ogre made to believe hero has withstood fire | ||
| K1889.1 | House seems to be afire | Ireland | |
| K1963.4 | Sham magician belches fire to frighten dupes | Italian | |
| K2351.1.1 | Fire tied to foxes’ tails: destroys enemy‘s cities and fields | Jewish | |
| K2364 | Enemy’s ships fired by use of fireship | England, Greek | |
| K2364.1 | Enemies defeated by setting forest afire | Fang | |
| M155.3 | Vow never to flee from fire or weapon | Iceland | |
| M341.2.7 | Prophecy: death by fire | Benga, India | |
| M341.2.7.1 | Prophecy: sinners to be burnt by fire on Doomsday | Ireland | |
| M356.2 | Prophecy of a plague consisting of “a flame of fire” which shall destroy three-fourths of the population of Ireland | Ireland | |
| M418.1 | Curse by “building a fire of stones” in fireplace | U.S. | |
| M431.3 | Curse: fire to burn hands and feet | ||
| M431.6 | Wicked stepmother cursed to have fire lit under her | Iceland | |
| M477.1 | Curse on lake: fire from lake will burn the forest around it | Iceland | |
| N177 | Beggar escapes from fire | Jewish | |
| N339.8.1 | Accidental death of father from fall into the fire when taking down weapons for his son | Iceland | |
| N384.3 | Wicked stepmother falls into the fire because of fright | Iceland | |
| P461.3 | Soldier is ordered to set fire to enemy’s armada | Italian | |
| Q272.4 | Avaricious woman and her gold consumed by hell’s fires which burn in her grave | ||
| Q414.5 | Punishment: king hung between two fires | Iceland | |
| Q415.7 | Wolves kill person for quenching holy fire | Ireland | |
| Q492 | Woman must relight magic fires as punishment | ||
| Q522.6 | Penance: hanging for a thousand years head downward over a fire of chaff | Hindu, Penance | |
| Q552.13 | Fire from heaven as punishment | Ireland, Jewish | |
| Q552.13.0.1 | Punishment by arrows of fire from heaven | Jewish | |
| Q552.13.0.2 | Sword (of fire) from heaven drawn upon sinners | Jewish | |
| Q552.13.1 | Death by fire from heaven as punishment | Ireland | |
| Q552.13.1.1 | Death by fire from heaven as punishment for opposition to holy person | Ireland | |
| Q552.13.1.2 | Death by fire from heaven as punishment for scoffing at church teachings | Ireland | |
| Q552.13.2 | Destruction of property by fire from heaven as punishment | Ireland | |
| Q552.13.3 | Fire from heaven consumes adulterous wife who has slandered an abbot | ||
| Q582.2 | Man who brings fire to his house at devil‘s instigation burns to death | Ireland | |
| Q597.1 | Snake carries into fire man who has banned snakes | Estonian, Finnish | |
| R9.4 | Fire-maiden imprisoned in iron house | India | |
| R122.1 | Prisoner whirled away in blaze of fire | Ireland | |
| R271 | Pursuit by fire | California Indian | |
| R272 | Pursuer follows successive night campfires (each brighter than last) | Chinese | |
| S12.2.2 | Mother throws children into fire | Jewish | |
| S352.1 | Animal preserves fire for abandoned children in a clam shell | N. A. Indian | |
| T135.10 | Marriage custom: going round and round fire (pillar, etc | India | |
| T320.6 | Wife sets fire to house to escape undesired lover | India | |
| T535 | Conception from fire | Ireland | |
| T535.1 | Conception from heat of fire | ||
| V1.6.3 | Worship of fire | Ireland, Jewish | |
| V1.6.3.1 | Sacred fire | Ireland | |
| V1.6.3.1.1 | (Sacrificial) fire from which all others must be lighted | Ireland | |
| V21.2 | Woman confesses murder: unharmed by execution fire | ||
| V137 | House of woman who launders clothes for church spared in great fire | ||
| V140.4 | Testing the authenticity of relics: bones are cast into fire; with great noise they jump away from the flames | ||
| V222.0.1.1 | Pillar of fire rises over woman pregnant with future saint | Ireland | |
| V222.0.1.2 | Saint identified by pillar of fire above her head | Ireland | |
| V222.8 | Holy man passes through fire for his faith | ||
| V224.1 | Objects used as firewood for saint miraculously replaced | Ireland | |
| V229.11 | Saint with tongue of fire (literally) | ||
| V252.2 | Virgin Mary saves criminal from fire at stake | ||
| V328 | Man sets fire to his house and perishes in it rather than accept Christianity | Ireland | |
| V356.2 | Pagan shrines and idols, or magic books destroyed by fire from heaven | ||
| V511.2.1 | Vision of fires of hell | Ireland | |
| W111.1.1 | Man lets legs burn in fire rather than move them | India | |
| W111.1.1.3 | Man too lazy to open eyes to see where fire is burning | India | |
| W111.2.5 | Boy to see whether there is fire in the house: feels of cat to see if she is warm | ||
| W111.5.13 | Man weeds garden from cushioned rocking chair, using fire tongs to reach weeds | U.S. | |
| X821 | Drunken volunteer firemen bungle their work | U.S. | |
| X1287 | Lie: extraordinary fireflies | U.S. | |
| Z49.5 | Where is the warehouse?--The fire burned it down | ||
| Z122.3 | Twelve months as youths seated about fire | Italian |
About StorySearch
The Project
This website is a search engine of almost 50,000 patterns within stories world over called "Motifs" and several projects fueled by this search engine.
The Motif Collection
The work comes from a folklorist named Stith Thompson who spent his life reading and cataloging these stories which he published as the Motif Index of Folklore and Literature. You can read more about his work here: Wikipedia page for Stith Thompson
The Goal
While we have Mr. Thompson's motifs, we have yet to track down all of the stories he read, which is our ultimate goal. We then will provide the stories for all to read, explore and see the connections and commonalities between these stories which we hope to further understandings between cultures and deeper into ourselves.
The Stories
Of course, since there are a current total of 46,248 motifs, we've estimated there to be as many as 51,822 stories which might take some time to collect.
The Strategy
For now, we are working to build a crowdsourcing application to help us collect, organize these stories along with tagging the motifs within them.
Until then, please use the following FAQ.
Frequently Asked Questions about Story Search
What do you use this site for?
We use it to find stories, or to know there are stories worldwide with patterns in them. From there, we've found three common uses:
Lectures, Professional & other Metaphor Development
Another common request is from people wanting to tell better stories in their work. This might be someone trying to communicate a tricky idea which is in need of a good metaphor. Since we know these "story seeds" have proven themselves to be quite memorable, we try to adapt motifs to fit as a solid and simple metaphor. We've helped Scientists, Lawyers, Medical Organizations, and even those in the Financials Industry to help better convey what they are doing by telling a better story.
Storytelling, Mentoring & Narrative Therapy
And last (usually the most important in the story world) but not least, we do a lot of work with how people can grow and develop parts of who they are and the connection therein through story. So, we might tell research specific stories to tell a child or youth who is working through an issue, such as dealing with anger, attention issues, or life changes by carefully choosing a motif which can help them understand what they're dealing with. (This works well for adults too.)
If you find a new usage for these, please tell us.
What exactly is a Motif?
A Motif is a trait common between two stories. They can be from nearby places, but the interesting ones (we find) are from very different parts of the world. That is to say, two ideas that simultaneously erupted most likely independently. This is because we can then develop a theory about well, pretty much anything.
Let's give you an example of two excerpts from stories so you can spot their motifs.
Sedna - Eskimo
In this mortal peril the father determined to offer Sedna to the birds and flung her overboard. She clung to the edge of the boat with a death grip. The cruel father then took a knife and cut off the first joints of her fingers. Falling into the sea they were transformed into whales, the nails turning into whalebone. Sedna holding on to the boat more tightly, the second finger joints fell under the sharp knife and swam away as seals; when the father cut off the stumps of the fingers they became ground seals.
Handless Maiden - Germany
The devil still could not approach her, he was very angry, and ordered the miller, "Chop off her hands, so I can get to her."
The miller was horrified and answered, "How could I chop off my dear child's hands? No, I will not do it."
"Then do you know what? I will take you, if you don't do it!"
That frightened the miller terribly, and driven by fear he promised to do what the devil had ordered. He went to his daughter and said, "My child, the devil will take me if I don't chop off both your hands, and I have promised him that I will do it. I beg for your forgiveness."
"Father," she said, "do with me what you will," stretched forth her hands, and let him chop them off.
Interpretations
What could we infer about this story? Well, we might use it to interpret a major plot point in another storyline such as Star Wars, Winter's Bone or Game of Thrones.
We might see it as a symbol for the the loss of ability, that is to say, the loss of the ability to do things.
And so, it might be a useful story to tell someone who has issues with motivation, or the lack of the ability to do things.
We'd also be very curious what the relationship between the symbolic "father" is in each of these stories is, including the three newer stories we mentioned.
Where did you get all of the info about Motifs and Stories?
This search engine is a digitized version of the life work comes of a folklorist named Stith Thompson who spent his life reading and cataloging stories which he published as the Motif Index of Folklore and Literature. This book is very hard to come by, as are many of the books Mr. Thompson referenced. We will be collecting the stories (with the help of folks on the internet) to allow everyone to enjoy and educate themselves about this work.
I have a story I'd really like to find. Can you send it to me?
If we can find it, yes, we will definitely try to so you're always welcome to ask. We don't have digital copies of all of the books referenced in the search engine yet, but we currently have more than two thirds of the 800 or so. Feel free to use the contact form, and we will let you know what we can do.
When I be able to read all of the stories online?
That is hard to tell because it is dependent on two things: our helpers and funds.
Feedback - If you have feedback to offer as far as features you'd like, or requests for stories, this helps us polish the new systems we are putting in place in order to collect all of Stith's stories. Don't hesitate to use our contact form.
Donate Time - If you would like to donate some of your time to help comb stories, please fill out the form below.
Donate Funds - Or, you can use the fully tax deductible donation to our 501(c)3 non-profit hosting organization the Center for Symbolic Studies via a form at http://symbolicstudies.org
How can I help?
We've created a twitter feed for StorySearch, and since it is using his work, we've put the feeds under the name @StithThompson.
Every 15 minutes, a new random motif is tweeted. Below are the 20 most recent tweets:
Video
Writing
TEDx - Lower East Side
Here is a talk by the creator of the Story Search, Richard Schwab, did on myth featuring stories about ways we use this site. October 25th 2013.