Story Features: An Overview

The Thompson motifs and the ATU tale types are helpful in doing research for this project, but only up to a point. For all kinds of reasons (which I might try to explain a separate post later on), the motifs and tale types are not adequate to my goals for this project:

1. to describe the stories in terms of specific features so that we can see which stories share which features, and also so that we can see what makes a given story distinctive;

2. to explain these features as storytelling styles that storytellers can use in order to create new stories.

So, I will now beginning to do my own analysis of the features of these stories, and I'll use this post as an index page that will lead to the posts where I developing those features and the stories that exemplify those features.

As a first pass, I will be sorting all the stories into 5 categories; the links below go to the Diigo listings which in turn will bring you back to this blog:

Cumulative Chains	Cumulative Series
Other Chains	Other Series
Other Repetition

As you can see, I'm looking to see whether stories are told in a cumulative style or not, and then I'm also looking to see whether a story features a chain or a series (plus some other kinds of repetition I am interested in).

The distinction between a chain and a series is one that I need to work on, and perhaps I can find better terminology. This will do for a start! By chain I mean a sequence in which the actors or actions are interconnected in ways defined by the story itself, while by a series I mean something more like a list -- that is, either the items in the series are not strongly connected or they are connected in a predefined sequence (numbers, letters of the alphabet, etc.).

Odo of Cheriton

1. QUALITER ELEGERUNT SIBI REGEM LIGNA.
Perry 262

Iuerunt ligna, ut ungerent super se regem. Dixerunt Olive: Impera nobis. Que respondit: Numquid possum relinquere pinguedinem meam, qua Dii utuntur et homines, ut inter Ligna promouear? Venerunt ad arborem Ficus (sic pro Ficum), et dixerunt: Super nos [regnum] accipe. Respondit: Numquid possum deserere dulcedinem meam fructusque suauissimos, ut inter Ligna promouear? Venerunt ad Vitem, ut imperaret eis. Que respondit: Nunquid possum deserere uinum quod letificat Deum et homines? Et noluit promoueri. Dixeruntque Ligna ad Rampnum: Impera nobis. Respondit Rampnus: Si uere me regem constituitis, uenite, et sub umbra mea quiescite; si non uultis, egrediatur ignis de Rampno, et deuoret cedros Libani.


1e. DE ABBATE, CIBO ET MONACHIS.
Perry

Et applicatur malis presidentibus et successoribus peioribus
Quidam Abbas dedit Monachis suis tria fercula. Dixerunt Monachi: Iste parum dat nobis. Rogemus Deum quod cito moriatur, et siue ex hac causa, (siue) ex alia, cito mortuus est. Substitutus est alius qui tantum dedit duo fercula. Irati Monachi et contristati dixerunt: Nunc magis orandum est, quia unum ferculum subtractum est, Deus subtrahat ei uitam suam. Tandem mortuus est. Substitutus est tertius, qui duo subtraxit. Irati Monachi dixerunt: Iste pessimus est inter omnes, quia fame nos interficit. Rogemus Deum quod cito moriatur. Dixit unus Monachus: Rogo Deum quod det ei longam uitam et manu teneat eum nobis. Alii admirati querebant quare hoc diceret. Qui ait: Video quod primus fuit malus, secundus peior, iste pessimus. Timeo, cum mortuus fuerit, alius peior succedet qui penitus fame nos perimet.
Vnde solet dici: Selde cumet se betere, hoc est: Raro succedit melior.


2. DE NISO ET COLUMBA ET DUCE.
Perry 588

Applicatur minantibus solum et non facientibus iusticiam.
Nisus semel rapuit unam Columbam et deuorauit. Alie Columbe acceperunt consilium cui conquererentur. Et dixerunt: Duci. Est autem auis Dux cum magno capite et maior Aquila, et ideo Columbe conqueste sunt ei de Niso, quod faceret iusticiam, quoniam sociam suam interfecit. Audita querela, respondit Dux cum magna ingurgitatione: Cloc! Quo audito, dixerunt Columbe: Quam bene intonuit! Certe faciet sibi de Niso unum morsellum. Iterum uenit Nisus, et aliam Columbam rapuit. Accesserunt Columbe ad Ducem, postulantes quod faceret iusticiam. Et respondit: Cloc! Dixerunt Columbe: Ecce quam strenue com[m]inatur; optime faciet iusticiam. Nisus terciam Columbam accepit. Columbe tercio uenerunt ad Ducem, ut uindictam acciperet. Et ipse respondit: Cloc! Audientes dixerunt: Quid est quod semper dicit Cloc, et nunquam iusticiam facit? Recedamus a regno suo, et infestemus eum sicut falsum et stultum. Hinc est quod Columbe et cetere Aues, quando Ducem uident, eum infestant.
Sic plerique, quando pauperes clamant quod reges et maiores faciant iusticiam de iniuriantibus, dicunt: Faciemus, faciemus, et sic dicunt unum cloc. Nunquam tamen faciunt. Hoc et ad falsos promissores refertur qui dicunt: Cloc, cloc, dabo, dabo; et nichil aliud habetur a talibus nisi unum cloc.

14. DE FILIO BUFONIS ET SOTULARIBUS.
Perry 591

Contra falsum iudicium rationis ex affectione.
Contigit quod animalia celebrauerunt concilium. Bufo misit illuc filium suum. Sed oblitus sotulares suos nouos, quesiuit Bufo aliquod animal uelox, qui (sic) posset ad concilium accele(b)rare; uidebatur sibi quod Lepus bene curreret. Vocauit eum et, mercede constituta, dixit ei quod deferret sotulares nouos filio suo. Respondit Lepus: Quomodo potero discernere filium tuum in tali concilio? Dixit Bufo: Ille qui pulcherrimus est inter omnia animalia est filius meus. Dixit Lupus (sic): Numquid Columba uel Pauo est filius tuus? Respondit: Nequaquam, quoniam Columba habet nigras carnes, Pauo turpes pedes. Dixit Lepus: Qualis est igitur filius tuus? Et dixit Bufo: Qui tale habet caput quale est meum, talem uentrem, tales tibias, tales pedes, ille pulcher filius meus. Illi deferas sotulares. Venit Lepus cum sotularibus et narrauit Leoni et ceteris bestiis qualiter Bufo pre ceteris filium suum commendauit. Et ait Leo: Ki Crapout eime, Lune li semble.
Si quis amat Ranam, Ranam putat esse Dianam.

21. DE CASEO ET RATO ET CATO.
Perry 594

Contra prelatos aggrauantes inferiores.
Quidam habuit Caseum in archa, et uenit Ratus. Incepit eum rodere. Cogitauit paterfamilias quid faceret. Tandem habito consilio, posuit intus Murilegum, et ille deuorauit Ratum et Caseum.


63. DE MURE QUI VOLUIT MATRIMONIUM CONTRAHERE.
Perry 619

Contra illos qui superbe agunt, alta cogitantes et sapientes et cetera.
Mus semel uoluit matrimonium contrahere et cogitauit quod maritum acciperet fortissimum; et cogitauit penes se quid esset strenuissimum. Tandem uidebatur sibi quod Ventus, quia prosternit cedros, turres, domos. Misit nuncios Vento quod esset maritus eius. Dixit Ventus: Quare uult mecum contrahere? Dixerunt nuncii: Quia inter omnes creaturas es fortissima. Respondit Ventus: I(m)mo castrum Narbonense forcius est me, quia iam plus quam per mille annos stetit aduersum me et [s]cindit et confringit uires meas, et nunquam potui eum (sic) prosternere. Reuersi sunt nuncii et retulerunt responsum, et dixit Mus: Ex quo forcior est Turris, volo quod sit maritus meus. Significabat hoc Turri, et ait Turris: Quare uult mecum contrahere? Et responsum: Quia res es fortissima et forcior Vento. Et ait Turris: Certe Mures sunt forciores me, quia tota die me perforant et frangunt, et faciunt uiam per me. Et ita, habito consilio, oportebat quod Mus Murem sibi associaret.

VERSION WITH CAT AT THE END

Ashliman references

Also Aesop:
Perry 044. The Frogs ask Zeus for a King: could be expanded
Perry 575.The Wethers and the Butcher: could be expanded
Perry 305. The Sick Stag and his Friends: could be expanded

find a version of King Shibi with drawn out body parts

Ashliman

In addition to marked ATU:needashliman as I add ATU types to the system, I am taking notes from Ashliman's book about possibilities:

ATU 37 nursemaid eats the children: repetition
how the bear nursed the little alligator harris nights with uncle remus
hyena eats the lion's children arewa northern east africa
little boy bear nurses the alligator abrahams afro-american
mangoose and mangoes thundy south indian folktales
motherinlaw and clear water tales from the basotho 14
six hungry beasts finland lang crimson

ATU 65 old fox with nine tails puts hiw wife to the test by playing dead. new suitors soon arrived, one with one tail, one with two tails and so on.
this should be in Grimm! Mrs. Fox's Wedding

ATU 96 good news and bad news about the hare's marriage.
hare who had been married. asbjornsen and moe, norwegian folktales

ATU 122E wait for the bigger goal.
little mangy one bushnaq arab
three billy goats gruff clarkson and corss / Thompson 100 favorite folktales, asbjornsen and moe east of the sun
three kids, the billy goat, and the wolf degh hungary

ATU 124: blowing the house in
awful fate of mister wolf harris uncle remus
fox and pixies whitlock folklore of devon
little blue bonnet gmelch and kroup to shorten the road
little geese calvino italian
old sow and three shoats chase grandfather
pigs harris nights with uncle remus
sow and wolf delarue french folktales
three cottages calvino italian
three goslings crane italian
three hares clarkson and cross
three hares cole best loved folktales
three little pigs jacobs english
three little pigs lang green
three little pigs randolph who blowed up the church house?
three pullets delarue french folktales

ATU 155: important for the series of judges
brother wolf still in trouble harris nights with uncle remus
good is repaid with evil paredes meixco
great flood eberhard china
ingrates crane italian
inside again jacobs europa
man who knew how to cure snakebite clarkson and cross
man, snake, fox megas folktales of greece
man, serpent and fox crane italin
old favors soon forgotten afanasjev
son of adam and crocodile elshamy folktales egypt
tiger brahman jackal cole best loved folktales
tiger brahman jackal jacobs indian
trouble with helping out abrahams afroamerican
ungrateful animals arewa northern east africa
ungrateful serpent clouston popular tales
ungrateful snake dawkins more greek folktales
who is blessed noy folktales of israel

atu 160 grateful animals
grateful animals arewa northern east africa
how a dove and a snake took pity noy, folktales of israel
thankful beasts clouston popular tales
treachery of man bushnaw arab

atu 170a clever animal trades wisely
it started with a thorn villa 100 armenian tales
sparrow elshamy folktales of egypt
travels of a fox clarkson and cross

STOPPED HERE

do Type 759 God's Justice Vindicated = J225.0.1

Procedures

PROCEDURE FOR STORY OF THE DAY:
1) choose story post from Story-do-Day 
** Month Day. Story of the Day: ___
** Today's story comes from ___ by ___. Something about accessing book/stories.
** In the Thompson Motif Index, this is TMI ___: ___.
** Note from me.

Looking for more stories? Click here for previous Stories-of-the-Day.


2) add image
3) Label: Story of the Day
4) Date: tomorrow at 3AM
5) add CHAIN at bottom
.... then add previous label to yesterday's story.

UPDATE YOUTUBE by editing playlist
ADD PADLET: change padlet-no and adding to Padlet
ADD DIIGO: convert from geono descno to geo desc; refresh
UPDATE AUDIO by editing playlist

AUDIO
upload to Drive - rename - download
upload at soundcloud.com
Title
Audiobook
For more, see ChainTales.LauraGibbs.net
Metadata: creative commons
permissions: all but stats
add to playlist from tracks
edit playlist:
https://soundcloud.com/laura-gibbs-4/sets/chain-tales
arrange tracks
embed new track in post
skinny one; dark background
add audio tag

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bibliography, GSbib-no,
Bib-to-Do, Bib-to-Explore,
bookshelf, kindle
This book is copyrighted and not online. I have provided paraphrases and/or descriptions of the stories it contains.



NEW STORY

roud-check,
described,
paraphrased,
restricted-___,
Region: ___,
Story-do-Day, Stories, GSno, padlet-no, audiono, Diigono, pixno, 
Typed: ___,
Source: ___-___,

=========

NEW ROUD: add to Roud index -- date to 2017 -- Roud label

Roud 19803. Title

at this site: 
___

more information:
Fresno Ballads
Mainly Norfolk

=============

DIIGO
tag all stories with CTP cumulativeno geono pixno descno
remove cumulativeno; replace with cumulative IF cumulative
search #CTP NOT #chain to add chain
add index when specific chain/series tagged

cumulative

chain:
requests - trades - greater
blame - events - nested
mistakes - questions -
misc: smaller, production,

series:
weekdays - months - numbers - alphabet -
colors - professions - tasks - clothing - food -
money - crops - diseases - gifts -
locations - body - parts (of gun)
animals - birds -
mourners - companions - escapes - household -


========

new ATU type:
ATU:needpage for new types added in without page
new page:
ATU, ATU ####, ATU:needindia, ATU:needashliman
<hr><strong>At this site</strong>:<br>(nothing yet)<hr><strong>ATU ___ title</strong>. description<br><br>
motifs: <br><br>
ATU:needindia, ATU:needashliman ATU, ATU ___<br><br>
4/29/2001

Misc.

Transfer notes to Google Doc as needed

Beyond the TMI

This post has moved: ATU Tale Type Index.