35 motifs match “backward”  ·  back to the chapters

• Culture hero can turn feet and knees backwards. A526.8
• God throws diver's feet after him; hence his feet reach backward. (Cf. A2371.2.9.) A2215.6
• Why antelope's antlers reach backward. A2326.3.3
• Why diver (loon) holds legs backward. (Cf. A2215.6.) A2371.2.9
• Why mole's "hands" are turned backward. A2375.2.7
• Magic results of reversing a spell. Formula said backward will sometimes undo the work performed by the formula. (Cf. D1273.) D1783.1
• Power of prophecy induced by crawling backward around grave. (Cf. D1791.) D1812.2.1
• Invisibility by reciting formula backwards. D1985.2
• Saint causes mill to turn backwards. D2089.4
• Head of decapitated person is replaced backwards. Later is readjusted. E12.2
• Resuscitation with head on backwards. (Cf. F511.0.6.) E34.1
• Walking around a grave twelve times backward will raise the ghost. E386.4
• Ghost with feet twisted backward. E422.1.6.1
• Ghost will not return if door is removed and hung backwards. (Cf. D1783.) E439.9
• Wild huntsmen with heads on backward. E501.7.3
• Forest-spirits with wings and with backward-pointing fingers and toes. (Cf. F401.9, F451.2.2.1.) F441.4.4
• Dwarf's feet twisted backward. F451.2.2.1
• Person with knees backwards. F517.1.5
• Men whose feet turn backward so that they will not stub toes. F517.1.5.1
• Marvelous runner runs backwards. F681.7
• Perilous trap bridge. High in center. One end rises when one steps on it and throws him backwards. F842.2.1
• Person gets witch power by walking twelve times around a church backward at midnight. G224.8
• Reading Bible backwards causes witch to reveal herself. (Cf. D1985.2.) G257.2
• Devil's knees are backwards. G303.4.5.6
• Devil works backward. Begins building at top of house. G303.13.2
• Devil writes down names of those who look backwards in church. G303.24.1.7.2
• Man learns the fear of Death by meeting Life. Life (old woman) beheads him and replaces his head backwards. Simpleton left in fear for hours before head is readjusted. J27
• Numskull rides backward. "I didn't get on backward but the horse seems to be left-handed." J2024
• The backwards and forwards dance. Dupe persuaded to pay for learning this dance (really moving toward and away from a fire). K153
• Hero walks backward to leave misleading trail. K534.3
• Saint, when forced to return to his monastery after swearing not to "come with his face before him," comes walking backwards. K2312.2
• Bells rung backward as alarm. P651.3
• Riding backwards on donkey as punishment. Q473.5.2
• Mutilation: crushing feet and turning them backward. S162.5
• Crab walks backward: learned from his parents. U121.1