ATU 400 The Man on a Quest for his Lost Wife

ATU 400

The Man on a Quest for his Lost Wife

Aarne–Thompson–Uther tale-type index · Tales Of Magic · The full type description is not served here; the number and name are the classification facts.

Motifs the recorded variants carry

Tabu: boasting of supernatural wife. 72 variants
Tabu: calling on supernatural wife. 72 variants
Swan Maiden. A swan transforms herself at will into a maiden. She resumes her swan form by putting on her swan coat. (It is difficult to tell in most Swan Maiden tales whether the primary form is swan or maiden: the incident may belong at D161.) 72 variants
Swan Maiden finds her hidden wings and resumes her form. 72 variants
Disenchantment by three nights' silence under punishment. 72 variants
Magic hat renders invisible. (Cf. D1067.1.) 72 variants
Magic weapon conquers enemy. (Cf. D1080.) 72 variants
Magic wishing-ring. (Cf. D1076.) 72 variants
Seven-league boots. Boots with miraculous speed. (Cf. D1065.1.) 72 variants
Mistress summoned by wish. 72 variants
Magic journey. 72 variants
Quest for vanished wife (mistress). 72 variants
Devil cheated of his victim by boy having a bible under his arm. 72 variants
Husband (lover) arrives home just as wife (mistress) is to marry another. 72 variants
Children unwittingly promised (sold). (Cf. S211.) 72 variants
Marriage to swan-maiden. 36 variants
Disenchantment by hiding skin (covering). When the enchanted person has temporarily removed the covering, it is stolen and the victim remains disenchanted until it is found. 36 variants
Magic object acquired by trick exchange. By means of second magic object hero recovers first. (Often mixed with D832). 36 variants
Magic objects acquired by acting as umpire for fighting heirs. When hero gets hold of objects he refuses to return it. 36 variants
Fairy mistress. Mortal man marries or lives with fairy woman. 36 variants
Lowly hero marries princess. 36 variants
Animal kingdom – quadrupeds. 24 variants
Apple causes magic sleep. (Cf. D981.1.) 24 variants
Pin causes magic sleep. (Cf. D1182.) 24 variants
Lover's magic sleep at rendezvous. A lover (husband) is to meet his mistress but magically oversleeps. 24 variants
Directions on quest given by sun, moon, wind, and stars. 24 variants
Succession of helpers on quest. One helper sends to another, who sends to another, etc. (Cf. H1241.) 24 variants

Type numbers and names after Aarne–Thompson–Uther, via Hagedorn, trilogy (2022), CC-BY-NC-SA; motif links weighted by the dataset’s recorded tale variants. Served as classification facts with attribution.