De volksverhalencanon
De klassieke verhaaltypen achter 's werelds sprookjes en volksverhalen — wat elk patroon definieert, hoe culturen het vertellen en hoe je een versie met je kind deelt.
Nieuwe verhaaltypes worden in kaart gebracht naarmate de canon-seed-golf loopt.
84 story types
A proud newcomer misinterprets an audience's standing for prayer or assembly as a personal tribute, then bids them sit, revealing their own humble past.
5 culturesA trickster tale where an accused subordinate pretends not to hear their accuser, coaxing them to trade places—only to ask an embarrassing question that forces the accuser to back down.
15 cultures1 motifThe 'The Owner Has Refused to Accept It' story type (ATU 1807A) is a classic trickster joke where a clever rogue uses literal truth and double-talk to keep a stolen item with a priest's blessing.
31 cultures1 motifA finder follows instructions to announce a lost purse of money, but whispers so softly that no one hears—allowing them to keep the treasure while claiming total obedience.
8 culturesThis folktale type features a witty exchange where one character boasts about something they enjoy, only for the other to playfully retort about something the first character is missing, often highlighting cultural or personal differences.
6 culturesATU 1810 folktales feature a clergyman testing a parishioner's religious knowledge, where humor arises from literal misunderstandings, wrong answers, or naive responses to formal catechism.
20 culturesATU 1851, "Anecdotes about Devout Women," describes humorous stories where a pious older woman's extreme credulity or literal interpretation of faith leads to amusing misunderstandings and unexpected situations.
9 culturesThis folktale type features humorous or cautionary tales where doctors are often comically incompetent, or patients misunderstand medical advice, leading to unexpected and often silly outcomes.
16 cultures2 motifsThis story type (ATU 1865) explores humorous or critical tales about people from a neighboring town or country, often playing on stereotypes or perceived differences.
11 culturesAnecdotes about Hanging (ATU 1868) are folktales where humor arises from unexpected dialogues between a condemned person and their hangman, or from the gallows itself comically failing.
7 culturesATU 1855 gathers various short tales and observations, often humorous, centered around Jewish characters, sometimes reflecting historical prejudices but also wit and wisdom.
14 cultures1 motifThis folktale type (ATU 1861) features humorous anecdotes where a judge, through a clever twist of fate or their own ruling, inadvertently settles a case to their personal disadvantage.
11 culturesThe Anecdotes about Lawyers (ATU 1860) story type explores tales where clever legal minds navigate tricky situations, often outwitting opponents with wit and sharp thinking.
10 culturesThe Anecdotes about Madmen story type (ATU 1864) collects various tales centered on the unusual, often perplexing, actions and perspectives of individuals experiencing mental distress, offering glimpses into different cultural understandings of sanity.
3 culturesStories about millers, often portraying them as cunning figures who find clever ways to unfairly profit from those who bring grain to be ground, highlighting themes of trust and trickery.
7 culturesA collection of brief, witty encounters that reveal a wise figure's character or philosophy through a single memorable exchange or action, rather than a developed narrative.
0 culturesThis story type gathers brief, often witty tales that observe the lives, quirks, and situations of noblemen and women across different cultures.
8 culturesATU 1870 collects brief, self-contained anecdotes that offer glimpses into the lives and perspectives of people from various religions and spiritual traditions, often highlighting everyday interactions or observations.
7 culturesThe Bride and Groom at Wedding Ceremony story type (ATU 1820) collects humorous anecdotes where a betrothed couple gives absurd answers or acts comically during their marriage ritual.
10 culturesThis folktale type (ATU 1855B) features a dying parent's request for money to be buried with them, and a clever child who substitutes a written check for the promised cash, often reclaiming the real money left by others.
9 cultures1 motifA witty anecdote where an artist explains the stark difference between their beautiful painted children and their less comely real ones by revealing when each was 'made.'
4 cultures1 motifA global folktale (ATU 510A) where a kind heroine, mistreated by her stepfamily, receives magical help to attend a grand event, captures a noble's heart, and is identified by a unique item, leading to her rightful place.
69 cultures12 motifsA satirical tale type (ATU 1790) where a thief blackmails his partner, confesses their crime in court with granular detail, and then escapes punishment by claiming the whole story was just a dream.
20 cultures1 motifIn ATU 1792B, a clergyman steals a pig, lies to his parishioners, and conspires with a sexton, only for their greed to unravel in a slapstick nighttime blunder.
5 culturesThe Clergyman as Prosecutor (ATU 1806A*) is a comic folktale where two travelers mistake a routine theological question for an accusation of theft, fleeing in panic when they think God is missing.
5 culturesIn the Clergyman Put to Flight During his Sermon story type (ATU 1785), a religious leader abruptly abandons a formal service mid-speech due to an unexpected, absurd mundane disruption.
10 cultures1 motifATU 1786 is a classic folktale joke where a preacher rides an ox into church on Palm Sunday to demonstrate Jesus's arrival, only for a pranking sexton to poke the beast into a wild stampede.
5 cultures1 motifThe Clergyman's Children story type (ATU 1805*) is a satirical folk anecdote where an overconfident figure forces a culprit to confess publicly, only for the culprit to turn the accusation back on him.
9 culturesThe Confession in Advance story type (ATU 1804E) features a trickster who pays double penance for a minor misdeed up front, pre-funding their next crime—often taking the confessor's own horse.
7 cultures1 motifA classic comedic jest (ATU 1805) where an elderly woman recounts past misdeeds to a clergyman, not out of sorrow, but because she delights in remembering them.
8 culturesThis humorous folktale type (ATU 1862D) features a charlatan expert who, called to treat a sick animal, performs a silly visual trick to convince a naive owner that the animal suffers from a ridiculous ailment, often constipation.
4 culturesA bald man insults a philosopher, who deftly counters with a witty, backhanded compliment about the man's lost hair, turning the insult on its head with clever verbal sparring.
1 culture1 motifThe Cynic and the Stone-throwing Boy (ATU 1871E) is a folktale type where a child's mischievous act is met with a sharp, cynical adult observation, revealing a hidden truth or social commentary.
2 cultures1 motifThis folktale type (ATU 1871C) explores a profound encounter where a powerful figure offers anything, but a wise, independent individual only asks for their basic right or personal space, highlighting the true value of simple freedom.
2 cultures1 motifA clever doctor diagnoses an ailment by observing subtle clues, often from a patient's surroundings. Their less astute apprentice comically misinterprets the method, leading to a wildly incorrect diagnosis based on unrelated observations.
18 cultures1 motifThe Dinner in Heaven story type (ATU 1806) is a humorous folktale where a counselor promises a heavenly feast to someone in peril, but quickly turns down the invitation to go in their place.
3 cultures1 motif