A number is not proof that two stories are the same

When stories from different places seem to share a plot, the Aarne–Thompson–Uther index can help you find comparable records. Harvard Library explains that ATU numbers classify tale types, while Stith Thompson’s Motif-Index assigns separate numbers to recurring elements within stories. For example, ATU 510 is “The Persecuted Heroine,” with variants 510A “Cinderella” and 510B “Catskin.” An entry may include a plot summary, motif references, combinations with other tale types, comments, and bibliography. Harvard’s guide

A type number does not prove common origin or identical meaning. It is a retrieval and comparison aid. Harvard also notes that the Motif-Index has a geographic limitation: it is mainly restricted to Europe. An absent entry cannot establish that a story is unimportant or unique.

Keep three layers separate

First, identify the index and edition used by each source. Do not treat AT, ATU, and motif numbers as interchangeable; check the number and title against the cited entry. Next, separate tale type from motif. A type describes a broad plot pattern; a motif is a recurring element such as a character, event, or object. A motif can occur in more than one type, and a single tale can combine several motifs and plot patterns.

Then preserve the record around the story. Note who told it, to whom, when and where it was recorded, the language and translation, and any audience response or improvisation. The Library of Congress American Folklife Center’s fieldwork guide covers preliminary research, interview ethics, recording, field notes, archiving, and care of documentation. If you save only an index number, you can lose the performance situation and the conditions under which the account was recorded. LOC fieldwork guide

Example: do not classify by the word “Cinderella” alone

Imagine a researcher comparing two oral narratives from different communities. One has a stepmother and a shoe test; another has help from a deceased mother and a feast. A familiar element alone is not enough to call them the same tale. Read the full sequence of events and the roles characters play, then compare the records with ATU 510 and check which motifs actually overlap. Ask, using interviews and documentation, why a narrator shaped a scene in that way.

A careful conclusion might say: “These two records share features associated with ATU 510, but the available evidence does not establish a transmission route or identical meaning.” That wording separates classification from interpretation. Claiming cultural influence or a universal psychological pattern from one similar scene would go beyond what an index can show.

A short workflow

  • 1. Record the index name, edition, entry number, and whether a number refers to a type or a motif.
  • 2. Compare the entry summary with the actual recorded narrative; the summary is not the full text.
  • 3. Preserve the collector, narrator permissions and access conditions, date, place, language, and performance context.
  • 4. Describe resemblance as a finding. Claim origin, diffusion, or meaning only when separate evidence supports it.

An index makes records easier to find; it does not read the story for you. Pairing classification with the text, recording conditions, and local interpretation makes comparison more checkable.

Sources