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Cross’s Motif-Index of Early Irish Literature
Tom Peete Cross’s Motif-Index of Early Irish Literature (1952) provides a specialised route into recurring narrative elements in early Irish texts.
This is a motif index grounded in literary sources. A motif comparison does not by itself establish an entire tale type or an uninterrupted oral tradition.
Scope and reference practice
Early Irish literature · Motifs. The notes on recording evidence are editorial guidance for future use on this website.
| Reference | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Motif entries | Use the entry to locate a recurring element and its documentary references. |
| Textual evidence | Follow the citation to the work, edition and passage. Distinguish the original text from a translation or later retelling. |
| Comparative use | Compare with Thompson or another index while retaining Cross’s own reference and the evidence for any correspondence. |
Using this reference
For future links, identify the Irish work and version as precisely as possible. Similar supernatural beings or heroic names can occur in narratives with very different structures and histories.
The links below identify the published reference or its official catalogue. This page provides an introduction; it does not reproduce the full index or assign classifications to narratives.
Each heading has a stable link for citation and future cross-referencing. Narrative associations will follow later analysis.
Sources and further reading
Cross, Tom Peete. Motif-Index of Early Irish Literature. Indiana University Publications, Folklore Series 7. Bloomington: Indiana University, 1952.
- University of Pennsylvania: bibliographic record and HathiTrust reading link
- Åbo Akademi / Finna: publication record
The explanations are concise editorial summaries. Published identifiers are distinguished from this page’s reference headings and suggested recording practices.
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How to cite: Fielder-White, Jonathan (2026). The Folklore Database. https://folkloredatabase.com
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