ATU 875 The Clever Farmgirl
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The tale in brief
A farmer's daughter solves the king's riddles and becomes his wife; when he angrily sends her away, she may take what she loves most, and she takes him.
Summary written for RunoVerse from Antti Aarne’s list of tale types of 1910 and the Finnic texts linked on this page.
Runosong types
The SKVR or ERAB type index cites this tale type in its description of these song types:
- Viisaampansa vieressä yönsä maannut Slept beside a wiser one · SKVR · 2 poems · cited for comparison
Finnic and Finland-Swedish sources cited in the catalogue
The entries of the catalogue’s list of literature and variants that concern Finnic tradition.
Finnish Rausmaa 1982ff. II, Nos. 99–101
Finnish-Swedish Hackman 1917f. I, No. 174, 185
Estonian Aarne 1918
Livonian, Wotian, Karelian, Syrjanian Kecskeméti/Paunonen 1974
Full references:
- Rausmaa 1982ff.: Rausmaa, Pirkko-Liisa (ed.): Suomalaiset kansansadut 1–6. Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura, 1982–2000.
- Hackman 1917f.: Hackman, Oskar (ed.): Finlands svenska folkdiktning I A: Sagor. Referatsamling 1–2. Helsingfors: Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland, 1917–1920. Read online ↗ (National Library of Finland)
- Aarne 1918: Aarne, Antti: Estnische Märchen- und Sagenvarianten. Verzeichnis der zu den Hurt'schen Handschriftensammlungen gehörenden Aufzeichnungen. FF Communications 25. Hamina: Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia, 1918.
- Kecskeméti/Paunonen 1974: Kecskeméti, István; Paunonen, Heikki: Die Märchentypen in den Publikationen der Finnisch-ugrischen Gesellschaft. Journal de la Société Finno-Ougrienne 73 (1974), 205–265.
Motifs and related tale types
Motifs: Impossible Tasks H1010·Task: Making a Rope of Sand H1021.1·Task: Weaving a Silk Shirt from Hair; Countertask: Making a Loom from Shavings H1021.6.1·Task: Weaving Cloth from Two Threads H1022.1·Task: Hatching Boiled Eggs H1023.1·Task: Hatching Boiled Eggs; Countertask: Sowing Cooked Seeds and Harvesting the Crop H1023.1.1·Task: Sewing Together a Broken Mill-Stone H1023.7·Task: Mending a Broken Jug H1023.9·Task: Milking a Bull H1024.1·Task: Making a Bull Bear a Calf H1024.1.1·Paradoxical Tasks H1050·Task: Coming Neither on Nor Off the Road H1051·Task: Standing Neither Inside Nor Outside of Gate H1052·Task: Coming Neither on Horse Nor on Foot (Riding Nor Walking) H1053·Task: Coming Neither on Horse Nor on Foot H1053.1·Task: Coming Neither on Horse Nor on Foot H1053.2·Task: Coming Neither on Horse Nor on Foot H1053.3·Task: Coming Neither on Horse Nor on Foot H1053.4·Task: Coming Neither on Horse Nor on Foot H1053.5·Task: Coming Neither on Horse Nor on Foot H1053.6·Task: Coming Neither Naked Nor Clad H1054·Task: Coming Neither Naked Nor Clad H1054.1·Task: Coming Neither Naked Nor Clad H1054.2·Task: Coming Neither Naked Nor Clad H1054.3·Task: Coming "Neither in Softness Nor in Hardness H1054.4·Task: Coming Neither Barefoot Nor Shod H1055·Task: Coming Neither by Day Nor by Night H1057·Task: Standing Between Summer and Winter H1058·Task: Coming Neither with Nor Without a Companion H1061·Task: Coming Neither Washed Nor Unwashed H1062·Task: Coming Neither Hungry Nor Satiated H1063·Task: Coming Laughing and Crying at Once H1064·Task: Bringing Best Friend, Worst Enemy, Best Servant, Greatest Pleasure-Giver H1065·Task: Selling a Sheep (Goat) and Bringing It Back Along with the Money H1152.1·Task: Preparing the Food "Oh My" H1185·Bride Test: Performance of Tasks H373·Clever Peasant Girl Asked Riddles by King H561.1·Found Mortar Taken to King Reveals Peasant Girl's Wisdom H561.1.2·King: Where Shall I Tie My Horse? Maiden: Between Summer and Winter H583.7·Maiden (To King): The House Has Neither Eyes Nor Ears H583.8·Maiden (To King): Shall I Feed You with Loss or Gain H583.9·Wise Carving of the Fowl H601·Riddles of the Superlative H630·Riddle: What Is the Strongest? *Types 461, 875, 922; *Bp Ii 357; *De Vries Ffc Lxxiii 84, Aarne Ffc Xxiii 129; Japanese: Ikeda H631·What Is the Strongest? a Horse H631.1·What Is the Strongest? God H631.2·What Is Strongest? Earth H631.3·What Is Strongest? Woman H631.4·What Is Strongest? Truth H631.5·What Is Mightiest? Rain H631.6·What Is Strongest? Necessity H631.7·What Is Strongest? Wine H631.8·What Is Strongest? the King H631.9·Riddle: What Is the Swiftest? *Type 875; *De Vries Ffc Lxxiii 69ff H632·What Is Swiftest? Thought H632.1·What Is Swiftest? the Eye H632.2·What Is Swiftest? the Sun H632.3·Riddle: What Is Sweetest? Type 875; *De Vries Ffc Lxxiii 79ff H633·What Is Sweetest? Sleep H633.1·What Is Sweetest? Peace in Heaven H633.2·What Is Sweetest? Mother's Breast H633.3·What Is Sweetest? One's Own Interest H633.4·What Is Sweeter Than Sugar? the Princess's Speech H633.5·Riddle: What Is the Sweetest Song? *Type 922; *Anderson Ffc Xlii 233; Irish Myth: Cross H634·What Is the Sweetest Song? Angel Song H634.1·Riddle: What Is the Sweetest Sound? Anderson Ffc Xlii 233; De Vries Ffc Lxxiii 90; Italian Novella: Rotunda H635·What Is the Sweetest Sound? Bell-Ringing H635.1·What Is the Sweetest Sound? God's Word H635.2·Riddle: What Is the Richest? Types 461, 875; Bp Iii 357; Aarne Ffc Xxiii 129 H636·What Is Richest? Autumn H636.1·Riddle: What Is the Hardest? Bp Iii 16 H637·What Is Hardest? Parent's Heart (Said by Child Being Sacrificed) H637.1·What Is the Hardest? Death H637.2·Riddle: What Is Costliest? Bp Iii 233 H638·What Is Costliest? the Earth H638.1·Recognition of Disenchanted Person by Physical Attributes H64·Recognition of Disenchanted Person by Thread in His Teeth H64.1·Werwolf Killed and Recognized by Man's Clothes Under the Wolf's Skin or Rosary on the Neck H64.2·Person Disenchanted from Animal "Unable to Hide His Tail H64.3·Person Disenchanted from Animal Unable to Eat After Manner of Men H64.4·Riddle: What Is Most Beautiful? *Bp Ii 357; Köhler-Bolte I 457f H641·What Is Most Beautiful? the Spring H641.1·What Is Most Beautiful? Earth H641.2·Riddle: What Is Highest? De Vries Ffc Lxxiii 93 H642·What Is Highest? Sun, Moon, and Stars H642.1·Riddle: What Is Deepest? De Vries Ffc Lxxiii 92 H643·What Is Deepest? the Heart of Man H643.1·Riddle: What Is Longest? De Vries Ffc Lxxiii 93 H644·What Is Longest? the Way Through the World H644.1·Riddle: What Is the Heaviest? De Vries Ffc Lxxiii 94 H645·What Is Heaviest? Lead H645.1·Riddle: What Is Greenest? De Vries Ffc Lxxiii 94 H646·What Is Greenest? the Month of May H646.1·Riddle: What Is the Most Beloved? De Vries Ffc Lxxiii 94 H647·What Is Most Beloved? Life H647.1·What Is Most Beloved? Health H647.2·Riddle: What Is Best? De Vries Ffc Lxxiii 95; *Krappe Revue Celtique Xlvii 401ff H648·What Is Best? God H648.1·What Is Best? Water H648.2·Riddle: What Is Brightest? De Vries Ffc Lxxiii 88 H651·What Is Brightest? the Sun H651.1·What Is Brightest? Mother's Eyes H651.2·Riddle: What Is Softest? De Vries Ffc Lxxiii 87; Bp Ii 358 H652·What Is Softest? the Hand H652.1·What Is Softest? Mother's Bosom H652.2·Riddle: What Is the Fattest? De Vries Ffc Lxxiii 75ff H653·What Is the Fattest? the Earth H653.1·Riddles of the Superlative -- Miscellaneous H659·Riddle: How Much Is My Beard (King's) Worth? *Type 875; De Vries Ffc Lxxiii 160; Bp Ii 359 H712·Countertasks H951·Reductio Ad Absurdum: The Decision About the Colt J1191.1·Suit for Chickens Produced from Boiled Eggs J1191.2·The Exiled Wife's Dearest Possession J1545.4·Lowly Heroine Marries Prince (King) L162·J1111.4
Combines with: ATU 1533 The Wise Carving of the Fowl [H601]·ATU 655 The Wise Brothers·ATU 803 The Devil in Chains (previously Solomon Binds the Devil in Chains in Hell)·ATU 821B Chickens from Boiled Eggs·ATU 875A Girl's Riddling Answer Betrays a Theft·ATU 875B The Clever Girl and the King·ATU 875D The Clever Young Woman at the End of the Journey·ATU 875E The Unjust Decision: The Oil Press Gives Birth to a Foal·ATU 876·ATU 879 The Basil Maiden·ATU 920 The Son of the King and the Son of the Smith·ATU 920A The Case of the Boiled Eggs (previously The Daughter of the King and the Son of the Peasant)·ATU 921 The King and the Farmer's Son·ATU 922 The Shepherd Substituting for the Clergyman Answers the King's Questions·ATU 922A Ahiqar [K2101, P111]·ATU 922B The King's Face on the Coin·ATU 923 Love Like Salt·ATU 958 The Shepherd Youth in the Robbers' Power
Example tales
English example tales of this type in the Trilogy folktale corpus; their texts can be read in the ATU tale-type index.
- A City Is Captured, from Which the Women Carry Their Husbands and Children · Germany · Martin Montanus, 'Ein statt würt gewunnen, daraus die weyber ihre mann und kinder tragen,' Schwankbücher (1557-1566), edited by Johannes Bolte (Tübingen: Gedruckt für den litterarischen Verein in Stuttgart, 1899), no. 80, pp. 341-42.
- The Siege of Gelsterburg Castle · Germany · Karl Lyncker, 'Die Belagerung der Gelsterburg,' Deutsche Sagen und Sitten in hessischen Gauen (Kassel: Verlag von Oswald Bertram, 1854), no. 232, pp. 161-62.
- The Siege of Weidelburg Castle · Germany · Karl Lyncker, 'Die Belagerung der Weidelburg,' Deutsche Sagen und Sitten in hessischen Gauen (Kassel: Verlag von Oswald Bertram, 1854), nos. 234-35, pp. 163-64.
Sources
Tale-type number, title, classification, related types and the Finnic sources: Hans-Jörg Uther, The Types of International Folktales (FF Communications 284–286, Helsinki 2004). · Uther 2004, part I (FF Communications 284), free online ↗
Runosong types cited in the type indexes: the song-type indexes of SKVR and ERAB.
Motifs and combinations with other tale types: the Trilogy dataset, from Stith Thompson’s Motif-Index of Folk-Literature and the ATU catalogue.
Example tales: the Trilogy folktale corpus; each tale’s own source is named beside it.
The plot summary, the notes and the arrangement of this page are RunoVerse’s own.