Propp's Functions

Initial Situation

element 0: introduction & setup = initial situation – (alpha)

• — introduction of protagonist(s) and setup for story (context)

preparatory section

function 1: member(s) of family absents themselves from home = absentation – (beta)

• 1 — absentation (departure) of elder(s)
• 2 — death of parent(s)
• 3 — absentation (departure) of sibling(s)

function 2: an interdiction is addressed to protagonist(s) = interdiction – (gamma)

• 1 — interdiction issued
• 2 — inverted form of interdiction issued as order or suggestion

function 3: interdiction is violated = violation – (delta)

• 1 — interdiction violated
• 2 — order or suggestion executed

function 4: antagonist(s) makes attempt at reconnaissance = reconnaissance – (epsilon)

• 1 — reconnaissance by antagonist(s) to obtain information about victim(s) / protagonist(s)
• 2 — inverted form of reconnaissance by victim(s) / protagonist(s) to obtain information about antagonist(s)
• 3 — reconnaissance by other person(s)

function 5: antagonist(s) receives information about victim(s) / protagonist(s) = delivery – (zeta)

• 1 — antagonist(s) receives information about victim(s) / protagonist(s)
• 2 — inverted form of delivery as victim(s) / protagonist(s) receives information about antagonist(s)
• 3 — information received by other means

function 6: antagonist(s) attempts to deceive victim(s) / protagonist(s) in order to take possession of them or their belongings = trickery – (eta)

• 1 — deceitful persuasions by antagonist(s)
• 2 — direct application of magical agents by antagonist(s)
• 3 — use of other forms of deception or coercion

function 7: victim(s) / protagonist(s) accept deception and unwittingly help antagonist(s) = complicity – / (theta/lamda)

• 1 — victim(s) / protagonist(s) reacts to persuasions of antagonist(s)
• 2 — victim(s) / protagonist(s) mechanically falls victim to influence of magical agent
• 3 — victim(s) / protagonist(s) gives in or reacts mechanically to deceit of antagonist(s)
• — preliminary misfortune caused by deceitful agreement

complications

function 8 (and/or 8a) is always present in tale
function 8: antagonist(s) causes harm or injury to victim(s)/member of protagonist's family = villainy – A

• A1 — kidnapping of person
• A2 — seizure of magical agent or helper
• Aii — forcible seizure of magical helper
• A3 — pillaging or ruining of crops
• A4 — theft of daylight
• A5 — plundering in other forms
• A6 — bodily injury, maiming, mutilation
• A7 — causes sudden disappearance
• Avii — bride is forgotten
• A8 — demand for delivery or enticement, abduction
• A9 — expulsion
• A10 — casting into body of water
• A11 — casting of a spell, transformation
• A12 — false substitution
• A13 — issues order to kill [requires proof]
• A14 — commits murder
• A15 — imprisonment, detention
• A16 — threat of forced matrimony
• Axvi — threat of forced matrimony between relatives
• A17 — threat of cannibalism
• Axvii — threat of cannibalism among relatives
• A18 — tormenting at night (visitaion, vampirism)
• A19 — declaration of war

function 8a (and/or 8) is always present in tale
function 8a: one member of family lacks/desires something = lack – a

• a1 — lack of bride, friend, or an individual
• a2 — lack of helper or magical agent
• a3 — lack of wondrous object(s)
• a4 — lack of egg of death or love
• a5 — lack of money or means of existence
• a6 — lacks in other forms

function 9: misfortune/lack made known, protagonist(s) approached with request/command, they are allowed to go/dispatched = mediation, the connective incident – B

• B1 — call for help received, protagonist(s) as seeker(s) dispatched
• B2 — protagonist(s) as seeker(s) dispatched directly
• B3 — protagonist(s) as seeker(s) released, allowed to depart
• B4 — annoucement of misfortune in other forms, protagonist(s) as seeker(s) departs
• B5 — transportation of banished protagonist(s) as victim(s)
• B6 — condemned protagonist(s) as victim(s) released, spared
• B7 — lamment or plaintive song by/about victim(s), heard/sung by protagonist(s)

function 10: protagonist(s) agrees to or decides on counteraction = beginning counteraction – C

• C — protagonist(s) as seeker consents to counteraction

function 11: protagonist(s) leaves home = departure –

• — departure, dispatch of protagonist(s) from home

donors

function 12: protagonist(s) tested, interogates, attacked, etc. which prepares way for receiving magical agent or helper = first function of donor – D

• D1 — donor tests protagonist(s)
• D2 — donor greets and interrogates protagonist(s)
• D3 — request of favor after death
• D4 — entreaty of prisoner for freedom
• *D4 — entreaty of prisoner for freedom, with preliminary imprisonment
• D5 — request for mercy
• D6 — request for division
• d6 — argument without express request for division
• D7 — other requests
• *D7 — other requests, with preliminary helpless situation of person making request
• d7 — helpless situation of donor without stated request, possibility of rendering service
• D8 — attempt to destroy
• D9 — combat with hostile donor
• D10 — offer of magical agent as an exchange

function 13: protagonist(s) reacts to actions of future donor = protagonist's reaction – E

• E1 — protagonist(s) withstands ordeal (or not)
• E2 — protagonist(s) answers greeting (or not)
• E3 — protagonist(s) renders service to dead person (or not)
• E4 — protagonist(s) frees of captive
• E5 — mercy to suppliant
• E6 — protagonist completes apportinment and reconciles disputants
• Evi — protagonist(s) deceives disputants
• E7 — performance of some other service, fulfillment of request, pious deeds
• E8 — attempt at destruction averted by turnabout
• E9 — protagonist(s) vanquishes hostile donor (or not)
• E10 — deception in an exchange, protagonist(s) employs magical agent on donor

function 14: protagonist(s) acquires use of magical agent = acquisition of magical agent – F

• F1 — agent is directly transferred
• f1 — gift is of a material nature
• F- — agent is not transferred
• F= — protagonist's negative reaction provokes cruel retribution
• F2 — agent is pointed out
• F3 — agent is prepared
• F4 — agent is sold and purchased
• F43 — agent is made on order
• F5 — agent is found by chance
• F6 — agent suddenly appears of its own accord
• Fvi — agent appears from out of earth
• F7 — agent is drunk or eaten
• F8 — agent is seized
• F9 — agent offers its services, places itself at someone's disposal
• f9 — agent indicates it will appear of its own accord in some time of need
• F96 — meeting with magical helper(s) who offers their services

from entry of helper to end of first move

function 15: protagonist(s) transferred, delivered or led to vicinity of object of search = transference, guidance – G

• G1 — protagonist(s) flies thru air
• G2 — protagonist(s) travels on ground or water
• G3 — protagonist(s) is led
• G4 — route is shown to protagonist(s)
• G5 — protagonist(s) makes use of stationary means of communication (stairs, bridge, passageway. etc.)
• G6 — marked trail shows the way (blood, tracks, yarn, etc.)

function 16: protagonist(s) and antagonist(s) join in direct combat = struggle – H

• H1 — fight in an open field
• H2 — contest, competition
• H3 — game of cards
• H4 — weighing with scales

function 17: protagonist(s) branded = branding – J

• J1 — application of mark to body of protagonist(s)
• J2 — transference of token (ring, towel, etc.)

function 18: antagonist(s) defeated = victory – I

• I1 — antagonist(s) defeated in open battle
• *I1 — antagonist(s) defeated by one protagonist(s) while the other(s) hide
• I2 — antagonist(s) defeated in contest
• I3 — antagonist(s) defeated at cards
• I4 — antagonist(s) defeated in weighing with scales
• I5 — protagonist(s) kills antagonist(s) without preliminary fight
• I6 — expulsion of antagonist(s)

function 19: initial misfortune or lack is liquidated = liquidation – K

• K1 — direct acquistion thru application of force or cunning
• Ki — direct acquistion thru application of force or cunning, with one person compelling another
• K2 — acquisition accomplished by several helpers at once
• K3 — acquisition achieved with help of an enticement or decoy(s)
• K4 — liquidation of misfortune as direct result of previous actions
• K5 — object of search attained instantly thru use of magical agent
• K6 — poverty done away with thru use of magical agent
• K7 — object of search captured
• K8 — breaking of spell on victim
• K9 — resuscitation of slain
• Kix — resuscitation, with preliminary obtaining of water of life
• K10 — release from captivity
• KF1 — liquidation in form F: object of search is transferred
• KF2 — liquidation in form F: object of search is pointed out
• KF3 — liquidation in form F: object of search is prepared
• KF4 — liquidation in form F: object of search is sold, purchased
• KF43 — liquidation in form F: object of search is made on order
• KF5 — liquidation in form F: object of search is found
• KF6 — liquidation in form F: object of search appears of its own accord
• KFvi — liquidation in form F: object of search appears from out of earth
• KF7 — liquidation in form F: object of search is drunk or eaten
• KF8 — liquidation in form F: object of search is seized
• KF9 — liquidation in form F: object of search offers its services, places itself at someone's disposal
• KF96 — liquidation in form F: object of search are helpers who offers their services

function 20: protagonist(s) returns = return –

• — return of protagonist(s)

function 21: protagonist(s) pursued = pursuit – Pr

• Pr1 — antagonist(s) flies thru air
• Pr2 — antagonist(s) demands guilty person
• Pr3 — antagonist(s) pursues, accompanied by series of transformations into animals
• Pr4 — antagonist(s) pursues, with tranformations into enticing objects
• Pr5 — antagonist(s) attempts to devour protagonist(s)
• Pr6 — antagonist(s) attempts to destroy protagonist(s)
• Pr7 — antagonist(s) attempts to gnaw thru tree with protagonist(s) up in it

function 22: rescue of protagonist(s) from pursuit = rescue – Rs

• Rs1 — protagonist(s) carried thru air or runs quickly
• Rs2 — protagonist(s) places obstacles in path of pursuers [with transformation]
• Rs3 — fleeing, with transformation to escape recognition
• Rs4 — fleeing with concealment of escapee
• Rs5 — concealment of escapee by blacksmiths
• Rs6 — escapee goes thru series of transformations into animals, plants & stones
• Rs7 — warding of temptation of enticing object(s)
• Rs8 — rescue or salvation from being devoured
• Rs9 — rescue or salvation from being destroyed
• Rs10 — leap into another tree

beginning of second move —
     (repeat from new villainy to unrecognized arrival)

function 23: protagonist, unrecognized, arrives home or another country = unrecognized arrival – o

• o — unrecognized arrival

function 24: false protagonist(s) presents unfounded claims = unfounded claims – L

• L — claims of false protagonist(s)

function 25: difficult task proposed to protagonist(s) = difficult task – M

• M1 — ordeal by food and drink
• M2 — ordeal by fire
• M3 — riddle guessing
• M4 — ordeal of choice
• M5 — hide and seek
• M6 — test of strength
• M7 — test of adroitness
• M8 — test of fortitude
• M9 — test of endurance
• M10 — tasks of supply
• Mx — tasks of manufacture
• M11 — sorting tasks
• M12 — other tasks

function 26: task resolved = solution – N

• N1 — food and drink consumed
• N2 — fire survived
• N3 — riddle guessed
• N4 — correct choice selected
• N5 — protagonist(s) not found
• N6 — test of strength passed
• N7 — test of adroitness passed
• N8 — test of fortitude passed
• N9 — test of endurance passed
• N10 — object(s) supplied
• Nx — object(s) manufactured
• N11 — sorting tasks completed
• N12 — other tasks completed
• *N — solution before deadline

function 27: protagonist(s) recognized = recognition – Q

• Q1 — recognition of protagonist(s) by mark on body
• Q2 — recognition of protagonist(s) by token
• Q3 — recognition of protagonist(s) by accomplishment of difficult task
• Q4 — recognition of protagonist(s) by family member

function 28: false protagonist(s) or antagonist(s) exposed = exposure – Ex

• Ex1 — exposure of false protagonist(s) or antagonist(s) by lack of mark on body
• Ex2 — exposure of false protagonist(s) or antagonist(s) by lack of token
• Ex3 — exposure of false protagonist(s) or antagonist(s) by failure to accomplish difficult task
• Ex4 — exposure of false protagonist(s) or antagonist(s) thru song / lament

function 29: protagonist(s) given new appearance = transfiguration – T

• T1 — new physical appearance by magical action of helper
• T2 — protagonist(s) builds palace
• T3 — protagonist(s) puts on new garments
• T4 — humorous and rationalized forms, new appearance achieved by deception

function 30: false protagonist(s) or antagonist(s) punished = punishment – U

• U — punishment of false protagonist(s) or antagonist(s)
• U- — false protagonist(s) or antagonist(s) pardoned

function 31: protagonist(s) marries and ascends throne = wedding – W

• W#* — protagonist(s) weds and ascends throne
• W# — protagonist(s) weds
• W* — protagonist(s) ascends throne
• w1 — protagonist(s) promised marriage
• w2 — protagonist(s) resumes marriage
• wo — protagonist(s) given monetary reward or other forms of material gain

Function definitions expanded on those from: "Morphology of the Folktale by Vladimir Propp" (University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas, 1968), pp.149-155