Moves

The simplest tales consist of a single move, but they may have more than one move. Listed below are the various combinations of moves that appear in folktales. Moves usually end on one of the terminal functions: F, K, RS or W

1) one move directly follows another:

I. A---------------W    
  II. A---------------W  


2) new move begun before end of old move / action interrupted, then resumed:

I. A---------------F - - - - - - - - - G---------------W
  II. a---------------K  


3) second move interrupted by third move, and so on:

I. A---------------F - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
  II. a---------------F - - - - - - - - - G---------------K
    III. a---------------K  


4) two villainies occur at once:

I. A -------------------K - - - - - - - - -
II. A - - - - - - - - - --------------------K


5) two moves have common ending:

I. A--------------K - - - - - - - - - } Pr--------------W
II. A---------------K


6) tale containing two protagonists as seekers who part at road marker with exchange of signalling objects (Y):

I. A--------------Y < II. --------------K - - - - - - - - - } Pr--------------W
- - - - - - - - - III. ---------------K


Move descriptions based on those from: "Morphology of the Folktale by Vladimir Propp" (University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas, 1968), pp.92-96

close