Baratxuri

I found a new Thumbelina! Baratxuri is one of several Basque characters, the only girl among them. She has the typical Thumbling adventures, which is, ironically enough, rare for a female thumbling. She takes food to her father in the field, rides ina  donkey's ear, and frightens off thieves.

I found it interesting that her name means "garlic." In that respect, she's the same as Maria como un Ajo, or "Mary like Garlic," from Cantabria in Spain. She has exactly the same adventure as Maria, too.
​
Here is a quick list of the notable thumbelinas I found:
Llagoreta-tomate (Catalonia)
​Draganka or Katsmatsura (Bulgaria)
Nammulah (Palestine)
Doll i' the Grass (Norway)
Nàng Út (Vietnam)
Terra-Camina (France)
The Little First Man and the Little First Woman (Dakota)
The Daughter of the Laurel Tree (Barcelona) 
Ditu Migniulellu (Corsica)
Finger-Joint (Egypt)
Katanya (a Jewish tale from Turkey)
Lentil (Kuwait)

In comparison to the vast list of male thumblings, this is very short. Finding thumbelinas was part of the reason I started this project. This is why I get so excited when I find a new one.

Thumbelinas are much more likely to fall into other tale types, like the Animal Bride tale type. I think their scarcity says something about these cultures; when the childless couple prays for a child it is quite often specifically a son that they ask for. Female thumblings are also more likely to grow to full size, like the Japanese Kaguya-hime.

References

• Barandiaran, Jose Miguel. El mundo en la mente popular vasca: creencias, cuentos y leyendas, Volume 3. 1962. no. 20. "Baratxuri"
  
• http://mitologiadevasconia.amaroa.com/leyendas/baratxuri