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Overview
When Hammed asks his ring spirits to carry him beyond seven seas, they say none can do it except an old being that has no feathers left. Stumme’s German translation calls it an Unhold and subsequently a spirit. It challenges Hammed’s courage and requires seven pieces of meat with seven mouthfuls of blood. He obtains these from a wild animal and mounts its back. During the upward flight the world appears successively hand-sized, like a hen’s eye and finally a dark point. The carrier demands food as they travel. Hammed drops the seventh portion and replaces it with flesh cut from his own upper arm.
The carrier recognises that this portion is unusually salty and asks its origin. Learning the truth, it says only God and its promise prevent it throwing him off to be dispersed by the winds. It then orders him to close his eyes and sets him down near the garden beyond the seas. Its detailed warning describes three gates, arrows and the danger of sinking into the ground if the bird-shaped guardian is missed. It also explains Bhalia’s year-long sleep cycle. After Hammed gains the apple, the same being takes him onto its back and leaps with him back across the seven seas. The account supplies both flight and a return leap, but does not name a biological species or equate it with the garden’s separate bird guardian.
Origins & earliest records
Hans Stumme, Märchen der Schluḥ von Tázerwalt (Leipzig, 1895), tale 15, Die Geschichte von den beiden Knaben, die das Herz und den Kopf des Vogels gegessen hatten, und von der Bhalia Bint Manssor: complete German pp. 119–131. Abdulla Ben Mhammed, dictating contributor; recording context Preface v–vi.
Records & interpretation
Complete long German tale 15 read through all three medicinal quests, Bhalia’s invasion and defeat, wedding exposure and final family judgment. Head/ring and heart/justice roles distinct. Religious identities of individual villain characters are source framing, not evidence about communities.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Märchen der Schluḥ von Tázerwalt
Tale 15, whole German pp. 119–131; bird119–123, lion king125, Bhalia/carrier/guardian127–129, resolutions130–131; Preface v–vi.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary collected Tashelhit transcription with German translationOriginal bilingual collection: The Bird’s Head and Heart / Bhalia Bint ManssorResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
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