A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

Overview

Mahmad travels by magical carpet to the Haur Tree in the sea, where his companion later abandons him. A pigeon explains that bark wrapped around his feet lets him walk across the water, a twig changes a person into a donkey at the word Haush and back into a human at Adam, and leaves restore the sight of blind people. The subsequent action demonstrates all three effects: he returns over the sea, transforms and restores the woman, and the brothers heal their parents.

The Lorimers cautiously suggest that haur may mean island, making the name simply the tree in the island; no botanical species is identified. They likewise qualify the gloss of Haush as probably animal, while Adam means human being. The tree does not speak or act independently. Its magical substances belong to the narrated world, not a claim about real plants or treatments.

Ocean-island tree whose bark, twigs and leaves have distinct powersSpecific translated narrative
01

Origins & earliest records

Bakhtiari storytelling, Iran

02

Records & interpretation

Complete tale XXXI and all attached notes read in retained 1919 scan transcription.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    Persian Tales

    D. L. R. Lorimer and E. O. Lorimer, collectors/translators · 1919

    Bakhtiari tale XXXI, The Story of the Magic Bird, pp. 197–211

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.

Primary records and illustrations

Direct primary record

D. L. R. and E. O. Lorimer, Persian Tales (Macmillan, 1919)

Bakhtiari tales. XXXI, The Story of the Magic Bird, pp. 197–211; Haur and pigeon terminology notes pp. 206, 208

Full pp.197–211 read, including all notes and conclusion. Organ talismans are retained in amulets, not equated with eating alone. Pigeon sisters, provisional haur/Haush glosses, and all three tree powers retained.

Inspect the digitized plate · Source collection manifest

References

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  1. Historical collected narrative in translationOriginal 1919 edition of Persian TalesResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

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