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

Overview

Nim Tanak is born after his mother eats only half of an apple supplied by a dervish; a crow steals the remainder. His father rejects mother and child while favouring the other children. The text calls him a half-boy without specifying a complete anatomical inventory.

When a flying div abducts his sister and defeats his brothers, Nim Tanak rides out alone. His enormous appetite and manner of drinking alarm the div, in contrast to the other princes’ dainty habits. He cuts the adversary in two and obeys his sister’s warning not to strike again, because another blow would restore it to life. Returning with all three siblings, he becomes his father’s heir. The narrative makes the rejected child the successful rescuer rather than treating his bodily difference as moral inferiority.

Miraculously born half-bodied heroNamed textual version
01

Origins & earliest records

Kermani storytelling, Iran

02

Records & interpretation

Complete tale and all continuation pages directly read; original edition contents checked for regional division and locators.

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

    Kermani tales; XVIII, pp. 108–112

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. Lorimer and E. O. Lorimer, Persian Tales (London: Macmillan, 1919)

Kermani tales. Tale XVIII, pp. 108–112

Complete narrative, including every continuation page, read; historical scan OCR contents confirms regional ordering. Individual narrator not supplied. Modern site presentation is not treated as a new authored tale.

Inspect the digitized plate · Source collection manifest

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Historical translated folktaleD. L. R. and E. O. Lorimer, Persian Tales (1919), tale XVIII, pp. 108–112Research access: 2026-10-05
  2. Historical editionOriginal 1919 scan: Internet Archive persiantales00loriialaResearch 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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