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

Overview

The youngest prince finds nine giants cooking human flesh in a cave while searching for a firebrand. Pretending to join their company, he avoids eating the offered flesh. They take him towards the city they raid for victims and uproot two fir trees to make a route over its wall. Their strength is shown through these trees, rather than through supplied bodily measurements.

The prince climbs first and invites the giants up singly under the pretext of helping them descend the far side. He kills each at the wall, ending the city’s recurring danger. The ruler later discovers their bodies and seeks the unknown liberator. Their ninefold company belongs to this specific episode; no individual names, special limb counts or regenerative ability are supplied.

Cannibal cave companyUproot fir treesKilled singly at the city wall
01

Origins & earliest records

Woislav M. Petrovitch, Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Chapter XIV.VIII, printed pp. 252–255. First publication August 1914; the inspected imprint lists reprints in November 1916 and December 1921. These publication dates do not date the oral tradition.

02

Records & interpretation

Entire selected tale read in bounded consecutive sections, including the external-strength hunt and outcome. Historical English terms remain attributed to this telling; illustrations have not yet been visually checked for the named subject.

In the literature

“nine giants sitting round a big fire”
Woislav M. Petrovitch · Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians
Chapter XIV VIII, p.252; cave discovery · Woislav M. Petrovitch

The prince looking for fire finds nine giants roasting two people and cooking human limbs. He claims friendship, pretends to eat and throws the meat away. The giants recruit him for another raid on a city whose people they have eaten for years. His professed participation is deception, not a narrator’s confirmation that he eats human flesh.

Selected bibliography

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

  1. 01

    Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, XIV.VIII: Bash Tchelik or Real Steel, pp. 252–255

    Woislav M. Petrovitch; preface by Chedo Miyatovich; illustrations William Sewell and Gilbert James · First publication 1914; inspected witness lists December 1921 reprint

    Direct selected text and imprint read; no individual oral narrator invented. Related Mijatovich and Dulac versions remain a comparison queue.

  2. 02

    Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians

    Woislav M. Petrovitch, English prose presenter/translator; Vuk Stefanović Karadžić credited by catalogue for underlying collected material · 1921

    Woislav M. Petrovitch, Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, London: George G. Harrap, selected December1921 reprint; first published August1914, intervening November1916 reprint explicitly printed. Chapter XIV VIII Bash Tchelik or Real Steel, pp.247–267, complete selected English prose independently read. Original Serbian tale/ballad text not independently inspected.

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.

Located primary passages

Specific passages supporting details in this entry, grouped by their published witness.

Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians

Woislav M. Petrovitch, Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, London: George G. Harrap, selected December1921 reprint; first published August1914, intervening November1916 reprint explicitly printed. Chapter XIV VIII Bash Tchelik or Real Steel, pp.247–267, complete selected English prose independently read. Original Serbian tale/ballad text not independently inspected.

  1. The prince looking for fire finds nine giants roasting two people and cooking human limbs. He claims friendship, pretends to eat and throws the meat away. The giants recruit him for another raid on a city whose people they have eaten for years. His professed participation is deception, not a narrator’s confirmation that he eats human flesh.

    Chapter XIV VIII, The Nine Giants, pp.252–253

  2. The giants use uprooted trees as ladders over the city wall. The prince induces each to climb separately, decapitates all nine and leaves their bodies outside. The next morning the tsar discovers them and rewards the unknown killer; all nine have definite deaths in this episode.

    Chapter XIV VIII, The Nine Giants / The Sleeping Princess, pp.253–255

Original Serbian source not independently checked. Edition date1921 retained apart from first work1914; no individual oral narrator invented. No sacred formulas excerpted.

References

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

  1. Primary textPetrovitch: Bash Tchelik or Real Steel, complete primary taleResearch 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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