Pakshiraj carries the rescued woman and king home, Warwick Goble, 1912
The winged horse carries the reunited couple above the landscape on their return journey. The restored flight belongs to the Pakshiraj in Day’s Hiraman tale. The ornamental bridle, broad feathered wings and colours are Goble’s illustration, not measurements supplied by the narrative.
Overview
The hiraman finds a pakshiraj among the king’s horses in the form of an emaciated pony, passing over the impressive animals. Six months of fine grain restore it for service. Day’s note glosses pakshiraj as a winged horse and literally king of birds. Once mounted, it carries the king and parrot across seven oceans and thirteen rivers with extraordinary speed.
The parrot warns that the horse must be struck only once to begin each flight. On the return journey the king strikes it a second time, causing it to land halfway and lose its power. The captive woman later feeds it for another six months until it can carry her, the king and parrot home. This restriction and recovery belong to the Hiraman narrative; the story supplies no standard wingspan or claim about every horse bearing the name.
Origins & earliest records
Bengali oral storytelling translated by Lal Behari Day
Records & interpretation
Complete relevant tale, attached notes,1883 preface and1912 edition credits directly read.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Folk-Tales of Bengal
XVI, The Story of a Hiraman, pp.204–210, note2; first edition1883, illustrationsWarwickGoble
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
Lal Behari Day, Folk-Tales of Bengal (Macmillan,1912; first edition1883)
XVI. XVI, The Story of a Hiraman, pp.204–210, note2
Complete tale and footnotes read, pluspreface andeditionhistory. Bengali oral informants described collectively, individual teller of this tale not identified. Original paraphrase; no source-image verification claimed.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Historical translated oral narrative and collector notesLal Behari Day, Folk-Tales of Bengal (1912), XVI, The Story of a Hiraman, pp.204–210, note2Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationPakshiraj carries the rescued woman and king home, Warwick Goble, 1912
The winged horse carries the reunited couple above the landscape on their return journey. The restored flight belongs to the Pakshiraj in Day’s Hiraman tale. The ornamental bridle, broad feathered wings and colours are Goble’s illustration, not measurements supplied by the narrative.
