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

Overview

Three mysterious suitors take the prince’s sisters amid light, thunder and shaking buildings. He later finds them married to the king of dragons, king of eagles and king of falcons. The dragon returns flying and makes the castle shine. Each king welcomes the youngest brother and gives him a feather that will summon assistance when burned, while earlier refusal makes the elder brothers unwelcome.

Called during the prince’s fourth rescue attempt, their armies fight Baš Čelik but cannot initially overcome him. They recover the fallen prince with healing water, brought from the Jordan by a dragon in nine seconds. Once his wife reveals the enemy’s hidden strength, the kings coordinate the hunt: eagles pursue the fox, falcons chase its six-winged duck form into the clouds, and dragons force another change. The three remain a connected alliance rather than flattened into one creature’s anatomy.

Feathers summon allied armiesDragon flight and shining arrivalCoordinated pursuit of the changing fox
01

Origins & earliest records

Woislav M. Petrovitch, Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, Chapter XIV.VIII, printed pp. 247–249, 260–267. 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

“My husband is the king of the eagles”
Woislav M. Petrovitch · Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians
Chapter XIV VIII, p.262; second sister’s marriage · Woislav M. Petrovitch

The eldest, second and youngest princesses are respectively wives of dragon, eagle and falcon kings. Each king welcomes the youngest prince, though the first two threaten his elder brothers. Each gives a feather promising aid. These marriage relations are explicit, but the three kings are not themselves called biological brothers.

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. 247–249, 260–267

    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, evolution & connections

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 eldest, second and youngest princesses are respectively wives of dragon, eagle and falcon kings. Each king welcomes the youngest prince, though the first two threaten his elder brothers. Each gives a feather promising aid. These marriage relations are explicit, but the three kings are not themselves called biological brothers.

    Chapter XIV VIII, The Prince finds his Sister / Second Sister / Third Sister, pp.260–263

  2. All three kings and their hosts answer the summons yet fail in the first fight. They restore the dead prince through a dragon messenger’s Jordan-water journey, then advise investigation of the opponent’s strength. Eagles, falcons and dragons pursue the fox through its six-winged duck form; destroying the concealed bird ends Bash Tchelik. The revival is an attributed fictional action, not evidence of treatment efficacy.

    Chapter XIV VIII, The Prince finds his Wife / The Secret of Strength, pp.265–267

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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