The story of Shamshum al-Jabbar (1)

Summary
From Drower’s collection of Iraqi folktales.

Text
Shamshum al-Jabbar was a very strong man who lived in the south of Iraq; he was married to a beautiful wife, who bore him a son. He loved her dearly, but she was unfaithful: as lovers she had 40 deyus, who visited her every day when Shamshum was away, and took her to their house in the desert. His son knew of this behaviour, and out of shame he told his father. The next day Shamshum followed his wife and the deyus; he attacked them and took his wife home. But she continued to consort with the demons, and so every day Shamshum followed them, beat them up and took his wife home.

In frustration the demons told the wife to ask Shamshum what was the source of his strength. That night she asked him, and he told her that he derived it from the flight of birds. The deyus killed all the birds, but to no avail: the hero still beat them and brought his wife home. The next night his wife asked him again. Shamshum now said that his strength came from his broom: he would remain strong as long as he had a wooden broom. The demons collected all the wooden brooms and burned them. But again Shamshum remained as strong as ever. On the third night the wife insisted that her husband should tell her the truth. Shamshum told her that his strength was in his hair, and while he was sleeping, she cut of his hair.

Now he was so weak that he could not even walk. The demons caught Shamshum and imprisoned him with chains in a hole, covering his chest with a huge slab of marble. His son visited him every day and gave him food and water. After forty days his hair had grown, and so his strength returned. Together with his son he was finally able to push the slab of marble away. He told his son to fetch his sword. They cut the chains, and Shamshum went to the house of the demons. He cut of their heads as they came out of the house, and finally he cut of his wife’s head as well. But the fortieth deyu, who had two heads, could escape since Shamshum had cut off only one.

Now Shamshum and his son wandered all over the earth, untill they came by the great sea beyond which was an island. On the seashore there was a big tree; around its trunk a Serpent was coiled, which fed upon the young of an Eagle nesting in the tree top. Shamshum killed the Serpent. When the mother eagle returned, she saw Shamshum and cried out: “Son of Adam, is it you who comes each year and kills my children?” But the eaglets answered: “No mother! This son of Adam has saved us by killing the Serpent!” The eagle was grateful and promised Shamshum that she would grant him whatever he desired. He told her that his only desire was to be taken with his son to the far island. Shamshum wanted to live in peace, wisdom and learning on the island, alone with his son whom he taught all the knowledge he had. But the island was barren, and there was nothing to eat and drink. So the son fell ill and died. The hero made him a tomb, and spent his days sitting the tomb, reading and thinking.

Meanwhile the escaped demon had fallen in love with the Caliph’s daughter. He told her how Shamshum had cut off one of his heads. She wanted to know where this Shamshum was now. This the demon did not know, but finally the princess found a witch who told her that Shamshum was living alone on an island far beyond the seven seas. The witch summoned her jinn and told her to bring the princess to the island. When the princess arrived there she saw Shamshum, now an old man, reading from an open book beside the tomb of his son. When he saw her, he asked whether she was human or a jinn. She told him that she was human, and wanted to know all that happened to him. He told her on the condition that afterwards she would cut off his head with his sword. Thereupon he told his story; but she refused to cut off his head. Finally, after much pleading and begging and telling her how miserable and lonely he was, the princess relented and cut off his head. She dug a grave beside his son’s, and buried him.

Source (list of abbreviations)
Iraqi folktales

Bibliography

Amar Annus

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