batch.motif.islamicate-folklore-arabian-nights-lang-gutenberg-l2842-l2935
---
record_id: batch.motif.islamicate-folklore-arabian-nights-lang-gutenberg-l2842-l2935
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamicate-folklore/project-gutenberg/arabian-nights-lang.md
passage_locator:
label: The Arabian Nights Entertainments; lines 2842-2935
start: '2842'
end: '2935'
translation: The Arabian Nights Entertainments
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: A king named Agib sails to distant seas, is driven off course by a storm,
and encounters the magnetic Black Mountain. His fleet is destroyed when the mountain
draws out the ships' iron. He alone survives, climbs the mountain, receives dream
instructions from an old man, shoots down a brass rider statue, and is taken away
by a metal boatman. After breaking the instruction not to speak Allah's name,
the boat sinks; Agib swims to an island and hides in a tree when another ship
approaches.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The narrator succeeds to his father's throne and sails to visit provinces
and islands before deciding to explore more distant seas with a fleet.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: A storm lasts ten days and causes the pilot to lose his bearings.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: A sailor sees only sea, sky, and a large black mass astern.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The pilot identifies the black mass as the Black Mountain, made of adamant,
which attracts iron and nails from ships.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: The pilot says a brass dome with a brass horse and rider stands on the mountain
summit, and that vessels will continue to perish while the statue remains there.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: When the fleet nears the mountain, nails and iron fly out of the ships; the
vessels fall apart and sink with their crews.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:7
text: The narrator survives by grasping a floating plank and reaches narrow steps
leading up the mountain.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:8
text: At the summit, the narrator sleeps under the dome and sees an old man in a
dream who gives instructions about buried weapons, the statue, and a boatman.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:9
text: The dream figure instructs the narrator not to take the name of Allah into
his mouth if he wants to see his kingdom again.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:10
text: The narrator shoots the statue, causing the horseman to fall into the sea,
buries the horse, and boards a boat rowed by a metal man.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:11
text: After nine days in the boat, the narrator sees land and cries out in praise
of Allah; the boat and metal man sink.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:12
text: The narrator swims and floats until a wave casts him onto a shore.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: obs:13
text: On the island, the narrator sees fruit trees and streams, then hides in a
tree when a ship approaches.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Agib, the narrator
description: A king who succeeds to his father's throne, leads a sea expedition,
survives the wreck at the Black Mountain, follows dream instructions, and later
breaks the spoken prohibition.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:6
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: The pilot
description: The ship's pilot who loses his bearings, recognizes the Black Mountain,
and explains its danger and the statue on its summit.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: The ship's crew
description: The sailors on the fleet who fear death near the Black Mountain and
sink with the ships.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Old man in the dream
description: A dream figure who addresses Agib by name and instructs him how to
shoot the statue, bury the horse, board the boat, and avoid speaking Allah's name.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Brass rider statue
description: A brass horse with a rider on its back; the rider has a lead breastplate
engraved with signs and figures.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:8
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Metal man in the boat
description: A metal man seated in a boat with an oar in each hand who rows Agib
for nine days before sinking when Agib speaks.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:9
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Approaching ship
description: A ship making directly for the island after Agib has reached shore.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
roles:
- id: role:1
label: ruler-voyager
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Agib succeeds to the throne and undertakes sea voyages to distant places.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: navigator
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The pilot tracks the ship's course but admits he has lost his bearings after
the storm.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:3
label: danger-interpreter
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The pilot explains the identity and deadly power of the Black Mountain.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: role:4
label: doomed companions
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The crews sink with the vessels when the ships fall apart near the Black
Mountain.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:5
label: dream instructor
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The old man appears in Agib's dream and gives detailed instructions for escape.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:6
label: perilous statue
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The pilot says vessels will continue to perish while the statue remains on
the dome, and Agib later shoots it down.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:8
- id: role:7
label: silent ferryman
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: The metal man rows Agib away without stopping and sinks after Agib speaks
the prohibited words.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: role:8
label: taboo-breaker
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Agib is told not to speak Allah's name but later cries out in praise, causing
the boat to sink.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:9
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: Black Mountain
literal_form: A famous black mountain composed of adamant that attracts ship iron
and nails.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs:
- mountain
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: sym:2
label: Sea and storm
literal_form: The sea, storm, waves, swimming, and shore that carry, wreck, and
later cast up the narrator.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- ev:10
- id: sym:3
label: Brass dome
literal_form: A brass dome on pillars standing on the mountain summit.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:7
- id: sym:4
label: Brass horse and rider with lead breastplate
literal_form: A brass horse and rider, with the rider wearing an engraved lead breastplate.
associated_figures:
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:8
- id: sym:5
label: Buried bow and arrows
literal_form: A bow of brass and three arrows of lead hidden under the ground.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: sym:6
label: Boat rowed by metal man
literal_form: A boat carrying a metal man with an oar in each hand.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:9
- id: sym:7
label: Fruit trees and hiding tree
literal_form: An island covered with fruit trees; the narrator hides in the thick
branches of a tree.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Royal departure by sea
summary: Agib becomes king, visits his lands by sea, and then prepares a fleet for
exploration of distant seas.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Storm and recognition of the Black Mountain
summary: A storm drives the fleet off course; the pilot identifies the dark mass
as the Black Mountain and describes its magnetic danger and summit statue.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:3
label: Destruction of the fleet and solitary survival
summary: The mountain draws the ships' iron and nails, the vessels sink with the
crews, and Agib survives on a plank that brings him to steps up the mountain.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: scene:4
label: Dream instructions on the summit
summary: Agib sleeps under the dome and receives instructions from an old man about
buried weapons, the statue, a rising sea, a metal boatman, and a prohibition on
speaking Allah's name.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:4
- sym:5
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: scene:5
label: Shooting the statue and boarding the boat
summary: Agib finds the bow and arrows, shoots down the horseman, buries the horse,
and boards the approaching boat rowed by a metal man.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
- sym:5
- sym:6
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: scene:6
label: Broken speech prohibition and second immersion
summary: After nine days in the boat, Agib sees land, praises Allah aloud, and the
boat and metal man sink beneath him.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:6
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: scene:7
label: Island refuge and concealment
summary: Agib reaches shore by swimming and wave action, rests, observes an island
with fruit trees and streams, and hides in a tree when a ship approaches.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- ev:11
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Departure on a sea expedition
taxonomy_refs:
- departure
basis: The ruler leaves his kingdom by ship to explore distant seas with a fleet.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
confidence: high
cautions: The passage gives a literal departure rather than an explicitly ritual
or mythic departure.
- id: motif:2
label: Storm-driven loss of course
taxonomy_refs:
- chaos
basis: A terrific storm drives the fleet for ten days until the pilot loses his
bearings.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: medium
cautions: The taxonomy label is broad; the passage presents a maritime disaster,
not a full cosmogonic chaos scene.
- id: motif:3
label: Deadly mountain at sea
taxonomy_refs:
- cosmic_mountain
basis: The Black Mountain dominates the seascape, draws ships to destruction, and
has a dome and statue on its summit that determine the fate of vessels.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
confidence: medium
cautions: The mountain is not explicitly called cosmic or axial in the passage;
the match rests on its extraordinary central danger and summit structure.
- id: motif:4
label: Sole survivor of shipwreck
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: All vessels sink with their crews, while Agib alone survives by grasping
a plank and reaching the mountain.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: No supplied taxonomy family directly names this motif.
- id: motif:5
label: Dream guide gives salvific instructions
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: An old man appears in a dream and provides precise actions that enable Agib
to neutralize the statue and board the boat.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: The passage does not identify the old man or explain the source of his
knowledge.
- id: motif:6
label: Destruction of harmful image or statue
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Agib shoots the statue as instructed, and the horseman falls into the sea,
changing the situation on the mountain.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: No supplied taxonomy family directly names icon destruction or magical
statue removal.
- id: motif:7
label: Forbidden utterance during rescue journey
taxonomy_refs:
- forbidden_knowledge
basis: Agib is warned not to take Allah's name into his mouth; when he praises Allah
aloud, the boat and metal man sink.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:9
confidence: medium
cautions: 'The taxonomy reference is approximate: the prohibition concerns speech
rather than knowledge acquisition.'
- id: motif:8
label: Supernatural or artificial ferryman
taxonomy_refs:
- ark_vessel
basis: A metal man in a boat rows Agib away from the mountain for nine days before
the vessel sinks.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:9
confidence: medium
cautions: The boat is a rescue vessel but not an ark in the strict sense; the rower
is described as metal, not explicitly alive or divine.
- id: motif:9
label: Cast ashore after immersion
taxonomy_refs:
- return
basis: After the boat sinks, Agib swims until a wave casts him onto shore, beginning
another phase of return toward land and possible safety.
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- ev:11
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage ends before actual return to the kingdom is achieved.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: 2842-2851
quote_or_summary: Agib succeeds to his father's throne, visits provinces and islands
by sea, develops a taste for sailing, and equips a fleet for distant exploration.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamicate-folklore/project-gutenberg/arabian-nights-lang.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: 2852-2860
quote_or_summary: After forty favorable days, a storm blows the fleet about for
ten days; the pilot loses his bearings and a sailor sees sea, sky, and a large
black mass astern.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamicate-folklore/project-gutenberg/arabian-nights-lang.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: 2861-2874
quote_or_summary: The pilot says they are lost, identifies the dark mass as the
Black Mountain, and explains that its adamant draws iron and nails from ships
so that they sink.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamicate-folklore/project-gutenberg/arabian-nights-lang.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: 2875-2882
quote_or_summary: The pilot describes a brass dome on the summit, a brass horse
and rider, a lead breastplate engraved with signs, and a saying that vessels will
perish while the statue remains.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamicate-folklore/project-gutenberg/arabian-nights-lang.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: 2883-2890
quote_or_summary: Near the Black Mountain, the ships' nails and iron fly out and
strike the mountain; the vessels fall apart and sink with their crews.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamicate-folklore/project-gutenberg/arabian-nights-lang.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: 2890-2897
quote_or_summary: Agib alone grasps a floating plank, reaches shore unharmed, and
finds narrow steep steps leading up the mountain.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamicate-folklore/project-gutenberg/arabian-nights-lang.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: 2898-2912
quote_or_summary: At the summit, Agib sleeps under the dome; an old man appears
in a dream, tells him to dig up a brass bow and three lead arrows, shoot the statue,
bury the horse, board a boat rowed by a metal man, and not speak Allah's name.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamicate-folklore/project-gutenberg/arabian-nights-lang.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: 2913-2919
quote_or_summary: Agib wakes, retrieves the bow and arrows, brings down the horseman
with the third shot, buries the horse as the sea rises, and boards the approaching
boat.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamicate-folklore/project-gutenberg/arabian-nights-lang.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: 2919-2925
quote_or_summary: The metal man rows for nine days; when land appears, Agib joyfully
says, 'Allah be praised,' and the boat and man sink beneath him.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamicate-folklore/project-gutenberg/arabian-nights-lang.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation from public domain supplied passage.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: 2925-2931
quote_or_summary: Agib swims and floats toward land until his strength fails; a
wind and large wave cast him onto a flat shore, where he dries his clothes and
rests.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamicate-folklore/project-gutenberg/arabian-nights-lang.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:11
type: summary
locator: 2932-2935
quote_or_summary: The island seems uninhabited, has fruit trees and streams, lies
far from the mainland, and Agib hides in a tree when a ship approaches.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamicate-folklore/project-gutenberg/arabian-nights-lang.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Literal extraction is well supported by the supplied passage. Motif-family
mappings are cautious because several available taxonomy labels are broader than
the passage-level motifs. No comparison claims are made because the passage itself
does not supply an explicit comparative target.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-29'
notes: |-
Used only supplied passage text, metadata, and available taxonomy references.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:islamicate-folklore-arabian-nights-lang-gutenberg__l2842-l2935
passage_sha256=9f4f2d2764c3e7cdf497e8fe6bcf9d824bedf4257058ced96bb0ffe6bf872183