Black Horse

The Birdcatcher

In short: A birdcatcher frees a crow. The two nightingales she brings the following day change his life.

The Birdcatcher · The birdcatcher FAIRY TALE ATLAS · № 72 The Birdcatcher A birdcatcher frees a crow. Origin Bosnia Atlas record 1889 First appearance Exact date unknown SIGNATURE MOTIF The birdcatcher Reach¹ 1/10 Suggested age² 8+ Member rating No votes yet 1 records · 1 countries or regions blackhorsestories.com

¹ Based on the number of Atlas countries, capped at 10. ² Editorial suggestion for reading this page. Discover Black Horse’s question

Origin and tradition

Bosnia

First the song gathers listeners outside a mosque. Then word reaches the ruler, who orders the birdcatcher to find the nightingales’ mother. The crow proposes a feast of wheat to bring all the birds to one place. Her value lies in knowing connections the birdcatcher cannot see. Wratislaw prints the tale among his Bosnian sources and credits the periodical Bosanski Prijatelj.

Dated records and sources

  1. 1889 · Bosnia
    A. H. Wratislaw · The Birdcatcher · Published collection

Country pages

Origin
Black Horse. The Birdcatcher. https://blackhorsestories.com/en/atlas-tale-bosnian-birdcatcher/