The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor: Every Voyage Summarized
A clear summary of all seven voyages of Sinbad the Sailor: the whale island, the roc, the valley of diamonds, the Old Man of the Sea and more, with their history.
In this article
The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor is a story cycle from Baghdad, later included in One Thousand and One Nights. A wealthy merchant named Sinbad the Sailor invites a poor porter, also named Sinbad (Hindbad in some translations), to dinner over seven days and tells him how he earned his fortune: on each voyage he is shipwrecked or stranded, faces monsters such as the giant roc bird, a cannibal giant and the terrifying Old Man of the Sea, and returns to Baghdad richer than before. The lesson he gives the porter: his wealth came through great suffering and the will of God.
The Frame Story
A tired porter rests outside a grand house in Baghdad and complains about how unfair life is: he works hard and stays poor, while the owner lives in luxury. The owner, Sinbad the Sailor, overhears and invites him in. Over seven days, he tells one voyage each day and gives the porter gold, showing that his riches weren't easily won.
The Seven Voyages at a Glance
| Voyage | Main danger | Treasure or escape |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | An "island" that is really a giant whale | Floats to a kingdom and returns with goods |
| 2nd | Abandoned; the roc's nest; the valley of diamonds | Ties himself to meat carried off by eagles |
| 3rd | Hairy dwarf-like creatures; a cannibal giant; a giant serpent | Blinds the giant and escapes |
| 4th | Buried alive with his dead wife | Follows an animal out of the burial cave |
| 5th | The roc's revenge; the Old Man of the Sea | Gets the Old Man drunk and kills him |
| 6th | Shipwreck on a barren coast | Rafts through an underground river to Serendib |
| 7th | Pirates or slavery; elephant hunting | Finds an elephant graveyard of ivory |
The Voyages in Detail
First voyage: the whale island
Sinbad's ship lands on a small, green island. The crew lights a fire to cook, and the "island" moves: it's a giant whale. Sinbad is left behind clinging to a wooden tub, drifts to a kingdom, serves its king, and eventually finds his own lost cargo on a passing ship.
Second voyage: the roc and the valley of diamonds
Left behind on an island, Sinbad finds a huge white dome: a roc's egg. He ties himself to the giant bird's leg and is carried to a valley full of diamonds and deadly snakes. Merchants throw lumps of meat into the valley so diamonds stick to them; eagles carry the meat to their nests, where merchants collect the gems. Sinbad fills his pockets, ties himself to a piece of meat, and is carried out by an eagle.
Third voyage: the giant
Apes swarm the ship, and the crew is stranded on an island with a black-skinned giant with eyes like burning coals, who roasts and eats the sailors one by one. Sinbad and the survivors blind him with red-hot spits and escape on rafts, much like Odysseus and the Cyclops. Then a giant serpent swallows more of the crew, and Sinbad barely survives.
Fourth voyage: buried alive
Sinbad marries a noblewoman in a strange kingdom. When she dies, he learns that local custom requires a living spouse to be buried with the dead. Lowered into a cave of corpses with a little bread and water, he survives, then follows a wild animal through a passage to the sea and escapes with jewels taken from the dead.
Fifth voyage: the Old Man of the Sea
His shipmates break open a roc's egg and eat the chick. The parent rocs drop boulders on the ship. Stranded, Sinbad meets an old man who asks to be carried across a stream. Once on Sinbad's shoulders, the Old Man of the Sea wraps his legs around his neck and refuses to let go, riding him day and night. Sinbad makes wine from grapes, gets the Old Man drunk, throws him off and kills him.
Sixth voyage: the underground river
Shipwrecked on a coast full of wrecks and treasures, Sinbad builds a raft and floats through a dark underground river. He emerges in Serendib (Sri Lanka), whose king sends him home with gifts for Caliph Harun al-Rashid.
Seventh voyage: the final journey
Two versions exist. In one, Sinbad is captured by pirates, sold into slavery, and made to hunt elephants. The elephants lead him to their graveyard, full of ivory, and his master frees him. In another, he meets men who can fly. Afterwards, Sinbad swears never to travel again.
History of the Sinbad Stories
- The tales likely developed in the Abbasid era, when Baghdad and Basra were centers of trade with India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia and East Africa.
- They draw on real sailors' tales and on older stories, including parallels with Homer's Odyssey.
- Sinbad was originally an independent story cycle. Antoine Galland included it in his French translation of the Nights (1704–1717), and it's been part of the collection ever since. See One Thousand and One Nights explained.
What Do the Voyages Mean?
- Fortune through risk: Sinbad's wealth comes from trade and danger.
- Faith and fate: he repeatedly credits God for his survival.
- Curiosity: every time he swears to stay home, he sets out again.
- Social commentary: the porter's complaint, and Sinbad's response, reflect on wealth and labor.
For another story from the same tradition, read Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many voyages did Sinbad make?
Seven, each told on a different day to the porter.
What is a roc?
A gigantic bird of Middle Eastern legend, big enough to carry elephants.
Who is the Old Man of the Sea?
A creature in the fifth voyage who climbs onto Sinbad's shoulders and won't let go until Sinbad gets him drunk.
Is Sinbad part of One Thousand and One Nights?
It was originally a separate cycle but was added to the Nights in Galland's French translation and remains part of it.
Where is Serendib?
Serendib is an old name for Sri Lanka. It also gave English the word "serendipity."
