h aping ▁of ▁its ▁nature ▁must ▁have ▁occurred ▁in ▁Arab ▁story t elling , ▁some ▁time ▁in ▁the ▁pre - is lam ic ▁period . ▁One ▁proposed ▁scenario ▁is ▁that ▁a ▁pair ▁of ▁be asts ▁from ▁the ▁b ible ▁were ▁confused ▁with ▁each ▁other ; ▁the ▁beh em oth ▁mis - ass igned ▁to ▁the ▁fish , ▁and ▁the ▁aqu atic ▁le vi athan ▁to ▁the ▁b ull . ▁ ▁Bal h ū t ▁is ▁the ▁alternate ▁sp elling ▁given ▁in ▁Ya q ut ▁al - H am aw i ▁( d . ▁ 1 2 2 9 )' s ▁ge ographic ▁work ▁and ▁copies ▁of ▁I bn ▁al - W ardi ▁( d . ▁ 1 3 4 8 )' s ▁work . ▁ ▁Lane ' s ▁summary ▁Bah am ut , ▁according ▁to ▁Edward ▁William ▁Lane ' s ▁abstract ▁of ▁a ▁particular ▁Islam ic ▁work ▁on ▁cosm ography , ▁is ▁a ▁giant ▁fish ▁acting ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁layers ▁that ▁supports ▁the ▁earth . ▁It ▁is ▁so ▁immense ▁"[ all ] ▁the ▁se as ▁of ▁the ▁world , ▁placed ▁in ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁fish ' s ▁nost r ils , ▁would ▁be ▁like ▁a ▁must ard ▁seed ▁laid ▁in ▁the ▁desert ." ▁A bove ▁the ▁fish ▁stands ▁a ▁b ull ▁called ▁K uy oot à , ▁on ▁the ▁b ull , ▁a ▁" ruby " ▁rock , ▁on ▁the ▁rock ▁an ▁ang el ▁to ▁shoulder ▁the ▁earth . ▁ ▁Lane ' s ▁primary ▁Islam ic ▁source ▁for ▁his ▁summary ▁is ▁unclear