Feirefiz

Feirefiz is a character in Wolfram von Eschenbach's Arthurian poem Parzival. He is the half-brother of Parzival, the story's hero. He is the child of their father Gahmuret's first marriage to the Moorish queen Belacane (Italian: "lovely meat"), and equals his brother in knightly ability. Because his father was white and his mother black, Feirefiz's skin consists of black and white patches. His appearance is compared to that of a magpie or a parchment with writing on it, though he is considered very handsome. There exists a skin disease, Vitiligo, which produces such underpigmented patches across the body.

While serving the "Baruch" of "Baldac" (Baghdad), Gahmuret defends Belacane, queen of the heathen nation of Zazamanc, from her enemies. The two marry, and she soon becomes pregnant with Feirefiz. Belacane won't allow her husband to participate in tournaments, so he leaves one night and travels to Spain to seek knightly combat in secret. Before he can go back, he learns that his brother, the king of Anjou, has died, leaving him to inherit the kingdom. Returning to Europe, he marries Herzeloyde (Old-German: "threnodial heart") of Waleis (probably Wales), and she bears him Parzival. He dies soon after.