A bird with a female head in Russian mythology. mythical birds

The duality of mythological creatures can be traced in all folk cultures. The birds Alkonost and Sirin are the guardians of the Slavic Paradise and reflect the cycle of Life and Death in the world order.

general characteristics

Despite similar appearance There are many differences between birds. They lie in the nature and origin of these creatures.

This bird maiden Slavic mythology is identified with the light beginning. She is credited with the role of a messenger of joy and prosperity.

origins

The progenitor of the Slavic bird-maiden is the Greek woman Alcyone. According to myths, the girl learned about the death of her husband and threw herself into the sea, for which the gods of Olympus turned her into a sea bird.

From Greek alkyone (ἀλκυών) is translated as kingfisher. This breed builds its nests on the shores of the sea and feeds on fish.

Appearance

The appearance of creation has changed throughout Russian history. According to the surviving images, Alkonost had the following external features:

1. On popular prints, the bird maiden has a female face, breasts and arms, and the creature holds a flower from Paradise and a scroll that describes heavenly rewards for a righteous life. In these drawings, Alkonost has a colorful plumage.
2. Viktor Vasnetsov in the 19th century depicted a creature with white plumage, indicating its light essence.
3. The head of the creature is crowned with a golden crown.
4. The claws on the creature's right paw are gold, and those on its left paw are silver.

According to the legends, Alkonost has both positive and negative character traits. The creature descends to the ground and mourns with the song of the fallen warriors. The creation sings of happiness and joy in Heaven to the righteous, and promises retribution for sinners for their deeds. Among the magical features of the creature are:

1. Messenger of the gods. In some Slavic interpretations, Alkonost, as a bird of Paradise, acts as a messenger of the god Khors or Svarog. With its singing, the creature told people the will of the pantheon.
2. Weather management. According to legends, the creature can raise storms over the sea or calm the water surface.
3. Accompanying souls. The creature escorted the noble dead on the battlefield to the gates of Iriy.
4. Dopey voice. The songs of Alkonost could enchant an unprepared listener, because of which a person forgot about everything in the world. Datura passed when the bird-maiden finished singing.

Despite the bright beginning inherent in the image, Alkonost could also seriously harm a person. According to legend, a bird lays a magical egg on the winter solstice and lowers it to the seabed. During this period, storm winds and storms subside.

The creature itself watches the water surface from the shore and waits for the egg to float. According to legend, Alkonost eggs are able to protect from any evil and fulfill desires, so many people tried to steal the masonry. The stolen egg was hung under the ceiling beam of the church. The bird did not forgive such an insult and pursued the thief until the end of his life. Finding a daredevil, Alkonost took his soul and left it to wander the earth forever.

Habitat

Alkonost, according to mythology, lives on the banks of the Euphrates River. The bed of this river flows through Iriy (Right) - a Slavic paradise. The place where the bird lives is called Buyan Island.

On some popular prints, Alkonost is depicted on a tree with the fruits of knowledge, which is guarded by the dragon Ladon.

Sirin bird

Unlike Alkonost, Sirin is presented as a bird of sadness and grief. According to popular beliefs, this creature guards Nav - the world of the dead.

origins

The name of the creature comes from the Greek word "Seiqmer", which is given as "siren". These bird-like creatures that live on rocks in the seas are the progenitors of the Sirin image. With the Slavic bird-maiden, they also have in common a dangerous and enticing voice for sailors.

The first images of Sirin date back to the 10th century. The dark creature was depicted on earthenware and door locks. In Russian legends, this creature is a paradise inhabitant, whose singing fascinates any mortal.

Towards the end of the 17th century, Sirin was mentioned in such literary memos as Physiologists, Chronograph and Alphabet. In them, creation was described as a messenger of death.

Appearance

The appearance of Sirin has a number of differences from Alkonost. Among them are:

1. The plumage is dark or grey. The hair is tarry, the eyes are blue.
2. Around the head of the creature after the baptism of Russia, they began to depict a halo.
3. The claws on the paws of the creature are covered with silver.

In the pre-Christian period, there are images of Sirin with white plumage as a symbol of rebirth. Through the weeping of the bird-maiden, the souls were cleansed of earthly litigations.

Character and magical abilities

The general character traits of the dark creature have varied throughout culture. Initially, Sirin was a negative creature. The bird-maiden intoxicated the heads of people, because of which they lost their minds and forgot about their past life. Sirin's voice made the Slavs not to be afraid of death, but the warriors themselves began to crave killing. A meeting with a bird of death can end in suicide for a person.

It was possible to fight this creature - Sirin cannot stand the noise. According to legend, if the creature descended to the ground and began to sing, then it is necessary to beat the bells, shoot from cannons and rattle weapons. In this case, the maiden-bird will be frightened by loud sounds and fly away.

There is another way to overcome her enchanting voice. To do this, you should start singing yourself. If the human voice turns out to be more beautiful, then the creature will listen and fall silent. After that, Sirin can help with advice. But a bad voice will anger the creature, it will severely punish the daredevil, taking his soul.

1. With her singing, the bird-maiden is able to arrange a whirlpool that will lead to the death of the ship.
2. The gift of foresight. The words of the creature's song could often describe the future, positive and negative predictions always came true. For this reason, the Slavs were afraid of bird singing.
3. Creation often tests people with its singing. For those who resist, the bird brings a reward, and for those who succumb to temptation, death. So the gods tested mortal heroes on their willingness to give up vicious weaknesses.

Habitat

In the early legend, Sirin's habitat was Nav - the world of the dead. There, the bird maiden mourned the fallen soldiers with sad songs. The creature was the messenger of the Koshny God, who commands the dead.

In later sources, Sirin lives in Iria, guarding trees and magic river. The bird occasionally flies to the ground to honor the fallen soldiers with a sorrowful cry.

Legends of Alkonost and Sirin

There are several references to sacred bird maidens in the legends of the Slavs. Some of them belong to the pagan period, others to the Christian.

Resurrection of Perun

According to the myths of the Slavs, the main god of their religion was born by Svarog and Mother Sva. However, in infancy, the deity was stolen by the Skipper Serpent, a hundred-headed dragon with a scorpion tail. Together with Perun, the monster also stole his sisters, the goddesses of love, death and life - Lelya and Zhiva.

The serpent skipper buried the sleeping Thunderer in the depths of the underworld. 300 years after the abduction, Mother Swa gathered the Perun brothers, the Svarozhechs, and ordered them to find the main god.

To speed up the search, three gods turned into birds: Volos - into Sirin, Yarilo - into Alkonost, and Striver took on the guise of Stratim. In this form, they were looking for a brother for seven years. the gods called Skipper the Serpent to account, but he tried to hide the truth.

The magical birds did not fall for the dragon's lies and were able to find Perun sleeping in a dead sleep. To revive him, the gods asked the Gamayun bird to bring the magical Surya from a well in the Riphean mountains.

After the Svarozhichi washed the face of the Thunderer with living water, he woke up. His first feat was the victory over the Skipper-serpent, whom Perun deprived of all heads and banished to the ends of the earth.

Apple Spas

Traditionally, Apple Savior is celebrated on August 19th. Despite the Slavic roots, this festival passed into Christianity.

This day marks the end of the summer season, which marks the harvest. According to legend, the joyful Alkonost and the sad Sirin fly to Yavl from Prav to Yav. They carry healing herbs in their paws.

First, Sirin flies around the gardens and sings sad songs, mourning all the dead and those who lived in falsehood. For this reason, it is undesirable to eat apples before August 19 - according to popular belief, the one who has tasted is threatened with a year full of misfortunes.

After Sirin, the apple tree is visited by Alkonost - the bird of happiness. Her singing is full of joy and light, it marks the constant cycle of life and death, the change of seasons and the constant renewal of nature.

From the wings of a bright maiden-bird shakes off the dew, irrigating the trees with it. According to legend, after visiting the Alkonost gardens, apples acquire healing properties. They are given to fresh friends and relatives, and they also feed children for the future. This ritual will help people avoid winter ailments.

The holiday reminds people that the highest values ​​are spiritual. On this day, they treat the poor and the poor, visit distant relatives and thank the older generation for a life. This is due to the fact that the bird-maidens Sirin and Alkonost are also the guardians of the hearth. The Slavs revered these creatures on a par with other coasts and asked to protect the house from quarrels and want.

Other Slavic bird-maidens

The same mythological creatures of Eastern Europe may vary by region. Some creatures acquire similar traits and abilities.

The bird-maiden Sva is the progenitor of all Slavs. She appeared from the golden eggs that were laid by the World Duck that created the world.

The goddess looks like a bird with a female head. Her plumage is multi-colored, her hair is golden, and her eyes are blue. Traditionally, Mother Swa is depicted without a weapon, but with her wings she closes all of Russia from enemies.

The bird is able to raise the morale of the Slavs, because of which they, even with a small army, could win on the battlefield. Warriors blessed by Mother Swa lost their fear of death and experienced joy when they died. This makes the goddess related to Alkonost and Sirin, who also sang to the dead about happiness and piety in the Rule.

Among the southern Slavs, Mother Swa was associated with the Gamayun bird. According to legend, in this form the goddess appeared before people. In its true form, the creature is depicted on fire, which symbolizes the inextinguishable fighting spirit of the Slavs.

In paganism, mother Sva is the wife of the heavenly blacksmith Svarog. Together they gave birth to the entire Slavic pantheon.

The habitat of Mother Swa is the sky. From it, the bird-maiden illuminates the Russian lands and guards the borders.

The messenger bird is a famous character in many cultures. Gamayun is traditionally considered the messenger of Veles. In the southern regions, this creature is the messenger of Perun.

Gamayun's habitat is Buyan Island. Some legends also mention the Makary Mountains.

This creature lives on Buyan Island. The creature looked like a snow-white bird with a female head. Stratim has nothing to do with the gods and other worlds. The Slavs described this creature as a mighty chimera that covers the whole world with its right wing.

Stratim has a crystal crown on his head, and the main ability of this bird is to control nature. Like Alkonost, this creature is able to calm storms and hurricanes. Unlike the bright bird-maiden, Stratim causes storms and earthquakes.

Stratim does not belong to the shores. In the understanding of the Slavs, this creature personified the power of nature, before which any person is vulnerable.

Simurgh combines the head of a lion and the body of a bird. In some images, the creature has a human face. According to Iranian mythology, this creature sits under and guards him from evil.

This deity carries the will of the Creators to people, playing the role of a messenger bird. According to legend, the Simurgh sings joyfully in the spring, thanks to which the trees and plants wake up from their sleep. In autumn, this creature sings a sad song, under which the whole living world plunges into a winter dream.

Like Alkonost, Simur is able to control the weather. From the flapping of its wings, the winds rise, and where the herald bird flies, it will rain.

Conclusion

Sirin and Alkonost are bird-maidens in Slavic mythology, whose connection demonstrates the cycle of Joy and Sorrow, Life and Death. Despite the similar appearance, the creatures have a number of distinctive features.

In the culture of the Slavs, the functions of dual creatures were performed by many magical birds - Mother Swa, Gamayun and the Firebird. In the mythologies of many countries, you can find references to similar creatures.

(alkonst, alkonos) - in Russian and Byzantine medieval legends, a bird of paradise-maiden, bringing happiness. The image of Alkonost goes back to the Greek myth of Alcyone, who was turned by the gods into a kingfisher. This fabulous bird of paradise became known from the monuments of ancient Russian literature (Palea of ​​the 14th century, alphabet books of the 16th-17th centuries) and popular prints. Its name and image, which first appeared in translated monuments, are the result of a misunderstanding. The Greek source refers to the kingfisher (Greek αλκιων). When rewriting, the initial words of the Slavic text “alkion is (a bird)” turned into “alkonost”.
According to the legend of the 17th century, Alkonost is near paradise, and when he sings, he does not feel himself. Alkonost consoles the saints with his singing, proclaiming to them future life. Alkonost lays eggs on the seashore and, plunging them into the depths of the sea, makes it calm for 6 days. The singing of Alkonost is so beautiful that the one who hears it forgets about everything in the world.

Alkonost is depicted in Russian popular prints as a half-woman, half-bird with large multi-colored feathers (wings), human hands and body. A girl's head, overshadowed by a crown and a halo, in which a brief inscription is sometimes placed. He holds heavenly flowers or an unfolded scroll with an explanatory inscription in his hands.

Alkonost and Sirin - in Russian medieval legends, mythical bird sisters, residents of Vyriya (paradise).
Both Alkonost and Sirin were usually represented as birds with a female head and a beautiful face.

Legends about the miraculous voice of Sirin and Alkonost were widely spread. So, for example, in some places it was believed that the singing of these birds is so beautiful that it can bewitch a person and make him forget about everything in the world. At the same time, some beliefs called Alkonost a bird of joy, and a sirin - a bird of sadness; the singing of an alkonost was considered beautiful, but harmless, and the singing of a sirin was destructively charming: a person, having heard it, seemed to forget about everything in the world and soon died, and death for him at that moment was desired. Perhaps this belief was influenced by the echoes of the Greek myth about sirens - creatures with amazing voices, with their singing that made sailors forget about the purpose of the journey and rush into the sea - to their death.
The legends about Sirin and Alkonost were apparently not originally Russian and were most likely of Byzantine origin, although in Russia they very soon merged with local legends and beliefs.
http://sueverija.narod.ru/Muzei/Sirin.ht

The bird of paradise Sirin sings so sweetly that a person forgets about everything and dies.
Sirin is afraid of loud noises and people fire cannons to scare her away.
It is this plot that is presented in the following pictures.

In Russian spiritual verses, she, descending from paradise to earth, enchants people with singing, in Western European legends she is the embodiment of an unfortunate soul. Derived from the Greek sirens. In Slavic mythology, a wonderful bird whose singing disperses sadness and melancholy; is only happy people. Sirin is one of the birds of paradise, even its very name is consonant with the name of paradise: Iriy. Sirin is a dark bird, a dark force, a messenger of the ruler of the underworld.

Gamayun- according to Slavic mythology, a prophetic bird, the messenger of the god Veles, his herald, singing divine hymns to people and foreshadowing the future for those who can hear the secret. Gamayun knows everything in the world about the origin of the earth and sky, gods and heroes, people and monsters, birds and animals. When Gamayun flies from sunrise, a deadly storm comes.

Initially - from eastern (Persian) mythology. Depicted with a female head and chest. In the mythology of the ancient Iranians there is an analogue - the bird of joy Humayun.

The collection of myths “Songs of the Gamayun bird” tells about the initial events in Slavic mythology - the creation of the world and the birth of pagan gods. The songs are divided into chapters - “Clubs”.
The word "gamayun" comes from "gamayun" - to lull (obviously, because these legends also served as bedtime stories for children)

In general, mythical birds are: Alkonost, Raven, Gamayun, Geese-Swans, Firebird, Sirin,
Stratim, Fear Bird, Duck, Phoenix.

"Why don't people fly like birds?"

Anyone, probably, is familiar with the feeling of flying - everyone flew in their childhood in a dream. And then all our lives we miss this feeling, and therefore we envy the birds so much. And we readily accept them as mysterious creatures endowed with mystical abilities, able to predict the future, bring happiness or just good luck.

The bird in Slavic mythology occupies a special and very significant place. The supreme deity Rod - the beginning of all beginnings, in his earthly incarnation took the form of a gray duck, which was his symbol and the bearer of his strength. It was this duck that laid two eggs - Yav and Nav - the embodiment of good and evil, life and death ...
The images of birds that have come down from the depths of time are very diverse, which is explained by the vast territories inhabited by the Slavic peoples. In general, for ease of perception, I would divide the birds endowed with mystical qualities by the people's consciousness into three groups.
The first must include mythical creatures - half-birds, half-people with the gift of prophecy and the ability to bring people misfortune or happiness, grief or good luck. These include Gamayun, Alkonost, Sirin, Stratim and Phoenix.

Gamayun

Messenger of the Slavic gods, their herald. She sings divine hymns to people and proclaims the future to those who agree to listen to the secret.
In the old "Book of Cosmography" the map depicts a round plain of the earth, washed on all sides by a river-ocean. On the eastern side is marked “Makariysky Island, the first under the very east of the sun, near the blissful paradise; therefore it is so named because the birds of paradise Gamayun and Phoenix fly into this island and wear a wonderful fragrance. When Gamayun flies, a deadly storm comes from the east of the sun.
Gamayun knows everything in the world about the origin of the earth and sky, gods and heroes, people and monsters, animals and birds. According to ancient belief, the cry of the Gamayun bird portends happiness.

Alkonost

This is a wonderful bird, a resident of Iriy - Slavic paradise.
Her face is feminine, her body is birdlike, and her voice is sweet, like love itself. Hearing the singing of Alkonost with delight, he can forget everything in the world, but there is no evil from her to people, unlike her bird friend Sirin. Alkonost carries eggs "at the edge of the sea", but does not incubate them, but plunges them into the depths of the sea. At this time, the weather is calm for seven days - until the chicks hatch.
The Slavic myth about Alkonost is similar to the ancient Greek legend about the girl Alcyone, who was turned by the gods into a kingfisher.

Sirin

This is one of the birds of paradise, even its very name is consonant with the name of paradise: Iriy.
However, these are by no means bright Alkonost and Gamayun.
Sirin is a dark bird, a dark force, a messenger of the ruler of the underworld. From the head to the waist, Sirin is a woman of incomparable beauty, from the waist is a bird. Whoever listens to her voice forgets about everything in the world, but is soon doomed to troubles and misfortunes, and even dies, and there is no strength to make him not listen to Sirin's voice. And this voice is true bliss!

Stratim

Ancient legends claim that the Stratim bird - the progenitor of all birds - lives on the sea-ocean, like Alkonost. When the Stratim bird cries, a terrible storm rises. And even if she only moves her wing, the sea is worried, swaying.
But if the Stratim-bird takes off, then such waves rise up that sink the ships of the sea, open up the deepest abysses and wash away cities and forests from the shores. In this sense, it is similar to the Sea King. In some legends, she helps the hero get out of a deserted island and fly to the ground - because he saves and has mercy on her chicks. A strange and mysterious prophecy has been preserved: “When Stratim trembles at the second hour after midnight, then all the roosters throughout the earth will crow, and the whole earth will be illuminated at that time.”

... Which bird is the mother of all birds?
And Stratim is a bird to all mother birds.
And she lives on the ocean-sea,
A builds a nest on a white stone;
How the guests-shipmen will run
And on that nest Stratim-birds
And on her on the kids on the little ones,
Stratim - the bird will tremble,
The ocean-sea will rise,
As if fast rivers overflowed,
He drowns the living ships,
Sinks many scarlet ships
With precious goods!
"Pigeon Book"

Phoenix

(possibly from the Greek "purple, crimson") - a mythological bird with the ability to burn itself. Known in the mythologies of different cultures. It was believed that the phoenix has the appearance of an eagle with bright red plumage. Anticipating death, he burns himself in his own nest, and a chick appears from the ashes. According to other versions of the myth, it is reborn from the ashes.

The Egyptians believed that the Phoenix is ​​a link between the divine plan and the embodiment of the plan in life, reminds of divine creation and the revival of life. Phoenix is ​​the soul of Osiris, it is the hope of overcoming the path of the dead. In the Egyptian "Book of the Dead" it is written: "Like a phoenix I will pass through the regions of the other world."

The Greeks, who took the story of the Phoenix from Egypt, believed that the life of the Bird is cyclically connected with world history and depends on the course of the planets (the Sun, the Moon and other planets return to their "former" places). The Stoics, in support of this, said that the world, like the Bird, perishes and is born in fire, and there is no end to this transformation.

The Iranians knew another name for this bird - Simurgh. The bird had the gift of foresight, but its nature was dual, containing the "good" and "harmful" halves.

In Sufism, the Simurgh symbolizes the Perfect Man, possessing the knowledge of the Divine Essence. This Essence, like the legendary bird, cannot be seen.

In the early Christian apocrypha of Baruch, it was written about the Bird: “This is the guardian of the world ... If it were not for covering | the fiery eye | of the sun, neither the human race nor all creatures on earth would live from the heat of the sun.

The Chinese fiery Feng Huang was one of the four sacred creatures, and symbolized immortality, perfection and generosity. The appearance of such a bird, even in a dream, meant a turning point in a person’s life, the need to commit a significant act or the birth of a child endowed with special talents.

The alchemists of medieval Europe considered the Phoenix a symbol of rebirth, the completion of the Great Work. For them, it also meant the purifying and transforming fire, the chemical element sulfur, and the color red.

Description Birds are very similar to different peoples. “The air blossomed with all the colors of the rainbow, beautiful sounds came from the feathers and wings of the bird, a pleasant smell emanated from it ...” - this is how it was said about the miraculous bird Simurgh in an Arabic treatise of the 13th century. “There is another sacred bird there, ... and its name is Phoenix,” Herodotus wrote. “Her appearance and appearance are very reminiscent of an eagle, and her feathers are partly golden, partly red.” “The cinnabar bird, the substance of the flame”, “its color pleases the eye, its crest expresses righteousness, its tongue is sincere” - the Chinese said, referring to Feng Huang, the ruler of the South. The fire bird, the Slavs believed, meaning the Firebird, you can easily get burned on its plumage. Each feather glows like a multitude of candles, and is sharper than damask steel. And she herself shines either blue or crimson light.

“O Atum-Khepri, you shone [in the form of] Benu on the eternal Hill of Ben-Ben…” – this is how the words of the ancient Egyptian Hymn about the creation of the world sound. Not created by anyone, the originally former bird flew over the waters of the ocean, until it finally built a nest for itself on Ben-Ben Hill. Or maybe it was not Benu at all, but a beautiful white goose the Great Gogotun, who laid an egg on the same hill, from which the sun god was born? However, many nations tell stories that a bird took part in the process of creating the world. It is unlikely that people knew exactly who created the world, but the image of a dazzling bird remained in myths and legends, and obelisks shone, reflecting the sun, on a memorial hill near Heliopolis.

If we try to restore the story of the fabulous Firebird, or, as it is more commonly known, the Phoenix, according to the surviving legends, then we can tell such a legend.

The beautiful Bird with dazzling plumage existed from the very beginning of the world, perishing and being reborn in the purifying flame at the turn of the eras. She herself sacrificed herself, and each time, rising again from the ashes, she turned her gaze beyond the earthly limits, through the stars, to the world of pure light, to the place where the once immortal gods were born, and where she went in those three days until her body turned to dust, and her soul became free. The bird knew what was, what is and what will be, and yet it kept the world in which it built its nest. People who heard about the Bird believed that, like her, they also have an immortal soul that only changes shells.

There lived a magical Bird far, far away, on the very edge of the earth. Exactly where, no one knew. Some said that her nest was hidden from human eyes on the top of a mountain, others said that she built it in the middle of an endless desert, in the thirtieth "other" state, perfect and far from worldly fuss. A lot of trials and dangers lay in wait on the way of those who dared to go in search, for any path to a creature that keeps the fire of the original creation in itself is thorny and unpredictable.

To get to the Bird, one had to overcome the Valley of Search, the Valley of Love, the Valley of Knowledge, the Valley of Separation, the Valley of Unity, the Desert of Amazement, the Desert of Annihilation and Death. And one could try to go this long way along the roads, washing iron boots and gnawing iron loaves, or one could - in one's heart, overcoming and changing oneself.

Rarely have mortals been able to see the beautiful Bird in all its glory. For this to happen, peace and harmony had to reign on earth. Only a desperate daredevil with pure thoughts, led by a dream through life, could see her, having overcome many trials. No wonder the Bird was sometimes called the Firebird, because heat, fire is both creativity, and creation, and “burning”.

She was a perfect creation of the One, and everyone who saw her even from a distance became the owner of a wonderful gift. The light of the divine radiance that surrounded the Bird also fell on a person, endowing him with what he most wanted in his heart: talents, skills, happiness. And now the person who received the gift from the Bird himself carried a reflection of magical light.

The second category should include birds-fairy-tale characters, namely the Firebird, Finist the Clear Falcon, the Swan Princess.


Of the birds-fabulous characters, the Firebird, most likely, has a direct prototype from mythological birds, namely the Phoenix. This fabulous bird, a character in Russian fairy tales, is usually the target of a search for a hero. The feathers of the firebird have the ability to shine and with their brilliance amaze the human eye. The extraction of the firebird is associated with great difficulties and is one of the main tasks that the king (father) sets for his sons in a fairy tale. Only a kind youngest son manages to get the firebird. Mythologists (Afanasiev) explained the firebird as the personification of fire, light, and the sun. The Firebird feeds on golden apples, which give youth, beauty and immortality; when she sings, pearls fall from her beak. The singing of the firebird heals the sick and restores sight to the blind. Leaving aside arbitrary mythological explanations, one can compare the firebird with medieval stories, very popular in both Russian and Western European literature, about the Phoenix bird reborn from the ashes. The Firebird is also the prototype of peacocks. Rejuvenating apples, in turn, can be compared with the fruits of the pomegranate tree, a favorite delicacy of Phoenixes.

The third group includes all birds that do not carry something unprecedented in their appearance, but are simply endowed with fabulous properties to talk, help or harm fairy tale characters- people and are, as a rule, companions of such characters as Baba Yaga or Kashchei the immortal. These are crows, owls, blackbirds.

In Russian literature and painting, birds are quite common. In poetry, such poets as Blok and Klyuev turned to the images of mythological birds, in painting - Vasnetsov, Vrubel, Bakst.

SECRETS OF THE FIREBIRD
In different parts of our world, there are legends about amazing animals and birds that no one has ever seen, but the descriptions of which are strikingly similar.

In different cultures, the image of the Firebird acquired its own details and shades. The Slavs have the Firebird, ptak Ohnivak (Czech and Slovak) - a fabulous, fiery bird, its feathers shine with silver and gold (Ognivak has reddish feathers), wings like flames, and eyes glow like a crystal.
It is about the size of a peacock.
The Firebird lives in the Garden of Eden of Iria, in a golden cage.
At night, it flies out of it and illuminates the garden with itself as brightly as thousands of lit fires.

The Firebird has a favorite food in the garden - rejuvenating apples, which give her beauty and immortality.
The Firebird has a healing song, and when it sings, pearls fall from its beak.
A blinding light surrounds her. Every year, in the fall, the Firebird dies and is reborn in the spring.
Sometimes you can find a dropped feather from the tail of the Firebird, brought into a dark room, it will replace the richest lighting.
You can’t catch it with your bare hands, as you can get burned on its plumage.
The fallen feather retains the properties of the plumage of the Firebird for a long time. It glows and gives warmth. And when the pen goes out, it turns into gold.

And only then people, so that the luck and happiness that the Firebird bestows, do not leave them, they began to make amulets and amulets, paint dishes with its bright images.

According to a Russian fairy tale, each feather of her "is so wonderful and bright that if you bring it into a dark room, it shone so much, as if a great many candles had been lit in that peace." The golden coloration of the Firebird, its golden cage is connected with the fact that the bird arrives from another (“thirtieth”) kingdom, from where everything that is painted in golden color comes from. The Firebird can act as a kidnapper, in this case approaching the Fire Serpent: she takes away the mother of the hero of the fairy tale "to distant lands."

Firebird

A comparative analysis suggests an ancient connection between the Firebird and the Slovak “fire bird” with other mythological images embodying fire, in particular with Rarog, the fire horse-bird.

The Firebird is a fabulous bird, a character in Russian fairy tales, usually the goal of finding a hero. The feathers of the firebird have the ability to shine and with their brilliance amaze the human eye.

The extraction of the firebird is associated with great difficulties and is one of the main tasks that the king (father) sets for his sons in a fairy tale. Only a kind youngest son manages to get the firebird. Mythologists (Afanasiev) explained the firebird as the personification of fire, light, and the sun. The Firebird feeds on golden apples, which give youth, beauty and immortality; when she sings, pearls fall from her beak. The singing of the firebird heals the sick and restores sight to the blind. Leaving aside arbitrary mythological explanations, one can compare the firebird with medieval stories, very popular in both Russian and Western European literature, about the Phoenix bird reborn from the ashes. The Firebird is also the prototype of peacocks. Rejuvenating apples, in turn, can be compared with the fruits of the pomegranate tree, a favorite delicacy of Phoenixes.

The feather of the firebird is a subject of Russians folk tales known for its magical properties. Who has not read or listened in childhood to the fairy tale about Ivan the Fool, who found the feather of the fire bird. It was from this find that his adventure began.

Many different fairy tales are associated with the firebird and its feather, which eventually became legends. More famous, perhaps, is only the fern flower. It can also be noted that our fire bird is clearly a relative of the phoenix, a fiery bird from European legends and fairy tales.

According to descriptions from fairy tales and illustrations for them, the fire bird looks like a peacock, and the fire bird's feather also resembles a feather from a peacock's tail. The firebird is also about the size of a peacock, while the phoenix is ​​described as being about the size of an eagle.

They say that the only way to catch the heat of a bird is to use the bait - a cage with golden apples inside. Since not only the found feather of a fire bird, but also all its plumage burns with fire, you cannot grab such a bird with your bare hands, you will instantly burn yourself. So Ivan had to lure her into a cage and put on a bag so that the heat would not reach her hands.

Also, according to legend, the firebird guards the fern flower on the night of Ivan Kupala, when it blooms only once a year, and many young people go into the forest to look for it.

fire feather bird fire

According to the well-known fairy tale, Ivan the Fool found a bird's feather in the forest on a stump when he passed by at night. This feather glows in the dark, it burns as if glowing with fire. At first, Ivan even decided that it was a fire burning in the darkness of the night, but, coming closer, they saw a feather of unearthly beauty.

According to some descriptions, this feather is golden, like all the plumage of the firebird, some talk about the red, orange, yellow and even crimson color of the firebird feathers. Someone mentions that the heat bird glows with silver and gold, and its wings are fiery, which once again proves the connection between the fire bird and the phoenix. In books, the heat of the bird and its feathers are usually drawn in red and orange.

Fire bird feather properties

The feather of the heat of a bird can illuminate any, the darkest room, so that at night it will be light, as it does not happen on the clearest day. If you remember the tale, this is how the servant of the tsar noticed that Ivan the Fool had a feather of a fire bird, instantly reporting this to his master.

According to legend, over time, the feather of the fire bird ceases to glow and burn with fire, hardening and turning into gold. If you find a few of these feathers, you can get rich pretty well, if only you knew where to look.

Also, they say that with the help of the feather of the heat bird, you can find treasures, since like attracts like. And so the golden pen attracts the gold stored in the earth.

The feather of the heat of the bird for a long time, until it becomes golden, retains the properties of the plumage of the heat of the bird. And besides the fact that it glows brightly, it gives warmth. Apparently, not so much that they could burn themselves, since Ivan the Fool took it with his bare hands, but enough so that he could warm himself from it. Such a good heating pad.

Somehow I accidentally came across an article in which, referring to Slavic legend, it was said that when the gods saw that people walk the earth without loving anyone and destroy themselves with the cold of their hearts, they sent a magical fire of love to the earth in the form of a bird - the Firebird.

And since then she has been flying on the ground and spreading the fire of love.
Happiness to the one who manages to catch her, but a hundred times greater happiness to the one whom the Firebird will honor as his master. After all, the Firebird is more like the molten metal of which it most likely consists. You can catch it only in mittens, it is very hot - you can get burned very badly. To the one to whom she submits of her own free will, she will give her beneficial warmth all her life. But as soon as she feels indifference, she will immediately fly away - she cannot stand it, and it’s easy to kill her ... Put her in a cage and she will die. Her fiery body will cool down and there will be a cold piece of gold in the cage instead of hot love ...

This is such a beautiful legend. It is a pity that I could not find the original.

Legend of the Firebird

If you want - believe, if you want - check.
If you want, listen, if you want, listen.
But it was, the reality grew,
and what was not - fiction.

Only in one distant kingdom,
heavenly state
lived, were, red girls -
they are all such needlewomen,
your article is bright and pretty,
the beauty of the soul is fine.
Only with people, who of them was known,
pretended to be a bird of paradise
burning fiery bird,
light the world of the soul illuminating.
Because they were all called Firebirds,
expelling all that is unclean,
that's why all people are not just like that
now hear the songs of the birds of paradise.
But a fiery bird is waiting for everyone,
that you can’t take it with your hand, don’t touch it,
where the goblin did not even walk,
The tree is one life true,
a beautiful bird sits there,
glowing with heat and with a marvelous voice
gives the traveler sweet peace
and burns everything that is wrong in it.
It is unlikely to be able to reach the Tree on your own,
dark forces do not let people in,
strict guards guard from the eyes
by command from above.
For a long time escorted there
were that they knew
go around like dark thickets
and impassable mountains.
But worthy only and lucky
could lead to the Tree of Eternity,
so that when meeting with that bird girl
the fire ceased to burn her.

That's the whole tale of that marvelous one.
Who was obedient, to feast - for that.
for good, for health, but for glory
to live, but at the same time not to be twisted !!!

Legend of the Crimea about the Firebird

Long ago, peace, joy and prosperity reigned in our region. Overseas guests came with outlandish gifts, welcomed them locals, led to look at the wondrous marvel - the Firebird.

There was that bird of extraordinary beauty: every feather on it burned and shimmered, and it shone in the night like the clear sun. The Firebird flew in every night to feast on the rejuvenating apples that grew at that time on our fertile land. Having eaten, she began to sing angelic songs in a heavenly voice. The guests listened to healing singing and admired such a rich land and its kind people.

Year after year passed, and somehow, with one ship, Greed sailed from across the sea. She went into the huts to people, whispered evil intentions in her ear.

The neighbors began to quarrel with each other, looking for richer guests so that they would get the best and richest gifts. Black thoughts entangled their heads, fierce envy settled in kind hearts. People became greedy, evil and inhospitable, they began to slander and often stomp their feet in anger.

And the earth hardened, went to stones, dried up without human love.

From this apple trees with bulk apples dried up, there was no one to look after them. Yes, and magic apple trees never grow on earth, where brother will not give a hand to brother and where discord reigns between people.

The marvelous Firebird stopped coming for her favorite delicacy. The last bulk apple fell from the branch, the grains fell into the earth's cracks, and did not germinate again.

So they lie there until now, waiting for the soil to become soft and caring again. And the earth will be better only if kind and good people begin to live on it.

As soon as people begin to coexist in love with each other again, they stop envying and intrigues to repair evil, so the earth and nature will answer them the same. And then the seeds of the rejuvenating apple tree will sprout, and the Firebird will again fly to us. And again, overseas guests will come with gifts to look at the wondrous marvel, listen to angelic songs, and will praise our wonderful prosperous land.

Each of us remembers the feeling of flying since childhood, since everyone made it in a dream. And then we remember it throughout our lives, because this feeling is not enough for everyone, and mentally envy all the birds. These creatures are perceived by us as mysterious and endowed with mystical abilities that bring happiness and can predict the future.

In the mythology of the Slavs, the bird has a significant place. The deity named Rod, who is the supreme and the beginning of all beginnings, was embodied on earth in a gray duck, which served as his symbol and was the bearer of his own power. It was from this duck that two eggs appeared - Yav and Nav, which embodied good and evil, life and death.

Various images of birds have come down to us. This is due to the scale of the territory occupied by the Slavic peoples. But all the birds that were endowed with different qualities by the people can be divided into three groups. In the first place, it is worth counting such mystical creatures as half-birds, half-humans, which have a prophetic gift and are able to bring a person joy or sorrow, happiness or misfortune. These include such as: Gamayun, Alkonost, Sirim, Stratim and Phoenix.

Gamayun

This is a bird that was the messenger of the gods and sang the hymns of the gods for people. By this she proclaimed the future to all who could hear the secret. There is a map in the old edition of "The Book of Cosmography" which shows the image of a round plain of the earth, which is washed around by the river-ocean. In the east, you can see Makariysky Island, which is the first from the rising of the sun, near paradise, which is why they say that the birds of paradise Gamayun and Phoenix fly to this island. It is known that when a storm came from the sunny east that brought death, it was Gamayun who flew. He knows everything about the origin of gods and heroes, about the origin of heaven and earth, people and all living beings. An ancient belief says that if the Gamayun bird screams, then it portends something joyful and happy.

Alkonost

This bird was a wonderful inhabitant of the Slavic paradise called Iria. She was a creature with the face of a woman and the body of a bird. She sang with a sweet voice. Anyone who heard the singing of Alkonost forgot everything in the world, as he was delighted. But this bird does not bring evil to people, not like her friend Sirin. Alkonost carried her eggs on the edge of the sea, but she did not hatch them, but immersed them to the depths of the sea. At this time, windless weather could be observed for seven days until the chicks emerged from the eggs. The myth of the Slavs about Alkonost is similar to the ancient Greek legend about Alcyone, i.e. about a girl who was turned by the gods into a kingfisher.

Sirin

Represents bird of paradise, however, it is not as light as Alkonost or Gamayun. Xining is a bird that carries dark power and is the messenger of the underground world. She looks like a half-woman, half-bird: from head to waist, she is a woman of incomparable beauty, and below is a bird. Those who hear her voice forget everything, and soon become doomed to misfortune or death. At the same time, there is no such force that could make Sirin not listen to the singing.

In ancient legends, it is said that Stratim is a bird, which is the progenitor of all other birds. She lives, like Alkonost, on the sea-ocean. During the cry of Stratim, a storm arises, and if it touches the sea with its wing, then it will surely sway and worry. And when the Stratim bird takes off, the sea is so agitated and such oxen rise that all ships drown and forests and cities are washed off the coast. In this she resembles the Sea King.

Some legends say that Stratim helped the hero get out of the deserted island, and also helped him fly to the ground. For this, the hero saved her chicks. Also, a prophecy is still preserved, which carries a certain mystery. At the time when the Stratim bird trembles at two o'clock after midnight, then we will hear the crowing of roosters throughout the earth, and the whole earth will become illuminated.

Phoenix

It is a mythical bird that has the ability to burn itself. Phoenix is ​​found in the myths of different cultures. Outwardly, it looks like an eagle, which has a bright red plumage. When the Phoenix foresees its own death, it burns itself in its own nest, and a chick arises from its ashes. There are also other versions of this myth when there is a rebirth from the ashes.

Most likely, the Firebird as a bird-fairytale character has a prototype - the Phoenix. She is a separate character in Russian fairy tales, which serves as a target for finding the main characters. The feathers of the firebird have the ability to glow and shine, which amaze human vision. In order to get the firebird, you need to go through a lot of difficulties. This is the main task that the king (father) sets before his sons. Only one of them finds this firebird - a kind youngest son. The mythologist Afanasiev explains the firebird as a character that personifies fire, light and the sun. The firebird eats apples of gold, which give her youth, immortality and unprecedented beauty, and while singing, pearls fall from her beak. During the singing of the firebird, all the sick are healed, and the blind become sighted. If we put aside all arbitrary explanations of myths, then the firebird can be compared to the Phoenix bird, which was very popular in medieval Russian and Western European literary stories. The firebird also serves as a prototype for peacocks. Based on this comparison, then rejuvenating apples are easily comparable to the fruits from the pomegranate tree, which the Phoenix prefers as a treat.

The third group consists of birds that do not have something unprecedented in their appearance. They simply have some fabulous properties: the ability to speak, to help and harm other fairy-tale characters. They almost always represent the companions of characters, for example, Baba Yaga or Koshchei the immortal. This group includes owls, crows and blackbirds.

Hello dear students! I welcome you to the next lesson on Slavic mythology. Get comfortable and let's get started.

Today we will talk about birds. Birds have always occupied a special place among the Slavs. Let's remember one of the myths about the origin of the Earth.

"... And now, between the sky and the water, two trees grew by themselves - sacred oaks, held on by the power of God. Two birds hatched from the acorns of the sacred celestial oaks, they were goldeneye ducks.
Ducks began to dive to the bottom of the sea and get silt and sand from the bottom. With silt, they glued twigs and leaves that had fallen from heavenly oaks - they built a nest-earth.

The duck is also mentioned in the tales of Koshchei the Immortal. It is she who is hidden in the hare, and the egg is already hidden in it.

Why is the duck given such a role in the creation of the world?
The world duck was born from the foam of the newborn Ocean. According to legend, it was she who pulled Alatyr from the bottom of the Milky Ocean. It was small and the duck wanted to hide the stone in its beak. But Svarog uttered the magic Word, and the stone began to grow. The duck could not hold it and dropped it.
The duck is an ancient Slavic symbol of the cleansing power of Water.
In the basin of the upper reaches of the Kama River, a pommel with the image of the World Duck was found. The find dates back to the 4th-6th centuries AD. It is assumed that it was either the pommel of a priest's staff, or part of a headdress, for example, a kichka. The latter assumption is supported by the fact that "ducks" are most often found in pairs. In any case, this is an ornament with a ritual meaning.

Makosh is associated with a duck. The cult of duck-Makoshi lasted until today, as evidenced by various ritual objects of the Slavs, which can be seen today. True, the fact that they are ritual is now mostly forgotten.

Now it is not surprising that the bird in the mythology of the Slavs played a big role, and the images of birds that have come down from the depths of centuries are diverse. This is also explained by the large territories that the Slavic peoples inhabited.

The Pigeon Book contains the following lines:

Which bird is the mother of all birds?
And the Stratim bird is the mother of all birds.
And she lives on the ocean-sea,
And builds a nest on a white stone.
How the guests-shipmen will run
And on that nest of the Stratim bird
And on her on the kids on the little ones.
Stratim-bird will tremble,
The ocean-sea will rise,
As if fast rivers overflowed.
He drowns the living ships,
Sinks many scarlet ships
With precious goods!

In different translations, this bird is called differently: Nogai-bird, Fear-Rah, Strafil. The mention of it is also found in the Vedas and in the Songs of the Gamayun bird, created much earlier.

An ancient manuscript tells about a giant bird: “There are hens whose head reaches to heaven, and the sea to his knee; when the sun washes in the ocean, then the ocean will shake, and the waves will start to beat the chicken on the feathers; he, having felt the waves, shouts “koko-river”, which means: “Lord, show the world light!”.
They depicted a giant bird with a small head on a thin neck, a hooked beak, a long narrow body and one wing raised up. “... she lives on the sea-ocean, and when she screams, a terrible storm rises. And even if she only moves her wing, the sea is worried, swaying. But if the Stratim bird takes off, then such waves rise up that sink ships in the sea, open up the deepest abysses and wash away cities and forests from the shores.
In this sense, Stratim is similar to the Sea King. In some legends, she helps the hero to save and pardon her chicks and help him to get free.
A strange and mysterious prophecy has been preserved: “When Stratim trembles at the second hour after midnight, then all the roosters throughout the earth will crow, and the whole earth will be illuminated at that time.”
The lord of the Stratim-bird is Stribog - the Supreme God of the wind. He can call and tame a storm, he can turn around as his assistant.

On the endless waters
Clothed in purple by sunset,
She speaks and sings
Unable to raise the wings of the confused ...
The yoke of evil Tatars broadcasts,
Broadcasts a series of bloody executions,
And a coward, and hunger, and a fire,
The strength of the villains, the death of the right...
Embraced by eternal terror,
A beautiful face burns with love,
But things sound true
Mouth covered in blood!

Alexander Blok dedicated these poetic lines to the Gamayun bird. Prophetic bird, messenger of the gods and their herald. She sings divine hymns to people and foreshadows the future for those who know how to hear the secret. All the songs of the bird Gamayun, which she sang to people, are collected in one book, which tells about the creation of the world and the birth of the gods. "The cherished songs of the bird Gamayun" - this is the name of this book. Each part of the book is called a "ball".
According to ancient belief, the cry of the Gamayun bird portends happiness.
The word "gamayun" comes from "gamayun" - to lull (obviously, because these legends also served as bedtime stories for children).

And here are two birds of the Slavic paradise - Alkonost and Sirin. The name of the Sirin bird is even consonant with the name of paradise - Iriy.

The caption under the popular print, which depicts the Alkonost bird, reads:

“Alkonost stays near paradise, sometimes it happens on the Euphrates River. When a voice emits in singing, then it does not feel itself. And whoever is close then will forget everything in the world: then the mind departs from him, and the soul leaves the body.

According to legend, Alkonost lays eggs in the depths of the sea in the middle of winter (or during the winter solstice). For 7 days, the eggs lie in the depths, and then float to the surface. And at this time the sea is calm. Alkonost does not take his eyes off the surface of the water and waits for the eggs to float, therefore it is very difficult to steal the Alkonost egg. If this succeeds, then people hang such an egg under the ceiling in the church, as a symbol of the integrity and unity of all the people who come here.
Alkonost then takes the eggs and hatches them on the shore.

It is amazing how Slavic and ancient Greek mythologies are intertwined. Alkonost had another name - Alcyone. In ancient Greek mythology, there is a myth about Alcyone, the daughter of the god of the winds Eol, the wife of the Thessalian king Keikos, the son of the god of the morning star Eosphorus. As Ovid tells in Metamorphoses, Keik died tragically in a raging sea. Alcyone was waiting for Keik at the top of the cliff. When the body of her deceased husband was washed to the cliff by a wave, Alcyone threw herself from the top of the cliff into the waves of the raging sea. And a miracle happened: the gods turned Alcyone into a sea bird-kingfisher. Then Alcyone the kingfisher revived her dead husband. The gods and Keik were turned into a bird, and they became inseparable again.
The Greeks believed that when Alcyone hatches eggs, a calm sets in for two weeks in the Ionian and partly Aegean seas (a week before and a week after the winter solstice), since Alcyone's father Eol, the god of the winds, keeps the winds subject to him at this time. Ovid writes about this in his Metamorphoses:

In winter, Alcyone sits for seven serene days
Quietly on the eggs in the nest, above the waves of the soaring sea.
By sea, the path is safe then: guards its winds,
Not letting go, Eol, leaving the sea to his grandchildren.

The days of calm at sea, when Alcyone the kingfisher brought out her chicks, the Greeks called "alcyones, or kingfisher days." In the Old Russian language they were called Alkionite or Alkonost.

No less interesting is the history of the bird Sirin - the constant companion of Alkonost. She is said to be descended from the Greek sirens. Or maybe sirens from her? Or are they two branches of the same fact?
In ancient Greek mythology, sirens are birds with female heads. The "sweet voice" of the sirens is confirmed by the names of some of them: Aglaiophon (Sounding), Telksepeya (Charming), Peisinoy (Flattering), Molpe (Singing).
According to one legend, the sirens were originally nymphs from the environment of the young goddess Persephone. When she was kidnapped by the ruler of the underworld Hades, the angry mother of Persephone, the goddess of fertility Demeter, gave the sirens their half-bird appearance. In another version of this myth, they themselves wanted to turn into birds in order to find Persephone. When people refused to help them, the sirens settled on a deserted island to take revenge on the human race. Since then, they began to lure sailors with their sweet singing and killed them on the shore. The rocks of the island of the Sirens were littered with the bones and dried skin of their victims.

Homer in the Odyssey tells that Odysseus, wanting to hear the sirens singing and stay alive, plugged the ears of his companions with wax, and ordered himself to be tied to the mast. Sirens, seducing him, promised him omniscience:

Here no sailor passes with his ship,
The heart of sweet singing in our meadow did not listen;
Whoever heard us returns to the house, knowing a lot,
We know everything that happened in the Trojan land and what
The fate, by the will of the immortals, befell the Trojans and Achaeans;
We know everything that is going on in the bosom of the blessed land.

The mythical bird, which has a human face and captivates people with sweet singing, was well known in Russia and was called "sirin". Here is what one of the ancient Russian Azbukovniks writes about this:

“Sirin is a bird from the head to the waist, the composition and image of a man, from the waist is a bird; the nations are lying about this, saying sweetly sweetly to be her, as if anyone who listens to her voice, forget all this life and go into the wilderness along it and in the mountains I will err to die.

In the XVII-XVIII centuries. Sirin, together with Alkonost, were ranked among the birds of paradise. The singing of the Sirin bird served as a designation of the divine word entering the human soul, and on the popular prints it was depicted very similar to Alkonost, only Sirin had no arms, and around his head you can often see a halo instead of a crown.

According to the description of ancient Russian beliefs, the sweet-voiced bird Sirin, like the destructive sea birds-maidens of the Siren, also stupefied travelers with its sad song and dragged them into the kingdom of death. In a later period, these features were forced out, and the Russian Sirin was endowed with magical functions of a protective nature, personifying beauty, happiness and the joy of being.

The history of Sirin is different than that of Alkonost. The bird lives in paradise itself. Her voice in singing is very red, for it proclaims unearthly joys. At times she comes down to earth. However, if a living person hears that singing, "such a person can be separated from life." The last property of Sirin, as well as Alkonost, greatly puzzled the Russian man, who valued above all strength, courage, nobility and sang them in songs, epics, fairy tales. The image of Sirin turned out to be something closer to the folk artist, so he began to correct it to his liking. Judging by one of the legends, it turned out to be easy to do: it was only necessary, as soon as the bird descended to the ground and began to sing, make a noise and even shoot from a cannon. Sirin will shut up and fly away to his home. Just this plot is depicted in the picture (it can be enlarged with the help of a magic mouse in your hands and take a closer look).

In modern culture, Sirin and Alkonost are inseparable; they are well-established symbols of Sorrowful and Joyful singing.

The birds of paradise Sirin and Alkonost became characters in the famous painting by V.M. Vasnetsov "Songs of Joy and Sorrow", which inspired the young Alexander Blok to his early poem "Sirin and Alkonost. Birds of Joy and Sorrow, dated February 23-25, 1899. Both Vasnetsov and Blok's Sirin becomes a symbol of joy, unearthly happiness. Here is how the young poet describes this bird of paradise:

Throwing back the waves of thick curls,
Throwing your head back
Throws Sirin full of happiness,
Bliss of otherworldly full look.

Alkonost, on the contrary, appears as a symbol of inescapable sadness, the center of the power of dark forces:

The other is all powerful sadness
Exhausted, exhausted...
Anguish everyday and all-night
The whole chest is full...
The chant sounds like a deep groan,
A sob lingered in my chest,
And above her branchy throne
A black wing hung.

It must be said that neither the joyful, happy Sirin, nor the more exhausted by sadness Alkonost find correspondences in the history of the legends associated with these birds.
On luboks of the 17th-18th centuries. the birds Sirin and Alkonost were both depicted as cheerful, close to God in his heavenly abode and could hardly be considered as symbols of joy and sadness.
The dualism of both Vasnetsov and Blok is, of course, already a phenomenon of the New Age, signs of the lightning lightning of history that illuminated the horizon of the coming terrible 20th century. At the turn of the century, the artist and poet created their own new myth, reflecting a new understanding of the essence of the world by man of the outgoing golden age of Russian culture.

After talking about all this confusion that befell Alkonost and Sirin, let's turn again to their popular prints. You see, there the birds are depicted with crowns or a halo - a sign of holiness in Christianity. That is, these are paintings of the Christian period of Russia. As we know, the Christian Church, having shown treachery and violence, met in response the resistance of pagan Russians and was forced to make many concessions. The church calendar was compiled in such a way that the most important Christian holidays coincided with pagan ones in time. The most revered were those saints who took on the features of pagan deities. For example, the image of the great goddess Mother Earth was embodied in the image of the Mother of God or the Virgin, George the Victorious became the personification of the sun god Khors and Dazhbog, Ilya the prophet corresponded to the god of thunder and lightning Perun, the patron saint of cattle Vlasy became the successor of the pagan Veles.
The situation was exactly the same with magical signs in the form of birds on clothes, household items and jewelry. The image of a bird, starting from ancient times, was such a familiar talisman and a common character of the Slavs that, destroying this protective symbolism, the Christian church was forced to give people new patrons in their usual form. Sirin and Alkonost replaced the pagan birds, one of which was definitely the World Duck, but the second is called the Sun Bird, about which there is practically no information. Gradually, the image of the Sirin bird, under the influence of Christian and pagan beliefs, began to be considered by the people as paradise, i.e. divine, and endow with extraordinary qualities: brightness, radiance, unearthly beauty, wonderful singing and kindness. The image of Sirin in Russian art has become widespread, it is quite often found on the surface of various products of the XIV-XVII centuries. Alkonost comes across much less frequently. Perhaps over time, the differences between them were forgotten, and they merged into one image of the Fairy Bird, in which, as a symbol of beauty, the Russian man saw his own dream about kindness, beauty and happiness.

Consider now another group of birds in Slavic mythology. It includes birds-fairy-tale characters, namely the Firebird, Finist the Clear Falcon, the Swan Princess.
From fabulous birds The Firebird most likely has a direct prototype from mythological birds, namely the Phoenix. The feathers of the firebird have the ability to shine and with their brilliance amaze the human eye. The firebird personified, most likely, fire, light, the sun. The Firebird feeds on golden apples, which give youth, beauty and immortality; when she sings, pearls fall from her beak. The singing of the firebird heals the sick and restores sight to the blind.

Well, another group of birds in Slavic mythology. They do not have anything unusual in their appearance, but are endowed with fabulous properties to talk, help or harm people and are, as a rule, companions of such characters as Baba Yaga or Kashchei the Immortal. These are crows, owls, blackbirds.

Well, I think it's time to end the lecture. Yes, there was a lot of material, and a lot of questions turned out. Therefore, you as homework You must choose questions that add up to at least 10 points. The main mark for all homework is 10 points. As usual, I give an additional 2 points for the creative approach to completing tasks.

Homework:

1. Why are parts in the Gamayun songbook called balls? (0-1 point)

2. What is common between the birds of the first group discussed at the lecture? (0-1 point)

3. Why is Sirin remembered more often than Alkonost? (0-1 point)

4. Why is the name of the "Pigeon Book"? (0-1 point)

5. Remember Russian epics, legends, fairy tales that mention a bird. Tell us about them and describe the birds that are found there. Two examples are enough. (0-4 points)

6. Read the First Ball of Songs of the Gamayun Bird and talk about the duck's role in the creation of the earth. In passing, tell us what in this story seemed to you symbolic for Slavic mythology in general, that is, what is then repeated, for example, in Russian fairy tales. (0-2 points)

7. Find a connection between a duck and a headdress in Russia. (0-3 points)

8. What is the relationship between duck and weaving? (0-2 points)

9. What other ancient Slavic ritual objects were associated with a duck? (0-2 points)

10. Compare the Firebird with the Phoenix. What is common and what is different? (0-2 points)

11. Tell us more about one of the fabulous birds. (0-3 points)

12. Tell us more about one of the birds from the third group. (0-3 points)

13. Which of the considered birds did you like the most? Why? (0-2 points)

14. Perhaps you will offer your classification of birds in Slavic mythology? (0-3 points)

15. Practice. Here is a portal for you that will take you to where one of the birds we considered in the lesson lives. What - I do not know, each of you will see it already on the spot. Perhaps you will meet more than one bird. If it's not scary, then try your luck, and then tell us what happened there. (0-6 points)