Mysterious miracle birds in Slavic mythology: What Alkonost, Sirin, Gamayun and others promise people

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Everyone has probably heard of the miraculous songbirds - Sirin, Alkonost, Gamayun. They came to us from ancient legends and tales. Descending to Earth, they supposedly sing their wonderful songs here. But their songs are different: if a meeting with some birds in a dream or in reality is favorable for a person, then nothing good can be expected from others.

V. Vysotsky

As the legends say, Alkonost and Sirin are birds from the Garden of Eden of Iria, and both have a magical enchanting voice. But only Alkonost is a bird that gives joy with its singing, and Sirin's songs are destructive for people. Creatures similar to these birds can be found in ancient Greek myths (Sirens and others), and these images came to us from Byzantium.

Alkonost

Alkonost is a maiden bird from the Garden of Eden with a human face of extraordinary beauty, having both arms and wings. Her head is usually decorated with a crown.

Alkonost lays eggs at the edge of the sea and lowers them under the water. At this time, a very calm calm weather sets in. This continues for a week until the chicks hatch.

But the most amazing thing about this bird is a wonderful mesmerizing voice that makes people absolutely delighted. Hearing the singing of Alkonost, they forget about everything in the world. This is a bright bird that brings goodness, joy and consolation to people.

Bird Sirin

Along with Alkonost, in the Garden of Eden lives another maiden bird with a wondrous voice - the bird Sirin. Outwardly, these two birds are very similar, only Sirin has no arms, but only wings. Her voice also makes people forget about everything in the world, but her singing is very insidious, and people fall dead from him. In contrast to Alkonost, Sirin is a bird that personifies dark forces, and meeting her does not bode well.

Sirin is very afraid of loud noises, and when people see her, they make a special noise - they shoot cannons, ring bells. And in this way they drive away the bird.

A beautiful maiden-bird, sitting on an apple tree or a flowering bush, spread her wings and, apparently, has already begun to sing, since not far from her there are the first defeated victims. Residents try to drive her away and prepare cannons for this purpose.

Later, the image of Sirin changed, and he also became a symbol of joy and happiness, like Alkonost.

These two birds of paradise often fly together.

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Prophetic bird Gamayun

There is one more songbird - Gamayun. Perhaps her name comes from the word "gamayunit" (lull). It is believed that the cry of this bird brings good news to the one who hears it. This bird knows about everything in the world, and many turned to her for advice. She also knows how to predict the future, but only to those people who understand her secret signs.

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Gamayun's flight is often accompanied by a deadly storm coming from the east.

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Unlike Alkonost and Sirin, this bird came to us not from Greece, but from the Iranian East.

Stratim bird

In Slavic mythology, there is another bird that has a human face. Her name is Stratim, and she lives at sea. It is believed that it was from her that all other birds went, she is their progenitor. Her cry is so strong that it causes a terrible storm. As soon as she moves her wing slightly, the sea begins to agitate. And what happens when it takes off! Huge waves rise on the sea, overturning ships and sweeping entire cities on the shores.

Phoenix

This legendary bird has the ability to burn itself and be reborn from the ashes. And it has long been the personification of immortality and eternal youth, renewal and rebirth of nature and man.

There is another category of unusual birds - these are birds from fairy tales.

Firebird

This character is very often found in Slavic fairy tales - a bird with sparkling golden plumage and crystal eyes. Even one feather of hers brings happiness to people. The Firebird sings beautifully, but not in captivity, speaks in a human voice, can grant wishes. In the garden, she guards an apple tree with golden apples, and she feeds on them.

Finist Clear Falcon

This character is borrowed from Western mythology. A young man who turned into a falcon, and in this form arrives to his beloved. In Russian songs and fairy tales, the falcon has always been a very revered bird. The falcon was also called good fellows in Russia. In many fairy tales, the heroes turn into a falcon, in order to quickly overcome a huge distance, unexpectedly attack the enemy, or just as unexpectedly appear in front of the beauty that charmed them.

The Swan Princess

Half swan, half beautiful girl. In folk legends, these are creatures of special beauty and seduction, living on the seashore. The image of the swan princess is found not only in fairy tales, it is very common in Russian art. Suffice it to recall Pushkin's The Tale of Tsar Saltan, the opera by Rimsky-Korsakov, and, of course, the famous Vrubel masterpiece.