Slavic mythology: a bird with a human face

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

In the mythology of different nations there is a bird with a human face. This fabulous creature can be both good and evil, help people or, on the contrary, prevent them from achieving their goal. We all know about Odysseus, the ancient Greek hero of the Trojan War. On his way home, he sailed past an island of sirens, half-woman, half-bird. And only cunning and ingenuity helped him save the ship and comrades from death. But our Slavic ancestors also had mythical birds.

Birds of the Slavs

The Slavs also had a bird with a human face or head, and more than one. Such creatures differed from each other in plumage color, habitat, and other features. But in mythology, birds were assigned a special role: it was the duck (ducks), according to legend, that took part in the creation of the world. They, born from the foam of the ocean or hatched from the acorns of heavenly oaks, dived into the depths of the sea and got the earth. According to one version, they fastened twigs and leaves with silt, thus building a nest, and according to another, the magic alatyr stone was raised to the surface, where it began to grow and grow.turned into earth. The guise of birds often took the souls of the dead, duck, for example, was strongly associated with the goddess Makosh.

Magic Birds

The human-faced bird is a special character. But, besides them, the world was inhabited by other birds. This is the Phoenix, or Finist, the Firebird, as well as a number of other creatures with outlandish names: Mogul, Griffin, Osprey, Kuva, Rattle, Boil, Nogai … Let's dwell on the most famous of them.

Phoenix. No, this is not a bird with a human face, but, nevertheless, the character is quite interesting and symbolic, however, like everything in our fairy tales and legends. She personifies immortality, eternal happiness and youth. Her plumage is fiery red, golden, she is fast, like lightning, like a ray of light. Finist symbolizes renewal and rebirth - nature, man, everything. According to the legends, the Phoenix takes the form of a bird during the day, but at night it appears as a beautiful prince. Sometimes he falls asleep, and wakes up only from the tears of a girl in love. Finist is a warrior, fighter, defender, guardian of justice and traditions, messenger of the gods and their assistant. Having grown old, he himself burns himself in order to be reborn and become even more beautiful, even younger.

The Firebird is another character in Slavic fairy tales. She lives in Heavenly Iry, has a golden plumage that sparkles all over the area, and crystal eyes. The radiance is blinding, but does not burn. This bird sings wonderfully, sometimes speaks with a human voice, sometimes turns into a girl-beauty. A creature can bewitch a person with a look or voice, but in captivity it rarely pleases people with its singing, it can grant a wish, and its feather brings happiness. The Firebird guards a tree with golden apples in the Garden of Eden, on which it feeds.

Prophetic Gamayun

This is a fabulous bird with a human face. She is the messenger of the gods, the messenger of heaven, that is, she conveyed the highest will to people. Gamayun was born along with our planet, so she knows everything and can even foretell the future. People go to her for advice, but you need to know how to ask her, and you need to understand the answer. And this fabulous bird with a human face lives near the sea, near the island of Buyan. When it flies across the sky, a storm rises on the earth. Her cry promises happiness to every person.

Bird Alkonost

This is another bird of paradise with a human face. Please note: it must be light! Has the head of a beautiful woman and iridescent plumage. It symbolizes joy and happiness, treats people well, helps, warns of misfortunes. She sings so melodicly that the listener forgets about all the troubles in the world. Alkonost - a fabulous bird of paradise with a human face - spends the winter in Heavenly Iry, and in spring returns to earth along with outlandish flowers. Happiness will be gained by the one who sees her, but she is very fast and flies away instantly.

Sirin

This dark bird with a human face in Slavicmythology symbolizes grief, sadness, she is the messenger of the king of the underworld. If a person meets her, it means that in the near future he is in danger. Sirin has a female head, her face is beautiful, but her body is birdlike. Her song is a consolation in grief, because it causes oblivion, it can predict fate. At the same time, Sirin's singing is dangerous for a person, although it is very melodic. This bird is similar to Alkonost, and they often travel together.

Stratim, or Strafil

Another bird with a human face is known in Slavic mythology - Stratim, or Strafil. This is a kind of progenitor of all mythical birds. She is gigantic and very mysterious, lives on the sea and can cover the whole world with her right wing. When she flaps her wings, the waves cover the water surface, and the cry of a bird causes a storm. The flight of Strafili causes a terrible flood, a deluge that is dangerous not only for ships, but also for cities.

Instead of afterword

We have considered only the most famous miracle birds in which they believed in Russia. As can be seen from the article, a meeting with each of them promised a change for a person. And whether they were good or not, it already depended on fate, as well as on the ingenuity of the traveler. If he managed to understand the song correctly, he was saved, if not, well, that's his lot.

Many birds of paradise are familiar to us from fairy tales, epics, legends. But there are also such characters that were mentioned in the annals. They flew to cities, sat on temples or huts, sang their enchanting songs. They came in dreamsto the rulers, warned of changes in the state. Maybe some of the readers will be able to hear the sweet singing of one of them. Just be careful not to scare away the fabulous creature!