Alkonost – Mythical Bird Of Paradise In Slavic And Russian Folklore

A. Sutherland  - AncientPages.com - Alkonost is a sacred bird in the mythology of the Slavic people and one of the famous characters in Slavic myths and legends.

The creature has been portrayed as a beautiful bird with the head of a young maiden.

Alkonost. Russian Lubok of 18–19th Century. source

These mythical beings hypnotized people with powerful, beautiful singing and filled their hearts with love, joy, and happiness. Their perfect song had enough power to stop a war, while in another version, Alkonost's role is to torment the souls of the damned by singing terrible songs and giving them no rest.

Alkonost is believed to represent Bog Hors (Khors), the Light bird of joy in the 4-dimensional World of Yav' that surrounds us and contains people and other living beings.

Initially, Alkonost lived in the pagan Russian paradise on a mysterious island in the ocean. This island, known as Buyan, could appear and disappear using tides.

Viktor Vasnetsov's Sirin (left) and Alkonost (right) Birds of Joy and Sorrow (1896).

Alkonost is sometimes mistaken for Sirin, another of the Russian folk figures, also a resident of the underground world. The two resemble each other, but Alkonost was traditionally a bird of sorrow and melancholy. However, Sirin (a bird of joy and success) is Alkonost's sister's spirit and alter ego.

A long time ago, these two beings (probably introduced by traders from Persia in the 8th or 9th century) were considered sacred birds of fortune and adored side by side as powerful protective spirits. Alkonost guards good luck by day while Sirin does it at night. In old times, entrances to cottages of Russian peasants were traditionally decorated with carved wooden images of Alkonost and Sirin.

The origin of Alkonost probably derives from Greek myths that associate Alkonost with the Greek goddess Alcyone, who was transformed into a kingfisher.

During the winter, the mythical bird lays the eggs on the seashore and then rolls them to the bottom of the sea. The sea remains calm at that time, but after seven days, when the eggs hatch, heavy storms wreak terrible havoc, and the sea becomes extremely dangerous and impossible to traverse.

Therefore, in old Slavic beliefs, people made Alkonost responsible for the climate and the weather. The creature also had the power to calm storms and even the most furious hurricanes with the sound of her song.

In some beliefs, the eggs of Alkonost have a very symbolic meaning and represent the 'Wisdom of the World of Prav' that the bird shares with people living in the world of Yav (our world).

Bird Alkonost - Ivan Bilibin (1905). Credit: Public Domain

Like other mythological birds in Slavic legends and tales, Alkonost played an essential role in Russian folklore, even after adopting Christianity in 988.

As in many places, Christianity was not immediately accepted, and various pagan ceremonies were still practiced.

The early Christian church and many missionaries ordered the destruction of all pagan idols and sacred groves. It was an attempt to erase the pagan tradition.

Eventually, Christianity was forced to accept many ancient pagan deities and mixed them with Christian symbols, including depictions of beautiful mythical creatures in the form of half-women and half-birds.

Alkonost was 'relocated' from the magical island Buyan to the Garden of Eden. She served as God's messenger, traveling to Earth to sing beautiful songs to saints, foretelling their happy future in paradise.

Under the strong influence of Christian and old pagan beliefs, Alkonost and other fabulous birds became patrons of the Slavs, who considered them divine beings with extraordinary powers or even archangels from paradise.

Today, images of divine half-birds and half-women remain in Russian folklore and the Russian Orthodox Church tradition as creatures personifying God's will.

Written by – A. Sutherland  - AncientPages.com Senior Staff Writer

Updated on January 24, 2024

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