The Legend behind Alkonost And Gamayun - The Bird Maidens of Slavic Folklore

Hello Fellow Steemians, today i would like to take you in a historical journey back in time, to the time of the Slavic gods and mythical creatures to tell you about the Mythical Birds of the Slavic folklore "Alkonost And Gamayun"

Viktor Vasnetsov. Sirin and Alkonost Birds of Joy and Sorrow | Wikipedia

The Maiden Bird Akonost

In Slavic mythology Alkonost is described as a beautiful woman, she has a body of a bird and she lived in Rai "Heaven", where the sun set in the evening and from where it was reborn the next day. it was believed that Rai is the place where the dead rest and where to be reborn again. She has a mesmerizing voice which can be haired from the other world. Her voice brought joy and happiness to the heart of men making them forget everything, but it brought pain, despair, and torture to the evil souls. She laid her eggs on a beach on the edge of the sea, and then placed them in the depth of the ocean.

The Ancient Origins Of The Alkonost

Halycone - Herbert James Draper (1864-1920) | Source

The origin of the Alkonost goes back to "Alcyone" from The Greek Mythology. She is the daughter of Enarete and Aeolus "The God Of Wind" and she was the wife of the King Ceyx. There are two stories regarding the transformation of Alcyone and Ceyx into birds (kingfisher). According to the first story, while the king Ceyx was sailing across the sea, his boat was hit by a thunderbolt thrown by Zeus. The reason behind Zeus's wrath was that Ceyx and Alcyone compared themselves with the gods Zeus and Hera, and the other side of the story says that the shipwreck simply was an accident. When Alcyone found the body of her husband floating on the sea, she jumped into the water and was transformed into a halcyon and when she touched his body he was transformed as well into a halcyon "kingfisher".

The Alkonost ,Sirens and Sirin

The Alkonost was compared with the sirens due to the fact that both them has a magical and enchanting voice. on the other hand, according to the Russian legends the Sirin took a shape of an awl with a woman's head and chest.They were considered as a symbol of beauty and happiness. They descended directly from heaven singing prophetic and enchanting songs to the saints, bringing happiness and joy to the heart of the chosen few, but on the other hand, their songs brought death and demise to mortals.

Gamayun

According to the Russian folklore, Gamayun took a shape of a bird with a woman's head and She lives on an island near Eden. She resembles the symbol of harmony, peace, and joy. she considered as the gods' messenger. She is all seeing and knowing of everything that happened in the world of gods and men. She is considered as the keeper of secrets regarding the creation of the world of man, and their own creation as well. she is a magical and divine being with an enchanting voice, her voice and words can only be understood and comprehend by a few men, as she brings good fortune and prosperity for the one who can understand her words of wisdom.

Alkonost And Gamayun in Christianity

These Mythical creatures had their roots go deep in the old Russian society especially after Christianity was introduced in 988 AD. In the beginning, the Russian pagans refuse to accept the teaching of Christ as they believed in nature and it's elements "fire, wind,rain", but eventually the church persuaded them to accept Christianity by introducing their gods and other Slavic beings in the teaching of the church. The church used the Alkonost as a symbol of the Holy Spirit in the books of the Christian gospel from the 12th to 13th centuries and the Alkonost was considered as a manifestation of God’s will.

Alkonost and the Gamayun are among the most significant archangels in paradise.
By Daniil Andreev in the esoteric Christian-Buddhist cosmography "Roza Mira"

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