Slavic mythology describes the firebird as a beautiful
creature with a long tail and stunning red, yellow, and
orange feathers that glow as if on fire. The firebird
inspires wonder in all who see it, causing them
to desire it. But it is not easy to capture, and
those who do manage to catch it often have to face
a multitude of problems that come in its wake.The Firebird
CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPEFairytale castle
Mythical figures like the king
live in fairytale castles, the
grounds of which cannot be
entered, except by fantastic
creatures such as the firebird.The firebird
Artists usually draw the firebird as a predominantly
red and orange creature shaped rather like a peacock,
with a long tail adorned with eye-shaped patterns.and was able to catch his quarry since
the firebird became drunk after feeding
on the beer-soaked cheese. Then Ivan
climbed onto the wolf’s back and the wolf
took him to the king’s palace. The king was very pleased,
and locked the firebird in a specially-made golden cage.IVAN AND YELENA
The king then sent Ivan on another errand – to fetch a
beautiful princess named Yelena, who lived far away across
the ocean, and who the king wanted to marry. The grey
wolf helped Ivan yet again, taking him to Yelena, and
carrying both Ivan and the princess on the return journey.
During their travels, Ivan and Yelena fell in love.
But they were faced with a dilemma since the king was
waiting to marry Yelena. Once more, the wolf had a plan
to aid Ivan. When they reached the palace, the wolf
revealed itself to be a shape-changer and transformed
into a very beautiful princess, whom Ivan presented to
the king. The king proposed marriage, and when the
“wolf-princess” accepted, took her straight to church.
But as the king was about to kiss his bride, she turned
back into the wolf, and the king died instantly of shock.
After the king’s death, Ivan became ruler in his place,
and married his beloved Yelena. He was very grateful
to the firebird, which was the catalyst for the adventures
that had culminated in his marriage and coronation.
So King Ivan set the creature free, turning a blind eye
to the golden apples that would frequently go missing.THE MYTH
There was once a king who owned a wonderful apple
orchard that he was especially proud of, because one of
its trees bore golden apples. But each night, he found that
some of the golden apples would disappear. So the king
commanded Ivan, a stable boy, to guard the tree at night.
The first night that Ivan stood guard in the orchard, a
firebird came and stole some apples. Ivan attempted to
grab the bird, but the creature was so swift that he could
only catch hold of a single feather as it flew away. Ivan
delivered the feather to the king who marvelled at it and
dispatched Ivan to find and capture the firebird.CATCHING THE FIREBIRD
After he had travelled a few miles on his quest for the
firebird, Ivan came across a grey wolf, who told him
how to catch the bird. Ivan would have to soak some
cheese in beer and scatter the food on the ground to
tempt the firebird. Ivan followed the wolf’s instructions78