All about history book of myths and legends. ( PDFDrive )

THE FIREBIRD

KEY CHARACTERS

There are several versions of the firebird

story, but they usually contain the same

key characters: the firebird, Ivan, the

king, the grey wolf, and Yelena. A

common theme is that Yelena’s hand

has been promised to the king

against her wishes, and so Ivan and

the wolf kidnap her. In some stories,

Yelena’s love for Ivan enables her to

escape from an unwelcome marriage.

In another version, Ivan is one of the

king’s sons, who has been tasked with catching the

firebird as a way of becoming the king’s heir. Ivan

succeeds and his brothers kill him when he wins

the princess, but the wolf’s magic revives him.

THE SUPERNATURAL WORLD
In this legend, the world of animals and plants
is full of supernatural powers, which have a
major influence on the way events turn out.
Foremost is the firebird itself, which lets
pearls fall from its beak and has feathers
that glow like flames. The apples are also
said to be special – they bring youth and
strength to those who eat them, so by
stealing the apples, the bird is symbolically stealing the
king’s power. Finally, the wolf is not sinister
(unlike in other tales), and uses its
shape-changing ability to help Ivan.

SLAVIC ANIMAL MYTHS
The firebird is one of several mythical creatures in
Slavic mythology that have miraculous abilities or
that reflect either the dangers of the countryside or
the mysterious power of the natural world. Traditional
Slavic tales include many locally familiar birds and
animals that take on specific characteristics in
folklore: proverbially crafty foxes, swift horses,
shape-changing wolves, and a
golden cockerel that crows to
warn a king of invasion.

STRAVINSKY

The composer Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971) was one

of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.

Starting with writing music for ballets on traditional

Slavic themes, he became famous for colourful

orchestration and strong rhythms, developing his

style in ways that changed the course of music. His

ballet The Firebird

(1910) was written

for the Paris-based

company, the

Ballets Russes,

and brought the

traditional Slavic

legend before a

global audience.

Ivan and Yelena

The story of the young

lovers travelling swiftly

through the night on the

back of the grey wolf

has long been a popular

subject for artists.

The unwitting bear

Sometimes slow and easy to deceive,

but always strong, bears were once

common throughout Europe and

appear occasionally in Slavic legends.

The magical wolf

The wolf was a complex symbol,

with links to both the dead and the

world of evil, as well as to good

and the overcoming of difficulties.

Apples of eternal youth

The apple tree bore golden

apples, which signified not

only strength and youth, but

also danger and folly.

The greedy king

The king wanted

to keep the firebird

because it was said

to bring happiness to

the owner, although

this turned out not

to be true for him.

A modern rendition of The Firebird

COCKEREL FROM

THE TOP OF SPIRE,

WATCHES ROUND

FOR THE FIRE.

IS THE DANGER

SEEN BY CHANCE,

FAITHFUL SENTRY

WAKES AT ONCE.

Alexander Pushkin, The Tale of the Golden Cockerel, 1834

The loyal cockerel
The golden cockerel that warned a king
about the arrival of his enemies became
the centrepiece of an opera by the Russian
composer Rimsky-Korsakov (1844–1908).

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