Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Fire Bird Russian Fairy Tales by Igor Yershov Firebird. The firebird is a magical bird with golden feathers and crystal eyes that appears in many Russian folk stories. Several of the tales involve young Prince Ivan, son of the tsar, or leader of Russia. In one story, the firebird stole magical golden apples from the tsar's garden. The tsar promised his kingdom to the son who could catch the firebird. The youngest son, Ivan, found a magic gray wolf, which helped him capture the bird. While Ivan and the wolf were on their journey, they met a beautiful princess and a horse with a golden mane. When Ivan's two jealous brothers saw them, they killed Ivan and took the horse and princess for themselves. The wolf found Ivan and brought him back to life just in time to stop Ivan's older brother from marrying the princess. When their father heard the full story, he imprisoned his two evil sons and allowed Ivan to marry the princess. In another tale, Ivan captured the firebird in a castle garden but set it free in exchange for a magic feather from the firebird. Thirteen princesses came out of the casde and told Ivan that the owner was an evil magician who turned people into stone. But Ivan, who fell in love with one of the princesses, ignored the warning and decided to face the magician and his demons. The magic feather protected Ivan, and the firebird cast a spell on the demons. When the bird showed the prince an egg that contained the magician's soul, Ivan broke the egg, killing the magician and freeing the princesses. The Firebird in Context. Although the main character of many tales about the firebird is a young prince, the tales themselves also offer an appealing message to more common people. In some tales, the firebird steals from the rich—as with the golden apples from the tsar's garden—and gives those riches to the peasants. The firebird is also believed to drop pearls from its beak when passing over peasant villages, to give the poor something to trade for food and other necessities. In this way, the firebird is a folk hero for the Russian people. Key Themes and Symbols. In Russian folklore, the firebird represents a treasure that is rare and difficult to possess. This is emphasized by descriptions of the bird, which often refer to its golden or glowing feathers and eyes that resemble jewels. The fact that just one of its feathers contains magic suggests the great power of the bird. The color gold is used repeatedly in the tales of the firebird to indicate not only material riches, but also magical power. The Firebird in Art, Literature, and Everyday Life. Folktales about the firebird inspired Russian composer Igor Stravinsky to write a ballet called The Firebird in 1910. The animated Disney film Fantasia 2000 used a suite of Stravinsky's music from The Firebird as the inspiration and score for its final segment. “Firebird” has also been used as the name of a car created by Pontiac, a Marvel Comics superheroine, and a line of electric guitars made by Gibson. Read, Write, Think, Discuss. In Russian mythology, the firebird is a one-of-a-kind creature that is rarely seen. In recent times, some birds have been discovered to be nearly extinct, often because humans have destroyed their natural habitats. Do you think humans should be required to protect animal species that exist only in small numbers, or do you think extinction should be allowed to happen as a natural part of the animal world? Does your opinion depend upon whether or not humans helped contribute to the disappearance of the species? The Firebird: Magical Protagonist of Russian Fairy Tales. Russian fairy tales feature a magical glowing bird from a faraway land, the Firebird. Inna Voltchkova Aug 12, 2020 - 3 min read. Two Russian lacquerware boxes showing the Firebird, a favorite character in Russian fairy tales, art, and music. Collection of Galina A. Khmeleva. Photos by Joe Coca. The Firebird (жар-пти΄ца; zhar-ptitsa), a magical glowing bird from a faraway land, is a fixture in Russian fairy tales. It is a marvel, highly coveted, but it turns out to be both a blessing and a bringer of doom to its captor. The quest for the Firebird typically is initiated by the hero’s finding one of the bird’s tail feathers. He then sets out to find and capture the bird itself, sometimes of his own accord but more often on the bidding of a father or king. Initially charmed by the wonder of the Firebird’s feather, the hero eventually blames the bird for his subsequent troubles. Tales involving the Firebird follow the classic scheme of a fairy tale: the feather portending a hard journey, magical helpers met on the way assisting in finding and capturing the prize, and the return from the faraway land with the prize. Inna Voltchkova’s knitted Firebird Feather Scarf captures the beauty of the mythical creature. She adapted this scarf from a pattern (Pero Zhar- Ptitsy, “Feather of Firebird”) that she found in a Russian knitting book published in 1956. It’s her tribute to the centuries-old Russia fairy tale about the magnificent Firebird. Find the pattern in the September/October 2010 issue of PieceWork. Two of the best-known Firebird tales are and the Gray Wolf and The Firebird and Princess Vasilisa. Among the many illustrations of Russian fairy tales by Ivan Bilibin (1876–1942) is one titled Ivan Tsarevich Catching the Firebird’s Feather. The Firebird also has inspired other literary and musical works, including The Humpbacked Horse by Pyotr Yershov (1815–1869) and Igor Stravinsky’s(1882–1971) beloved 1910 ballet score, The Firebird. In paintings and lacquerware, the Firebird usually is depicted as a medium-sized, multicolored peacock with a crested head and tail feathers with glowing “eyes.” Inna Voltchkova , who was born in Kiev, Ukraine, and started knitting when she was ten years old, is a graduate of the Kiev Institute of Fashion Design and Technology. She moved to the United States in 1991 and now lives in Illinois. This was published in the September/October 2010 issue of PieceWork . Firebird: Symbolism in & Mythology. In the Slavic pagan folklore, the character of Firebird embodied the magical and supernatural spirit of a heavenly bird which was lightened by glowing fires. It was believed that the Firebird came from the heavens or distant lands and was a symbol of a blessing or a threat of doom for a person who dares to capture it (it’s like 50/50 your life would improve or you would die horribly). In this article, I am going to talk about the firebird, a character that appears in a number of Russian folk tales as a magical bird with golden feathers and crystal eyes. Some versions of the tales include the son of the Russian tsar, Prince Ivan. If you are interested in learning more about the folklore characters of Slavs, mythology, and legends, be sure to check out one of these articles: : Slavic and Russian Witch or : Mythical Slavic Mermaid & Czech Opera. Table of Contents. The First Recorded Version of the Story. In the mid-19th century, the Russian Slavist and ethnographer who created one of the largest collections of folklore in the world (with nearly 600 Russian fairy and folk tales), made the first recording of one of the story versions of Firebird. The story was called “The Firebird, the Horse of Power and the Princess Vasilisa”, a heroic quest popular among readers of Slavic folk tales [1]. This story was one of many that featured the mythical Firebird. Firebird Mythology and Symbols: Fire and Wisdom. The Firebird burns with grandiose flames that shine so bright that they light up all that surrounds it. The Firebird legend talks about birds that bring good fortune but also doom (again, a big difference, it’s like this firebird is a moody bird). In a nutshell, Slavs believed that the firebird signified the beginning of a long and troubled journey. In this fairy tale and several versions of folk stories where the firebird is a staple mythological character, other animals of power also appeared. Animals like the gray wolf or the horse with a golden mane, both of whom were considered to be blessed creatures of nature. The Firebird and the Magical Golden Apples. In this version of the Firebird fairy tales, the firebird steals the magical golden apples from the garden of the Tsar. The Tsar was angry and he asked his youngest son, Ivan to help him catch the bird, promising to give him his kingdom in return. Ivan found a magic gray wolf who helped him capture the firebird. While the boy and the gray wolf were on their quest, they met a beautiful princess and a horse with a golden mane. The Ivans’ two brothers were jealous of his happiness and good fortune. That is why they killed him and took away the princess and the horse. The wolf found Ivan and brought him back to life so he could stop his brother from marrying the princess. When their father found out what happened, he locked away his two sons and let Ivan marry the princess. You can listen to the story below: The Firebird and the Castle Garden. In another one of these folk stories, Ivan captures the firebird in a castle garden but releases it in exchange for a magic feather from the firebird. Thirteen beautiful princesses appeared from the garden and told Ivan that an evil magician owns the castle and that he turns people into stone. Ivan fell in love with the most beautiful princess and decided to face the magician and his evil demonic companions. The magic feather protected Ivan and the firebird enchanted the demons. The firebird brought an egg to Ivan and told him that it contained the soul of the magician. Ivan broke it, thus killing the magician and freeing the princess. The Lessons in the Story of the Firebird. Prince Ivan is the main character in most of the firebird folklore tales, however, each tale has messages and lessons about the everyday life of common people. In some of these tales, the firebird drops pearls from its beak, while flying over peasant villages, in order to give the poor villagers money to get some food. In addition, another tale represents the bird as a creature that steals from the rich (like the golden apples), and gives the fruits to the poor peasants. To sum up, the firebird in Slavic folklore is represented as some sort of a folk hero (mostly in the Russian tradition). Key Themes and Symbols of the Russian Firebird. In Russian folklore, this bird symbolizes a treasure that is difficult to find and own. Therefore, the bird is described as a creature whose body is made of gold and whose eyes look like precious stones. Its power lies in each of its magical feathers, which are golden since the gold color indicates wealth and magical powers. Phoenix and the Slavic Firebird. Phoenix Firebird and Firebird – Russian Mythology Character. Although it’s a legendary mythology bird, the Phoenix is often mentioned as similar or synonymous with the Firebird. It is important to emphasize the fact that these two are different creatures in the world of mythology. What they have in common is fire. In contrast to the firebird, the main element of the phoenix is his immortality. When these magical birds would feel that their lives are ending, they would burn themselves to ashes only to be reborn again from it. The phoenix is an ancient legendary creature. It is believed to have originated from ancient Africa. The Ethiopians were the first to spread the legend to Egypt (and from there all the way to Greece, south and western Europe). The firebirds are creatures of Slavic mythology, mainly present in the old Russian and Ukrainian fairy tales. They were represented as birds made of living fire or light. Finding a firebird’s feather meant that you have found the everlasting magical light that will never cease. Modern Fantasy and Urban Folklore. In the so-called modern fantasy or urban mythology, the legends of ancient times are reconstructed and revisited by contemporary authors. Thus, these two creatures have eventually become the same. However, this is mainly due to the cultural dominance of the character of the Phoenix over the one of the Slavic firebird. The Phoenix is known in medieval Europe, whose citizens knew about the Greek and Egyptian myths (the Slavic folklore and legends were not as widely spread). Firebird as Inspiration in Art. The folktales about the firebird inspired the classic Russian composer Igor Stravinsky to write the ballet called “The Firebird” in 1910 [2]. “The Firebird”, also known as “Rajska zlatna ptica” meaning “Heavenly Golden Bird” is a ballet that was written for the Ballets Russes company in Paris. Igor Stravinsky collaborated with the choreographer Michel Fokine and the screenplay writer Alexandre Benois. The screenplay was based on the Russian fairy tales of the firebird, with a focus on the contrast of a blessing and a curse. The premiere was at the Opera of Paris on 25th June 1910. The ballet became instantly renowned and brought international popularity to Igor Stravinsky. Creation. The ballet was a combination of the folk tale and the Russian legend of “ the Immortal” whose main character is the Immortal Koschei, the archetypal male antagonist in Russian folklore. The ballet focuses on the quest of Prince Ivan and the magical, yet an evil world of Immortal Koschei whose soul lies in the magical egg hidden in a casket in the forest. Behind the Scenes of “The Firebird” Private sneak previews of “The Firebird” were organized for the press and critics. On one of those occasions, the French critic Robert Brussel wrote: The composer, young, slim, and uncommunicative, with vague meditative eyes, and lips set firm in an energetic looking face, was at the piano. But the moment he began to play, the modest and dimly lit dwelling glowed with a dazzling radiance. By the end of the first scene, I was conquered: by the last, I was lost in admiration. The manuscript on the music-rest, scored over with fine pencillings, revealed a masterpiece. Russian fairy tales. Skazka. Russian fairy tales characters. Russian folklore. Popular characters of Russian tales. Russian fairy tales is the integral part of and Russian literature, the instrument that often helps understand the Russian character, traditions etiquette as well as Russian sense of humor. Russian SKAZKA (a fairy tale ) comes from the verb "to say" -- skazat' and has the same root. Russian fairy tales are the result of Slavic heritage and tradition as well have numerous foreign sources. It results in similar plots with French, , Italian and English tales with characters and essentials of Russian way of life, customs and beliefs. Skazki were told during the public evens like trade fairs by skazatchnikhi, or, skomorokih, (bard or minstrel). And at homes by grand moms and nannies. Russian fairy tales were traditionally told only after dark, when younger children were asleep. Types and structure of Russian tales: Russian fairy tales are separated into several categories—volshebniyi skazki, or "magical tales", skazki o zhivotnykh, or "tales about animals",” and bytovye skazki, or "tales of everyday life", etc. Russian fairy tales typically have a similar structure: The introduction that sets the time and place: "In a certain tsardom, in a certain country, there lived and dwelt. ’ or, ‘In the thrice-nine tsardom in the thrice-ten country there lived and dwelt. ’” The main part usually tells us about the travels or adventures of the main hero. Russian folktales end in a manner similar to the common end of English folktales (and then they lived happily ever after). However frequently show that storyteller had a physical presence at the event, and emphasize the "real" nature of these events : "The wedding was held at once. I was at that wedding, too. I drank beer and mead; they flowed down my beard but did not go into my mouth." Characters in Russian fairy tales. Firebirds, witches, dradons, princesses and princes, magic woods and animals: all of these and more are elements that make the environment of Russian fairy tales. Many characters and plot lines are similar to those found in fairy tales the world over. However, the fairy tales of Russia possess a number of unique characters, bred by Slavic tradition and beliefs - including Baba Yaga, Koshchei the Deathless, and various spirits such as , vodyaniye, leshiye, and domovieye, to name only a few. The main hero of a Russian folk tale is usually Ivan the price, or Ivan the peasant's son, Prince Ivan the Bold or Ivan the fool. This is usually a courageous, kind and a noble man that beats all the enemies and wins the happiness and the main heroine. Quite usually, however he is being helped by animals, magicians and in fact does not do anything special except for just being kind. A very important figure of a is a woman - the princess or just a simple peasant. This is always a beautiful, kind, faithful, sacrificing witty and very hard working heroine. She is the one the main hero relies on, gets counseling, advice, comfort from, and is finally loved by. She is Vasilisa the Wise, Elena the Beautiful, Maria Morevna or The Blue-eyed. Baba Yaga ("Granny Yaga") is the iconic witch of Slavic fairy tales. "Baba Yaga Kostinaya Noga," or "Baba Yaga Bony Leg" is a cranky old witch who flies around on a giant broomstick-like contraption and is often portrayed offering advice to travellers who stumble across her log cabin in the forest. She possesses gnashing steel teeth, and penetrating eyes. She sometimes kidnaps small children to eat them and lives in a hut that moves around on chicken legs. Yaga's home is a mobile hut perched upon chicken legs. Baba Yaga is a complex individual: depending on the circumstances of the specific story, she may choose to use her powers for good or ill. Sometimes she favors the main hero and lands a hand in his endeavour. Still the best screen interpretation of evil fairy tale characters belongs to famous Soviet movie actor Georgy Millyar. His Baba Yaga in "Vasilisa prekrasnaya" (1939) and "Morozko" (1965) as well as Koshchey the Deathless in "Ogon, voda i. mednye truby" (1968), "Kashchey bessmertnyy" (1945) "Chudo Yudo in Varvara-krasa, dlinnaya kosa" (1969) remain most feared, truthful and loed by the audience. Another evil character of Russian tales is - Kashchey the Deathless (Russian: Кащей бессмертный, Kashchey bessmertnïy), aka Kashchey the Immortal, aslo as well as Tzar Koschei. This is an evil, ugly old wizard, who menaces principally young women. In the plot of Russian tales Koshchey kidnaps the main heroine and wants to marry her against her will. Koschei cannot be killed by conventional means targeting his body. His soul is hidden separate from his body inside a needle, which is in an egg, which is in a duck, which is in a hare, which is in an iron chest (sometimes the chest is crystal and/or gold), which is buried under a green oak tree, which is on the island of , in the ocean. As long as his soul is safe, he cannot die. If the chest is dug up and opened, the hare will bolt away. If it is killed, the duck will emerge and try to fly off. Anyone possessing the egg has Koschei in their power. He begins to weaken, becomes sick and immediately loses the use of his magic. If the egg is tossed about, he likewise is flung around against his will. If the egg or needle is broken (in some tales this must be done by specifically breaking it against Koschei's forehead), Koschei will die. He keeps his death in the egg and can be won only after the main hero finds it. In the well-known Russian fairy tale "Frog Princess" or "Tsarevna Frog" (Царевна Лягушка) Koshchey turns the young beautiful princess, his daughter into a frog as a punishment. The frog accidentally picks the arrow of Ivan Tsarevich, who had shot it along with his brothers to find a bride and becomes his wife. With the help pf magic, the Frog Princess manages all the tasks assigned by the king-father and is close to becoming a princess again. However Ivan Tsarevich burns the skin and looses his beautifil bride. The further plot of the tale is about his search of the Frog Princess and defeating Koshchey to save her. Also there is Gorynych the dragon, a monster with 3 heads, Leshuy, the forest troll, - the swamp troll, mermaids, kikimoras (swamp mermaids), (a small, often amiable home goblin), Kot-Bajun ets. A popular character of many Russian tales, Kot Bayun has a dual personality. In Russian "bayukat'" means puts to sleep. Or "bayat'" - tell the stories. On the one hand, this giant cannibal cat lulls to sleep the knights with with its magic voice and then kills them. The bravest ones, that manage to catch the cat, obtain the chance to cure the illnesses as the cat's tales have the healing power. Kot Bayun is a frequent character sof many Russian tales and is most likely the prototype of the learned cat in the introduction to Pushkin poem "Ruslan and Liudmila". Another magic animal that is often a object of a difficult quest for the main hero (Ivan the fool, Ivan the Prince, Andrew the Soldier) is a Fire Bird (Russian: жар-пти́ ца, zhar-ptitsa, literally heat bird). The Fire Bird is a magical glowing bird from a faraway land that glows brightly emitting red, orange, and yellow light, like a bonfire. The feathers do not cease glowing if removed, and one feather can light a large room if not concealed. One the main hero finds a single feather of the Fire Bird, he becomes obsessed by the idea of getting the whole creature. Most often he sets off to capture a Fire Bird on the bidding of a father or king. The story of the Firebird quest has inspired literary works, including "The Little Humpback Horse" by Pyotr Yershov. Composer Igor Stravinsky achieved early success with a large-scale ballet score called The Firebird. All time favourite characters of Russian folklore are legendary (i.e. medieval Russian knights-errant), the epic heroes of Russian : , and Alyosha Popovich. Ilya Muromets is regarded as the greatest of all the legendary bogatyrs. According to legends, Ilya, the son of a farmer, was born in the village of Karacharovo, near Murom. He suffered serious illness in his youth and was unable to walk until the age of 33 (till then he could only lie on a Russian oven), when he was miraculously healed by two pilgrims. He was then given super-human strength by a dying knight, , and set out to liberate the city of Kiev from Idolishche to serve Prince Vladimir the Fair Sun (Vladimir Krasnoye Solnyshko). Along the way he single- handedly defended the city of Chernigov from nomadic invasion (possibly by Polovtsi) and was offered knighthood by the local ruler, but Ilya declined to stay. In the forests of Bryansk he then killed the forest-dwelling monster Nightingale the Robber (Solovei-Razboinik), who could murder travellers with his powerful whistle. Although Ilya's adventures are mostly a matter of epic fiction, he himself is believed to have been a historical person: a 12th century warrior and, in older age, a monk named Ilya Pechorsky. Dobrynya Nikitich is another popular from the Kievan Rus era after Ilya Murometz. He is an excellent archer, swimmer, and wrestler, plays the gusli, plays tafl, and is known for his courtesy and cunning. Historians believe that this personage evolved from the Slavic warlord Dobrynya, who led the armies of Svyatoslav the Great and tutored his son Vladimir the Fair Sun. Alyosha Popovich (Alexey, son of the priest), is the youngest of the 3 main bogatyrs of Kiev Rus. In Russian folklore he is described as a crafty priest's son who wins by tricking and outsmarting his foes. He is known for his agility, slyness, and craftiness. Alyosha Popovich is fun-loving, sometimes being depicted as a "mocker of women," and may occasionally be a liar and a cheat. He defeated the dragon Tugarin Zmeyevich by trickery. In later versions the dragon was transformed into the figure of a Mongol Khan. The characters of Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich have been the endless source of inspiration for Russian art, cinema and animation. Two characters of traditional Russian Fairy tale Jack Frost (Russian: Морозко, Morozko) and Snegurochka can be taken for New Year and Christmas essentials: Father Frost (Russian: Дед Мороз, diminutive: Dedushka Moroz) and Snow Maiden, his granddaughter. However as a fairy tale character Snegurochka does not relate directly to the Ded Moroz legend. According to the tale of "Snegurochka", or The Snow Maiden is the daughter of Spring and Winter who appears to a childless couple as a winter blessing. Unable or forbidden to love, Snegurochka remains indoors with her human parents until the pull of the outdoors and the urge to be with her peers becomes unbearable. When she falls in love with a human boy, she melts. The story of Snegurochka has been adapted into plays, movies, and an opera by Rimsky-Korsakov. Father Frost (aka Jack Frost)(Russian: Морозко, Morozko) is a character of traditional Russian Fairy tale. He is separated from the people living along in his solitary estate. However he may interfere into the people's loves balancing the good and the evil. Morozko awards the kind girl for her obedience, kind heart and hard work while freezes to death the evil and jealous one. For sure most favorite among the junior children is the character of Russian tales is Kolobok ("round-sided"). This a funny round creature made of dough is the main character of the tale named after it. It is baked by an old woman planning to feed her husband, but gets alive and excapes his creators. Kolobok meets various animals, all wanting to eat it and is finally eaten by the most inventive of all - the fox. The plot of "Kolobok" is simiar in East Slavic national fairy tales as well as English ("Gingerbread Man") and German ("Dicke fette Pannekauken, blief stahn, eck will di fräten!"). There are many beautiful women in different nations, but Russian beauty has its own peculiarities and distinctive features. Since ancient times, many artists and poets admired the extraordinary beauty and intelligence of a Russian girl, and It's not just that she is very beautiful by nature. Russian girls are able to downcast eyes like delinquent children, it seems they are about to cry, their eyes barely restrain turquoise tears that came out of the permafrost, centuries of grief. Many ordinary Russian traditions evoke surprise and incomprehension of foreigners. Russian women love to dress up. For example, a nice dress and high heels they consider appropriate attire for a simple stroll or even for ordinary trip to the store. Russian girl is a flower, leaning over the weak men, they forgive them and twirl them as they wish. True love feeling will evolve if you find the right partner. It's not easy and it takes a lot of time. Joint travel can greatly help with this. Almost everyone loves to travel, and the young, attractive girls, probably more than anyone else. This is, perhaps, not only because they are the most receptive to everything new, beautiful and unknown, not hamstrung by conventions and stereotypes, but also due to the fact that unlike others may travel not only to something see but also be seen. DISCLAIMER: The information contained on this site is for educational purposes only. The author provides no warranty about the content or accuracy of content enclosed. Please be advised that this is not "dating site" nor "dating personals site" nor "Russian mail order brides sites" in any way. This is not "date single person" nor "free dating online" nor "friendfinder" nor any other sort of "matrimonial" or "marriage" sites either. We don't offer any matchmaking services. We only offer information as we know it and show you some pictures. It's all free - no fees, no charges. Firebird (Slavic folklore) Ivan Bilibin's illustration to a Russian fairy tale about the Firebird, 1899.

In Slavic folklore, the Firebird (Russian: Жар-пти́ ца, Zhar-ptitsa ; Ukrainian; Жар-пти́ ця, Zhar-ptica ; Serbian: Жар-птица or Žar-ptica; Croatina: Žar ptica ; Bulgarian: Жар-птица, Zhar-ptitsa ; Macedonian: Жар-птица, Žar-ptica ; Polish: Żar-ptak;;; Czech: Pták Ohnivák ; Slovak; Vták Ohnivák ; Slovene; Rajska/zlata-ptica ) is a magical glowing bird from a faraway land, which is both a blessing and a bringer of doom to its captor. Some believe it can see the future. The Firebird is described as a large bird with majestic plumage that glows brightly emitting red, orange, and yellow light, like a bonfire that is just past the turbulent flame. The feathers do not cease glowing if removed, and one feather can light a large room if not concealed. In later iconography, the form of the Firebird is usually that of a smallish fire-colored peacock, complete with a crest on its head and tail feathers with glowing "eyes". The story of the Firebird inspired many literary works, including "The Little Humpback Horse" by Pyotr Yershov. The most famous production of the Firebird was by Sergei Diaghilev of Ballets Russes who commissioned composer Igor Stravinsky to create the enormously popular large-scale ballet score known as The Firebird . Contents. Fairy tales. A typical role of the Firebird in fairy tales is as an object of a difficult quest. The quest is usually initiated by finding a lost tail feather, at which point the hero sets out to find and capture the live bird, sometimes of his own accord, but usually on the bidding of a father or king. The Firebird is a marvel, highly coveted, but the hero, initially charmed by the wonder of the feather, eventually blames it for his troubles. The Firebird tales follow the classical scheme of fairy tale, with the feather serving as a premonition of a hard journey, with magical helpers met on the way who help in travel and capture of the Bird, and returning from the faraway land with the prize. There are many versions of the Firebird story as it was primarily told orally in the beginning. One version is the tale of Ivan Tsarevich and the Grey Wolf . Suzanne Massie retells another story of the Firebird legend. A modest and gentle orphan girl named Maryushka lives in a small village. People would come from all over to buy her embroidery, and many merchants asked her to come away and work for them. She told them all that she would sell to any who found her work beautiful, but she would never leave the village of her birth. One day the evil sorcerer Kaschei the Immortal heard of Maryushka's beautiful needlework and transformed himself into a beautiful young man and visited her. Upon seeing her ability he became enraged that a mere mortal could produce finer work than he himself possessed. He tried to tempt her by offering to make her Queen if she would embroider for him alone, but she refused saying she never wanted to leave her village. Because of this last insult to his ego he turned Maryushka into a Firebird, and himself into a great black Falcon, picked her up in his talons, and stole her away from her village. To leave a memory of herself with her village forever she shed her feathers onto the land below. As the last feather fell Maryushka died in the falcon's talons. The glowing rainbow feathers were magic and remain undimmed, but show their colors only to those who love beauty and seek to make beauty for others. [1] Irina Zheleytova translates another version, The Firebird and Princess Vasilisa. In this version a king's archer is on a hunt and runs across a firebird's feather. The archer's horse warns the archer not to touch it, as bad things will happen. The archer ignores the advice and takes it to bring back to the king so he will be praised and rewarded. When the king is presented with the feather he demands the entire firebird or the death of the archer. The archer weeps to his horse, who instructs him to put corn on the fields in order to capture the firebird. The firebird comes down to eat, allowing the archer to capture the bird. When the king is presented with the firebird he demands that the archer fetch the Princess Vassilissa so the king may marry her; otherwise, the archer will be killed. The archer goes to the princess' lands and drugs her with wine to bring her back to the king. The king is pleased and rewards the archer; however, when the princess awakes and realizes she is not home she begins to weep. If she is to be married she wants her wedding dress, which is under a rock in the middle of the Blue Sea. Once again the archer weeps to his horse and fulfills his duty to his king and brings back the dress. The princess is stubborn and refuses to marry the king even with her dress until the archer is dipped in boiling water. The archer begs to see his horse before he is boiled and the horse puts a spell on the archer to protect him from the water. The archer comes out more handsome than anyone had ever seen. The king sees this and jumps in as well but is instead boiled alive. The archer is chosen to be king and marries the princess and they live happily ever after. [2] Prince Ivan returning on a magic carpet with the caged firebird. The Firebird concept has parallels in Iranian legends of magical birds, in the Brothers Grimm fairy tale about The Golden Bird, and related Russian magical birds like the . The story of the quest itself is closely paralleled by Armenian Hazaran Blbul. In the Armenian tale, however, the bird does not glow, but rather makes the land bloom through its song. In Czech folklore, it is called Pták Ohnivák (Fire-like Bird) and appears, for example, in a Karel Jaromír Erben fairy tale, also as an object of a difficult quest. Moreover, in the beginning of this fairy tale, the bird steals magical golden apples belonging to a king and is therefore pursued by the king's servants in order to protect the precious apples. The story of the firebird comes in many forms. Some folk tales say that the Firebird is a mystical bird that flies around a king's castle and at night swoops down and eats all the king's golden apples. Others say that the firebird is just a bird that flies around giving hope to those who need it. Some additions to that legend say that when the firebird flies around, his eyes sparkle and pearls fall from his beak. The pearls would then fall to the peasants, giving them something to trade for goods or services. In the most common version of the legend, a Tsar commands his three sons to capture the firebird that keeps flying down from above and eating his apples. The golden apples are in the Tsar's orchard and give youth and strength to all who eat them. The sons end up barely missing the bird, but they catch one of his feathers that glows in the night. They take it to a dark room and it lights the room completely. Literary and musical works. The story of the Firebird quest has inspired literary works, including "The Little Humpback Horse" by Pyotr Yershov. The most famous production of the Firebird was the production by Sergei Diaghilev of Ballet Russe who commissioned composer Igor Stravinsky to create the enormously popular large-scale ballet score called The Firebird . In Stravinsky's ballet The Firebird , the creature is half-woman, half- bird. She is captured by Prince Ivan, but set free and gives him a magic feather, which he uses to defeat the spell of Kaschei the Immortal. Prince Ivan then marries the most beautiful of twelve princesses. In popular culture. The Firebird is central to the 1997 computer adventure game The Last Express .