What does a firebird mean? The image of the firebird among various peoples

Sarsembayeva Elmira

The work examines the image of the Firebird in Russian folk and literary fairy tales, mythology different countries and applied creativity.

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I. Introduction.

II. Main part:

II.1. Who is the Firebird?

II.2. Firebird in fairy tales.

II.3. Firebird in mythology.

II.4. The image of the Firebird in everyday life, culture and creativity of the Russian people.

III. Conclusion.

IV. Informational resources.

V. Applications.

1. INTRODUCTION

Fairy tales are a centuries-old encyclopedia of folk life, but the encyclopedia is lively and entertaining. A magical and truthful, funny and instructive fairy tale is passed on from mouth to mouth, from generation to generation. I think every child experiences a special magical charm from listening and reading Russian folk tales. Heroes of fairy tales travel through the fairy-tale world, perform feats and find themselves in various adventures.

Most of all I love folk fairy tales. After all, in them good always triumphs over evil. Good always receives a reward for its actions.

Fairy tales are a special type of oral folk art. They came to us from the distant past. This is how our ancestors expressed their attitude to reality, to the world around them, and tried to explain the main laws of life. Reality changed, fairy tales changed, but the main meaning always remained: unbridled faith in goodness, in the strength of spirit, in love.

Fairy tales are also a magnificent embodiment of the true poetry of Russian speech. A. S. Pushkin wrote: “What a delight these fairy tales are! Each is a poem." It is no coincidence that so many poets and writers, musicians and artists turned to this source of wisdom and purity, melodiousness and beauty. By reading fairy tales, we become familiar with the great Russian word, the culture of speech, and the wise folk experience.

I conducted a survey of fourth-graders at our school and adults—teachers, parents—and asked them to answer two questions: which folk tales are their favorite and which ones? fairy-tale heroes they give preference. Here's what I managed to find out. The results of the questionnaire are presented in diagrams. [(Annex 1).

In fairy tales there is a unique character - the Firebird. I wanted to know about her in more detail.

Object of study– The Firebird in Russian folk and original fairy tales.

Purpose of the study– study the image of the Firebird in fairy tales, mythology and applied arts.

Tasks: find out:

• what the firebird looks like and what characteristics it is endowed with;
• what kind of fairy-tale birds are there in mythology that are similar to the Firebird;
• in what literary works is the Firebird found;
• How is the appearance of the mythological image of the Firebird explained from the physical phenomena of nature?
• How in demand is the image of the Firebird in folk and original art.

Hypothesis: I assume that 1) the Firebird is a mythological creature associated with the radiance of the sun; 2) the image of the Firebird is in demand in folk arts and crafts.

II. MAIN PART

II.1. Who is the Firebird?

The uniqueness of Russian fairy tales lies in the fact that they combine pagan and Christian ideas about the world around them. Paganism is a fictional idea of ​​the people about the universe. It is associated with the deification of various forces of nature: fire, water, earth, animals, plants, heavenly bodies. All this is widely reflected in fairy tales. Time and place are sometimes uncertain in a fairy tale, just as in myths. The heroes of fairy tales do not remake the world, but with the help of the elements, animals, birds, and heavenly bodies, they find personal happiness. This research work is based on the texts of Russian folk tales, revised by A. N. Afanasyev, the tale of P. P. Ershov “The Little Humpbacked Horse” and A. N. Tolstoy's "Firebird".

She is a wonderful bird.
All made of flame-fire.
Wings smoothly raise
The tail spreads out like a fan,
The eyes are burning like a yacht -
Amazing outfit.
Darkness wins.
The black cloud is the first enemy.
And the feather of that wondrous bird
Instantly your wish will come true,
It will bring happiness to people. (Mystery)

Who is Firebird? In dictionaries I found the following definitions:

1) Large encyclopedic dictionary:

FIREBIRD - a bird with sparkling feathers, an image of Russian fairy tales, embodying the people's dream of happiness.

2) Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by D.N. Ushakov:

FIREBIRD , firebirds, w. (popular - poet.). In Russian folk tales - a bird whose feathers burn like heat.And from that hat he takes the royal treasure, wrapped in three rags - the feather of the firebird. Ershov.

3) New dictionary of the Russian language edited by T.F. Efremova:

FIREBIRD - a bird whose feathers burn like heat in Russian folk tales.

The Firebird is undoubtedly an image of a mythological creature. In the popular imagination, the Firebird is inextricably linked with the heavenly fire-flame, and its radiance is as blinding to the eyes as the sun or lightning. It takes its origins from North-Eastern Europe and the Urals.

“The bird soared into the sky, and the cloud was even higher, and how it rolled like thunder and struck the bird with lightning - fuck! The bird turned over, canary feathers fell from it, and suddenly the bird grew six golden wings and a peacock tail. A bright light came from the bird throughout the forest. The trees rustled and the birds woke up. The night mermaids jumped into the water from the shore. And the animals shouted in different voices: “Firebird, Firebird!!!”

Its prototype was obviously Phoenix. Resembling a peacock, she also lives in the beautiful Garden of Eden of Iria in a golden cage, from which she flies out only at night. Its golden feathers are capable of shining in the darkness and amaze human vision, but at the same time, the Firebird returns the ability to see to the blind, and its singing heals the sick. At the same time, when she sings, pearls fall from her beak. The Firebird feeds on golden apples, which give her eternal youth, beauty and immortality.

Every year, in the fall, the Firebird dies and is reborn in the spring. Sometimes you can find a fallen feather from the Firebird's tail, brought into a dark room; it will replace the richest lighting. Over time, such a feather turns into gold. To catch, Firebirds use a golden cage with apples inside as a trap. You cannot catch it with your bare hands, as you can get burned on its plumage.Perhaps that is why fairy-tale heroes hunted for her, and musicians and artists sang her in their works.

Rejuvenating apples, in turn, can be compared with pomegranate fruits, a favorite delicacy of Phoenixes.

However, another version seems more attractive to me, according to which the prototype of the fairy-tale bird was the pink, red flamingo, and the unusual color of the feathers created the myth of the bird with burning plumage. Flamingos are birds of dawn, children of sunset. Their name comes from the Latin “flamma” - flame. In Spanish, these amazing birds are called flamenco, just like the beautiful fiery dance of women in bright frilly dresses.

People have created many legends about the mysterious flamingos. [Appendix 2] Why not another fairy tale story?..

But why was this bird, little known to the common people, so popular among the people? What caused her deification? And why is it called “Heat” - that is, “burning coal”? A fire bird?

All these characteristics are a description of... ball lightning. Such and such a “bird”, flying through the air, glowing and shimmering with lights, was well known among the people. They knew and were afraid.

One of the Firebird's bad habits is to leave circles of fallen grains on the field. Judging by Russian fairy tales, peasants have been guarding the villain for a long time. However, nothing could be obtained from the frightened watchmen, except for vague descriptions of either the FIREbird or the BALL bird. “Fiery red and gold feathers, wings like tongues of flame, and eyes sparkling like diamonds...” Despite the blinding light, it has long been noted that the Firebird produces neither smoke nor heat.

“The field shines as if during the day;

A wonderful light flows all around,

But it doesn’t heat up, doesn’t smoke...

Eco miracle light!

The Firebird is named after the color of its plumage. Word heat in circulation – an old form of an adjective used as a definition. It is formed fromhot “fiery, ore-yellow” or “red-yellow, orange”.

The Firebird embodies the dream of happiness. Finding it or taking the luminous feather of the Firebird means catching luck by the tail. Often, the Firebird is popularly referred to as the Fiery Spirit.

Thus,

1) the firebird goes back to those birds to which, according to the ancients, water, land, people, and animals owed their creation. This is the personification of fire, a symbol of the sun.

2) catch the firebird - catch luck by the tail, become happy.

II.2. Firebird in fairy tales

The mythological character Firebird has been familiar to us since childhood from Russian folk tales “Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf”, “Firebird and the Tsar Maiden”, “Firebird and Vasilisa the Beautiful (“Firebird and Vasilisa the Princess”)” , as well as from the literary tales of P.P. Ershov “The Little Humpbacked Horse”, A.N. Tolstoy's "Firebird".

In fairy tales, the Firebird is always an unattainable creature. Many kings and rulers wanted to find it and use it. However, the Firebird, who came to the human world from the thirtieth kingdom, gives a miracle only to the most worthy.

Catching the firebird is fraught with great difficulties and is one of the main tasks that the king (father) sets to his sons in the fairy tale by P.P. Ershov "The Little Humpbacked Horse". Only the youngest son manages to get the firebird, and then only after a series of various obstacles. Because of the dazzling shine of her plumage, the heroes first close all the window shutters and only after that remove the cover from the cage with the Firebird.

“... Sometimes at midnight

The light spilled over the mountain -

As if noon is coming:

Firebirds are flying..."

Why is help provided to the third son in the fairy tale? What do we know about him? In fairy tales, these are the youngest sons in the family. The eldest sons got married, received their allotment, left the family, and the younger ones remained with the old people.

The youngest son’s attachment to the stove is also interesting, which is found in many fairy tales. According to ancient ideas, the Stove, the hearth of the home, is the basis and symbol of the Home and generic well-being.

So, only those who are initially connected with their parents and ancestors are allowed to get into the “other” world and return from there; it is he who is given a magical assistant. Only a person with a strong spirit and good disposition can catch the Firebird. Because what the Firebird gives can bring real happiness to the hero. In search of the Firebird, the hero of the fairy tale overcomes his fear, doubts, makes mistakes, but still moves forward and achieves his goal. As a reward, the hero of the fairy tale receives not only a magic horse and the Firebird herself, but also a beautiful princess and a kingdom in addition. Even his appearance changes: he becomes handsome, handsome. The heroes of fairy tales are helped to acquire physical health by the elements, and spiritual health by the feather of the firebird - the fire of joy, creativity, and strength. If anyone wants to use it for personal gain, they will only get trouble in return...

The Firebird is one of the ancient Russian beregins, the embodiment of the sun, heavenly fire-flame. Serves good. It emits an unusual, magical light that helps people in their earthly affairs.

There are stories where the Firebird turns out to be an enchanted beauty, who at the end of the fairy tale becomes the bride of Ivan Tsarevich. Firebird and Gray wolf- magical assistants, thanks to whom Ivan Tsarevich completes difficult tasks and receives wealth and a wife.“The Firebird escaped and flew, and Tsarevich Ivan had only one feather left in his hand.”

The mythological character Firebird also appears in the fairy tale “The Firebird and Vasilisa the Princess”

“Suddenly the forest rustled, waves rose on the sea - the Firebird was flying.”

Thus, the study showed that in Russian folk and original fairy tales, the image of the Firebird personifies good power and is a symbol of good luck, victory, embodies a person’s dream of happiness, and is given into the hands of only a good person.

II.3. Firebird in mythology

The Firebird is an extraordinary creature that is found in mythology different nations peace. In each mythology, her image is given a somewhat similar interpretation. All legends have one thing in common, which unites the meaning of the myth of the Firebird. The Firebird is our light. If you analyze all the legends about this creature, light was the main thing in her entire image. Light gives warmth. Warmth gives life. Without the Sun there would be no life on Earth.

The golden feathers of the firebird's wings represented lightning in a stormy sky among the ancient Greeks. The bird seemed to shoot out its feathers, generating lightning.

The life and death of the firebird, its rebirth meant the arrival of spring after cold winter, a kind of solar movement around the Earth during the year.

The black and white eggs that the Sun Bird hatched on the tree of life meant day and night. Finding the Firebird's feather and bringing it into the house meant that you were bringing happiness and prosperity to the house.

The firebird also has relatives. Slovak"firebird" . True, she, unlike our Firebird, is one of the embodiments of evil. She, like a Dragon, steals children, beautiful maidens and takes them to utter distances. Rarog - sunny, fiery falcon, bird of flame, a luminous fiery spirit associated with the ancient worship of fire and the hearth. It has an amazing ability to move in space and time in the form of a fiery whirlwind, tornado or hurricane.Very often, Rarog visits human habitation, where he can be a good guest, or may turn out to be a harbinger of fires.Rarog usually appears in the form bird of prey, but can appear before people in the form of a monstrous and ruthless dragon, in a halo of flaming scales, with a body sparkling under the rays of the Sun, with fire escaping from its open mouth. According to Czech beliefs, Rarog can be born from an egg that a person incubates on a stove for nine days and nights.

The Slav often imagined himself as a free bird and dreamed of flying across the blue sea. The dream of freedom and happiness completely merged with the image of a bird. This bird is, without a doubt, connected with the sun: this is evidenced by its plumage and the light that comes from it. For ancient people, the sun was one of the main patron gods. According to popular beliefs, life depends on the radiance of the sun, the creative, fertile power of which lies in its bright spring and summer rays. Among the Slavs, a bird with outstretched wings symbolized the sun. The firebird personified fire, the sun, and creativity. This is evidenced by her plumage and the light that comes from her. Perhaps this is a poetic image of the dawn. The firebird is the wind, a cloud, lightning plus heat in a peasant stove, a red rooster outside the outskirts.

Firebird - serves good. It emits an unusual, magical color that helps people in their earthly affairs. The light of divine radiance that surrounded the Firebird also fell on man, endowing him with what he wanted most in his heart: talents, skills, happiness.

II.4. The image of the Firebird in everyday life, culture and creativity of the Russian people

In Russian folklore, most of the songs, fairy tales, legends, and riddles are about birds. Light images of celestial creatures often appear on dishes, spinning wheels, and embroidery. Folk costume its silhouette resembles a bird: wide sleeves-wings, a headdress-crest, breast and waist decorations-feathers. Sacred birds decorate the platbands of houses, and decorations - amulets in the form of birds - are the most powerful. Later, people began to paint dishes with bright images of the bird so that the luck and happiness bestowed by the Firebird would not leave them. So the Firebird became the guardian of the world and the embodiment of dreams.

Since ancient times, man, protecting himself from evil forces, covered his clothes and home with images - amulets. For the Slavic peoples, the firebird was not only a symbol of fire, but also a symbol of happiness and good luck.

The first professional artist to turn to this image was Elena Dmitrievna Polenova. The artist chose the Firebird as the subject for the sketch of a large embroidery panel on a Russian theme. She depicted night and a tree with golden fruits, on the top of which a fiery bird sleeps. In 1896, E. D. Polenova began a series of illustrations for the fairy tale about the Firebird.

The first watercolor illustrations by artist I.Ya. Bilibin completed the Tale of Ivan Tsarevich, the Firebird and the Gray Wolf. The Firebird helped the young artist, who devoted more than forty years of his life to book graphics, to find his true calling.

My classmates in art and technology lessons also depicted the Firebird. This is what their work looks like...

Thus, we saw that the image of the firebird is widely used in artistic and applied creativity.

III.CONCLUSION

In the course of researching popular science literature, dictionaries, reading literary and folk tales, I was able to answer the questions posed at the beginning of my research work questions. The hypotheses were confirmed. Indeed, for the Russian people the firebird was a symbol of happiness and good luck.

For me, the image of the firebird became not only a beautiful fantasy, but also our history, passed through the consciousness of the people. This bird embodies the ideals of people, their dreams, and hopes. The Firebird convinces us that beauty, kindness, strength, justice are eternal values ​​that we must cherish and pass on to the next generation.

IV. INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES

1. Ershov P.P. "The Little Humpbacked Horse". “Tales of the Peoples of the World” volume 7. / Ed. V.P. Anikina - M.: Children's Literature Publishing House, 1994.

2. “The Firebird and the Tsar Maiden” is a Russian folk tale. “Tales of the Peoples of the World” volume 1. / Ed. V.P. Anikina - M.: Publishing house "Children's Literature" 1987

3. “The Firebird and Vasilisa the Beautiful.” “Tales of the Peoples of the World” volume 1. / Ed. V.P. Anikina - M.: Children's Literature Publishing House, 1987.

4. “Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf” - Russian folk tale. “Tales of the Peoples of the World” volume 1. / Ed. V.P. Anikina - M.: Children's Literature Publishing House, 1987.

5. New explanatory and word-formative dictionary of the Russian language, ed. T. F. Efremova, 2000

6. Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language: In 4 volumes / Ed. D. N. Ushakova. - M.: Adelant Publishing House, 2013.

7. Tolstoy A.N. "Firebird". “Tales of the Peoples of the World” volume 2. / Ed. V.P. Anikina - M.: Children's Literature Publishing House, 1994.

8. http://www.vedu.ru/bigencdic/ Large encyclopedic dictionary.

9. http://www.microarticles.ru/article/zhar-ptitsa.html/ The image of the firebird in the life and culture of the Russian people.

APPLICATIONS

1. Survey results

2. Legends of flamingos.

WHY IS FLAMINGO PINK?

There is an old legend that gives a non-scientific explanation for why flamingos are pink. A long time ago there was a terrible drought in Africa (in Africa, by the way, flamingos are most common). People began to get sick; they had nothing to eat. Death threatened everyone, moving from house to house. There was a lake near one of the villages, but it was salty and could not save people. Flamingos, then white in color, returned from their flight to this lake and found that people were dying.

The birds began to pinch off pieces of meat from themselves with their own beaks and feed them to small children. Blood oozed from the birds' bodies, staining their feathers. Gradually the entire flock of flamingos turned pink and red from their own blood. The drought ended and many children were saved. The flamingos flew away, but when they returned a year later, their feathers were still pink. This beautiful color became a reward for kind birds and a constant reminder to people of the dedication of strong, patient flamingos. And this is true: flamingos are not only beautiful, but also completely unpretentious - they are able to withstand difficult natural conditions. Heroes of fairy tales travel through the fairy-tale world, perform feats and find themselves in various adventures.
Most of all I love folk fairy tales.
After all, in them good always defeats evil and receives a reward for its actions.
In fairy tales there is a unique character - the Firebird.
I wanted to know about her in more detail.
Object of study

Purpose of the study

– study the image of the Firebird in fairy tales, mythology and applied arts.
Phoenix
"Ivan Tsarevich and the Grey Wolf"
"The Firebird and the Tsar Maiden"
"Firebird and Vasilisa the Beautiful"
Origami
Quilling
Research
4th grade students
Municipal educational institution "Secondary school No. 55"
Head: Vasilyeva E.N.
.
The Firebird is named after the color of its plumage.
Word
heat
in circulation - old form

adjective,
Consumed

as a definition.
It is formed from
hot “fiery, ore-yellow” or “red-yellow, orange”
.
Survey results
In dictionaries I found the following definitions:
1) Large encyclopedic dictionary:
FIREBIRD

A bird with sparkling feathers, an image of Russian fairy tales, embodying the people's dream of happiness.
3) New dictionary of the Russian language edited by T.F.

Efremova:
FIREBIRD

A bird whose feathers burn like heat in Russian folk tales.
Survey results
Ball lightning
“It shines in the field as if it were day;
A wonderful light flows all around,
But it doesn’t heat up, doesn’t smoke...
Eco miracle light!
P.P. Ershov “The Little Humpbacked Horse”
She is a wonderful bird.
All made of flame-fire.
Wings smoothly raise
The tail spreads out like a fan,
The eyes are burning like a yacht -
Amazing outfit.
Darkness wins.
The black cloud is the first enemy.
And the feather of that wondrous bird
Instantly your wish will come true,
It will bring happiness to people.
Fireman
Rarog
A. S. Pushkin wrote:
“What a delight these fairy tales are! Each is a poem."
I conducted a survey among 4th grade students of our school and adults - teachers and parents and asked them to answer two questions: what folk tales are their favorite and what fairy-tale characters do they prefer?
Here's what I found out.
Hypothesis:
1) I assume that the Firebird is a mythological creature associated with the radiance of the sun;
2) the image of the Firebird is in demand in folk arts and crafts.
Flamingo
Flamenco
For me, the image of the firebird became not only a beautiful fantasy, but also our history, passed through the consciousness of the people.
This bird embodies the ideals of people, their dreams, and hopes.
The Firebird convinces us that beauty, kindness, strength, justice are eternal values ​​that we must cherish and pass on to the next generation.

A firebird tattoo is not just a bright and beautiful body decoration, but also a strong amulet. In ancient Russian traditions, the image signifies the Sun and Fire. In order for the symbol to have powerful positive energy, you need to know where and how to apply a tattoo correctly. Who would suit a firebird tattoo? What deep meaning is hidden in this design?

The myth of the magic bird

The Firebird is a fairy-tale character that comes from Russian folk tales. The prototype of the image was the peacock: this is evidenced by the characteristic long feathers and the corresponding size of the body. According to legend, the bird lived in a golden cage and ate exclusively rejuvenating golden apples. They gave her youth and beauty. When the beautiful creature began to sing, pearls fell out of its beak. Only the youngest prince managed to get the bird. It was believed that it was impossible to grab it with bare hands, since the feathers were blazing with fire.

In mythology, the firebird was the personification of the sun, flame, light. She had the amazing ability to die every fall and come to life again the following spring. For this, they began to compare her with the Phoenix bird, the image of which has been known since the Middle Ages. According to myth, the Phoenix prepared himself a bed of fragrant herbs and set himself on fire. After 3 days, he appeared updated, but with accumulated past experience and knowledge. The Slavic firebird was reborn every 500 years. This symbolized infinity, immortality and cyclicality.

The firebird's feather was considered a powerful amulet that protected against witchcraft, damage, and the evil eye. It’s not for nothing that epic heroes used it in battle against their enemies. The fallen feather was brought into the house and placed in a dark room. For several days it illuminated everything around, and then turned into gold. The firebird could be caught using a golden cage and rejuvenating apples as bait.

Who is the tattoo suitable for?

What the firebird tattoo means can be judged from the Slavic epic. This is immortality, renewal, rebirth. The owner of such a drawing strives for wisdom and understanding of the meaning of life. He knows that everything in the world is cyclical, that a black stripe will certainly be followed by a white one. Troubles do not frighten such a person, because he approaches life philosophically.

Bird tattoos have a meaning that echoes similar images, because all birds are considered divine messengers. There is an opinion that the souls of dead people inhabit these creatures. The firebird tattoo also symbolizes the immortality of the soul, destiny and, to some extent, fatality. This tattoo is suitable for people who want to start life from scratch. Past experience will help them avoid mistakes in the future, give them wisdom and the opportunity to move forward.

Firebird feather tattoo is suitable for both women and the stronger sex of any age. This is an amulet that will bring good luck in your endeavors, fill your life with new colors and protect you from negative influences. A feather tattoo will protect against the evil eye and witchcraft, especially if the design is located on the wrist, arm or leg.

A firebird tattoo on a girl’s side, thigh or back will become a beautiful body decoration that will emphasize grace, femininity and elegance (see photo in the gallery). A bright image will certainly attract the attention of the opposite sex and arouse admiration among others. The firebird tattoo is often found in men with a strong-willed character and a desire for longevity.

Performance technique

Bird tattoos are one of girls’ favorite body jewelry. Light airy images favorably emphasize youth and beauty, especially in combination with flowers and butterflies. A color sketch in watercolor style is a great option for such an image. Firebird tattoos are best done in peach and yellow shades (see photo below). To make the composition more impressive, you can add red and gold - then the sketch will fully correspond to the book illustration. A firebird tattoo on the shoulder blade and shoulder will become a talisman and decoration for the fair sex.

The image of a firebird feather is a talisman that has magical powers. In order to perform its main function, a small tattoo is applied to the wrist, neck or ankle. It is advisable to hide the image from prying eyes. Classic style or minimalism are suitable for lovers of monochrome designs. Extravagant individuals can look at the geometric drawings, where the firebird is depicted schematically.

A selection of photographs

Selection of sketches

Boyasheva Karina

The purpose of the work “The Image of the Firebird on the Pages of Fairy Tales” is to reveal the role of the Firebird in Russian folk tales; conduct observations of this image in the author’s fairy tale “The Little Humpbacked Horse” by P. Ershov and show the relevance of the image of this magical bird in our days.

The Firebird is one of the most beloved characters in children's fairy tales. The plumage of the strange bird sparkles so dazzlingly under the rays of the sun, the firebird's eyes look like precious stones, and its wings look like large tongues of flame. The bird's feathers glow blue. One feather can easily light up a large room. You can get burned on its plumage. The fallen feather glows for a long time and gives warmth. And when it goes out, it turns into gold. The firebird eats golden or rejuvenating apples, which give it immortality and unearthly beauty. When she sings her wonderful songs, large round pearls fall to the ground from her beak. It is believed that the singing of the firebird can heal a sick person and restore sight to a blind person.

In Russian fairy tales, a brave hero usually requires the help of a strong creature who brings goodness and life and illuminates everything around. The firebird very often becomes such a voluntary assistant. But not every daredevil is awarded such an honor right away - often he has to endure more than one difficult test. (Fairy tales “The Tsar is a Maiden”, “Little Ivan - Great Mind”).

In the Russian folk tale "The Firebird", she is endowed not only with dazzling beauty, but also personifies goodness, justice and honesty.

However, the feather of the firebird brings misfortune, as, for example, in the fairy tale “Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf.” And the bird itself is sometimes a source of suffering for people. Because of their greed, the heroes have to overcome the most difficult trials.

The image of the firebird continues to live in the author’s works. For example, in the work of P. Ershov “The Little Humpbacked Horse”. For the hero, these birds are rather a whim of nature with an unknown purpose. The author of the fairy tale shows young readers that beauty is not the most important thing in life.

Nowadays, the image of the firebird continues to live everywhere. We see him on stage and again come to the conclusion that beauty has always been the main criterion for creators in art. World ballet star Andris Liepa created the play “The Return of the Firebird.” Our team used the image of the firebird in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics. Designer Alena Akhmadullina, inspired by the legends of the Firebird, created a clothing collection. And on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, 40 kilometers from St. Petersburg, it is planned to create a fairy tale city “Firebird”.

For me, the image of the firebird became not only a beautiful fantasy, but also our history, passed through the consciousness of the people. This bird embodies the ideals of people, their dreams and hopes. The Firebird convinces us that beauty, kindness, strength, justice are eternal values ​​that we must cherish and pass on to the next generation.

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Ministry of Education of the Saratov Region

Department of Education of the Volzhsky District

Municipal educational institution

"Gymnasium No. 7"

The image of the Firebird on the pages of fairy tales

Creative work

Performed:

Student of grade 6 "B"

Boyasheva Karina

Supervisor:

Teacher of Russian language

And higher literature

Krasnova Nadezhda

Fedorovna

Saratov-2010

Page

Introduction

There is no person in the world who does not know and do not love the fabulous, beautiful image of the firebird. Why is she one of our favorite characters? I think because the firebird means something bright, kind, a dream that not everyone can get their hands on, that still needs to be earned and suffered through. It can be compared to happiness, because any happiness, even the tiniest one, will not come to you just like that. He, like the firebird, must be caught by the tail, not get burned, and held. Otherwise, what kind of happiness is it if it falls into your hands at the first call? Therefore, probably, in the soul of every person there lives the hope of catching happiness - the fire bird in his life. This fairy-tale character serves as the personification of eternal forces. And I would like the firebird to also become a symbol of undying children's literature, that literature that feeds a person with eternal spiritual strength.

The purpose of this work is to identify the role of the firebird in Russian folk tales; carry out observations of this image in the author’s fairy tale “The Little Humpbacked Horse” by P. Ershov. Reading and analyzing fairy tales, I realized that the firebird plays a huge role in the fate of the heroes. She not only carries light, beauty, and kindness on her wings, but also personifies fabulous power and is a voluntary assistant in difficult trials.

Chapter 1

The image of the firebird in Russian folk tales.

No fairytale bird can compare in beauty with the heroine of Russian folk tales, the firebird. According to them, the firebird lives in the thirtieth kingdom.

The plumage of the strange bird sparkles so dazzlingly under the rays of the sun that a person cannot look at it for long. The firebird's eyes look like precious stones, and its wings look like large tongues of flame. It is also called a fire bird the size of a peacock. Its feathers glow blue. You can get burned on its plumage. One of her feathers can easily light up a large room. The fallen feather retains the properties of the firebird's plumage for a long time. It glows and gives warmth. And when the feather goes out, it turns into gold.

The firebird eats golden or rejuvenating apples, which give it immortality and unearthly beauty.

When she sings her wonderful songs, large round pearls fall from her beak to the ground. It is believed that the singing of the firebird can heal a sick person and restore sight to a blind person.

In Russian fairy tales, a brave hero usually requires the help of a strong creature who brings goodness and life and illuminates everything around. The firebird very often becomes such a voluntary assistant. However, not every daredevil is awarded such an honor right away - often he has to endure more than one difficult test.

In the fairy tale “The Tsar is a Maiden,” the main character Ivan is a merchant’s son. His mother died, his father got married, and assigned an uncle to his son to look after him. One day our hero met a tsar-maiden and fell in love with her. But their next meeting did not take place, since the uncle, following the instructions of Ivan’s stepmother, stuck a pin in his clothes and he fell fast asleep. When Ivan found out about his uncle’s betrayal, he cut off his head and went in search of his beloved. Having met Baba Yaga and begged for a trumpet from her, our hero summons the firebird to his aid. A flying bird of fire picks up Ivan Tsarevich and takes him away from the evil witch. Baba Yaga only manages to pull out a few feathers from the firebird's tail. The firebird helped Ivan and took him to the hut where the old woman lived. It was she who helped him find the king-maiden.

Separately, it is necessary to say about the feathers of the wonderful bird. The firebird's feather brings misfortune. In the fairy tale “Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf,” the main character plucks a feather from the tail of the firebird, which flies at night to his father’s garden to peck golden apples. Having seen the feather, the king can no longer think about anything else except the firebird, and as a result sends all his sons to get the miracle bird. A fiery feather has approximately the same effect on the king from the fairy tale “Firebird Vasilisa the Princess.” And for the Sagittarius, who presented the king with a feather as a gift, this gift turns into a series of almost unfulfilled tasks. But as in most fairy tales, the positive hero goes through all the trials and finds happiness.

In the Russian folk tale “Lesser Ivan - Great Mind,” the image of the firebird is presented to us, the readers, as the image of a bird that not only guards the borders of the state, but with its loud voice gathers the army. In this tale, ordinary people, an old man and an old woman who had no children, saw a beautiful miracle bird and even found its nest, in which lay thirty-three eggs. The old man took the eggs, and thirty-three good youngsters hatched from them. The last thirty-third was Ivan the younger - a great mind. It turns out that the image of the firebird is presented to us here in the form of the mother of beautiful young men. They face many trials. And here the firebird always comes to their aid. The Firebird gives a signal to his sons so that the enemies are not taken by surprise.

• Click here for help, miracle bird, your sons heroes.

The firebird started up so that the radiance from it illuminated everything around, raised its head up and screamed in a thin voice. As soon as her scream died down, lo and behold, thirty-two young heroes were rushing from the nearby forests towards the enemy’s army. Ahead is Tsar Ivan the Younger himself. And the enemy army trembled. “Strong borders! And if anyone comes, our mother, the firebird, will instantly give us a signal,” said the younger Ivan.

In the Russian folk tale "The Firebird", she is endowed not only with dazzling beauty, but also personifies goodness, justice and honesty. Having fallen into the hands of Ivan Tsarevich's dishonest brothers, the firebird turns into a crow, showing that the firebird is not given into the hands of evil and dishonest people. Only after Ivan Tsarevich returned home and the truth was revealed to the king, did the firebird take on its beautiful appearance.

All fairy tales in which the firebird lives are special - magical. Because the firebird is not only a beautiful, magnificent creature, but sometimes it is a source of suffering for people. Because of their greed, the heroes have to overcome the most difficult trials. I think that at all times, many of us will always be amazed by the fiery light falling from the wings of the firebird, and we will admire this miracle

Chapter 2

(based on the work of P. Ershov “The Little Humpbacked Horse”)

The image of the firebird continues to live in the author’s works. For example, in the work of P. Ershov “The Little Humpbacked Horse”. The main character's first acquaintance with the firebird does not occur immediately. First he finds her feather:

...the light burns brighter,

The little hunchback runs faster.

Here he is in front of the fire.

The field shines as if it were day;

A wonderful light flows all around,

But it doesn’t heat up, it doesn’t smoke.

Ivan was amazed here.

“What,” he said, “what kind of devil is this!”

There are about five hats in the world,

But there is no heat and no smoke;

Eco miracle - light!

The clever little hunchbacked horse warned Ivan: “It will bring with it much, much trouble.” Ivan did not listen. And the hunchback’s warnings came true. In addition to the difficult trials that our hero had to go through, the king ordered him to get the firebird:

• Can't you get me the firebird?

To our royal room,

I swear by my beard,

You will pay me!”

Ivan set off with the little hunchback for the miracle bird.

When he saw a flock of firebirds, from which light spread over the mountain, he whispered:

“Ugh, devilish power!

Oh, the crap, they're gone!

Tea, there are about five dozen of them here.

To re-own everyone -

That would be a good time!

Needless to say, fear is beautiful!

Everyone's legs are red

And the tails are a real laugh!

Tea, chickens don’t have those.

And how much, boy, is the light -

Like a father’s oven!”

What does his reaction to strange birds and the comparisons he uses when describing them tell us?

Ivan is a peasant guy and looks at everything from the point of view of benefit:

“If we had taken over everyone, we would have made a fortune!” And his comparisons to describe wonderful birds are completely everyday, taken from home life: chickens and “father’s oven.” In his assessment there is also admiration: “No need to say, they are beautiful!” and irony, because the tails of firebirds are “sheer laughter.” For him, these birds are rather a whim of nature with an unknown purpose. That’s why he even wants to finally “scare” them:

• Check this out,

Look, you're fed up with screaming!

And, grabbing your bag,

It whips along and across.

Sparkling with a bright flame,

The whole flock started up,

Twisted around in a fiery circle

And it rushed beyond the clouds.

The king, seeing the firebird, was frightened; he thought it was a fire.

“This is the light from the heat bird,” Ivanushka answered.

Everything that happened to Ivan served as a good lesson for him.

The author of the fairy tale shows young readers that beauty is not the most important thing in life. Ershov's fairy-tale world is organically fused with peasant everyday life, and even magical fairy-tale images have an earthly beauty.

The firebird is the wind, a cloud, heat in a peasant stove, a red rooster outside the outskirts.

Conclusion .

Nowadays, the image of the firebird continues to live everywhere. We see him on stage and again come to the conclusion that beauty has always been the main criterion for creators in art. Our contemporaries, world ballet star Andris Liepa, planned to revive spirituality and beauty. He created a performance in beautiful costumes, calling it “The Return of the Firebird.” The premiere of the performance took place today at the Mariinsky Theater, and then on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater. At the Chatelet Theater in Paris, the performance was such a success that the curtain was raised fifteen times to thunderous applause.

The image of the firebird existed in the distant past. Our ancestors believed that the firebird assisted in finding treasures. And over the treasure hidden in the ground, it is not a fiery flower that opens its bud, but a fairy-tale bird itself that sits on the legendary plant and waits for the lucky one to find it. Such legends come to us from time immemorial.

Our team used the image of the firebird in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics. The main element of our athletes' uniform was the firebird. Not only is the firebird a magical image of Russian fairy tales, embodying the dream of luck and prosperity, the desire for victory, but it also resembles the Phoenix bird, which in China is considered the bird of the emperor and a symbol of happiness. It is very symbolic that the firebird is in the form of a figure eight: for the Chinese this is acceptable and successful, for us it is victorious, simple and beautiful.

The image of the firebird is also used by designers these days. One of them, Alena Akhmadullina, presented her collection, which looks like a fairy tale. Alena was inspired by the legends of the Firebird. The collection of clothes looked so bright and shiny that all the models could easily pass for firebirds.

The image of firebirds also inspires architects. On the shores of the Gulf of Finland, 40 kilometers from St. Petersburg, it is planned to create a fairy-tale city “Firebird”. A huge entertainment complex will appear on an area of ​​almost 300 hectares. Hotels, stadiums, and an aquarium will be located here. The fairy tale city will be based on famous Russian fairy tale images. And the most important image - the image of the firebird - is contained in the name of this miracle - the city.

For me, the image of the firebird became not only a beautiful fantasy, but also our history, passed through the consciousness of the people. This bird embodies the ideals of people, their dreams and hopes. The Firebird convinces us that beauty, kindness, strength, justice are eternal values ​​that we must cherish and pass on to the next generation.

List of used literature

1. S.V. Krivushin "Mysterious creatures". Publishing house "Veche", 2001
2. S.A. Tokarev “Myths of the peoples of the world.” Moscow. Scientific publishing house "Big Russian Encyclopedia" 1997
3. N. S. Budur “Fairytale Encyclopedia” Moscow “Olma-Press” 2005
4. Russian folk tales “Feather of the Firebird” Moscow “Christina and Olga” 1994
5. P.P. Ershov “The Little Humpbacked Horse” RIO “Samovar” 1990

Application

In Russian fairy tales, the goal is usually to find the hero of the fairy tale. The feathers of the firebird have the ability to shine and their brilliance amazes human vision. The Firebird is a fiery bird, its feathers shine with silver and gold (Ognivak’s feathers are reddish), its wings are like tongues of flame, and its eyes glow like crystal. It reaches the size of a peacock.

The Firebird lives in the Garden of Eden of Iria, in a golden cage. At night it flies out of it and illuminates the garden with itself as brightly as thousands of lit lights.

Catching the firebird is fraught with great difficulties and is one of the main tasks that the king (father) sets to his sons in the fairy tale. Only the youngest son manages to get the firebird. Mythologists (Afanasyev) explained the firebird as the personification of fire, light, and sun. The firebird feeds on golden apples, which give youth, beauty and immortality; When she sings, pearls fall from her beak.

The singing of the firebird heals the sick and restores sight to the blind. Leaving aside arbitrary mythological explanations, we can compare the firebird with medieval, very popular stories in both Russian and Western European literature about the Phoenix bird, reborn from the ashes. The prototype of the Firebird is the peacock. Rejuvenating apples, in turn, can be compared with pomegranate fruits, a favorite delicacy of Phoenixes.

Every year, in the fall, the Firebird dies and is reborn in the spring. Sometimes you can find a fallen feather from the Firebird's tail, brought into a dark room; it will replace the richest lighting.

Over time, such a feather turns into gold. To catch, Firebirds use a golden cage with apples inside as a trap. You cannot catch it with your bare hands, as you can get burned on its plumage.

see also

Literature, on screen

• // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional ones). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
• Pyotr Pavlovich Ershov, "The Little Humpbacked Horse"
• Soyuzmultfilm 1947 director: Ivan Ivanov-Vano “The Little Humpbacked Horse”.
• Soyuzmultfilm 1975 director: Boris Butakov “The Little Humpbacked Horse”
• Creative association "Ekran" 1984 director: V. Samsonov "Firebird" the film uses music from I. Stravinsky's orchestral suite "Firebird"
• Association of artistic animation "Kievnauchfilm" 1983 director: Caesar Orshansky "Firebird" based on the fairy tale by A. Tolstoy

Links

• Firebird // Mythological Dictionary / Ch. edited by E.M. Meletinsky. M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1991
• Lozovskaya N.V. Multilingual project: Variants of fairy-tale plot type AT 550 Search for a Golden Bird / SUS 550 Tsarevich and the gray wolf

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

See what “Firebird” is in other dictionaries:

In East Slavic mythology, a wonderful bird. According to a Russian fairy tale, each of her feathers “is so wonderful and bright that if you bring it into a dark room, it shines as if a great many candles were lit in that chamber.” Gold color... Encyclopedia of Mythology

Y; and. In Russian fairy tales: a magical bird with sparkling feathers that burn like heat. Catch the hot bird. Find the firebird feather. ◁ Bird's heat, ah, oh. Razg. * * * The Firebird is a bird with sparkling feathers, an image of Russian fairy tales, embodying... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

FIREBIRD, firebird, female. (folk poet.). In Russian folk tales, a bird whose feathers burn like heat. “And from that hat the firebird’s feather, wrapped in three rags, takes the royal treasure.” Ershov. Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 … Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

FIREBIRD, s, female. In Russian fairy tales: a bird of extraordinary beauty with brightly glowing feathers. Find (get) a firebird feather (translated: about happiness, luck). Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

Firebird- a character from fairy tales. Will distinguish. a sign of wonderful plumage (golden feathers): with the advent of J.P. everything is illuminated with bright light. Basic motives: steals golden apples from the royal garden; the hero gets her pen, he goes in search and with the help... ... Russian humanitarian encyclopedic dictionary

Firebird, firebird... Spelling dictionary-reference book

A bird with sparkling feathers, an image of Russian fairy tales, embodying the people's dream of happiness... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Noun, number of synonyms: 2 cassowary (3) bird (723) ASIS Dictionary of Synonyms. V.N. Trishin. 2013… Synonym dictionary

In different parts of our world there are legends about amazing animals and birds that no one has ever seen, but whose descriptions are strikingly similar.

In different cultures, the image of the Firebird acquired its own details and shades.

Among the Slavs, the Firebird, ptak Ohnivak (Czech and Slovak) is a fabulous, fiery bird, its feathers shine with silver and gold (Ognivak’s feathers are reddish), wings are like tongues of flame, and its eyes glow like crystal.
It reaches the size of a peacock.
The Firebird lives in the Garden of Eden of Iria, in a golden cage.
At night it flies out of it and illuminates the garden with itself as brightly as thousands of lit lights.

The Firebird has a favorite food in the garden - rejuvenating apples, which give her beauty and immortality.
The Firebird has a healing singing; when she sings, pearls fall from her beak.
There is a blinding light around her. Every year, in the fall, the Firebird dies and is reborn in the spring.
Sometimes you can find a fallen feather from the Firebird's tail, brought into a dark room; it will replace the richest lighting.
You cannot catch it with your bare hands, as you can get burned on its plumage.
The fallen feather retains the properties of the Firebird plumage for a long time. It glows and gives warmth. And when the feather goes out, it turns into gold.

And only then, so that the luck and happiness that the Firebird bestows would not leave them, people began to make amulets and amulets, and paint dishes with her bright images.

According to a Russian fairy tale, each of her feathers “is so wonderful and bright that if you bring it into a dark room, it shines as if a great many candles were lit in that chamber.” The golden color of the Firebird and its golden cage are associated with the fact that the bird flies from another (“thirtieth”) kingdom, from where everything that is painted golden comes from. The Firebird can act as a kidnapper, in this case becoming closer to the Fire Serpent: she takes the mother of the hero of the fairy tale “far away.”

Comparative analysis suggests an ancient connection Firebird and Slovak "firebird" with other mythological images that embody fire, in particular with Rarog, the fire bird horse.

Firebird- a fairytale bird, a character in Russian fairy tales, is usually the goal of the hero's search. The feathers of the firebird have the ability to shine and their brilliance amazes human vision.

Catching the firebird is fraught with great difficulties and is one of the main tasks that the king (father) sets to his sons in the fairy tale. Only the kind youngest son manages to get the firebird. Mythologists (Afanasyev) explained the firebird as the personification of fire, light, and sun. The firebird feeds on golden apples, which give youth, beauty and immortality; When she sings, pearls fall from her beak. The singing of the firebird heals the sick and restores sight to the blind. Leaving aside arbitrary mythological explanations, we can compare the firebird with medieval stories about the Phoenix bird, reborn from the ashes, very popular in both Russian and Western European literature. The firebird is also the prototype of peacocks. Rejuvenating apples, in turn, can be compared with pomegranate fruits, a favorite delicacy of Phoenixes.

The firebird feather is a subject of Russian folk tales, known for its magical properties. Who hasn’t read or listened to the fairy tale about Ivan the Fool, who found the firebird’s feather, as a child? It was with this discovery that his adventures began.

Many different fairy tales are associated with the firebird and his feather, which eventually became legends. The only thing more famous, perhaps, is the fern flower. It can also be noted that our firebird is clearly a relative of the phoenix, the firebird from European legends and fairy tales.

According to descriptions from fairy tales and illustrations to them, the Firebird resembles a peacock, and the feather of the Firebird also resembles a feather from a peacock’s tail. The firebird is also the size of a peacock, while the phoenix is ​​described as the size of an eagle.

They say that you can catch the firebird only with bait - a cage with golden apples inside. Since not only the found feather is the fire of a bird, but also its entire plumage burns with fire, you cannot grab such a bird with your bare hands, you will instantly get burned. So Ivan had to lure her into the cage and put a bag on her so that the heat wouldn’t reach her hands.

Also, according to legend, the firebird guards the fern flower on the night of Ivan Kupala, when it blooms only once a year, and many young people go into the forest to look for it.

Fire feather firebird

According to the well-known fairy tale, Ivan the Fool found the feather of a firebird in the forest on a stump when he passed by at night. This feather glows in the dark, burns as if it were glowing with fire. At first, Ivan even decided that it was a fire burning in the darkness of the night, but, coming closer, they saw a feather of unearthly beauty.

According to some descriptions, this feather is golden, like all the plumage of the firebird, some talk about the red, orange, yellow and even crimson color of the feathers of the firebird. Someone mentions that the firebird glows with silver and gold, and its wings are fiery, which once again proves the connection between the firebird and the phoenix. In books, the heat of the bird and its feathers are usually drawn in red and orange.

Properties of firebird feather

The feather of a firebird can illuminate any, even the darkest room, so that at night it will be light in a way that is not possible on the clearest day. If you remember the fairy tale, this is how the king’s servant noticed that Ivan the Fool had a firebird’s feather, immediately reporting this to his master.

According to legends, over time, the feather of the firebird stops glowing and burning with fire, hardening and turning into gold. Having found several of these feathers, you can get quite rich, if only you knew where to look.

They also say that with the help of the firebird's feather you can find treasures, since like attracts like. And so the golden feather attracts the gold stored in the earth.

The heatbird feather retains the properties of the heatbird plumage for a long time, until it becomes golden. And besides the fact that it glows brightly, it gives warmth. Apparently, not so much that you could get burned with it, since Ivan the Fool took it with his bare hands, but enough so that you could warm up from it. This is a pretty good hot water bottle.

Somehow I accidentally came across an article in which, referring to a Slavic legend, it was said that when the gods saw that people walk the earth without loving anyone and were destroying themselves with the coldness of their hearts, they sent a magical fire of love in the form of a bird to the earth - Firebirds.

And since then she has been flying around the earth and spreading the fire of love.
Happiness is for the one who manages to catch her, but a hundred times greater happiness is for the one whom the Firebird honors as her master. After all, the Firebird is more like the molten metal from which it most likely consists. You can catch it only with mittens, it’s very hot - you can get very burned. To whomever she submits of her own free will, she will give her beneficial warmth all her life. But as soon as she feels indifference, she will immediately fly away - she cannot stand it, and it’s easy to kill her... Put her in a cage and she will die. Her fiery body will cool down and instead of hot love there will be a cold piece of gold in the cage...
Such a beautiful legend. It's a pity that I was never able to find the original.

The Egyptians believed that the Phoenix was the link between the divine plan and the implementation of the plan, reminiscent of divine creation and the rebirth of life. Phoenix is ​​the soul of Osiris, it is the hope of overcoming the path of the dead. In the Egyptian Book of the Dead“It is written: “Like a phoenix I will pass through the regions of the other world.”

The Greeks, who took the story of the Phoenix from Egypt, believed that the life of the Bird is cyclically connected with world history and depends on the course of the planets (the Sun, Moon and other planets return to their “previous” places). The Stoics, in support of this, said that the world, like a Bird, dies and is born in fire, and there is no end to this transformation.

The Iranians knew another name for this bird - Simurgh. The bird had the gift of foresight, but its nature was dual, containing “good” and “harmful” halves.

In Sufism, the Simurgh symbolizes the Perfect Man, who has knowledge of the Divine Essence. This Entity, like the legendary bird, cannot be seen.

In the early Christian apocrypha of Baruch it was written about the Bird: “This is the keeper of the world... If it were not for covering | the fiery vision | the sun, then neither the human race nor all creation on earth would have been alive from the heat of the sun.”

The Chinese fiery Feng Huang was one of the four sacred creatures, and symbolized immortality, perfection and generosity. The appearance of such a bird, even in a dream, meant a turning point in a person’s life, the need to perform a significant act or the birth of a child endowed with special talents.

Alchemists medieval Europe The Phoenix was considered a symbol of rebirth, the completion of the “Great Work”. For them it also meant a purifying and transforming fire, chemical element gray and red.

The description of the Bird is very similar for different peoples. “The air was colored with all the colors of the rainbow, beautiful sounds came from the feathers and wings of the bird, a pleasant smell emanated from it...” - this was what was said about the wonderful bird Simurgh in an Arabic treatise of the 13th century. “There is another sacred bird there... and its name is Phoenix,” wrote Herodotus. “Her appearance and appearance are very reminiscent of an eagle, and her feathers are partly golden, partly red.” “The cinnabar bird, the substance of flame,” “its color pleases the eye, its crest expresses righteousness, its tongue is sincere,” the Chinese said, referring to Feng Huang, the ruler of the South. The fire bird, the Slavs believed, meaning the Firebird, you can easily get burned on its plumage. Each feather glows like many candles, and is sharp, stronger than damask steel. And she herself shines with either blue or crimson light.

“O Atum-Khepri, you shone [in the form of] Benu on the eternal Hill of Ben-Ben...” - these are the words of the ancient Egyptian Hymn about the creation of the world. Not created by anyone, the original bird flew over the waters of the ocean until it finally made a nest for itself on Ben-Ben Hill. Or maybe it was not Benu at all, but the beautiful white goose Great Gogotun, who laid an egg on the same hill from which the sun god was born? However, many peoples tell stories that a bird took part in the process of creating the world. It is unlikely that people knew exactly who created the world, but the image of the dazzling bird remained in myths and legends, and the obelisks on the memorial hill near Heliopolis shone, reflecting the sun.

If you try, according to surviving legends, to restore the history of the fabulous Firebird, or as it is more often known, the Phoenix, then you can tell the following legend.

The beautiful Bird with dazzling plumage existed from the very beginning of the world, dying and being reborn in the purifying flame at the turn of the eras. She herself sacrificed herself, and each time, again rising from the ashes, she turned her gaze beyond the earthly boundaries, through the stars, to the world of pure light, to where the immortal gods were once born, and where she went in those three days while her body turned to dust, and her soul became free. The bird knew what was, what is and what will be, and yet it preserved the world in which it had built its nest. People who heard about the Bird believed that, like her, they also had an immortal soul that only changed shells.

There lived a magical Bird far, far away, at the very edge of the earth. No one knew where exactly. Some said that her nest was hidden from human eyes on the top of a mountain, others that she built it in the middle of the endless desert, in the thirtieth “other” state, perfect and far from worldly vanity. Many trials and dangers lay in wait on the path of those who dared to go on a search, for any path to a creature that contains the fire of the original creation is thorny and unpredictable.

To get to the Bird, it was necessary to overcome the Valley of Search, the Valley of Love, the Valley of Knowledge, the Valley of Separation, the Valley of Unity, the Desert of Amazement, the Desert of Destruction and Death. And one could try to walk this long path along the roads, washing iron boots and gnawing iron loaves, or one could do it in one’s heart, overcoming and changing oneself.

Rarely did mortals see the beautiful Bird in all its glory. For this to happen, peace and harmony had to reign on earth. Only a desperate daredevil with pure thoughts, guided through life by a dream, could see her, having overcome many trials. It is not for nothing that the Bird was sometimes called the Firebird, because heat, fire is creativity, creation, and “burning.”

She was the perfect creation of the One, and everyone who saw her, even from afar, became the owner of a wonderful gift. The light of divine radiance that surrounded the Bird also fell on the person, endowing him with what he wanted most in his heart: talents, skills, happiness. And now the man who received the gift from the Bird himself carried a reflection of the magical light.

The Legend of the Firebird

Believe it if you want, check it if you want.
If you want, listen, if you want, hear.
But the matter was overgrown with reality,
and what did not happen are fables.

Only in one distant kingdom,
heavenly state
Once upon a time there were beautiful maidens -
they are all such needlewomen,
your article is bright and beautiful,
beautiful souls with beauty.
Only with people who knew them
seemed like a bird of paradise,
a burning bird of fire,
the light of the soul illuminating the world.
That's why they were all called Firebirds,
casting out all unclean things,
that's why all people don't just
songs birds of paradise now to hear.
But a fiery bird awaits everyone,
what you can’t take with your hand, don’t touch,
where the goblin didn’t even go,
There is one tree true to life,
a beautiful bird sits there,
bursting with heat and a wondrous voice
gives the traveler sweet peace
and burns away everything that is wrong in him.
It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to reach the Tree on your own,
dark forces do not let people in,
guarded from the eyes of strict guards
by decree from above heaven.
For a long time there have been escorts there
were that they knew
go around like dark thickets
and the steep mountains are impassable.
But only worthy and lucky
could lead to the Eternal Tree,
so that when you meet that bird-maiden
The fire stopped burning her.

That's the whole wonderful tale.
Those who were obedient should feast for that.
for good, for health, and for Glory
live, but don’t get upset!!!
Crimean legend about the Firebird

A long time ago, peace, joy and prosperity reigned in our region. Overseas guests came with strange gifts, they were welcomed by local residents, and taken to see the wondrous wonder - the Firebird.

That bird was of extraordinary beauty: every feather on it glowed and shimmered, and it shone in the night like the bright sun. The Firebird flew in every night to feast on the rejuvenating apples that grew on our land at that time. fertile land. Having eaten, she began to sing angelic songs in a heavenly voice. The guests listened to healing singing and admired such a rich region and its kind inhabitants.

Year after year passed, and somehow Greed sailed from across the sea with one ship. She went into people's huts and whispered evil intentions in their ears.

The neighbors began to quarrel with each other, looking for richer guests so that they could get the best and richest gifts. Dark thoughts entangled their heads, fierce envy settled in kind hearts. People became greedy, angry and inhospitable, they began to slander and often stomp their feet in anger.

And the earth hardened, turned into stones, and dried up without human love.

As a result, the apple trees with their plump apples dried up, and there was no one to care for them. And magic apple trees never grow on earth where brother does not shake hands with brother and where discord reigns between people.

The wonderful Firebird stopped flying for her favorite delicacy. The last apple fell from the branch, the grains fell into the cracks of the earth, and did not sprouted again.

So they still lie there, waiting for the soil to become soft and caring again. And the land will be better only if kind and good people begin to live on it.

As people again begin to coexist in love with each other, stop envying and making evil intrigues, so the earth and nature will answer them in the same way. And then the seeds of the rejuvenating apple tree will sprout, and the Firebird will begin to fly to us again. And again, overseas guests will come with gifts to look at the wondrous wonder, listen to angelic songs, and will praise our wonderful, prosperous land.