10 mythical birds that amaze the imagination

Birds have always captured the imagination of people. They easily soared high in the sky, in the summer they moved to distant lands, in a matter of hours they could get to where a person would have traveled for several days. It is not surprising that legends were made about them, and the birds themselves were endowed with magical abilities.

10 Alkonost

This amazing bird lives in the Slavic paradise. She is often mentioned in Russian spiritual poems, legends and traditions. Her singing is so beautiful that after hearing it, a person forgets about everything in the world. It is said that at this moment his soul leaves the body, and his mind leaves him.

Alkonost is depicted with a female face, but with a bird’s body, or she has breasts and human hands. The ancient Greeks had their own legend about Alcyone, the daughter of Eol. She, having learned about the death of her husband, threw herself into the sea, but the gods turned her into a bird named alcyone (kingfisher). Most likely, when rewriting the text, the expression “alcyone is a bird of the sea” was transformed into a new word “alkonost”.

In the middle of winter, according to legend, she carries her eggs into the sea, where they lie for a week. All this time the sea is calm. Then the eggs float to the surface, and Alkonost begins to incubate them.

9. Gamayun

This is also a bird of paradise, which the Russian people called “things.” According to legend, she lives in the open spaces of the sea, flies above them in the skies. Her cry is a harbinger of happiness. Once it was represented as a legless bird without wings, which moved with the help of its tail. Her fall was a sign that one of the nobles was about to die.

The Book of Natural History gives the following description of the hamayun: it is larger than a sparrow, but without legs and wings. She has multi-colored feathers, a long tail (more than 1 m).

But the artist V. Vasnetsov depicted her as a black-winged bird with a woman’s face, anxious and frightened. And, if earlier bliss and joy were associated with her, after this gloomy image she became a bird predicting tragedy.

8. Griffin

Pliny and Herodotus wrote about her. They themselves had never seen this mysterious creature, but supposedly they were able to describe them from the words of the Scythians.

The ancient Greeks believed that the griffin had the body of a lion, and the head, claws and wings – of an eagle, so they were the lords of the earth (lion) and air (eagle). It was huge, 8 times larger than an ordinary lion. He could easily lift 2 oxen with a plow or a man with a horse.

It is believed that the Scythians were looking for gold in the Gobi desert. There they found the remains of animals unknown to them, it is possible that dinosaurs. Some of them could lead them to the idea of ​​the existence of a huge bird that punished everyone who approached its nest. In it she collected gold.

7. Owl

This is the name of birds from the owl family. But myths also mention a creature with the same name. According to ancient legends, this oriental bird lives in Egypt.

In appearance, it resembles a stork, but it has a memorable plumage, brighter than that of a peacock. Travelers said that she was able to revive the chicks by sprinkling them with her blood. The tawny owl hates snakes because they steal their chicks.

6. Onocrotal

This is also a little-known mythical bird. You can read about it in the book of Lavrenty Zizania “Lexis” (1596). He writes that she looks like a swan. But, putting his nose into the water, he can scream like a donkey or a bear. If a person, having heard her voice, makes a wish and manages to run home before the first rain, it will come true. If he doesn’t make it, he won’t get a second chance.

5. Sirin

Often depicted next to Alkonost. Also a bird of paradise, the image of which was borrowed from the Greek sirens. It was believed that up to the waist she was a man, and below the waist she was a bird.

Sometimes she flies out of paradise and begins her sweet-voiced song. Any person can hear it, after which he forgets about everything in the world. Listening to her singing, he dies. Or, according to another version, his whole former life flies out of his head, he follows her into the desert, where, lost, he dies.

Therefore, despite the fact that she is a bird of paradise, talking about imminent bliss, in some legends she becomes a dark creature.

4. Let’s kill

This mythical bird was considered the mother of birds. Its other name is Starfil. She lives in the ocean-sea, where she breeds her chicks. The whole world is under her right wing. When she wakes up, a storm begins at sea.

At night, the sun hides under her wing. An ancient handwritten text mentions a chicken that reaches the sky with its head, and when the sun begins to wash in the ocean, it feels the waves ripple, then shouts “kokoreku”.

But scientists are sure that all these legends are about an ostrich. Once Russian interpreters, rewriting the text, made a mistake. This is how Starfil was born. He was represented as a huge bird with a small head located on a thin neck. It had a narrow and long body, one wing raised up, and a hooked beak.

3. Phoenix

Symbol of resurrection, rebirth through fire. This mythological bird burned itself, after which it was reborn again. Its name comes from the Greek word, which translates as “crimson, fiery.”

In China, she predicted marital fidelity and a happy life. But the description of this bird among the Chinese was unusual: the beak is like that of a rooster, in front it looks like a swan, the neck is like that of a snake, the body is like that of a turtle, from the back is a spitting image of a unicorn, but with a fish tail.

According to another version, he lives for 500 years, near the Sun City, feeds on the Holy Spirit. At the allotted time, the bells start toll and the phoenix turns to ash. In the morning, a chick appears in the same place, which in a day becomes an adult bird.

The German scientist F. Wolf wrote that the phoenix is ​​the only one on the whole earth, therefore it is rarely seen. In size, it resembles an eagle, with a golden neck, pink feathers in the tail and a forelock on the head.

2. Firebird

This is a character of fairy tales, with golden and silver wings, from which a bright glow emanates. She lives in a golden cage, eats pearls, and steals golden apples at night. Anyone who hears the singing of the firebird is healed of any disease, it restores sight to the blind.

If you bring a firebird feather into the room, it will replace the lighting, and over time it turns into gold.

1. Harpy

Heroes of ancient Greek mythology, half women, half birds. They always terrified people, kidnapped human souls, children. The number of harpies is different in different sources, from 2 to 5.

They have a female head and chest, but the paws and wings are vultures. They appeared in a thunderstorm or hurricane, spreading a stench around them.