Not everyone has reliable information on the Syrin bird. Popular heroes of the myths of the ancient Slavs were the cunning Baba Yaga, the treacherous Nightingale the Robber, the evil Koschei the Immortal, who are now known as fairy-tale characters. The mythical bird Sirin or the maiden bird is a creature that looks little different from a bird, but at the same time possesses the features of a person's face. Many centuries ago, a bird with a human face was revered among the pagan Slavs, as indicated by many images that were applied to clothes and various household items. Should I be wary of meeting a virgin bird? No less interesting is the question of its appearance.
Mythical Virgin Birds
These characters of Slavic myths have the appearance of beautiful girls instead of ordinary bird heads. Not everyone is lucky to meet the bird Syrin. It turns out that she also had sisters - Alkonost and Gamayun, whom our ancestors associated with good and with all the light. Wanderers were excited by a bird with a human face. The name of this creature, every Slav knew.
The vision of the bird Sirin indicated that a person would soon be visited by feelings such as sadness and longing. There was such a version that it served as a warning to a person about the imminent onset of the last minutes of life. Often in the drawings were all three birds, which at first glance seems strange. Quite possibly, a kind of attempt was made to somehow reduce the negative impact of the ominous bird. Modern researchers have been able to uncover the true meaning of images.
Who is the Sirin bird?
The prototype of the Christian concept of paradise among the ancient Slavic pagans was Irius, who was considered at the same time the birthplace of the bird Syrin. How this is consistent with an omen of misfortune and misfortune is a question. About who the parents were, the story is silent. However, we can state with full confidence: a bird with a human face was of divine origin.
Despite the connection with everything bad, often women depicted the Sirin bird on some items of clothing and household goods as a kind of talisman.
Habitats of mythical virgins
Since paradise, according to the beliefs of the Slavs, was somewhere near India, a bird with the face of a man Syrin was supposed to live there. This is one of the hypothetical habitats.
And a long time ago there was a fabulous country called Lukomorye with a Pushkin giant oak, on whose branches virgins could well nest. The content of ancient legends with the mention of the bird Sirin in places is not always correctly understood. Their meaning eventually lost its original meaning due to the free interpretation by some authors who were involved in rewriting the text, as well as due to the fact that many of them spoke different languages. That is why such a confusion with the geographical coordinates of the habitat, including Lukomorye. Therefore, it is difficult to say where a bird with a human face lived. Photos of ancient objects with the image of the virgin are now examined by many connoisseurs of myths.
The Sirin bird and the sirens are one and the same?
Not so long ago, another hypothesis appeared about where the bird Syrin came from. It is connected with the ancient Greek sirens, which, as you know, with their charming voice introduced the sailors of Greek ships into the state of eternal sleep . The Syrian bird possessed similar abilities. Everyone who heard her voice lost peace. True, a person did not stay in this state for long, but the result turned out to be fatal for him. Thus, the analogy served as the basis for assuming that the bird with the face of a person, Syrin, is a borrowed creature from one of the myths of Ancient Greece.
One could object. Like, where were the lands of the ancient Greeks, and where are the old Russians? But after all, Phoenician merchants could bring information about the Sirens. Ancient Greek mythical characters from their ancient Russian "friends" were distinguished by their habitat - the ocean.
Description of the bird Sirin and her frightening songs
The bird maiden possessed beautiful features. Below the shoulders and décolleté, the body had a plumage that resembled the shape of an owl, or rather an owl. The fact that she still hails from paradise was indicated by the presence of a shining halo or crown on her head.
The meaning of her bewitching songs was to describe the lost paradise, about how beautiful it is. Listening to the sweet voice of a virgin bird, a person was convinced that this is really a tempting place. Real life gradually lost its meaning, while the desire to get into another world grew. The elders of the ancient world were sure that only a bird with a human face, whose name is Syrin, would bring troubles. The wives of the hunters were especially afraid of them, because the husband could stay in the forest forever after hearing wonderful songs.
Another feature of the mythical bird - a person was given the opportunity to find out everything he wants. In exchange, he lost his sight, became dumb, or even died - as if he were lucky. Thus, the bird Syrin is a kind of temptation of man.