Mysterious mythical creature - bird Sirin - is in many fairy tales, legends and traditions. The very name Sirin is consonant with "Siren", and this is no coincidence. Indeed, the ancient Greek mythical creatures are genetically related to the Slavic ones. According to legends and legends, the beautiful Sirens fascinated sailors with their singing and sank entire ships. The appearance of these creatures was described by the ancient Greeks in different ways. In some sources, they are more like mermaids. Most agreed that the Siren is a half-bird, half-woman.
In Slavic mythology, Sirin has exactly the same characteristic. This is a beautiful bird with the head of a maiden. The main distinguishing feature is a melodious voice. The ancient Slavs believed that the Sirin bird lives in paradise, but the Greeks settled it in the depths of the sea. The characteristics of this mythical creature are different. In some sources, the Sirin bird is an exceptionally dark beginning. She fascinates with her sweet voice any person, and he can no longer tear himself away from her singing until he dies. But the Ural fairy tales, on the contrary, attribute positive features to it. The bird of paradise Sirin lives in them not in the garden, but on the slopes of the mountains, and few managed to see it. The thing is that not everyone believes in its existence. She can bewitch with her charms and destroy, or she can bestow what a person is looking for. Fairy tales talk about people who go to her to find out about their future, ask where they can look for happiness or persuade her to help in search of treasures. If she starts to sing, then the wanderer falls asleep. Even if he wakes up, he will never forget her voice again. The Sirin bird can tell a lot, she is wise, she has been to many wonderful countries.
What does the Sirin bird look like? Photos of engravings by artists, drawings can be seen in collections of fairy tales and legends of the Slavic peoples. Almost everywhere it is depicted the same way. This is a large bird of divine beauty with the head of a girl. Her face is beautiful, calm and static. She proudly holds her head, and quite often the flapping of her large wings is also depicted. On her head is a crown or diadem. The bird Sirin sits among the lush branches of flowering shrubs (the exception is the Ural fairy tales, where mountains are clearly visible).
The fact that the mysterious bird is associated with Greek mythology can be judged from the poem of the same name by K. Balmont. In it, he writes about a fabulous bird that settled on a steep cliff in the middle of the deep sea.
In mythology, the sister of the Sirin bird, Alkonost, is also known. The latter is said to have laid her eggs in the sea rocks and immersed them in water until the chicks hatched. For seven days the sea remained calm.
Alkonost also has a marvelous voice. Unlike Sirin, her wings flow smoothly into her hands.
Oddly enough, on Russian soil the legend of the Sirens took root quite well, but in a slightly different way. In most Slavic legends, the Sirin bird plays a positive role, saving the heroes from torment and vanity. She gives peace and tranquility with her marvelous voice, helps with advice.
