Alkonost of Balkan

Throughout the ages, birds have been symbols of power and freedom rising above the earth and soaring through the skies assuming a variety of roles in mythology and religion. They are often viewed as messengers of different deities playing a central part in the creation of myths many of which have linked birds to the arrival of life or death. A remnant of this ancient belief has survived into modern times with a still very common traditional answer to a child's question Where do babies come from? being that The stork brings them.

Traditional Slavic symbols of joy and sorrow were the two birds of paradise that inhabit the sacral realm and function as prophetic voices of wisdom: Sirin and Alkonost where Alkonost personifies the will of God and Paradise, while Sirin is a bird of sorrow, the embodiment of an unhappy soul. Their names derive from the Greek myth: Sirin meaning Siren while Alkonost may derive from Alcyone who was a Greek goddess transformed into a kingfisher. They are believed to be the daughters of Achelous, a river god, and one of the Muses. From their father they inherited a wild and spiteful temper, and from the mother a divine voice.

Image source: warhog.pl
Project: Iga Walczewska-Bińczyk
Concept art: Tomasz Ściolny
Sculpture: Charles Agius

They have the ability to sing so beautifully that all who hear their music forget everything else and pause to listen to it. Entire wars have come to a halt because of their singing. They are very large and colorful birds with the heads of human women. They fly from place to place, singing their beautiful songs. When they wish to lay their eggs, they roll them into the sea. For seven days the sea will be still and then on the seventh day, the eggs will hatch and storms will roll in. This peaceful period of seven days in winter when storms never occur has since become to refer to a lucky break, a bright interval set in the midst of adversity.

With their spellbinding vocal chords, the head of a beautiful woman and clawed bird’s paws are comparable to Sirens, predatory beauties, who lured sailors with their enchanting music and voices, leading them to their deaths. Their singing is a way of signifying union with Heaven in the hour of death, when the “I” dissolves in beautiful sounds and the soul, forgetting all, leaves the body. Classical Greeks however, understood the Sirens differently: as bird-women, creatures that Mediterranean cultures traditionally associated with hidden knowledge.

Image source: www.pinterest.com
Author: Stepan Gilev

Within Russian mythology, Alkonost is considered to be one of several magical spirit birds. Her identity is complex and mysterious. She is the bird of paradise and a wind spirit who raises storms, and Sirin is her sister spirit, her alter ego, whom she resembles very closely. Once upon a time, they were considered sacred birds of fortune, worshiped side by side as protective spirits, Alkonost guarding good fortune by day and Sirin protecting it at night. Over time, however, Alkonost was classified as entirely positive, an angelic figure announcing joy and promising saints eternal life in Paradise, while more enigmatic and alluring qualities were assigned to Sirin awakening boundless, eternal yearning and representing a gloomy omen of death.

This mythological female bird who puts people to sleep or hypnotizes them with her voice inspired many great singers and is considered to be the protector of ancient songs and notes, a transmitter of sound and the ancient roots of music and tribe; of the forgotten, the root that is an essential part of every music. It inspired one of our young singers, a former contestant of The Voice Croatia who won the first place in 2016 and chose this particular theme as the title of her song this year at Dora, Croatian selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. This song is another proof of our beautiful cultural heritage and the most amazing nature – the Old Slavic soul, that Nina wanted to show to the world.

Image source: index.hr