One of the most popular types of mythical creature, is one made from the pieces of real animals. Mythos takes a look at hybrids of myth.
Alkonost
Unlike many of the hybrids on this list, the Alkonost is described as a benevolent and kind creature. She appears in Slavic myths as a guardian spirit, though she is sometimes also described as a wind spirit. She is always female, appearing with the face of a beautiful woman and the body of a bird. The most unforgettable thing about the Alkonost is her voice – those who hear it say that it is the most beautiful sound they have ever heard and are thought to never truly be content until they hear it again.
The Alkonost resides on the mythical island of Buyan, a hidden island filled with many precious things. The Alkonost lays her eggs on the sand, and then moves them to incubate in the ocean, where, seven days later, they hatch.
A fairy tale in the Slavic style, by C. Christiansen. A faithful recreation of ancient folk stories, featuring the villain Koschei the Deathless. Initially written for my college course.
Once in a rural village, neither then nor now, neither here nor there, there lived a family of peasants. The mother and the father were farmers, and had three sons. The eldest was quite strong, and became a ferrier for the army. The middle child was clever, and kept stocks and records in the town hall. The youngest, Ivan, was neither strong nor good with books and numbers. He sat on the stove all day, grooming himself and idling away.
Eventually, his mother reprimanded him. “When are you going to leave the home, Ivan? You need a wife, you need money, and yet you sit here preening all day!”
Ivan considered this, and was in the middle of thinking when a small bird perched on the windowsill.
“Go, go, young Ivan! To far Buyan, on the silver sea! Princess Carola seeks a groom!”
“A princess?” Ivan gawked, “But why should a princess want to marry me?” but then he thought, “Well, my brothers may be stronger and better learned than me, but I am neither weak nor slow. I’ve a fair temper, and fairer looks. Perhaps I have a chance!”
And so, thinking it his best hope, Ivan set out the next day with a pack on his back and what money he could spare. He journeyed to the shores of the silver sea, past the borders of the Thrice-Ninth Kingdom in the Thrice-Tenth Lands. He walked for many days, and was very tired when he reached the coast. Still, his wit and charms were enough to buy a small boat for cheap, and he set out rowing into the open ocean.
He rowed for as long as he had walked, and grew even more tired. Raising his arms in despair, he called to the winds.
“Oh, cruel fate! How much longer must I row to reach Buyan? My arms are tired, my legs are tired, and I’ve naught but half a loaf of dry bread left!”
And the spirits on the wind heard his cries. They swooped down and pushed in a heavy gale, sending Ivan’s boat onwards until it reached the island of Buyan. It was a mystical place, with a town that sparkled with moonlight, with a great mansion above. The forests were dark and green, and the fields wide and covered in blue grass.
Grateful for his luck, Ivan left his boat and went up to the shining village. He asked about where he might find the beautiful Princess Carola.
“Why, if only you’d gotten here a day sooner!” one villager remarked, “She’s been engaged already.”
“To who?” Ivan demanded, frown on his face.
“Tsar Koschei! He came in on a black horse, right over the waves, and swept up our good Princess to wed! She had no say in the matter.”
“And where is this Koschei?” Ivan inquired.
“Staying up in the royal villa, on top of the hill.” The peasant pointed to the majestic house.
“Well.” Thought Ivan aloud, “I will have to go up and duel this Koschei. Kidnapping Princesses won’t do! And I wanted to marry sweet Carola!”
“Oh, but you can’t duel him.” Warned the villager, “Koschei is deathless. He can’t be killed, not without his death.”
And so Ivan asked where he might find this death, but nobody knew. So he left, heading out to the forest for some peace and quiet so he could plan.
“Where oh where to find this death? Where do you find a death? Is it in the air? Hanging from a tree? Oh, I wish I knew!”
And one tree heard him, an old apple tree. It rustled and shook an apple right at Ivan’s head.
“Hey, what are you doing, tree?” Ivan rubbed at the bruise.
“You seek something? Perhaps I could help, if only you ask.” The tree spoke.
“I do ask, if you please.” Ivan informed it, “I seek the death of Tsar Koschei.”
“Ah, but you seek his soul! Koschei’s soul is as frail as a candle’s flame, but death cannot come to him so long as it stays hidden. And so he buried it in an iron chest, here on this very island. Go to where the amber stream leaves the green forest, and runs across the blue grass to the silver sea. There his chest is buried.”
Ivan thanked the tree graciously, and set off with nothing more than a hand-spade for digging. He found where the amber-colored stream left the green shadows of the forest, and ran across the blue meadows down to the silver sea, and began to dig. It was a tough job, but he couldn’t let Carola be married before he found Koschei’s death. Before the next morning’s sun rose, his spade clanked against the hard top of an iron chest. He pulled it out of the black soil, and turned the latch that sealed it shut.
Before Ivan had a chance to look inside, a hare jumped from the chest, running off across the fields and out of sight. When Ivan looked in the chest, there was nothing.
Just then, lightning flashed and Ivan looked in fear to the skies. A black horse rode down, with a man astride it. The man was thin as a rail, so thin you could see his bones. He had a great beard, a crown of bronze, and a cloak of white fur.
“What are you doing, child? Digging up my chest? You should leave such things well alone!” Tsar Koschei the Deathless snapped at Ivan.
“So you are Koschei? You seek to marry Princess Carola, but I was supposed to marry Carola! You listen, old man: such a beautiful girl can’t marry one like you! I’ll save her!”
“You certainly will not.” Koschei grumbled, “You will leave Buyan and you will not come back. I am to marry the Princess in three days, and I can’t have you interrupting. As such, I will give you three days to pick up and leave this island. If you fail to do so, I will strike you dead!” and Koschei drew forth a great black sword, and lightning flashed again. Ivan fled while Koschei laughed.
Later in the day, Ivan sat on a stump and looked up to the white mansion high on the far away hill above the town.
“Oh Carola! You could have married me, but now you’re set to marry that old corpse. How am I to catch that hare? Koschei’s death must be hidden with it, and yet I am not fast enough, nor do I know how fix a snare!”
Just then, a small bird perched on a branch above, and spoke in a familiar voice.
“Young Ivan, young Ivan! You’ve come to wed the Princess!” the bird exclaimed.
“I did, but now I can’t. I cannot catch the death of Tsar Koschei!” Ivan told the bird.
“Go, go, young Ivan. Back to where the chest is buried. A hare lives inside, yes? When it tries to flee, I will turn into a great raven and catch it!”
Ivan was astounded and thanked the bird, heading back to where the amber stream left the green woods, and snaked across the blue meadows into the silver sea. He took his spade, and knowing where the chest was this time he dug and dug. Koschei had buried it deeper than before, but still he managed to find it by the next morning. He turned the latch on the chest, and the hare leapt out, dashing across the meadows. With a rawking caw, a great black raven swooped down and grabbed the hare, tearing it open with its beak. But just then, with a sudden puff of fur and feathers, the rabbit vanished, and a duck took to the skies from where it had lain. The duck flew off into the skies, and lightning flashed again.
“Foolish child!” Koschei rode down on his black horse, “You invite death! I would kill you early, if I did not have my honor! Leave Buyan! Leave my chest alone! And do so before my wedding, or I my sword will drink your blood!” Ivan was terrified at his wrath, and fled again, running off into the forest.
The next day, Ivan was thinking hard. He could not leave until he had the Princess, though he was not keen on dying.
“How to catch that duck? I have no bow, I have no net! What to do?”
And it was then he heard a whisper on the breeze, and saw the faces of several spirits swirling about him. They were fair, not ghostly, and sang like the ocean winds.
“Spirits! Will you help me again? My gratitude would be unending! I must have the death of Koschei, for the sake of the good Princess!”
The spirits nodded in silence, and fluttered back to the skies.
That night, Ivan returned to where the chest had been buried again, following the amber stream until it left the green forest to meander down the blue fields into the silver sea. He spotted where the chest was buried, and saw there was a big stone resting on top of it. It was a great burden, but with all the might he could muster, Ivan shifted the stone aside and set about digging down, down, down to find the iron chest.
When he pulled it up, he undid the latch, and the hare came darting out. Before it could run away, the raven swooped down for its meal. When the black bird tucked into the rabbit, the duck sprang forth and took to the skies. But then a great gale swept in, and sent the duck spiraling towards the ground. Ivan grabbed the bird, and as it squawked it laid a single, glowing egg. Ivan let go of the duck and grabbed the egg, cracking it open to find a fine sewing needle. In the eye of the needle flickered a little blue flame.
Lightning parted the skies, and Koschei rode down on his horse in a fury, black sword drawn.
“Fool! What are you doing?!” he demanded, but then saw the needle in Ivan’s fingers.
“You are finished, Koschei, and Carola is free!” and with that he blew out the flame in the needle.
“NO!” but Koschei’s bones flew away like smoke, and he was gone.
Ivan marched up to the royal villa, and found Carola there. He proclaimed Koschei had met his death, and that he wished to marry her. The gracious princess agreed, and the two were married but the next day. They sailed back across the sea on a beautiful ship, to the Thrice-Ninth Kingdom in the Thrice-Tenth Lands, where stood the palace of the Princess’ father, the good Tsar. They lived there for many long years in prosperity and health, with treasures all about them. I saw it! I was there! I drank beer—but it all flowed down my moustache, and none went in my mouth!
In the 1900s, some Buyanski were disappointed by their government's decision to vote a popular foreign dog as the national dog breed of Buyan. So they made of parody of their national flag by replacing the albatross with a borzoi.
The original Buyanski flag.
Blue - harmony, faith in Perun and the gods
White - justice, restoration of Buyan, uplifting the people to glory
Seas - turbulent history, knowledge of historical disaster to guide Buyanski out of evil
