In Slavic mythology, the firebird is a beautiful peacock-like bird with a long tail and bright plumage of glowing yellow, red and orange. Many myths are associated with it and most of them involve a quest. Let’s go with Prince Ivan on one…
Long ago, there was a Tsar who lived in a grand palace that was surrounded by a beautiful fruit orchard. In the middle of that orchard was a tree that bore golden apples. One day, the Tsar noticed that all the apples had disappeared! Someone was stealing them. So he appointed some men to guard the tree all night but they were unable to catch the thief.
The Tsar had three sons and the eldest offered to catch the thief. “I’ll keep watch tonight father, and bring you the one who dares to steal right under our noses,” said he and stayed in the orchard that night. The night was long and quiet and before long, the prince fell asleep. The morning came and he awoke to find the apples missing again! The Tsar’s face grew red with anger and the second prince spoke up, “Father, I’m sure I’ll be able to catch this stealthy fellow. Have patience, tomorrow I shall bring him to you!”
And that night it was his turn to keep watch. Again, the night wore on and the second prince too fell asleep. The next morning he was greeted by the same sight. The apples were gone.
Now it was the turn of the youngest prince, Ivan. When he offered to keep watch, his brothers laughed. “You are not going to succeed, little brother! The thief is too clever for any of us.” Prince Ivan said nothing and spent the night in the orchard.
The Prince refused to even sit down because he knew that he would soon be lying down and be sleeping. Past midnight, he found himself almost falling asleep, still on his feet. He took some dew and wiped his face. Refreshed, he quietly waited. An hour after midnight, there was a brilliant glow that lit up the orchard. Ivan followed the light and soon came upon a fiery bird seated on the golden apple tree and pecking at the fruit!
The bird was aglow, its red, orange and yellow feathers lit up like a bonfire. The Prince quietly made his way to tree and climbed from behind. Just as he caught the bird by its tail, it took flight and disappeared! All Ivan was left with was a single glowing feather.
The next morning, he took the feather to his father. The feather still was afire, magically glowing. “The thief is a magical fire bird, father! But he was too swift for me,” said the prince sadly. But the Tsar was more fascinated with the fiery feather than anything else. “Umm… firebird, you say? Now we must catch it somehow. I shall put it in a golden cage here at the palace! Who will seek this bird?” asked the Tsar. All the three princes took up the challenge and rode off on their horses to find the fire bird.
All three princes went in different directions, riding night and day in their quest. Prince Ivan did not hurry; he went through dales and meadows, valleys and forests, lingering to see if the bird hid in some unseen tree. After three days of journey, he reached an open meadow where there stood a single pillar. When he came close, he could see there were an inscription on it. This is what it said, “Whoever goes straight will go cold and hungry; whoever takes a right from here will be safe but his horse would die and whoever takes the left would die but his horse would be safe.”
Ivan did not have to think too much, he chose to go right. “Let me see what this path has for me. If my steed were to die, I’m sure I should be able to find another one,” he told himself as he rode on from the meadow.
(To be continued...)