Also called Zhar-ptitsa, Žar-ptica, Ohnivák (Czech).
Their story
In Russian fairy tales a bird with feathers of fire steals golden apples from a tsar's garden each night. The youngest son, Ivan, catches only a single glowing feather and sets out to find the bird, helped by a grey wolf. Each prize he seeks leads to another quest, and he fails whenever he ignores the wolf's advice. Stravinsky's ballet "The Firebird" (1910) made the bird famous worldwide.
Best times to give to them
- Kupala Night
- Koliada story nights
What they like being given
- a candle
- an apple
- a painted feather
How to honour them
- Keep a feather or firebird image as a reminder that wonders often come with a task.
- Tell the story of Ivan and the Grey Wolf and talk about keeping advice.
How they can help you
- inspiration
- perseverance on a quest
- being careful what you wish for
Symbols
- a feather that glows like fire
- golden apples
- a golden cage
Sources
- Alexander Afanasyev, Narodnye russkie skazki ("Ivan Tsarevich, the Firebird and the Grey Wolf")
More Slavic beings
- Div The crying omen in the tree-top
- Vodyanoy The old man of the millpond
- Polevik The spirit of the fields
- Poludnitsa Lady Midday of the harvest fields
- Mavka Hollow-backed maiden of the Ukrainian woods
- Mora The night-mare who sits on the chest
- Zmey Gorynych Many-headed dragon of the byliny
- Alkonost The bird of joy