Alkonost

The Alkonost is a legendary bird in Slavic mythology. It has the body of a bird with the face of a woman. The name Alkonost came from the name of Greek demi-goddess Alcyone transformed by gods into a kingfisher. The Alkonost reproduces by laying eggs on the sea-shore then putting them into the water. The sea is then calm for six or seven days at which point the eggs hatch, bringing a storm. For the Russian Orthodox Church Alkonost personifies God's will. She lives in paradise but goes into our world to deliver a message. Her voice is so sweet that anybody hearing it can forget everything. Unlike Sirin, another similar creature, she is not evil.

Gallery

ee also

* Sirin
* Gamayun

ources

*http://www.pantheon.org/articles/a/alkonost.html
*http://bestiary.us/alkonost.php
*http://www.rollins.edu/Foreign_Lang/Russian/Lubok/lubrelig.html