Who is the Firebird and why does every Russian want one?
The name and appearance of this creature from Russian fairy tales speak for themselves: it shines brightly, a single feather can illuminate a dark room like "many candles" and heat radiates from its plumage.
It’s a large, beautiful bird with a long, glittering tail. Its golden color and the fact that it lives in a golden cage suggest that it belongs to the Far Far Away Kingdom, that otherworldly realm also characterized by its overall golden color.
The Firebird rarely acts as an independent character. More often, it’s a desired goal, an object of quests. Someone (usually a king) learns of this wonder's existence and sends a protagonist (usually Ivan Tsarevich) to find it and retrieve it. This task typically tests the hero's courage, kindness and resourcefulness.
Some folklorists have seen a connection between the Firebird and the Phoenix – both are fiery in nature. However, the Phoenix's nature is cyclical – the bird burns and is reborn from the ashes. The Firebird, on the other hand, is not actually on fire and is, therefore, more of a symbol of eternal life and unquenchable light.
