How did an ancient myth become the plot of a Russian fairy tale?

The story of ‘Finist the Bright Falcon’ derives from one of the most famous ancient myths – the story of Cupid and Psyche. Both works are based on the same archetypal formula of the "forbidden union". The heroine (Psyche/Maryushka) marries a magical being (the god Cupid/Finist the Bright Falcon) under the strict condition that she not see his true form or violate the secrecy of their encounters. This union is built on absolute trust.

However, the heroine's envious sisters persuade her to break the ban or themselves prevent the lovers' meeting: Psyche lights a lamp to see Cupid; Maryushka's sisters thrust knives into the window to wound Finist. A breach of the contract leads to separation: the beloved disappears. After this, the heroine sets out to find him. This is her way of atoning for her guilt through hardship and the completion of difficult tasks. Reunion occurs only after the heroine overcomes all obstacles (often with the help of magical donors) and proves the strength of her love and fidelity.

How did this ancient myth end up in Old Russia? Researchers believe that through book translations, popular prints or oral retellings by educated people, the story entered the popular imagination. It then adapted to Russian beliefs (the image of a bird, the motif of lycanthropy) and fairytale poetry over time, becoming the story of Finist. The divine Cupid became a kind young man, capable of transforming into a bright falcon, while the difficult tasks of the Olympian gods became trials posed by Russian folklore characters. The famous fairy tale ‘Beauty and the Beast’ (literarily adapted by Barbeau de Villeneuve), the Russian fairy tale ‘The Scarlet Flower’ by Sergei Aksakov, as well as the medieval legend of Lohengrin, known from Wagner's opera of the same name, also relate to this same plot about the "forbidden spouse".