The Legend of Ivan

The Legend Of Ivan Zhu

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According to myth, possession of the egg was enough to gain control of the demon. Furthermore, should the egg break, the needle within it would break as well, forcing hundreds of years of age down upon Koschei in a single instant, vanquishing the demon once and for all with the power of age. Interestingly, the most prominent tale of Koschei the Deathless had nothing to do with the egg that is the source of his immortality and strength. Instead, it had to do with his womanizing ways.

Kashchei Koshei the Immortal — Following the death of his parents, Ivan saw his three sisters wed to the first suitors who came across them—wizards in the form of birds. Within a year, however, Ivan became lonely without them and ventured off on his own to locate them. He finds the warrior woman Marya Morevna, and weds her along the way. Soon after, Marya chose to go to war and left Ivan in charge of the house, warning him not to set foot in a certain closet, for there was a secret she had long kept locked away there.

But humans are a curious race - when Marya left, Ivan disobeyed her request and ventured into the closet where he then met a decrepit old man locked in place with twelve chains. The old man begged Ivan for water, having been deprived food and drink for an extended period of time and—feeling empathetic for him—Ivan provided the man with a dozen barrels of water. Almost immediately, the man was fully revived and restored, the old shell withering away to reveal the young, strong, powerful, and immortal sorcerer, Koschei.

Empowered, Koschei broke free of the chains he had been bound by, declared he would kidnap his prisoner guard Marya, and vanished into thin air, his magic as fully restored as his body. Ivan at once embarked on a mission to rescue Marya, finding her and fleeing with her twice only to be overcome both times by Koschei on his much faster steed. Illustration, Prince Ivan restores Koschei with water. However, Ivan cheated death, as his three beloved sisters each had married the aforementioned wizards, who located and revived Ivan.

Ivan was next instructed to retrieve a magic horse, one that could travel as fast, if not faster than Koschei, which he learned from his wife could be obtained from Baba Yaga, an old sorceress. He then stole a horse and fled to Marya again. It is here where discrepancies in the mythical story appear.

Koschei was not killed with the use of his egg according to Andrew Lang's text, thereby implying that since Ivan did not come by it, it must have been previously destroyed. In Lang's and Afanasyev's versions, Koschei chased Ivan and Marya down unsuccessfully and was slain by either Ivan's sword or a sharp kick to the head by Ivan's steed, and the sorcerer's body was properly burned.

Regardless of the telling however, Koschei the Deathless was indeed considered dead by the end of every version, with Ivan and Marya Morevna living "happily ever after" and Ivan's relationship with his sisters restored. Illustration of Koshchey Koshei the Deathless, riding his magical steed. Register to become part of our active community, get updates, receive a monthly newsletter, and enjoy the benefits and rewards of our member point system OR just post your comment below as a Guest.

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I always wonder what story is they started out with.

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The Legendary Isle of Es Vedra: Asceticism Across the Faiths: The Snallygaster is a mysterious unknown cryptid that is said to look like a dragon. The legend of the beast originated with German immigrants that settled in Frederick County in Central Maryland. The symbol of the Swastika and its 12,year-old history. The firebird inspired Igor Stravinsky's ballet of the same name.

In another famous tale, part of which was also used by Stravinsky in The Firebird , Ivan Tsarevich married a warrior princess, Maria Morevna, who was kidnapped by the immortal being called Koschei the Deathless.

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In this tale, the animal helpers were a lion, a bird and a magical horse that belonged to baba Yaga. It was on this horse that Ivan defeated Koschei. Ivan the peasant's son has as many tales as Ivan Tsarevich. One of the best known is the story "the Little Humbacked Horse", in which a magical, talking horse helped Ivan to become a hero and marry the princess he loved.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

A Slavic Legend of Immortality: Koschei, the Deathless

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