A mythical bird associated with fire and rebirth, found in legends from many cultures, or a real type of oriole. The firebird in Russian folklore is a golden bird that brings both luck and danger.
Compound of fire + bird, from Old English fȳr (fire) and bird (bird). The mythical concept appears across Indo-European cultures, possibly connected to observations of bright birds like orioles or phoenixes.
Nearly every culture has a firebird myth—from the Russian Zhar-ptica to the Norse phoenix to Asian golden birds. Scientists think these legends might come from brilliant birds with orangey-red plumage that made ancient peoples think of fire and immortality. Stravinsky's ballet cemented it in Western culture!
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