The Death of Koschei the Deathless is a Russian fairy tale featured in Andrew Lang’s The Red Fairy Book, published in 1890. It follows Prince Ivan, a young royal who sets out to rescue his wife, Marya Morevna, after a series of dangerous encounters with a powerful enemy.
The adventure begins when Ivan’s three sisters marry mysterious suitors who arrive in the forms of a falcon, an eagle and a raven. Later, Ivan meets Marya Morevna, a formidable princess who becomes his wife. However, his curiosity leads him to release Koshchei the Deathless from captivity, allowing the villain to abduct her.
Determined to bring Marya Morevna home, Ivan embarks on a perilous journey. His search involves repeated defeats, miraculous restorations and encounters with creatures that later repay his kindness. Eventually, he discovers the secret behind Koshchei’s remarkable horse and obtains the means to confront his enemy.
The story combines magic, loyalty, courage and the consequences of disobedience. It also shows how seemingly insignificant acts of kindness can become decisive when a person faces overwhelming danger.
Prince Ivan and His Three Sisters
Once upon a time, in a certain kingdom, there lived a prince named Ivan. He had three sisters: Princess Marya, Princess Olga and Princess Anna.
When their father and mother lay close to death, they gave Ivan an important instruction. He must not keep his sisters unmarried merely because he wanted them to remain with him. Instead, he should allow them to marry the first suitable suitors who came to seek their hands.
Their parents died, and Ivan buried them. Grieving for his loss, he took his sisters into the palace garden to walk among the trees.
Suddenly, the sky darkened. A black cloud covered the heavens, and a violent storm swept across the garden. Ivan urged his sisters to return indoors.
They had barely entered the palace when thunder shook the building. The ceiling split open, and a bright falcon flew into the room.
The bird struck the ground and transformed into a handsome young man.
He greeted Prince Ivan and explained that he had previously visited as a guest. This time, however, he had come as a suitor. He wished to marry Princess Marya.
Ivan remembered his parents’ instructions. Rather than deciding for his sister, he told the stranger that he would not interfere if Marya accepted the proposal.
Marya agreed to the marriage. The young man married her and carried her away to his own kingdom.
A year passed. Ivan and his two remaining sisters were walking in the garden when another storm arose. The thunder crashed, lightning flashed and a powerful eagle flew into the palace.
Like the falcon before him, the eagle transformed into a handsome young man.
He asked for Princess Olga’s hand in marriage. Ivan again allowed his sister to decide for herself, and Olga accepted.
The eagle married her and took her to his kingdom.
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Another year passed before Ivan went walking with his youngest sister, Anna. Once again, a storm gathered over the palace. Thunder shook the building, and a raven flew into the room.
The raven became a young man even more handsome than the two who had arrived before him.
He asked to marry Princess Anna. Ivan told him that he would not interfere with his sister’s freedom to choose her husband.
Anna agreed, and the raven married her before carrying her away.
Prince Ivan was now alone. For a whole year, he lived without his sisters. Eventually, he grew tired of his solitude and decided to travel in search of them.
He prepared for the journey, mounted his horse and rode away to discover what had become of his family.
The Meeting with Marya Morevna
During his travels, Prince Ivan came across a vast army lying dead on an open plain.
The sight astonished him. He called out, asking whether anyone remained alive who could explain who had defeated such a mighty force.
A voice answered from among the fallen soldiers. The speaker revealed that the entire army had been defeated by the beautiful Princess Marya Morevna.
Ivan continued along the road until he reached a white tent. A formidable woman came out to meet him.
She was Marya Morevna herself.
She greeted the prince and asked where he was going. She also wanted to know whether he travelled willingly or had been forced to undertake his journey.
Ivan answered that brave young men did not travel against their will.
Marya Morevna invited him to remain at her tent if his business was not urgent. Ivan gladly accepted.
He stayed for two nights. During that time, he came to admire the princess, and she returned his affection.
They married, and Marya Morevna took Ivan to her own kingdom.
For a while, they lived together happily. However, Marya Morevna was a warrior princess, and she eventually decided to go to war again.
Before leaving, she entrusted the household affairs to Ivan. She told him to watch over everything while she was away.
There was only one restriction.
He must not enter a particular closet.
Ivan promised to obey. Yet the warning stirred his curiosity, and once his wife had departed, he could not stop thinking about the forbidden room.
He wondered what she had hidden there and why she had forbidden him to look inside.
Eventually, curiosity overcame his promise.
Koshchei the Deathless Is Released
As soon as Marya Morevna had left, Ivan went to the closet and opened its door.
Inside, he discovered a terrible prisoner.
Koshchei the Deathless hung in chains. Twelve chains bound him, keeping him trapped in the dark room.
Koshchei begged Ivan to take pity on him. He explained that he had been imprisoned for ten years without food or drink, and his throat had become painfully dry.
Ivan felt compassion for the prisoner. He brought him a bucket of water.
Koshchei drank it all and immediately asked for more. Ivan supplied a second bucket, which the prisoner also emptied.
Still thirsty, Koshchei demanded a third.
Ivan gave him the water.
After drinking it, Koshchei regained his former strength. He shook his body, broke all twelve chains and escaped through the window in the form of a terrible whirlwind.
Before leaving, he thanked Ivan for giving him water. He also warned the prince that he would never see Marya Morevna again.
Koshchei flew away and found the princess travelling along her road. He seized her and carried her to his own home.
When Ivan realised what he had done, he was overwhelmed with grief. He had ignored his wife’s warning and released the very enemy who had now taken her away.
Yet he refused to surrender to despair.
He dressed for the journey, left the palace and set out to find Marya Morevna, determined to rescue her regardless of the danger.
Ivan Searches for His Wife
Ivan travelled for days until he reached a magnificent palace. Beside it stood an oak tree, and a falcon sat among its branches.
The bird flew down, struck the ground and transformed into a handsome young man.
He recognised Ivan immediately and welcomed him warmly. The princess who had married the falcon also came out to greet her brother.
She embraced Ivan, asked about his health and told him about her life.
Ivan stayed with them for three days. When he announced that he must continue his search for Marya Morevna, the falcon warned him that finding her would be difficult.
Before Ivan departed, his brother-in-law asked him to leave behind his silver spoon. He wanted something that would remind him of Ivan while the prince continued his journey.
Ivan agreed and left the spoon with him.
He then travelled for another three days until he reached an even grander palace. An eagle sat in an oak tree beside it.
The eagle transformed into a young man and called for Princess Olga, who hurried out to welcome her brother.
Ivan spent three days with Olga and her husband. When he prepared to leave, the eagle warned him that finding Marya Morevna would be difficult.
He asked Ivan to leave a silver fork behind as a keepsake.
Ivan agreed and continued his journey.
Three more days of travel brought him to a third magnificent palace. A raven sat in an oak tree nearby.
The raven became a handsome young man and called for Princess Anna. She ran out to greet Ivan, delighted to see her brother again.
Ivan stayed with Anna and her husband for three days. When he announced that he must continue searching for his wife, the raven asked him to leave his silver snuff-box behind.
Ivan handed it over and resumed his journey.
Each of his sisters and their husbands had welcomed him with affection. Although they could not accompany him on his dangerous mission, their kindness gave him places to rest and people who cared about his fate.
The First Two Escapes Fail
After a long journey, Ivan finally reached the place where Koshchei kept Marya Morevna.
The princess saw her husband and rushed towards him. She embraced him and began to cry.
She asked why he had disobeyed her warning and opened the closet that had contained Koshchei.
Ivan begged her to forgive him. Rather than dwell on the past, he urged her to escape with him while Koshchei was away.
Marya Morevna feared that the villain would catch them, but she agreed to try.
They prepared to leave and fled together.
That evening, Koshchei was returning from a hunting trip when his horse stumbled beneath him.
He asked the animal why it had stumbled and whether it sensed danger.
The horse answered that Prince Ivan had arrived and carried Marya Morevna away.
Koshchei asked whether he could catch them.
The horse explained that he could sow wheat, wait for it to grow, reap and thresh it, grind the grain into flour, bake five pies, eat them and then set off in pursuit. Even after all that, he would still reach the fugitives in time.
Koshchei galloped after them and soon caught up with the couple.
He reminded Ivan that he had spared him earlier because Ivan had given him water. He would forgive him a second time, but warned that a third attempt would end in a terrible punishment.
Koshchei seized Marya Morevna and carried her home.
Ivan sat down on a stone and wept. However, he could not abandon his wife.
After some time, he returned to Koshchei’s home while the villain was away. He begged Marya Morevna to escape with him once again.
She warned him that Koshchei would surely catch them, but Ivan replied that he would rather spend even a short time with her than remain separated.
They fled together.
When Koshchei returned, his horse stumbled again. The animal explained that Ivan had carried Marya Morevna away for a second time.
This time, the horse said, Koshchei could grow barley, harvest it, brew beer, drink until he was drunk, sleep and then pursue the fugitives. He would still catch them.
Koshchei rode after the couple and found them.
He reminded Ivan that he had already warned him. Then he took Marya Morevna away again.
Ivan was left alone, heartbroken but unwilling to abandon his wife.
Koshchei Destroys Ivan
Ivan returned to Marya Morevna a third time. Koshchei happened to be away, and Ivan again begged his wife to flee with him.
Marya Morevna feared what would happen if Koshchei caught them. She warned Ivan that the villain would cut him into pieces.
Ivan answered that he could not live without her. Even if Koshchei caught him, he would not abandon the attempt.
They prepared for another escape.
As before, Koshchei’s horse stumbled when its master was returning home. The animal revealed that Ivan had taken Marya Morevna away once again.
This time, Koshchei did not offer forgiveness.
He pursued the couple and caught them. He seized Ivan, chopped him into little pieces, placed the remains in a barrel, smeared it with pitch, bound it with iron hoops and threw it into the blue sea.
He then carried Marya Morevna back to his home.
It appeared that Prince Ivan’s determination had finally led to his destruction.
But far away, the three brothers-in-law noticed that something was wrong.
The silver objects Ivan had left with them had suddenly turned black. Recognising this as a sign of disaster, they realised that their beloved brother-in-law had suffered a terrible fate.
The eagle hurried to the blue sea and found the barrel. He dragged it ashore.
Meanwhile, the falcon flew away to obtain the Water of Life, while the raven went in search of the Water of Death.
When all three returned, they opened the barrel and carefully removed Ivan’s remains. They washed the pieces and put them together in the proper order.
The raven sprinkled the remains with the Water of Death, causing the separated pieces to join and form a complete body.
The falcon then sprinkled Ivan with the Water of Life.
Ivan shuddered, came back to life and sat up, wondering how long he had been sleeping.
His brothers-in-law explained that he would have remained dead if they had not rescued him.
Even after such a terrible experience, Ivan refused to give up his search.
He told them that he must return to Marya Morevna.
The Secret of Koshchei’s Horse
Before Ivan departed, his brothers-in-law welcomed him to visit them again. However, he was determined to find his wife and defeat Koshchei.
He went to Marya Morevna and instructed her to discover where Koshchei had obtained his remarkable horse.
She waited until a suitable moment and asked the villain about the animal.
Koshchei explained that, beyond many distant lands, in a kingdom beyond a fiery river, lived Baba Yaga. She possessed a mare so powerful that it could fly around the world every day.
Baba Yaga also owned many other fine mares.
Koshchei revealed that he had once watched herds of these mares for three days without losing a single animal. In return for his service, Baba Yaga had rewarded him with a foal.
Marya Morevna asked how he had crossed the fiery river.
Koshchei explained that he possessed a handkerchief with magical power. When he waved it three times with his right hand, a lofty bridge appeared across the river, protecting anyone who crossed it from the flames.
Marya Morevna listened carefully and later repeated everything to Ivan. She also took the handkerchief and gave it to him.
Armed with this information, Ivan set out to find Baba Yaga.
He travelled a long way without finding anything to eat or drink. His journey brought him face to face with several creatures, and his hunger made him consider taking their food.
Ivan’s Kindness to the Creatures
During his travels, Ivan encountered an unusual bird with its young.
He was hungry and considered eating one of the chicks. The mother bird begged him not to do so, promising that she would help him one day if he spared them.
Ivan listened to her plea and continued his journey without harming the young birds.
Farther along the road, he found a hive of bees in the forest. He wanted to take some honeycomb, but the queen bee begged him to leave it alone.
She also promised to repay his kindness in the future.
Ivan respected her request and moved on.
Later, he encountered a lioness with her cub. Weak with hunger, he considered eating the young animal.
The lioness pleaded with him to spare her cub, promising that she too would one day help him.
Ivan agreed.
Although he was still hungry, he continued travelling without taking food from any of the creatures that had asked for mercy.
At last, he reached Baba Yaga’s home.
Around the house stood twelve poles. Eleven had human heads fixed upon them, while the twelfth remained empty.
Ivan greeted Baba Yaga and explained that he had come to earn a heroic horse.
Baba Yaga agreed to give him a horse if he could look after her mares successfully. He would need to serve her for three days and ensure that not a single animal was lost.
If he failed, she warned, his head would occupy the remaining pole outside her house.
Ivan accepted the conditions.
Baba Yaga gave him food and drink, then instructed him to begin his work.
Baba Yaga’s Impossible Task
As soon as Ivan drove the mares into the fields, they scattered in every direction.
Before he could understand what was happening, the animals had disappeared from sight.
Ivan was distressed. He knew that losing the mares would cost him his life, and he had no idea how to gather them again.
Overcome by worry and exhaustion, he sat down on a stone and fell asleep.
The creatures he had spared earlier did not forget him.
The mother bird and her young helped him find the mares. Through their assistance, he was able to bring the animals back rather than return to Baba Yaga empty-handed.
Yet the task was not finished.
Baba Yaga required him to watch the mares for three days. The animals repeatedly attempted to escape, and Ivan needed help to prevent them from disappearing.
The creatures he had spared continued to repay his kindness, helping him overcome the difficulties of the task.
By the end of the third day, Ivan had fulfilled his obligation. Baba Yaga, however, did not give him the magnificent horse he had hoped to obtain.
Instead, she gave him a poor-looking colt.
Ivan accepted the animal and waited for his opportunity to escape.
When night came and Baba Yaga fell asleep, he quietly took the colt, saddled it and rode away.
He hurried towards the fiery river, hoping that the handkerchief Marya Morevna had given him would protect him from its flames.
The Escape from Baba Yaga
When Ivan reached the fiery river, he waved the handkerchief three times with his right hand.
A splendid bridge appeared across the flames, rising high above the dangerous waters.
Ivan rode over it safely.
Once he had crossed, he waved the handkerchief twice with his left hand. The bridge became thin and fragile, leaving a dangerous path behind him.
The following morning, Baba Yaga discovered that the colt was missing.
Furious, she set off in pursuit. She travelled in an iron mortar, urging it forward with a pestle and sweeping away her tracks with a broom.
When she reached the fiery river, she saw the bridge and assumed it was safe.
She drove onto it, but the thin structure broke beneath her. Baba Yaga fell into the fiery river and met her death.
Ivan continued his journey, allowing the colt to graze in green meadows.
As the animal grew stronger, it transformed into a magnificent horse. Ivan now possessed the powerful steed he needed to confront Koshchei the Deathless.
He rode back to Marya Morevna.
When she saw him, she rushed out and embraced him, astonished that he had survived.
She asked how he had returned from the dead.
Ivan explained what had happened and told her that they could now leave together.
Marya Morevna remained afraid. She believed Koshchei would catch them again and destroy Ivan as he had done before.
Ivan reassured her that his new horse was powerful enough to outrun their enemy.
Together, they mounted their horses and rode away.
The Final Battle with Koshchei the Deathless
Koshchei was returning home when his horse stumbled beneath him for the final time.
He demanded to know why the animal had stumbled and whether it sensed danger.
The horse answered that Prince Ivan had returned and taken Marya Morevna away.
Koshchei asked whether he could catch them.
The horse admitted that Ivan now possessed a steed superior to his own.
Unable to accept the loss of Marya Morevna, Koshchei pursued them anyway.
He eventually caught up with the couple, dismounted and prepared to cut Ivan into pieces once more.
This time, however, the prince was no longer helpless.
Ivan’s magnificent horse struck Koshchei with its hoof, cracking the villain’s skull.
Ivan then finished the fight with a club.
Koshchei the Deathless, who had survived countless dangers and appeared impossible to defeat, was finally dead.
Ivan gathered a pile of wood, set it alight and burned Koshchei’s body on the pyre. He then scattered the ashes to the wind.
The terrible enemy who had abducted Marya Morevna and repeatedly threatened Ivan could never harm them again.
With Koshchei defeated, the prince and princess were finally free to return to their lives together.
A Joyful Return
After their victory, Ivan and Marya Morevna travelled to visit his three sisters and their husbands.
They first visited the raven, then the eagle and finally the falcon.
Everywhere they went, the family welcomed them with joy. Ivan’s relatives had feared that he would never return, and they were delighted to discover that he had survived his ordeal and rescued his wife.
They celebrated together and shared in the happiness of the couple’s reunion.
At last, Ivan and Marya Morevna returned to their own kingdom.
The long struggle was over. Koshchei the Deathless had been destroyed, Marya Morevna was free, and Ivan could finally live without the constant threat of losing her again.
His journey had begun with loneliness and a search for his sisters. It had led him through captivity, repeated failure, death and miraculous restoration.
In the end, his determination, the help of his family and the kindness he had shown to others helped him overcome an enemy who had seemed invincible.
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Moral Lesson
The tale highlights perseverance, loyalty and the importance of helping others. Ivan repeatedly faces danger while attempting to rescue Marya Morevna, even after Koshchei defeats him. His determination keeps him moving forward when a less courageous person might surrender.
The story also demonstrates the lasting value of kindness. Ivan spares the young birds, the queen bee’s honey and the lioness’s cub when hunger tempts him to take them. Later, these creatures help him complete Baba Yaga’s dangerous task.
At the same time, Ivan’s decision to open the forbidden closet shows that curiosity can have serious consequences. His compassion towards Koshchei, without considering the danger, allows the villain to escape and abduct his wife.
The story suggests that courage and kindness are most effective when accompanied by sound judgement.
Knowledge Check
1. What were Prince Ivan’s three sisters called?
They were Princess Marya, Princess Olga and Princess Anna.
2. How did Koshchei the Deathless escape from his imprisonment?
Ivan gave him three buckets of water. After drinking them, Koshchei regained his strength, broke his twelve chains and escaped.
3. Why did Ivan repeatedly attempt to rescue Marya Morevna?
He loved his wife and refused to abandon her, even after Koshchei caught them and punished him.
4. How did Ivan’s brothers-in-law save him after Koshchei killed him?
The eagle recovered his remains, the falcon obtained the Water of Life, and the raven brought the Water of Death. Together, they restored Ivan’s body and brought him back to life.
5. How did Ivan discover the secret behind Koshchei’s horse?
He asked Marya Morevna to find out where Koshchei had obtained the animal. She learned about Baba Yaga and told Ivan how to reach her.
6. How was Koshchei the Deathless finally defeated?
Ivan returned on a powerful horse that struck Koshchei with its hoof. Ivan then finished the fight with a club, burned Koshchei’s body and scattered his ashes.
Source
The Red Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, first published in 1890. “The Death of Koshchei the Deathless,” translated from a Russian version credited to Ralston.
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