Kupala and Kostroma - Tragic Love Story

Kupala and Kostroma

Tragic Love Story of Twin Siblings

Story Details

  • Type: Love Myth
  • Culture: East Slavic
  • Related to: Ivan Kupala festival
  • Main Figures: Kupala, Kostroma
  • Themes: Forbidden love, Transformation

Key Elements

  • Twin siblings separated at birth
  • Unknowing incestuous love
  • Tragic suicide
  • Transformation into nature
  • Connection to summer solstice

The Story

Kupala and Kostroma were twin siblings separated at birth. When they met as adults, they fell deeply in love without knowing their true relationship. Upon discovering the truth, Kostroma drowned herself in grief, becoming a rusalka (water nymph), while Kupala threw himself into fire, becoming a deity of the summer solstice.

The gods transformed them into flowers that bloom together during the Ivan Kupala festival. Their tragic story explains the ritual bonfires and flower wreaths associated with the celebration.

Cultural Significance

This myth is central to the Ivan Kupala festival celebrations. The story's themes of forbidden love and transformation resonate throughout Slavic folklore.

The tale shares similarities with other Indo-European sibling myths but has distinct Slavic elements like the rusalka transformation and connection to seasonal rituals.