swan maiden

American  

noun

1. any of a class of folkloric maidens, in many Indo-European and Asian tales, capable of being transformed into swans, as by magic or sorcery.

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swan maiden British  

noun

1. any of a group of maidens in folklore who by magic are transformed into swans

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Etymology

Origin of swan maiden

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

Here’s another opening: “Once there was a King who had a pear tree which bore four-and-twenty golden pears. Every day he went into the garden and counted them to see that none was missing. But, one morning . . . ” That’s the start of Howard Pyle’s “The Swan Maiden.”

From Washington Post

One especially prominent swan maiden actually decides to wander back in the direction she came, and at the same tempo.

From New York Times

Siegfried in “Swan Lake” is hunting swans when he loses his heart to Odette the swan maiden, beneath the trees and beside the water.

From New York Times

Delia Mathews, who also made a notable debut as Odette-Odile this month, commands the attention with a Swan Maiden of serene authority.

From The Guardian

The ballet’s final act should give us the full drama and beauty of the couple’s sacrifice, magnified by the swan maiden corps.

From New York Times