Vintage Swan Girls by W. Crane Tile

The Swan Maidens (1894) by Walter Crane (English, 1845 - 1915). The idea of turning into a swan is represented in the folklore of many peoples. In northern mythology, the Valkyries, who have the ability to take the form of swans, are often called Schwanenjungfrauen, which means "swan maidens". In German folk tales, they often appear at rivers and ponds, take off their swan clothes and bathe in cool water. Whoever takes away their clothes at this moment, they fall under the power of that. In Slavic mythology, there are also such magical "swan" girls - these are pitchforks (samovils) of South Slavic (Serbian and Bulgarian) songs, legends and beliefs, and swan maidens from Russian fairy tales.