InRussian folklore,Buyan (Russian:Буя́н), sometimes transliterated asBujan,[1] is a mysterious island in the ocean with the ability to appear and disappear with the tide. The island is found inbyliny andskazki.[2] It gained wider recognition after appearing inAlexander Pushkin'sThe Tale of Tsar Saltan.
Buyan is an oceanic island, sometimes described as a paradise.[3] The island of Buyan features in manyfairy tales;Koshchei the Deathless keeps hissoul of immortality hidden there, secreted inside a needle placed inside an egg in the mystical oak-tree; other legends call the island the source of all weather, generated there and sent forth into the world by the godPerun. Buyan also appears inAlexander Pushkin'sTale of Tsar Saltan.
It is mentioned in the medievalDove Book as the place of the mythical stone with healing and magic powers, known as theAlatyr (Russian:Алатырь), which is guarded by the birdGagana and by Garafena the serpent.[4]