Phoenix | Mythology Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia This article is about the mythological bird. For the Phoenician king, see Phoenix (King) . The phoenix depicted in the Aberdeen Bestiary (ca. 12thC). The Phoenix (Ancient Greek: Φοῖνιξ, phoínix, Persian: ققنوس, Arabic: العنقاء) is a mythical, sacred firebird that can be found in the mythologies of the Egyptians, Greeks, Persians, Romans, Chinese, Japanese and (according to Sanchuniathon) Phoenicians, Hindu and other cultures. In Mythology Edit The phoenix is a mythical bird that is the true spirit of fire with a colorful plumage and a tail of gold or yellow and red. It was said to have eyes as blue as sapphires. It was said to be the spirit of Ra himself because its fire was so fierce.

It has a 500 to 1000 year life-cycle, near the end of which it builds itself a nest of incense and sacred materials that it then ignites; the bird burned fiercely then was reduced to ashes, from which the new, young phoenix arises, reborn anew to live a better life than the previous one. The new phoenix is destined to live as long as its previous incarnation. In some stories, the new phoenix embalms the ashes of its old self in an egg made of myrrh and deposits it in the Egyptian city of The phoenix looked like a giant fiery eagle with a flame trail behind it wherever it flew Heliopolis (literally "sun-city" in Greek). It is said that the bird's cry is that of a beautiful song. The Phoenix's ability to be reborn from its own ashes makes it essentially immortal. In very few stories, they are able to change into people and other birds. There is only ever one phoenix at a time. The tears of the phoenix have ability to heal any wound or infection and raise the dead. The phoenix's size is not definite since it can change size, but its regular size is the size of a house.

Trivia This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona Themes - eNotes.com This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona Themes link Link The meaning of Sherman Alexie’s “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” is amplified by the story’s symbolism. The story’s title, among other elements in this story, is significant. Phoenix is not only a city in Arizona but also the name of a bird in Egyptian mythology that rises from its own ashes and is reborn, making it a symbol of immortality and regeneration. Victor and Thomas Builds-the-Fire travel to Phoenix and, in the hot Arizona summer, step inside Victor’s father’s trailer to reclaim, literally and figuratively, that which has been lost. It is not only Victor’s father’s ashes, but also the ashes of Victor’s own life, which Victor seems ready to grasp by this story’s end. Thomas Builds-the-Fire is the character and agent, as his name literally indicates, who has built the fire under Victor. Fire is a symbol of the passions and of the heart. Though Thomas is an outsider, even on the reservation, his “fire” is the transforming agent for Victor, for Thomas is a man filled with magic, dreams, and visions.

When he tells Victor the story of his journey to Spokane Falls to find Victor’s father, Victor recognizes the tie between his father and Thomas and that Thomas is a part of Victor’s own story. When Victor abandoned Thomas, he abandoned a part of himself; this is part of what Victor reclaims. This story embodies a journey motif that literally takes place via the plane ride to Phoenix, the stop at Victor’s father’s trailer, and the road trip back to the reservation. On the plane they meet Cathy, the gymnast, whose physical flexibility stands in contrast to Victor’s mental inflexibility. With Cathy, an athlete involved with the 1980 Olympic games—which the U.S. government boycotted—and the only “white” character in the story, Alexie implies that the U.S. government is self-serving, whether it is dealing with athletes or Indians. Once in Phoenix, Victor goes into his father’s trailer because “there might be something valuable in there.” He is not talking about something that will be valuable in the material sense but sentimental things—letters or photographs. After entering his father’s “house,” Victor is then able see his father in a more human light. On the way home, Victor drives his father’s pickup for sixteen hours.

When Thomas takes over at the wheel, halfway through the Nevada desert, he accidentally runs over a jackrabbit. Victor and Thomas both agree that the jackrabbit committed “suicide,” which alludes to both Victor and his father, men who both had the ability to escape the symbolic “desert” of their own lives but refused. With this realization, Victor takes back the wheel and drives home, for now, he, unlike the jackrabbit and his father, is more consciously in charge of his own path. The real journey takes place inside Victor, the protagonist and initiate, who emerges by story’s end not as an obviously changed man but as one who now has the capacity for change. During the course of this journey, Victor recalls his childhood innocence and his pain, remembers what is bad and good about his father, acknowledges that his actions have hurt Thomas, and gives Thomas half of his father’s ashes. Significantly, Thomas and Victor return to the reservation “as the sun [son] was rising.” The Phoenix - Draconika The Phoenix The phoenix is a mythical bird who is reborn from its own ashes. he phoenix is one of the few mythical creatures in the world that is seen throughout almost every culture from Ancient Egypt to China.

Though there are slight variations from one mythos to the next, most of its characteristics stay the same. It is always portrayed as a bird that either is the color of fire or made from it. The one characteristic that is the same for all of them is the creature's ability to resurrect. The phoenix can live a long life, how long varies from culture to culture. When the bird dies, it burns itself into a pile of ashes and from these ashes, a new phoenix is born. The Phoenix represents the cyclical path of life and death and because it is reborn from its own ashes, is seen as a symbol of reincarnation and immortality. The earliest account of the phoenix is a bird called Bennu that comes from Ancient Egypt. The birds name means "to rise brightly" or "to shine". Some believe that a large extent heron was the inspiration for the Bennu. In one myth, the Bennu burst forth from the heart of Osiris, the Egyptian God of life and death. A different myth says that the Bennu created itself from a holy tree that was on fire. When its lifecycle reached its end, it would build a nest of cinnamon that would ignite and burn along with the bird.

When it was reduced to ashes, a new young phoenix would arise. In Persia, the phoenix is known as the Huma, which means bird of paradise. It is similar to the Egyptian phoenix, it will consume itself every few hundred years and of rise anew from the ashes. The Huma is said to be a compassionate bird whose touch will bring great fortune. It is believed that it spends its entire life flying, only coming to the ground to be reborn. It is said that great blessings come to anyone upon whom the Humaï¿½s shadow falls. The Greeks adapted the Egyptian Bennu and gave it their own name, the phoenix, meaning crimson. The Greeks and the Romans pictured the bird more like an eagle or a peacock. It is said that only one phoenix can exist at any one time. In Greek mythology, the phoenix lives in Arabia next to a well. Every morning as the sun rises, it bathes in the cool water and sings a song that is so sweet the sun god Apollo stops his chariot to listen. After 500 years, the phoenix will build a pyre with sweet smelling woods and spices for itself. It will light the wood on fire and be consumed along with the nest.

After three days, it will be reborn from the ashes. In China, the phoenix is called Feng-huang and is a symbol of grace, virtue, prosperity, and power. It is a representation of the union of yin and yang. It is a gentle creature that when it lands, it crushes nothing and when it is hungry, it eats only dewdrops. The phoenix represented the Empress while the dragon represented the Emperor. Only the Empress was allowed to wear the symbol for the phoenix. The Chinese phoenix has the beak of a rooster, the face of a swallow, the neck of a snake, the breast of a goose, the back of a tortoise, the hindquarters of a stag and the tail of a fish. Unlike other phoenixes, the Feng-huang is truly immortal but will only appear in times of peace and prosperity. The Japanese have a version of the phoenix as well. It is called the Hou-Ou, which means immortal bird. The Hou is the male phoenix and the Ou is the female. The Hou-Ou resembles the Chinese phoenix in appearance. It is often depicted as nesting in a paulownia tree and is thought to only appear at the birth of a virtuous ruler.

Other traditions say it will only appear in peaceful and prosperous times. The Hou-Ou has been adopted as a symbol for the royal family. It represents the sun, fidelity, obedience, and justice. © Copyright 2004-2013, Kevin Owens. Try my other sites: Game Master Dice , which sells metal, plastic and stone dice ; and Sterling Supplements , which sells bulk supplements like L-Serine powder . Phoenix (mythology) : Wikis (The Full Wiki) The Full Wiki More info on Phoenix (mythology) Wikis Manticore Did you know ... The phoenix ( Ancient Greek : Φοῖνιξ, phoínix, Persian :سیمرغ Arabic :العنقاء) is a mythical sacred firebird that originated in Persian mythology , ancient Phoenician mythology (according to Sanchuniathon ), Chinese mythology , Egyptian religion and later Greek mythology . Contents 6 External links Appearance and abilities A phoenix is a mythical bird that is a fire spirit with a colorful plumage and a tail of gold and scarlet (or purple, blue, and green according to some legends).

It has a 500 to 1,000 year life-cycle, near the end of which it builds itself a nest of twigs that then ignites; both nest and bird burn fiercely and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix or phoenix egg arises, reborn anew to live again. The new phoenix is destined to live as long as its old self. In some stories, the new phoenix embalms the ashes of its old self in an egg made of myrrh and deposits it in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis ( Greek for sun-city). It is said that the bird's cry is that of a beautiful song. In very few stories they are able to change into humans. The Roman poet Ovid wrote the following about the phoenix: Most beings spring from other individuals; but there is a certain kind which reproduces itself. The Assyrians call it the Phoenix. It does not live on fruit or flowers, but on frankincense and odoriferous gums. When it has lived five hundred years, it builds itself a nest in the branches of an oak, or on the top of a palm tree.

In this it collects cinnamon, and spikenard, and myrrh, and of these materials builds a pile on which it deposits itself, and dying, breathes out its last breath amidst odors. From the body of the parent bird, a young Phoenix issues forth, destined to live as long a life as its predecessor. When this has grown up and gained sufficient strength, it lifts its nest from the tree (its own cradle and its parent's sepulchre), and carries it to the city of Heliopolis in Egypt, and deposits it in the temple of the Sun. [1] French author Voltaire thus described the phoenix: It was of the size of an eagle, but its eyes were as mild and tender as those of the eagle are fierce and threatening. Its beak was the colour of a rose, and seemed to resemble, in some measure, the beautiful mouth of Formosante. Its neck resembled all the colours of the rainbow, but more brilliant and lively. A thousand shades of gold glistened on its plumage. Its feet seemed a mixture of purple and silver; and the tail of those beautiful birds which were afterwards fixed to the car of Juno, did not come near the beauty of its tail.

[2] History The simurgh or simorgh (Phoenix) originates in Persian mythology (Parthian Empire ca. 247 B.C.). The figure of the phoenix has gone through a variety of representations in art/literature, ranging from being fully birdlike to having the head of a dog and suckling its young. Typically, it is considered benevolent, but some tales suggest that humans are not always safe around the simurgh. Further, many tales share many elements with those of the phoenix. Flavius Philostratus (c. AD 170 ), who wrote the biography Life of Apollonius of Tyana , refers to the phoenix as a bird living in India , but sometimes migrating to Egypt every five hundred years. His account is clearly inspired by Garuda , the bird of the Hindu god Vishnu . He considered the bird as an emanation of sunlight, being in appearance and size much like an eagle . His contemporary Lactantius is probably the author who wrote the longest poem on the famous bird.

Although descriptions (and life-span) vary, the Egyptian phoenix ( Bennu bird) became popular in early Catholic art, literature and Catholic symbolism , as a symbol of Christ representing his resurrection , immortality , and life-after-death . One of the Early Catholic Church Fathers, Clement , related the following regarding the Phoenix in chapter 25 of The First Epistle of Clement : Let us consider that wonderful sign [of the resurrection] which takes place in Eastern lands, that is, in Arabia and the countries round about. There is a certain bird which is called a phoenix. This is the only one of its kind, and lives five hundred years. And when the time of its dissolution draws near that it must die, it builds itself a nest of frankincense , and myrrh, and other spices, into which, when the time is fulfilled, it enters and dies. But as the flesh decays a certain kind of worm is produced, which, being nourished by the juices of the dead bird, brings forth feathers. Then, when it has acquired strength, it takes up that nest in which are the bones of its parent, and bearing these it passes from the land of Arabia into Egypt, to the city called Heliopolis.

And, in open day, flying in the sight of all men, it places them on the altar of the sun, and having done this, hastens back to its former abode. The priests then inspect the registers of the dates, and find that it has returned exactly as the five hundredth year was completed. The phoenix on top of Kinkaku-ji temple, Kyoto , Japan Michael W. Holmes points out that early Christian writers justified their use of this myth because the word appears in Psalm 92:12 [LXX Psalm 91:13], but in that passage it actually refers to a palm tree, not a mythological bird. [3] However, it was the flourishing of Christian Hebraist interpretations of Job 29:18 that brought the Joban phoenix to life for Christian readers of the seventeenth century. At the heart of these interpretations is the proliferation of richly complementary meanings that turn upon three translations of the word chol (חול) — as phoenix, palm tree, or sand — in Job 29:18. [4] In a critical edition of I Clement, Lake noted that "the same story, with variations, is found in Herodotus (ii.

73), Pliny (Nat. Hist. x.2), etc." [5] Originally, the phoenix was identified by the Egyptians as a stork or heron -like bird called a benu , known from the Book of the Dead and other Egyptian texts as one of the sacred symbols of worship at Heliopolis, closely associated with the rising sun and the Egyptian sun-god Ra . The Greeks identified it with their own word phoenix φοίνιξ, meaning the color purple-red or crimson (cf. Phoenicia ). They and the Romans subsequently pictured the bird more like a peacock or an eagle . According to the Greeks the phoenix lived in Phoenicia next to a well. At dawn, it bathed in the water of the well, and the Greek sun-god Helios stopped his chariot (the sun) in order to listen to its song. Featured in the painting Heracles Strangles Snakes (House of the Vettii, Pompeii Italy) as Zeus , the king of the gods. One inspiration that has been suggested for the Egyptian phoenix is the flamingo of East Africa [citation needed].

This bright pink or white bird nests on salt flats that are too hot for its eggs or chicks to survive; it builds a mound several inches tall and large enough to support its egg, which it lays in that marginally cooler location. The convection currents around these mounds resembles the turbulence of a flame . In zoology, flamingos are part of the family Phoenicopteridae , from the generic name Phoenicopterus or "phoenix-winged." Related usage Phoenix on the portal of Nadir Divan-Beghi madrasah, Bukhara , Uzbekistan (part of Lyab-i Hauz complex) In Persian mythology, Simurgh , ( Persian : سيمرغ, Middle Persian : senmurv) was a winged, bird-like creature that was very large and extremely ancient. The Simurgh appears in many Iranian literary classics such as Farid ud-Din Attar's Conference of the Birds as instructor and birds leader, and in Ferdowsi's epic Shahnameh (The Book of Kings); Simurgh raised up and cherished Zaal or Zal , father of Rostam . The Fenghuang (Chinese Phoenix) at the Summer Palace , Beijing , China.

The phoenix is the central figure in Lebanese ancient and modern cultures, as Lebanese are descendants of the Phoenicians and often claim themselves sons of the Phoenix. Lebanon, and Beirut particularly, is often depicted symbolically as a phoenix bird having been destroyed and rebuilt 7 times during its long history. In China , the Fenghuang (鳳凰) is a mythical bird superficially similar to the phoenix. It is the second most-respected legendary creature (second to the dragon ), largely used to represent the empress and females, and as such as the counterpart to the Chinese dragon , traditionally seen as masculine or imperial. The phoenix is considered the greatest and the leader of birds. In Japan , the phoenix is called hō-ō (kanji: 鳳凰) or fushichō (不死鳥?), literally "Immortal Bird". In Russian folklore, the phoenix appears as the Zhar-Ptitsa (Жар-Птица), or firebird, subject of the famous 1910 ballet score by Igor Stravinsky .

The phoenix was featured in the flags of Alexander Ypsilantis and of many other captains during the Greek Revolution , symbolizing Greece's rebirth, and was chosen by John Capodistria (1828-1832). In addition, the first modern Greek currency bore the name of phoenix . Despite being replaced by a royal Coat of Arms, it remained a popular symbol, and was used again in the 1930s by the Second Hellenic Republic . However, its use by the military junta of 1967-1974 made it extremely unpopular, and it has almost disappeared from use after 1974, with the notable exception of the Greek Order of the Phoenix . The constellation Phoenix , was introduced in the late 16th century by sailors organized by Petrus Plancius , probably one of Keyser or de Houtman and displayed on a globe from 1597 created by Hondius . See also ^ Organisation internationale de la francophonie. "Les Jeux , La mascotte - Jeux de la Francophonie" . Jeux2009. . Retrieved 2009-09-27.

Umberto Capotummino" L'Occhio della Fenice", Palermo, Sekhem, 2005. ISNN 88-902054-0-7 R. Van den Broek, The Myth of the Phoenix - According to Classical and Early Christian Traditions, E.J.Brill, Leiden, 1972. Silvia Fabrizio-Costa (ed.), La Fenice : mito e segno (simposio dell’università di Caen), Peter Lang, Bern, 2001. ISBN 3-906767-89-2 Françoise Lecocq, « Les sources égyptiennes du mythe du phénix », L’Egypte à Rome (simposio dell’università di Caen), éd. F. Lecocq, Cahiers de la Maison de la Recherche en Sciences Humaines, n° 41, Caen, 2005. ISSN 1250-6419, reed. 2008 (p. 211-266).

Francesco Zambon, Alessandro Grossato, Il mito della fenice in Oriente e in Occidente, Venezia, Marsilio Editori, 2004. ISBN 88-317-8614-8 Françoise Lecocq, « L’iconographie du phénix à Rome », Images de l’animal dans l’Antiquité. Des figures de l’animal au bestiaire figuré, to be published at Presses universitaires de Caen; preprint on line: Université de Caen Basse-Normandie , p. 73-106. (French) Françoise Lecocq, « L’œuf du phénix. Myrrhe, encens et cannelle dans le mythe du phénix », L’animal et le savoir, de l’Antiquité à la Renaissance, to be published at Presses univ. de Caen ; preprint on line : Université de Caen Basse-Normandie , p. 107-130.

(French) External links Ovid , as quoted in Bulfinch's Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch There'll be that crowd, that barbarous crowd, through all the centuries, And who can say but some young belle may walk and talk men wild Who is my beauty's equal, though that my heart denies, But not the exact likeness, the simplicity of a child, And that proud look as though she had gazed into the burning sun, And all the shapely body no tittle gone astray. I mourn for that most lonely thing; and yet God's will be done: I knew a phoenix in my youth, so let them have their day. William Butler Yeats , in "His Phoenix" in The Wild Swans at Coole (1917) External links Phoenix (mythology) - Metapedia Phoenix (mythology) Jump to: navigation , search This section or article contains text from Wikipedia which has not yet been processed. It is thus likely to contain material which does not comply with the Metapedia guide lines . You can help Metapedia by editing the article and cleaning it from bias and inappropriate wordings. This article is about the mythological bird.

For other uses, see Phoenix (disambiguation) . The phoenix depicted in the Aberdeen Bestiary (ca. 12thC). Phoenix depicted in the book of mythological creatures by F.J. Bertuch (1747-1822). The phoenix, or phenix ( Greek : Φοίνιξ Greek pronunciation: [ˈfiniks] , Armenian : Փիւնիկ, Persian : ققنوس, Arabic : العنقاء أو طائر الفينيق, Chinese : 鳳凰 or 不死鳥, Hebrew : פניקס), is a mythical sacred firebird that can be found in the mythologies of the Arabian , Persians , Greeks , Romans , Egyptians , Chinese , Indians and (according to Sanchuniathon ) Phoenicians . A phoenix is a mythical bird with a colorful plumage and a tail of gold and scarlet (or purple, blue, and green according to some legends[ which? ]).

It has a 500 to 1000 year life-cycle, near the end of which it builds itself a nest of twigs that then ignites; both nest and bird burn fiercely and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix or phoenix egg arises, reborn anew to live again. The new phoenix is destined to live as long as its old self. In some stories, the new phoenix embalms the ashes of its old self in an egg made of myrrh and deposits it in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis (literally "sun-city" in Greek). It is said that the bird's cry is that of a beautiful song. The Phoenix's ability to be reborn from its own ashes implies that it is immortal, though in some stories the new Phoenix is merely the offspring of the older one. In very few stories they are able to change into people. Contents 7 External links History of the myth The ancient Greek historian Herodotus gave the following account of the phoenix in the fifth century BC while describing the animals of Egypt: Another sacred bird is the one called the phoenix.

Now, I have not actually seen a phoenix, except in a painting, because they are quite infrequent visitors to the country; in fact, I was told in Heliopolis that they appear only at 500-year intervals. They say that it is the death of a phoenix's father which prompts its visit to Egypt. Anyway, if the painting was reliable, I can tell you something about the phoenix's size and qualities, namely that its feathers are partly gold but mostly red, and that in appearance and size it is most like an eagle. There is a particular feat they say the phoenix performs; I do not believe it myself, but they say that the bird sets out from its homeland in Arabia on a journey to the sanctuary of the sun, bringing its father sealed in myrrh, and buries its father there. [1] The Roman poet Ovid wrote the following about the phoenix: Most beings spring from other individuals; but there is a certain kind which reproduces itself. The Assyrians call it the Phoenix. It does not live on fruit or flowers, but on frankincense and odoriferous gums.

When it has lived five hundred years, it builds itself a nest in the branches of an oak, or on the top of a palm tree. In this it collects cinnamon, and spikenard, and myrrh, and of these materials builds a pile on which it deposits itself, and dying, breathes out its last breath amidst odors. From the body of the parent bird, a young Phoenix issues forth, destined to live as long a life as its predecessor. When this has grown up and gained sufficient strength, it lifts its nest from the tree (its own cradle and its parent's sepulchre), and carries it to the city of Heliopolis in Egypt, and deposits it in the temple of the Sun. [2] The phoenix or firebird originated in ancient mythology and has gone through a variety of representations in art/literature, ranging from being fully birdlike to having the head of a dog and suckling its young. Typically, it is considered benevolent, but some tales suggest that humans are not always safe around it. The phoenix on top of Kinkaku-ji temple, Kyoto , Japan Flavius Philostratus (c.

AD 170 ), who wrote the biography Life of Apollonius of Tyana , refers to the phoenix as a bird living in India , but sometimes migrating to Egypt every five hundred years. His account is clearly inspired by Garuda , the bird of the Hindu god Vishnu . He considered the bird as an emanation of sunlight, being in appearance and size much like an eagle . His contemporary Lactantius is probably the author who wrote the longest poem on the famous bird. Although descriptions (and life-span) vary, the Egyptian phoenix ( Bennu bird) became popular in early Christian art, literature and Christian symbolism , as a symbol of Christ representing his resurrection , immortality , and life-after-death . One of the Early Church Fathers, Clement , related the following regarding the Phoenix in chapter 25 of the First Epistle of Clement : Let us consider that wonderful sign [of the resurrection] which takes place in Eastern lands, that is, in Arabia and the countries round about. There is a certain bird which is called a phoenix. This is the only one of its kind, and lives five hundred years.

And when the time of its dissolution draws near that it must die, it builds itself a nest of frankincense , and myrrh, and other spices, into which, when the time is fulfilled, it enters and dies. But as the flesh decays a certain kind of worm is produced, which, being nourished by the juices of the dead bird, brings forth feathers. Then, when it has acquired strength, it takes up that nest in which are the bones of its parent, and bearing these it passes from the land of Arabia into Egypt, to the city called Heliopolis. And, in open day, flying in the sight of all men, it places them on the altar of the sun, and having done this, hastens back to its former abode. The priests then inspect the registers of the dates, and find that it has returned exactly as the five hundredth year was completed. Michael W. Holmes points out that early Christian writers justified their use of this myth because the word appears in Psalm 92:12 ( LXX Psalm 91:13), but in that passage it actually refers to a palm tree, not a mythological bird.

[3] However, it was the flourishing of Christian Hebraist interpretations of Job 29:18 that brought the Joban phoenix to life for Christian readers of the seventeenth century. At the heart of these interpretations is the proliferation of richly complementary meanings that turn upon three translations of the word chol (חול) – as phoenix, palm tree, or sand – in Job 29:18. [4] Identification Originally, the phoenix was identified by the Egyptians as a stork or heron -like bird called a benu , known from the Book of the Dead and other Egyptian texts as one of the sacred symbols of worship at Heliopolis, closely associated with the rising sun and the Egyptian sun-god Ra . The Greeks subsequently pictured the bird more like a peacock or an eagle and identified it with their own word phoenix (Φοίνιξ), meaning the color purple-red or crimson (cf. Phoenicia ) or a palm tree. According to the Greek mythology the phoenix lived in Phoenicia next to a well. At dawn, it bathed in the water of the well, and the Greek sun-god Helios stopped his chariot (the sun) in order to listen to its song.

Related usage Phoenix on the portal of Nadir Divan-Beghi madrasah, Bukhara , Uzbekistan (part of Lyab-i Hauz complex) In Persian mythology, Simurgh ( Persian : سيمرغ, Middle Persian : senmurv) was a winged, bird-like creature that was very large and extremely ancient with a long tail. The Simurgh appears in many Iranian literary classics such as Farid ud-Din Attar's Conference of the Birds as instructor and birds leader, and in Ferdowsi's epic Shahnameh (The Book of Kings); Simurgh raised up and cherished Zaal or Zal , father of Rostam . Lebanon , and Beirut in particular, is often depicted symbolically as a phoenix bird having been destroyed and rebuilt 7 times during its long history. The Fenghuang (Chinese Phoenix) at the Summer Palace , Beijing , China In China , the phoenix is called the businiao (不死鳥; literally "immortal bird"). The East Asian variant, the fenghuang (鳳凰) is a mythical bird similar to the phoenix. [5] It is the one of the most-respected legendary creatures in China and the feminine counterpart to the dragon .

[6] Its rare appearance is said to foreshadow a great event or bear testimony to the greatness of a ruler. [6] In Japan , the phoenix is called fushichō (不死鳥 ? ), literally "immortal bird", and the East Asian variant is called hō-ō (kanji: 鳳凰). In Korea , the phoenix is called bulsajo (Hanja:不死鳥 Hangul:불사조) literally meaning "immortal bird", and the East Asian variant is called bonghwangsae (Hangul:봉황새 Hanja:鳳凰새). In Russian folklore, the phoenix appears as the Zhar-Ptitsa (Жар-Птица), or firebird, subject of the famous 1910 ballet score by Igor Stravinsky . In modern Greece , the phoenix became established as a symbol of the nation's rebirth during the Greek War of Independence . It was first used in the flags of Alexander Ypsilantis , and was chosen as the official emblem of the Provisional Government (1828–1832) by Governor John Capodistria , who also named the first modern Greek currency " phoenix ".

Despite being replaced by a Germanic royal Coat of Arms , it remained a popular symbol, and was used again in the 1930s by the Second Hellenic Republic . However, its use by the military junta of 1967-1974 made it extremely unpopular, and it has almost disappeared from use after 1974, with the notable exception of the Order of the Phoenix , the country's second-highest award. The constellation Phoenix , was introduced in the late 16th century by sailors organized by Petrus Plancius , probably one of Keyser or de Houtman and displayed on a globe from 1597 created by Hondius . In ancient Arabic tradition the Ghoghnus or Ghoghnous is a bird having some mythical relation with the date palm . The Ghoghnus is said to have laid only one egg. It lived in the Arabian Desert many thousands of years ago. [7] Zumrud-u Anka (Zümrüdüanka), Tuğrul or Devekuşu, is a Turkish version of the phoenix.

The word Anka comes from the word for "necklace", for the bird's neck is covered with white feathers forming like a necklace. Symbolism The Phoenix represented in the 60 years of peace coin of Belgium The phoenix has long been presented as a symbol of rebirth, immortality, and renewal. The Belgian € 10 silver coin , commemorating sixty years of peace, depicts the phoenix as a representation of a new Europe, post 1945. Moreover, the Iranian 500 rial coins issued since 2004 have an image of a phoenix on the reverse . Phoenix , the capital of Arizona, was so named as it was built on the ruins of the Hohokam civilization that had existed on the site centuries before. The phoenix was sometimes used as a symbol of the Provisional IRA . The symbols of rebirth and renewal referred to the Provisional IRA 's formation "out of the ashes of '69 ". [8] The phoenix became the official symbol of Atlanta , Georgia in 1888 because it was "reborn" from the ashes after it was burned down in the American Civil War .

[9] The American Chemical Society uses a Phoenix rising from its own ashes as a logo. The logo is a symbolism for change, the essence of the study of chemistry ; the science of interactions and changes. ACS Logo References Umberto Capotummino" L'Occhio della Fenice", Palermo, Sekhem, 2005. ISBN 88-902054-0-7 R. Van den Broek, The Myth of the Phoenix - According to Classical and Early Christian Traditions, E.J.Brill, Leiden, 1972. Silvia Fabrizio-Costa (ed.), Phénix : mythe(s) et signe(s) (colloque de l’université de Caen), Peter Lang, Bern, 2001. ISBN 3-906767-89-2 Francesco Zambon, Alessandro Grossato, Il mito della fenice in Oriente e in Occidente, Venezia, Marsilio Editori, 2004.

ISBN 88-317-8614-8 Françoise Lecocq : « L’empereur romain et le phénix », Phénix : mythe(s) et signe(s), ed. S. Fabrizio-Costa, Peter Lang, Berne, 2001, p. 27-56. « Le renouveau du symbolisme du phénix au XXe s. », Présence de l’Antiquité grecque et romaine au XXe s., ed. R. Poignault, coll. Caesarodunum n° XXXIV-XXXV bis, Tours, 2002, p. 25-59. « Les sources égyptiennes du mythe du phénix », L’Egypte à Rome, éd. F. Lecocq, Cahiers de la Maison de la Recherche en Sciences Humaines, n° 41, Caen, 2005. ISSN 1250-6419, reed. 2008 (p. 211-266).

« L’iconographie du phénix à Rome », Images de l’animal dans l’Antiquité. Des figures de l’animal au bestiaire figuré, Schedae 2009, n° 17, fasc. 2, p. 107-130. Université de Caen Basse-Normandie , p. 73-106. (French) « L’œuf du phénix. Myrrhe, encens et cannelle dans le mythe du phénix », L’animal et le savoir, de l’Antiquité à la Renaissance, Schedae 2009, n° 6, fasc. 1, p. 73-106 Université de Caen Basse-Normandie , p. 107-130. (French) « Le roman indien du phénix ou les variations romanesques du mythe du phénix », Présence du roman grec et latin, ed. R. Poignault, coll. Caesarodunum n° XL-XLI bis, Clermont-Ferrand, 2011, p.

405-429. « Le phénix dans l'oeuvre de Claudien : la fin d'un mythe. Pour une lecture politique du phénix : quelques arguments », Claudien. Mythe, histoire et science, éd. F. Garambois-Vasquez, Presses universitaires de Saint-Étienne, coll. Antiquité. Mémoires du Centre Jean Palerne XXXVI, 2011, p. 113-157 External links "The Rise of the Phoenix from the Ashes": An Allusion to Rebirth - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. When visiting the website, many visual depictions appear. This article is about the mythological bird. For other uses. Phoenix The phoenix depicted in the Aberdeen Bestiary (ca. 12thC). Mythology Fenghuang , Simurgh , Garuda , Roc , Thunderbird Phoenix depicted in the book of mythological creatures by F.J. Bertuch (1747-1822). The phoenix or phenix [1] ( Greek : ?????? Greek pronunciation: [?finiks] , Persian : ?????, Arabic : ??????? ?? ????

???????, Chinese : ?? or ???, Turkish : Tu?rul , Hebrew : ?????), is a mythical sacred fire bird that can be found in the mythologies of the Arabian , Persians , Greeks , Romans , Egyptians , Chinese , Turks , Indians [ disambiguation needed ] and (according to Sanchuniathon ) Phoenicians / Canaanites . [2] It is described as a bird with a colorful plumage and a tail of gold and scarlet (or purple, blue, and green according to some legends). It has a 500 to 1000 year life-cycle, near the end of which it builds itself a nest of twigs that then ignites; both nest and bird burn fiercely and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix or phoenix egg arises, reborn anew to live again. The new phoenix is destined to live as long as its old self. In some stories, the new phoenix embalms the ashes of its old self in an egg made of myrrh and deposits it in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis (literally “sun-city” in Greek). It is said that the bird’s cry is that of a beautiful song.

The Phoenix’s ability to be reborn from its own ashes implies that it is immortal, though in some stories the new Phoenix is merely the offspring of the older one. In very few stories they are able to change into people. Contents 8 External links History of the myth The ancient Greek historian Herodotus gave the following account of the phoenix in the fifth century BC while describing the animals of Egypt: Another sacred bird is the one called the phoenix. Now, I have not actually seen a phoenix, except in a painting, because they are quite infrequent visitors to the country; in fact, I was told in Heliopolis that they appear only at 500-year intervals. They say that it is the death of a phoenix’s father which prompts its visit to Egypt. Anyway, if the painting was reliable, I can tell you something about the phoenix’s size and qualities, namely that its feathers are partly gold but mostly red, and that in appearance and size it is most like an eagle.

There is a particular feat they say the phoenix performs; I do not believe it myself, but they say that the bird sets out from its homeland in Arabia on a journey to the sanctuary of the sun, bringing its father sealed in myrrh, and buries its father there. [3] The Roman poet Ovid wrote the following about the phoenix: Most beings spring from other individuals; but there is a certain kind which reproduces itself. The Assyrians call it the Phoenix. It does not live on fruit or flowers, but on frankincense and odoriferous gums. When it has lived five hundred years, it builds itself a nest in the branches of an oak, or on the top of a palm tree. In this it collects cinnamon, and spikenard, and myrrh, and of these materials builds a pile on which it deposits itself, and dying, breathes out its last breath amidst odors. From the body of the parent bird, a young Phoenix issues forth, destined to live as long a life as its predecessor.

When this has grown up and gained sufficient strength, it lifts its nest from the tree (its own cradle and its parent’s sepulchre), and carries it to the city of Heliopolis in Egypt, and deposits it in the temple of the Sun. [4] The phoenix or firebird originated in ancient mythology and has gone through a variety of representations in art/literature, ranging from being fully birdlike to having the head of a dog and suckling its young. Typically, it is considered benevolent, but some tales suggest that humans are not always safe around it. The Bennu-bird Flavius Philostratus (c. AD 170), who wrote the biography Life of Apollonius of Tyana , refers to the phoenix as a bird living in India , but sometimes migrating to Egypt every five hundred years. His account is clearly inspired by Garuda , the bird of the Hindu god Vishnu . He considered the bird as an emanation of sunlight, being in appearance and size much like an eagle . His contemporary Lactantius is probably the author who wrote the longest poem on the famous bird.

Although descriptions (and life-span) vary, the Egyptian phoenix ( Bennu bird) became popular in early Christian art, literature and Christian symbolism , as a symbol of Christ representing his resurrection , immortality , and life-after-death . One of the Early Church Fathers, Clement , related the following regarding the Phoenix in chapter 25 of the First Epistle of Clement : Let us consider that wonderful sign [of the resurrection] which takes place in Eastern lands, that is, in Arabia and the countries round about. There is a certain bird which is called a phoenix. This is the only one of its kind, and lives five hundred years. And when the time of its dissolution draws near that it must die, it builds itself a nest of frankincense , and myrrh, and other spices, into which, when the time is fulfilled, it enters and dies. But as the flesh decays a certain kind of worm is produced, which, being nourished by the juices of the dead bird, brings forth feathers. Then, when it has acquired strength, it takes up that nest in which are the bones of its parent, and bearing these it passes from the land of Arabia into Egypt, to the city called Heliopolis.

And, in open day, flying in the sight of all men, it places them on the altar of the sun, and having done this, hastens back to its former abode. The priests then inspect the registers of the dates, and find that it has returned exactly as the five hundredth year was completed. Michael W. Holmes points out that early Christian writers justified their use of this myth because the word appears in Psalm 92:12 ( LXX Psalm 91:13), but in that passage it actually refers to a palm tree, not a mythological bird. [5] However, it was the flourishing of Christian Hebraist interpretations of Job 29:18 that brought the Joban phoenix to life for Christian readers of the seventeenth century. At the heart of these interpretations is the proliferation of richly complementary meanings that turn upon three translations of the word chol (???) – as phoenix, palm tree, or sand – in Job 29:18.

[6] The phoenix on top of Kinkaku-ji temple, Kyoto , Japan Origins Originally, the phoenix was identified by the Egyptians as a stork or heron -like bird called a benu , known from the Book of the Dead and other Egyptian texts as one of the sacred symbols of worship at Heliopolis, closely associated with the rising sun and the Egyptian sun-god Ra . The Greeks subsequently pictured the bird more like a peacock or an eagle and identified it with their own word phoenix (??????), meaning the color purple-red or crimson (cf. Phoenicia ) or a palm tree. According to the Greek mythology the phoenix lived in Phoenicia ( Lebanon ) next to a well. At dawn, it bathed in the water of the well, and the Greek sun-god Helios stopped his chariot (the sun) in order to listen to its song.

Correspondent and similar mythical creatures Phoenix on the portal of Nadir Divan-Beghi madrasah, Bukhara , Uzbekistan (part of Lyab-i Hauz complex) The Fenghuang (Chinese Phoenix) at the Summer Palace , Beijing , China Terracotta Phoenix head used as architectural decoration, from the 14th-15th century Tr?n-H? dynasty in Vietnam In Persian mythology, Simurgh ( Persian : ?????, Middle Persian : senmurv) was a winged creature in the basic shape of a peacock, gigantic enough to carry off an elephant or a whale, but also endued with the head of a dog and the claws of a lion. The Simurgh appears in Iranian literary classics such as Farid ud-Din Attar’s Conference of the Birds as instructor and birds leader, and in Ferdowsi’s epic Shahnameh (The Book of Kings), in which also the Huma bird appears as the presumed “bird of paradise”. Avalerion is a bird claimed in mediaeval European texts to live near India, which drowns itself once it has laid its eggs.

In China , the phoenix is called businiao (???; literally “undying bird”), and is also the conventional English rendering of fenghuang (??), a mythical bird of Chinese indigenous origin, because of the two’s iconographic similarity and despite the latter’s absence of the fire rebirth theme. [7] It is imagined as a composite of many birds, or even as comprising some body part of a snake, a fish etc. It is one of the most-respected legendary creatures in China and the feminine counterpart to the dragon . [8] Its rare appearance is said to foreshadow a great event or bear testimony to the greatness of a ruler. [8] In Japan , the phoenix is called fushich? (??? ? ), literally “immortal bird”, and the Chinese-derived local parallel is called h?-? (kanji: ??). In Korea , the phoenix is called bulsajo (Hanja:??? Hangul:???) literally meaning “immortal bird”, and the East Asian variant is called bonghwangsae (Hangul:??? Hanja:???). In Hebrew traditions Ziz is a legendary pure bird, the protector of all birds.

In ancient Arabic tradition the Ghoghnus or Ghoghnous is a bird having some mythical relation with the date palm . The Ghoghnus is said to have laid only one egg. It lived in the Arabian Desert many thousands of years ago. [9] Zumrud-u Anka (Zümrüdüanka), Tu?rul or Deveku?u, is a Turkish version of the phoenix. The word Anka comes from the word for “necklace”, for the bird’s neck is covered with white feathers forming like a necklace. In Russian folklore, the phoenix appears as the Zhar-Ptitsa (???-?????), or firebird, subject of the famous 1910 ballet score by Igor Stravinsky . Kokko is a mythical bird of iron and fire from Finnish folklore, Turul is the correspondent in the myths of the Magyars . Adarna may be considered a Philippine version of the phoenix. In Vietnam, the phoenix was the mythical symbol of Âu C?, who was the Mother of ancient Vietnamese, including Au Viet and Lac Viet.

The symbol of the phoenix could be found on Vietnamese Bronze Drums, on traditional customs of Au Viet tribes in North Vietnam and South China (Yunnan, Guangxi). Phoenix dance is the traditional dance of some tribes in Yunnan. Modern symbolism Main article: Phoenix in popular culture The constellation Phoenix , was introduced in the late 16th century by sailors organized by Petrus Plancius , probably one of Keyser or de Houtman and displayed on a globe from 1597 created by Hondius . The phoenix has long been presented as a symbol of rebirth, immortality, and renewal. In modern Greece , the phoenix became established as a symbol of the nation’s rebirth during the Greek War of Independence . It was first used in the flags of Alexander Ypsilantis , and was chosen as the official emblem of the Provisional Government (1828–1832) by Governor John Capodistria , who also named the first modern Greek currency “ phoenix “. Despite being replaced by a Germanic royal Coat of Arms , it remained a popular symbol, and was used again in the 1930s by the Second Hellenic Republic .

However, its use by the military junta of 1967-1974 made it extremely unpopular, and it has almost disappeared from use after 1974, with the notable exception of the Order of the Phoenix , the country’s second-highest award. Likewise Lebanon , and Beirut in particular, is often depicted symbolically as a phoenix bird having been destroyed and rebuilt 7 times during its long history. The Belgian € 10 silver coin , commemorating sixty years of peace, depicts the phoenix as a representation of a new Europe, post 1945. Also the Iranian 500 rial coins issued since 2004 have an image of a phoenix on the reverse . Provisional IRA badge In the course of the colonization of Northern America a number of cities have received the name of Phoenix or have been associated with its symbolism. Phoenix , the capital of Arizona, was so named as it was built on the ruins of the Hohokam civilization that had existed on the site centuries before. The phoenix became the official symbol of Atlanta , Georgia in 1888 because it was “reborn” from the ashes after it was burned down in the American Civil War .

[2] The American Chemical Society uses a Phoenix rising from its ashes as a logo. The logo is a symbolism for change, the essence of the study of chemistry ; the science of interactions and changes. In politics, the phoenix was sometimes used as a symbol of the Provisional IRA . The symbols of rebirth and renewal referred to the Provisional IRA ‘s formation “out of the ashes of ’69 “. [10] Insignia of Pakistan Air Force Academy, Risalpur also symbolizes Phoenix as the training cycle in the academy that a cadet is trained and groomed by the officers who are graduates of the same institution. Fire Magic Folklore, Legends and Myths By Patti Wigington Updated April 12, 2016. Each of the four cardinal elements - earth, air, fire and water - can be incorporated into magical practice and ritual. Depending on your needs and intent, you may find yourself drawn to one of these elements more so that the others. Connected to the South, Fire is a purifying, masculine energy, and connected to strong will and energy. Fire both creates and destroys, and symbolizes the fertility of the God.

Fire can heal or harm, and can bring about new life or destroy the old and worn. In Tarot, Fire is connected to the Wand suit (although in some interpretations, it is associated with Swords ). For color correspondences, use red and orange for Fire associations. Let’s look at some of the many magical myths and legends surrounding fire: Fire Spirits & Elemental Beings: In many magical traditions, fire is associated with various spirits and elemental beings. For instance, the salamander is an elemental entity connected with the power of fire - and this isn’t your basic garden lizard, but a magical, fantastical creature. Other fire-associated beings include the phoenix - the bird that burns itself to death and then is reborn from its own ashes - and dragons, known in many cultures as fire-breathing destroyers. The Magic of Fire: Fire has been important to mankind since the beginning of time. It was not only a method of cooking one’s food, but it could mean the difference between life and death on a frigid winter night. To keep a fire burning in the hearth was to ensure that one’s family might survive another day.

Fire is typically seen as a bit of a magical paradox, because in addition to its role as destroyer, it can also create and regenerate. The ability to control fire - to not only harness it, but use it to suit our own needs - is one of the things that separates humans from animals. However, according to ancient myths, this has not always been the case. Fire appears in legends going back to the classical period. The Greeks told the story of Prometheus , who stole fire from the gods in order to give it to man - thus leading to the advancement and development of civilization itself. This theme, of the theft of fire, appears in a number of myths from different culture. A Cherokee legend tells of Grandmother Spider , who stole fire from the sun, hid it in a clay pot, and gave it to the People so they could see in the darkness. A Hindu text known as the Rig Veda related the story of Mātariśvan, the hero who stole fire that had been hidden away from the eyes of man. Fire is sometimes associated with deities of trickery and chaos - probably because while we may think we have domination over it, ultimately it is the fire itself that is in control.

Fire is often connected with Loki, the Norse god of chaos , and the Greek Hephaestus (who appears in Roman legend as Vulcan ) the god of metalworking, who demonstrates no small amount of deceit. Fire and Folktales: Fire appears in a number of folktales from around the world, many of which have to do with magical superstitions. In parts of England, the shape of cinders which jumped out of the hearth often foretold a major event - a birth, a death, or the arrival of an important visitor. In parts of the Pacific Islands, hearths were guarded by small statues of old women. The old woman, or hearth mother, protected the fire and prevented it from burning out. The Devil himself appears in some fire-related folktales. In parts of Europe, it is believed that if a fire won’t draw properly, it’s because the Devil is lurking nearby. In other areas, people are warned not to toss bread crusts into the fireplace, because it will attract the Devil (although there’s no clear explanation of what the Devil might want with burnt bread crusts).

Japanese children are told that if they play with fire, they will become chronic bed-wetters - a perfect way to prevent pyromania! A German folktale claims that fire should never be given away from the house of a woman within the first six weeks after childbirth. Another tale says that if a maid is starting a fire from tinder, she should use strips from mens’ shirts as tinder - cloth from women’s garments will never catch a flame.

Question: In mythology , which bird can be reborn from its own ashes ?
Answer: PHOENIX