In the ancient mythology of various cultures there is the belief of a majestic Phoenix symbolizing rebirth and renewal. It is often associated with the Sun, so when it dies by fire it is reborn again from the ashes to live a new age. Her story is quite interesting and through this publication you will be able to know her.
The Phoenix
In the quiet of the night, just before dawn breaks, a magnificent creature builds its nest. She carefully and meticulously places every twig and spice she finds to build her nest. A surprising fatigue can be noticed in her, which is clearly perceptible but in no way does this detract from her beauty.
Almost immediately the sun begins to rise and the bird begins to stretch. Its feathers have a beautiful shade of gold and red - the phoenix. He throws his head back and sings a haunting tune that stops the sun in the sky. Following this, a spark falls from the sky and lights a great fire that consumes both the bird and the nest, but there is no reason to be sad. In three days the phoenix will rise from the ashes and be born again.
Legend of the Phoenix
The story of the phoenix is legendary and possibly one of the oldest and most famous legends of the present. The legend is known for the many elements it is said to touch upon including: life and death, creation and destruction, even time itself is linked to the phoenix story. The phoenix was known to be a majestic bird-like creature that lived in paradise.
This like all the other creatures that inhabit paradise, was known to enjoy a pleasant and good life. It was a land of unimaginable perfection and beauty and is said to exist somewhere beyond the brightness of the sun. But over time, the bird began to feel the effects of its age. So after 1000 years, he was ready to move on.
Since the phoenix was known to reside in paradise, it was also known that it could never truly succumb. However, it was possible that the creature could be reborn. As such, this is what happened for the creature to be born again.
Phoenix Revival
First, the phoenix unfolded its westward flight, heading towards the mortal world. It was necessary to leave paradise and enter our world so that the creature could be reborn. He flew west until he reached the spice forests that grew in Arabia. He stopped there to collect only the best herbs and spices (especially cinnamon), before continuing his journey to Phoenicia (probably named after the creature).
As soon as the phoenix arrived in Phenicia, it built a nest of twigs and spices that it had collected and waited for the sun to rise. So the next day, as the sun god began to pull his chariot across the sky, the phoenix turned east to face him as the sun rose above the horizon.
Then he sang one of the most beautiful and terrifying melodies known to man, so perfect that even the sun god had to stop and listen to the sweet notes. When the phoenix finished his farewell song, the sun god prepared his chariot and continued his journey across the sky. This caused a spark to fall from the sky and set fire to the nest of herbs and the phoenix; all that was left was a small worm.
However, this was not his final time. After three days, a new phoenix would rise from the ashes (probably converted from the worm) and the next 1000-year cycle would begin. He took the remaining ashes of his father to the great Heliopolis and then returned to paradise until his cycle ceased.
Alternate story variants
Alternate variants of the lore exist, though the prefixed story is the most prevalent version of the phoenix revival. Among the other versions, we have to:
- Instead of deploying its flight to Phenicia to end its lifespan, the phoenix went to Heliopolis and surrendered to the fire in the city of the sun. From this cremation, the new bird emerges and then flies back to paradise.
- There are also some adaptations where the phoenix ends its journey as described above (from paradise to Arabia and then to Phoenicia), but then dies at sunrise the next morning. The body begins to disintegrate (most versions of this story say that this process takes three days) and when it has reached the final stages of disintegration, the new phoenix emerges from the remnants of the first.
- Lastly, a less widely read interpretation of the phoenix lore asserts that the bird begins to show signs of age when it reaches the last years of its life. So she decides to fly to the mortal world, where she loses many of her beautiful multicolored feathers along the way. So when she finishes building her nest, she lights herself up (like the first version) and lets the next phoenix appear.
The burial process
When the new phoenix enters the next life cycle, the first thing it does is create a cremation egg into which the remains of its predecessor are placed. To do this, the story goes, the phoenix flies up and begins to collect the finest myrrh it can find to form a ball. So it gathers up everything it can carry and then flies back to the nest it emerged from.
Back in its nest, the phoenix sets out to extract the myrrh egg and digs a small hole in one side to put the ashes of its predecessors inside. As soon as he has collected all the ashes and put them in the egg, he closes the opening of the cremation egg with myrrh and takes the remains to Heliopolis. He leaves the remains on an altar in the Temple of Ra and begins his new life by flying back to the land of Paradise.
What is the place of residence of the Phoenix Bird?
There are several versions in the history of the phoenix, but almost all versions say that the phoenix resides in Paradise. This earth is considered a perfect world because it was beyond the sun and was sometimes considered a representation of heaven. However, there were also other versions of the story that hinted at other possible locations as residences of the phoenix.
One place that was said to be the home of the phoenix was Heliopolis (metropolis of the sun). And this is possible since Heliopolis was the place where the phoenix was buried after his death. In some versions of the story, it was also here that the bird was reborn.
The Greeks claimed that the phoenix was known to dwell near a well in Arabia. According to the stories, the phoenix as a custom would get into the well every day at dawn and sing a song so beautiful that Apollo himself (the sun god) had to stop his chariots in the sky to hear the melody.
Appearance of the Phoenix Bird
The phoenix was known to be one of the most beautiful and perfect creatures to those who had ever come to recognize it, possibly because the creature was associated with paradise, where all things are perfect. Most accounts of the phoenix describe it as having red and yellow plumage, although there are many variations. All that is known is that the appearance of this mighty bird was unlike any other and that it was distinguished by its feathers.
In Greek mythology, there is also a connection to the color purple, possibly due to the city of Phoenicia. The city of Phoenicia was known for its light violet tones, usually used for royal clothing. Giving this mythical creature the name "Phoenix" is believed to be a way of referring to the purple color also found in the bird's feathers.
Many works of art inspired by the Greek version of the myth show birds with feathers in shades of light yellow, red and purple. There are also several variations on the creature's eyes, with some sources stating that the phoenix's eyes are a light shade of yellow, while others state that they are like two sparkling sapphires. All the stories about the bird emphasize the size of the creature, leading some to wonder if the phoenix might have been inspired by some kind of giant bird.
Other Variations on the Phoenix Bird Story
We know that the phoenix is most often linked to Greek mythology, but there were also other cultures that have accounts of similar "sun birds" or "fire birds" that have often been compared to the phoenix itself. The most commonly linked bird is the goddess "Bennu" from Egyptian mythology, who is nearly identical to the Greek phoenix. However, there are also similarities in Russian, Indian, Native American, and Jewish mythology. Next, we describe each one of them:
Bennu – Egyptian Mythology
The Greek phoenix is generally attributed to the Egyptian deity Bennu. The creature called Bennu was known to be a heron-like bird. Bennu was said to live on stones and obelisks, and was worshiped by the people of ancient Egypt in a similar way to how Osiris and Ra were worshiped. In fact, Bennu was believed to be a living symbol of the god Osiris.
Bennu was believed to symbolize the flooding of the Nile, which was known to bring wealth and fertility to the land. For this reason, he was one of the most respected creatures in Egyptian mythology. Also, the cycle of birth and rebirth is identical to that of the phoenix (although the timeline is different). Instead of being reborn every 1000 years, Bennu is reborn every 500 years.
Milcham – Jewish Mythology
Jewish mythology also makes mention of a creature that is thought to be the phoenix; in these accounts the phoenix is referred to as Milcham. The story begins in the days when people were still allowed to enter the Garden of Eden. It is said that when Eve gave in to the serpent's temptations and seduced Adam with the fruits, she also offered the fruits to the other animals in the garden.
The Milcham bird was one of the animals that refused to eat the fruit and was rewarded for its loyalty. For this he received a city where he could spend his days in peace forever, so every 1000 years the Milcham bird finished a life cycle, but being immune to the angel of death (because it was faithful to God), being born again.
Garuda – Hindu Mythology
Garuda is a solar bird known to be the mount of the god Vishnu and was also considered a protector against the evil serpent. It is known that he was described as "the king of all birds" and is often depicted as a giant bird in flight.
Thunderbird – Native American Mythology
Likewise, Thunderbird is believed to have loose connections to the phoenix. Like Garuda, Thunderbird is known to guard against the evil serpent figure and is considered a protection.
Firebird – Slavic Mythology
The Slavic firebird has obvious links to the phoenix and was probably created in their folklore when ancient cultures exchanged stories and legends on their trade routes. But unlike many other cultures that spoke of the phoenix, the bird of fire was depicted as a giant falcon rather than a peacock.
This is believed to be due to the fact that the falcon symbolizes the ultimate masculinity in Slavic culture. The Slavic firebird also differed from the traditional phoenix due to its life cycle. Firebird was meant to symbolize the different seasons, so this bird ends its life cycle during the fall months but revives again in the spring. With its revival comes beautiful music that brings joy and new life.
Ideologies that adopted the story of the Phoenix Bird
The story of the phoenix was not only prevalent in ancient mythology, but was embraced by various religions and was sometimes used to symbolize theoretical ideas and the rule of powerful kingdoms. The renaissance element in the story has often been used to describe a wide range of ideas, including:
Symbolism in Ancient Egypt
Although the phoenix was known as the Bennu in ancient Egypt, the two mythical animals were identified as the same unit. In Egypt, however, the sunbird sign was used to symbolize rebirth and immortality. The story of Bennu's rebirth was also believed to closely follow the rebirth of the human spirit.
Symbolism in ancient China
The phoenix was the emblem of the Chinese empress and in turn represented feminine grace and the sun. In this part of the world, it was considered a godsend to see a phoenix. It was known to symbolize the rise of a wise leader and a new era. Furthermore, he represented some of the most prized virtues, such as kindness, reliability, and kindness.
Symbolism in Christianity
The phoenix is not only used in ancient cultures but has also been adopted today, one of these adjustments was made by the Christian religion. Early Christians used the phoenix to represent the conditions of Christ's death and resurrection. This connection is clearly seen in the death of the deity (Christ or the phoenix), followed by a period of three days in which a rebirth took place. Where after the third day the new cycle of life began.
The two ideas are so linked with the phoenix being used in early Christian tombs to figure out the connection between the two figures. The images also remind us that death is not the end, but simply a new beginning.
Cosmic fire and the creation of the earth
The story of the phoenix has also been put forward as a possible way to tell the story of the creation of the earth. Because the phoenix is so closely related to the sun, there are those who speculate that the birth of this bird could also be the birth of a new world.
This birth would result from a cosmic fire that could be symbolized by the bright colors of the phoenix's feathers, as well as by the flames from which it originates. In exploring this side of the story, it is often concluded that the death of the phoenix describes the death of a world or a galaxy by its sun exploding. However, this explosion is not the end of life, because it leads to the creation of a new world.
Metempsychosis
In Greek mythology, the phoenix story is generally considered to spell out a philosophical term called "metempsychosis", this reflected the spiritual beliefs of many people who lived in ancient Greece. Metempsychosis is known as "the transmigration of the soul."
This is the process by which a person's spirit is reborn after death. The use of the phoenix as a symbol of this belief explains that a person's soul never really dies. It simply transforms and is reborn into another life when it leaves a person's body at death and returns to earth when ready to enter a new cycle of life.
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