The wisdom above is above what is written below which is what the ordinary thinkers are able to glean as the myth of the phoenix. They do not glean for the truth.
The History behind the Phoenix
Date: before 12th century : a legendary bird which according to one account lived 500 years, burned itself to ashes on a pyre, and rose alive from the ashes to live another period; also : a person or thing likened to the phoenixPronunciation: 'fE-niks
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English fenix, from Old English, from Latin phoenix, from Greek phoinix
- phoe·nix·like /-"lIk/ adjective
Although, it's a common legend among many ancient civilizations, the origin of the The Phoenix myth is attributed to the Egyptians. A civilization that was obsessed with eternal life. Phoenix is the Greek name given to a mythological bird offered in sacrifice to Ra, god of the Sun in ancient Egypt. This bird was similar to an eagle and possessed a splendid golden-red plumage that made it look like it was wrapped in flames. In some versions, The Phoenix was shown in flames rather than in feathers. The Phoenix lived in Arabia. According to the legends only one Phoenix lived at one time and lived for 500 years. At the end of its life-cycle, the Phoenix built a nest as it was dying and set the nest on fire and was consumed by the flames. After its death, a new Phoenix would then arise from the ashes and the new Phoenix was reborn. This cycle was repeated over and over. The Phoenix was the symbolic representation of the death and rebirth of the sun.
Jewish Milcham
The Egyptian Bennu
The Chinese Feng
Japanese Ho-Oo
The Classical Phoenix
Simurgh
Phoung
The Astronomical Phoenix
The Egyptian Bennu
Usually depicted as a heron , peacock , or eagle with beautiful red and gold feathers. It had a long straight back and two feathers on it's head. The Bennu (Phoenix) lived on the ben-ben stone or obelisk within the sanctuary of Heliopolis. The Bennu was said to have created itself from the fire that burned on the sacred Persea tree in Heliopolis. Or in another legend, it was the first life form to have appeared on the mound that rose from the watery chaos of the first creation. The mound was called the ben-ben and was the origin of the city Heliopolis. (Also said to have sprung from the heart of Osiris asa living symbol of the god. )The Bennu's true home however is Arabia. It only comes back to Heliopolis to die and be reborn. Osiris is said to have given the secret of eternal life to Bennu. The Bennu symbolizes rebirth and a period of new wealth and fertility, when the nile floods the earth each year. Bennu is a personification of creation and life force. According to Herodotus, Bennu flies to the sun temple in Heliopolis after 500 years, to build it's funeral pyre with incense sticks. Then it climbed onto the pyre and waited for the sun's rays to ignite the pyre while singing a song of rare and incredible beauty. It is said that a new Bennu immediatly rises from the ashes to fly it's parent's ashes to Heliopolis accompanied by turtledoves. Pliny however says that from the ashes emerges a small worm that becomes the Bennu at the end of the day.
The Chinese Feng
The feng huang is the phoenix of Chinese writers, and, like its counterpart in Arabian story, is adorned with everything that is beautiful among birds. The etymology of the name implies that it is the Emperor of all birds; and as is the unicorn among quadrupeds, so is the phoenix the most honorable among the feathered tribes. It is described by one author, 'as resembling a wild swan before, and a unicorn behind, it has the throat of a swallow, the bill of a fowl, the neck of a snake, the tail of a fish (having twelve feathers, except in years with an intercalandery month when there are thirteen), the forehead of a crane, the crown of a mandarin drake, the stripes of a dragon, and the vaulted back of a tortoise. The feathers have five colors, which are named after the five cardinal virtues, and it is five cubits in height; the tail is graduated like Pandean pipes, and its song resembles the music of that instrument, having five modulations.
It appears only when reason prevails in the country, hiding itself at other times; and two are never seen at once; when it flies, a train of small birds always attends it. Like the unicorn it is benevolent, and it will not peck or injure living insects, nor tread upon living herbs; it alights only upon the wu t'ung tree, or Dryandra cordifolia, feeds only on the seeds of the bamboo, and quenches its thirst only at the sweet fountains.' To this account another writer adds, 'that this bird resides in the Vermilion Hills, where it eats and drinks at its pleasure, waiting for the time when peace shall pervade the country. There are four sorts which differ only in the color of their plumage.
The Arabian phoenix was described as a kind of eagle, but the Chinese represent their bird as belonging to the gallinaceous family; its eggs are the food of fairies. The drawing of it does not correspond very closely with the fanciful description given above, from which it would seem that the artist had taken the Argus pheasant as his pattern, making such modifications as suited its divine character and his notions of its form. The phoenix appears from the first to have been entirely an imaginary creature of Chinese writers, as it were a kind of inanimate yet superbly elegant statue, which they had full liberty to vivify and embellish with every benevolent quality, and make it throughout perfectly beautiful and good. It is said to have appeared about the time that Confucius was born, and is usually represented as flying in the air, while the unicorn ranges on the hills where the mother of Confucius stands in the foreground. The phoenix is often seen rudely depicted on the sterns of junks, standing on one leg and spreading its wings.
As the phoenix and the unicorn do not prey on living creatures, they are very acceptable to the Buddhists, who disapprove of the unnecessary taking of life. Many Chinese beliefs have similarly become incorporated with the Buddhism of Indian origin, which has readily adapted itself to Chinese soil. The wu t'ung, or dryandra, famous in legendary lore as the only tree on which the phoenix would alight, is an ornamental species, which grows to great height very rapidly, and has a bell-shaped flower, white without and reddish-brown within. The leaves are very large; they open early and commence to fall at the beginning of autumn. The seeds enter into the composition of the moon-cakes eaten by the Chinese at the autumnal festival of the eighth month.
The pheasant, as an emblem of beauty, is sometimes used in place of the phoenix. The designation "feng" really "includes two distinct varieties, an archaic kind like an Argus pheasant found on ancient bronzes, and a later representation which apparently combines the characteristics of pheasant and peacock.''2 The two-fold expression "feng huang" might perhaps better be rendered "Crested Love Pheasants." "In poetry many covert allusions to sexual pairing are intimated by reference to the inseparable fellowship of the feng and the huang.
The phoenix is only supposed to appear in times of peace and prosperity. It is the second among the four supernatural creatures, the first being the dragon, the third, the unicorn, and the fourth, the tortoise. It presides over the southern quadrant of the heavens, and therefore symbolizes sun and warmth for summer and harvest. "This divine bird is the product of the sun or of fire, hence it is often pictured gazing on a ball of fire. The sun being the yang or active principle, the phoenix has great influence in the begetting of children…It is six feet in height…. Its first recorded appearance is in the reign of Huang Ti, some 2,600 years BC It again showed itself in the next reign, and two phoenixes nested in Yao's palace about 2350 BC. It is not however Until the Han dynasty that we hear of worship being paid to it. Later its appearance becomes a commonplace in Chinese history, and is sure to glorify a peaceful reign or flatter a successful ruler.
Its last advent was at Feng-huang fu in Anhui, where it scratched at Hung Wu's father's grave, and the imperial power passed into Hung Wu's hands. This town now sends out enormous numbers of pictures of the phoenix to all parts of the country.
Jewish Milcham
I shall multiply my days as the Hol, the phoenix." (Job 29:18)
Also known as Hol. After Eve ate the apple, she grew jealous of the other animals immortality and innocence. So she persuaded all of the animals to eat the fruit and share her current state of disgrace. Only the Milcham did not give into her. God rewarded the bird by putting him in a walled city to live in peace for 1,000 years.
At the end of every thousand year period, the bird was consumed by fire and reborn from an egg found in the ashes. Another legend has it that all the Milcham looses all of it's feathers and shrinks to the size of an egg. It is then reborn from that egg. He is called the guardian of the terrestial sphere. He follows the sun in it's orbit and shields the earth from the sun's rays. If there was no Milcham there would be no life on earth. Written on the Hol's right wing are the words "Neither the earth produces me, nor the heavens, but only wings of fire." He eats the manna of heaven. He excretes a worm which then excretes a cinnamen that is favored by princes. Enoch describes the hol as having the feet and tails of lions and the heads of crocodiles. They are purple and have twelve wings. They are nine hundred measures in size and follow the sun bringing heat and dew as ordained by god.
Japanese Ho-Oo
The Japanese call the phoenix Karura, or The Ho-Oo (Ho being male and Oo being female) and he is an enormous fire breathing eagle with golden feathers and magic gems crowning his forehead, the karura or ho came to the earth to do good deeds for mankind. The appearance of the Ho-Oo represents the begining of a new era. The Ho-Oo represents the sun, fidelity and obeidiance.
The Classical Phoenix
The Classical Phoenix is perhaps the best known. The Phoenix's true home is in Arabia , near a cool well. At dawn every morning the Phoenix would sing asong so beautiful that even Apollo would stop to listen. This Phoenix lives anywhere from 500-1461 years (according to different people) When it is near death it builds a pyre of myrrh and other spices , and sets it own fire and is burned by the flames. The new phoenix from the ashes takes the remains of it's predicessor ., embalms them in an egg of myrr and takes them to the city of the sun Heliopolis , to depoisit them on the altar of the sun god. There only exsists one phoenix at any given time. A symbolic representation of the Death and rebirth of the sun or just the sun. Some legends tell of the phoenix rising from the ashes after three days. It is also described as being either eagle like or heron like. It lives on dew, killing nothing and crushing nothing that it touches. Generally considered the king of birds. It has alternativly been called the bird of the sun, of Assyria, of Arabia, of the Ganges, thelong-lived bird and the Egyptian bird. The earliest referance to the Phoenix was made by Hesiod in the 8th century B.C., but the most detailed acocunt is by Heroditus. The Phoenix is associated with the sun god Apollo
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, 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 sepulcher), and carries it to the city of Heliopolis in Egypt, and deposits it in the temple of the sun. -- Ovid According to Hesiod the phoenix lives 972 generations of 33 years each. That would point the birth of the phoenix at the same moment that all the stars return to their starting positions and begin a new orbit in an eternal cycle. This is spoken of as the Great Year. Spoken plainly, the phoenix was a mirror of the universe.
Simurgh
The persians believe in the Simurgh. The Simurgh is a gigantic bird that has lived so long that it has seen the world destroyed three times. The Simurgh has the head of a dog, four wings, orange metallic feathers, a silver head, a peacock's tail and the claws of a lion. I resides in the Tree of Knowledge that is laden with seeds from all the plants in the world. When the Simurgh leaves the tree it shakes the tree so that seeds flew in all directions. The Simurgh also lives on the mountain Alburz. The Simurgh has been known to take children in to foster them. Her touch is supposed to heal even the direst of wounds. The Simurgh is promenantly featured in the Shahnameh, an epic poem that describes the legendary kings of Persia. In this poem the Simurgh takes the infant Zal and fosters him when his father casts him out for having white hair. When Zal is grown he is a great warrior and his father seeks him out. Unfortunatly he cannot reach the home of the gods. Simurgh sees him and pities him. She takes Zal to his father and gives him one feather that he can use to summon her when in great need. Zal adapts to life nicely when he meets Rudabeh. Rudabeh and Zal finally marry. Not long after Rudabeh has a tough labor. Zal burns the Simurghs feather. Simurgh tells Zal how to preform a ceasarian. The child is Rustam, persias greatest hero.
Another tail is the parliament of birds The king of birds Simurgh drops a feather, when the other birds hear this they try to seek him out. Knowing that the king's name means thirty birds and that he lives in the mountains of Kaf. The birds travel to Kaf, among the way all but thirty of the birds quit the quest. When they finally reach Kaf they find out that they are the Simurgh and the Simurgh in in each of them.
Phoung
the Phoung of Vietnamese mythology is the same bird. The only differences to date is that the Vietnamese state that the Phoung has the breast of a swallow, aswell as the at other body characteristics of the The Chinese Feng. And that it carries either the two sacred scrolls or a box that contains the two sacred scrolls in it's beak.
The Astronomical Phoenix
Phe (Phoenix) is a constellation in the Southern Hemisphere of Earth near Toucana and Sculptor named by John Bayer in 1603. This constellation is almost universally recognized as a bird. The Phoenix cluster is a dense expanse of unexplored stars, named for the Phoenix Asteroids in the 20th Century film "Dark Star", by John Carpenter.
Credits
All the information provide on this page was found at the following sites.. ahh the wonders of the world wide web ;)
http://www.phoenixpersonnel.com/html/mythology.html
http://www.mythicalrealm.com/creatures/phoenix.html
http://www.phoenixmoon.org/thephoenixbackground.html
http://www.phoenixmoon.org/bulfinch.html
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Labyrinth/8952/phoenix.html
My dog is called Phoenix and she is a red dog and the word does also refer to the colour Red.
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| Phoenix and Montana-Star |
Images @ Eminpee Fotography
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