Post by Icarus on Jan 28, 2008 11:04:36 GMT -5
Legend says that there is only one Bird of the Sun at any time. This means that if anyone sees a Phoenix, then they are looking at the past, present, and future generations of the Phoenix. It is said that the Phoenix dies a million deaths and is reborn a million more times.
Most legends say that a Phoenix's lifespan is five hundred years, during which time, the Phoenix eats no living thing, and only feeds on the air. During these five hundred years, the Phoenix is supposed to reside in a far away Eastern country in which no mortal man can ever enter.
At the end of the five hundred years, the Phoenix is said to build its own funereal pyre in the tallest part of a palm tree, out of aromatic twigs- frankincense, cinnamon and myrrh-on the coast of Phoenicia. There the Phoenix will wait through the night for the approaching dawn. As the sun begins to rise, the Phoenix will start to sing its death song. The song is supposed to be so lovely that the Earth, Sun, Moon and Stars all pause to take notice. The light from these heavenly bodies then strike the nest and set it aflame. The Phoenix will then fan the flames of its funereal pyre with its wings until the body is no more.
Left in the nest will be a white worm, which grows until on the third day, the worm becomes a new Phoenix. The newborn Phoenix then gathers up the ashes of its former self, reverently, and then flies to the temple in On-Heliopolis, Egypt. There the priests will recite the appropriate rites as the Phoenix sits, perched, on the highest point of the temple. Once the rites are finished, the Phoenix then flies back to its world of paradise, accompanied by members of all species of birds.
All of these species fly in peace with one another until they reach the border of the Paradise land, where they are not allowed to enter, and are then sent back on their way.
The Phoenix is said to bring one year of peace and wealth to the good, and death to tyrants, at its birth, but after it returns to the Paradise land, mankind is left to its own temperament.
The Phoenix is depicted much like an eagle, with a curved beak, strong and graceful wings, and feathered thighs. It’s eyes are always depicted as being intelligent and far-seeing. The Roman, Pliny, described the Phoenix as having a golden head and an azure tail, with feathers of the body being a mixture of reds and purples. Most drawings also show the Phoenix as having a long tail, like that of pheasants.
There are some writers that claim that the inspiration for the Phoenix is the purple heron of Egypt. There are some similarities. The purple heron is, of course, a reddish purple. It has a crest on its head. It builds its nest on the tops of palm trees. It was associated with sun worship in On-Heliopolis, Egypt. Still, the purple heron doesn’t look like the Phoenix of legends.
Most experts on the subject agree that the Phoenix is another representation of the Sun, the life generating force of Nature. The Phoenix travels from east to west…It appears to die, as does the setting sun, but rises again.
An interesting note about the lifespan of the Phoenix:
Herodotus claimed that the Phoenix had a life span of fourteen hundred sixty years. Now, where di he come up with that number? That number also corresponds to the Egyptian Sothic sun cycle as it occurred in the calendar of the ancient Egyptians.
The Sothic Sun Cycle: The Egyptians counted their months in such a way that each year came out a quarter day short of what we know to be the time span needed for the Earth to travel around the sun. So, for the Egyptians, the new year came earlier and earlier each time. The time required for the new year’s first day to occur on the day that the cycle started was exactly fourteen hundred sixty years.
So, why are there different life spans given for the Phoenix? Some scholars have suggested that the reason there is a difference is that the Phoenix may have started out in the areas that used the Sothic sun cycle, but cultural diffusion occurred with cultures that did not use this cycle. They remembered that the Phoenix was supposed to live for a very long time, and five hundred years may have seemed like a good approximate value for a “very long time.”
Most legends say that a Phoenix's lifespan is five hundred years, during which time, the Phoenix eats no living thing, and only feeds on the air. During these five hundred years, the Phoenix is supposed to reside in a far away Eastern country in which no mortal man can ever enter.
At the end of the five hundred years, the Phoenix is said to build its own funereal pyre in the tallest part of a palm tree, out of aromatic twigs- frankincense, cinnamon and myrrh-on the coast of Phoenicia. There the Phoenix will wait through the night for the approaching dawn. As the sun begins to rise, the Phoenix will start to sing its death song. The song is supposed to be so lovely that the Earth, Sun, Moon and Stars all pause to take notice. The light from these heavenly bodies then strike the nest and set it aflame. The Phoenix will then fan the flames of its funereal pyre with its wings until the body is no more.
Left in the nest will be a white worm, which grows until on the third day, the worm becomes a new Phoenix. The newborn Phoenix then gathers up the ashes of its former self, reverently, and then flies to the temple in On-Heliopolis, Egypt. There the priests will recite the appropriate rites as the Phoenix sits, perched, on the highest point of the temple. Once the rites are finished, the Phoenix then flies back to its world of paradise, accompanied by members of all species of birds.
All of these species fly in peace with one another until they reach the border of the Paradise land, where they are not allowed to enter, and are then sent back on their way.
The Phoenix is said to bring one year of peace and wealth to the good, and death to tyrants, at its birth, but after it returns to the Paradise land, mankind is left to its own temperament.
The Phoenix is depicted much like an eagle, with a curved beak, strong and graceful wings, and feathered thighs. It’s eyes are always depicted as being intelligent and far-seeing. The Roman, Pliny, described the Phoenix as having a golden head and an azure tail, with feathers of the body being a mixture of reds and purples. Most drawings also show the Phoenix as having a long tail, like that of pheasants.
There are some writers that claim that the inspiration for the Phoenix is the purple heron of Egypt. There are some similarities. The purple heron is, of course, a reddish purple. It has a crest on its head. It builds its nest on the tops of palm trees. It was associated with sun worship in On-Heliopolis, Egypt. Still, the purple heron doesn’t look like the Phoenix of legends.
Most experts on the subject agree that the Phoenix is another representation of the Sun, the life generating force of Nature. The Phoenix travels from east to west…It appears to die, as does the setting sun, but rises again.
An interesting note about the lifespan of the Phoenix:
Herodotus claimed that the Phoenix had a life span of fourteen hundred sixty years. Now, where di he come up with that number? That number also corresponds to the Egyptian Sothic sun cycle as it occurred in the calendar of the ancient Egyptians.
The Sothic Sun Cycle: The Egyptians counted their months in such a way that each year came out a quarter day short of what we know to be the time span needed for the Earth to travel around the sun. So, for the Egyptians, the new year came earlier and earlier each time. The time required for the new year’s first day to occur on the day that the cycle started was exactly fourteen hundred sixty years.
So, why are there different life spans given for the Phoenix? Some scholars have suggested that the reason there is a difference is that the Phoenix may have started out in the areas that used the Sothic sun cycle, but cultural diffusion occurred with cultures that did not use this cycle. They remembered that the Phoenix was supposed to live for a very long time, and five hundred years may have seemed like a good approximate value for a “very long time.”