Phoenix - The Mythical Inspiration

The word Phoenix is my favourite word in English. This is all because of the one poem on Phoenix that I had read in my Childhood. The poem had such a deep influence that I started relating it to most of the events in my life. The word Phoenix refers to a Mythological bird. It is said that the eternal Lnd of mystery, Egypt is the source of the Phoenix mystery too. Still contrary to the various other mysteries in the world, that have their root only in one part of the world, the Phoenix bird has cittaions in several different Mythologies. In the present day world, The Phoenix symbolizes rebirth, especially of the sun, and has variants in European, Central American, Egyptian and Asian cultures.

The ancient Egyptians linked the myth of the phoenix with the longings for immortality that were so strong in their civilization, and from there its symbolism spread around the Mediterranean world of late antiquity. The Bennu bird was usually depicted as a heron and this is the bird that gave way to Phoenix in the Egyptian Mythology. Archaeologists have found the remains of a much larger heron that lived in the Persian Gulf area 5,000 years ago.

The Bennu was associated with the sun and represented the ba or soul of the sun god, Re. In the Late Period, the hieroglyph of the bird was used to represent this deity directly. As a symbol of the rising and setting sun, the Benu was also the lord of the royal jubilee.

This Egyptian phoenix was also associated with the inundation of the Nile and of the creation. At the close of the first century Clement of Rome became the first Christian to interpret the myth of the phoenix as an allegory of the resurrection and of life after death. The phoenix was also compared to undying Rome, and it appears on the coinage of the late Roman Empire as a symbol of the Eternal City.

In addition to this Egyptian mythology on Phoenix, there are citations of Phoenix in Chinese, Arabic and Japanese Mythologies too. The Arabian phoenix was a fabulous mythical bird, said to be as large as an eagle, with brilliant scarlet and gold plumage and a melodious cry. It was said that only one phoenix existed at any one time, and it is very long-lived with a life span of 500 years, 540 years, 1000 years, 1461 years or even 12,994 years (according to various accounts). As the end of its life approached, the phoenix would build a pyre nest of aromatic branches and spices such as myrrh, sets it on fire, and is consumed in the flames. After three days the birth or as some legends say a rebirth, the phoenix arises from the ashes.

In Chinese mythology, the phoenix is the symbol of high virtue and grace, of power and prosperity. It represents the union of yin and yang. It was thought to be a gentle creature, alighting so gently that it crushed nothing, and eating only dewdrops. It is also quoted in the renowned Feng Shui book - "A mythical bird that never dies, the phoenix flies far ahead to the front, always scanning the landscape and distant space. It represents our capacity for vision, for collecting sensory information about our environment and the events unfolding within it. The phoenix, with its great beauty, creates intense excitement and deathless inspiration." - The Feng Shui Handbook.

The Ho-Oo is the Japanese phoenix, the Ho being the male bird and the Oo being the female. The Hou-Ou greatly resembles the Chinese Phoenix the Feng-Huang in looks. The Ho-Oo is often depicted as nesting in a paulownia tree and was thought to only appear at the birth of a virtuous ruler and was said to mark a new era by descending from the heavens to do good deeds for people only to return to its celestial abode to await a new era. The Ho-Oo has been adopted as a symbol of the royal family, particularly the empress.

Amidst all these mythological notes on Phoenix, there is also a poem on Phoenix written by H.C. Andersen. This is a very famous poem and has a magical quality. The poet has used a wonderful Metaphor style that relates the secret of life, the origin of life and the mystery of phoenix. All mysteries are intertwined in the poem to create a mystical truth and revelation. Here i would like to quote some excerpts from this awe inspiring poem.

In the Garden of Paradise, beneath the Tree of Knowledge, bloomed a rose bush. Here, in the first rose, a bird was born. His flight was like the flashing of light, his plumage was beauteous, and his song ravishing. But when Eve plucked the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, when she and Adam were driven from Paradise, there fell from the flaming sword of the cherub a spark into the nest of the bird, which blazed up forthwith...

This poem is a must read and deserves a careful study. It has very well portrayed the relationships between Mythology and the origin of life. Finally, it is the rare qaulity about Phoenix that it burns to ashes and again reform from its own ashes to live anew, that has allured me so much. The myth of Phoenix has given me an inspiration that no matter what failure we come across, no matter how exhausted we get in our endeavour, if we are determined, then even the most fatal destruction can be overcome. We can surely succeed from the ashes of our failures!