Although the Phoenix is well known in legend, there are few classical stories associated with it from mythology. The Phoenix is a large bird that is revered around the world as a symbol of immortality and re-incarnation.In Greek legend, the Phoenix lived in Arabia near a cool well. Every morning as the Sun rose and dawn broke, it would immerse itself in the cool clear water of the well and sing such a delightful and sweet song that the Sun God would stop his chariot to listen to the beautiful sound.Every 500 years, as death approached, it would construct a nest of sweet smelling wood that it then set upon fire, the flames consuming the bird. From the ashes, a newPhoenix arose which would wrap up the ashes in a parcel of myrrh.
Flying to Heliopolis, the "City of the Sun," also called On, in Egypt, it would deposit the ashes on the altar of the Ra, the Sun God.
In the
Egyptian myth, it is known as Bennu, representing the rise of life and
also the sun, announcing a new period of prosperity and fertility. It
is also portrayed as a heron on the sarcophagi of the dead.
In Chapter XVII of the Book of the Dead, the opening passage reads:
"I am Tem in rising. I am
the only One. I came into being in Nu. I am Ra who rose in the
beginning... The pillars of Shu were not as yet created. It is Ra, the
creator of the names of his limbs, which came into being in the form of
the gods, who are in the train of Ra" ... "I am the Bennu which is in
Anu, and I amthe keeper of the volume of the book of things which are
and of things which shall be."
The Phoenix symbolizes
cycles of rest and activity, sometimes called "Days and Nights of
Brahma." The cycles of activity are called "Millions of Years," "Great
Green Lake," and simply, the "Lake." They represent the cycles in which
are swallowed up all things produced by "The Begetter of millions of
years."
In Chapter XLII he "who
dwelleth in his eye" is beaming in "the solar egg, the egg to which is
given life among the gods." In Chapter XV he is "Yesterday," "Today,"
and "Tomorrow" and the one "who reposeth upon law which changeth not
nor can it be altered."
In Chapter LXXV he is the
self-created god: "I gave birthunto......
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Rise of the Phoenix:
There are Chinese, Japanese, Russian,
Egyptian, and Native American counterparts of the Phoenix. (Fêng-Huang, Ho-oo,
Firebird, Benu, and Yel respectively). All of these birds are identified with
the sun."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...The surprising realites of mythical creatures
While sailing the ocean near Haiti, Christopher Columbus in 1493 reported seeing three mermaids from a distance. The Genoese explorer was not impressed.Up close, the sea maidens were "not as pretty as they are depicted," he wrote in his journal, "for somehow in the face they look like men."Many scientists now think that what Columbus probably saw was a manatee, an aquatic mammal that resembles a flippered hippo.In a new exhibition opening at the American Museum of Natural His...Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns, Mermaids
The poor, portly manatee, having to endure this gibe time and again: "The early explorers thought manatees were mermaids. Guess they'd been at sea a little too long!"Local tour guides have their own versions of the line and the Internet offers dozens more.Even an estimable literary journal, The Believer, lampooned recently that the female Florida manatee's tail, forelimbs and "prominent nipples" make it "a likely progenitor of the mermaid myth; however, the m...UT professor debunks chupacabra myth
UT professor Pamela Owen can add one more title to her resume: educator, scientist and supernatural investigator. The producers of "Mystery Hunters," an educational TV program for kids, asked Owen to help identify bones reported to belong to the mythical chupacabra. The chupacabra, whose name means goat-sucker in Spanish, is a fabled creature which attacks and mutilates live-stock, sucking the blood of its prey.The bones belong to rancher Devin Macanally who shot the animal while it wa...History of the Unicorn
Today the unicorn is legendary, or mythical. But this was not always so. At one time the unicorn existed--or, at least, was thought to exist. As described in ancient scientific writings and depicted in painting and tapestry, the unicorn was a beautiful horse-like creature with a single long horn thought to have medicinal properties. Respected ancient scholars, such as Aristotle and Pliny, mention them existing in their day. But today unicorns have gone the way of fairies, elves, and trolls. Beli...New TV series explores Celtic monster legends
North Wales film-makers bring ancient monsters and Celtic myths to life in a major new TV series. Celtic Monsters uses animation from Oscar-nominated Joanna Quinn's Beryl Productions to illustrate banshees, dragons, serpents, demons and omens of death including the ankou.The series is produced by Caernarfon-based Cwmni Da and Ireland's Midas Productions.Celtic Monsters was filmed on location in Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Cornwall and features inter-views with experts and storytellers.C...The mythical 'Toyol' - in a bottle ?
Submitted by Pendekar Timur: Is the toyol – long regarded as a mythical supernatural creature – for real? Hundreds of visitors who thronged the state museum here think so as they scrutinised a figurine kept in a bottle that was on display there. A curious fisherman had found the bottle on Tuesday on the shores of a coastal village, believing that what he saw in it was a toyol. In Malay folklore, a toyol is a goblin-like creature that steals money and commits other mischief or evil at the instruc...Why do magical creatures continue to capture human imagination?
Just when things are looking bleak, elves come to the rescue. When the old shoemaker became too poor to buy more leather, elves sneaked in at night to stitch such fine shoes buyers lined up at his door.And when Santa could no longer grant all children's Christmas wishes, elves took over and ran his workshop all year long. Elves capture the human imagination with their knack for creating a kinder, gentler world, say scholars who study such things."The real world is messy," s...How to explain dragons
Anthony North: We have all heard of the Dragon. Known in culture worldwide, it is usually depicted as a huge reptile or snake with two pairs of legs and wings. Often associated with spirituality, it can also breath fire. In eastern mythology it is often seen as benevolent, whereas to western culture, it is malevolent. Often known as a 'worm', warrior knights fight it, usually rescuing a fair maiden whom it had been guarding. This is the story of george and the dragon.: And the legend is ...
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Phoenix - The Mythological Brid of Fire
The surprising realites of mythical creatures
Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns, Mermaids
Sea cow `sirens' fuel mermaid mythology
UT professor debunks chupacabra myth
History of the Unicorn
New TV series explores Celtic monster legends
The mythical 'Toyol' - in a bottle ?
Why do magical creatures continue to capture human imagination?
How to explain dragons
