The Phoenix (Mythology)

THE PHOENIX (Mythology)

The phoenix is an immortal bird which, though mythical, was once believed to be real. Her "natural history" claims that she would cyclically regenerate: dedicated to the sun, when she reached extreme age, she would build a spectacular nest of cinnamon bark, herbs, and myrrh in a special tree  in her desert abode, and the sun would cause her to burst into flame. From the ashes of her destruction a new phoenix was born. This act caused the phoenix to become a symbol of renewal: the sun's return, the cycles of the seasons, the rise and fall of empires, life in heaven, and resurrection itself.

---

Navigation:

• View this post on Facebook or Instagram
• Go to the Mini-Lessons Index

(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)