JennReneeRead: Creature Feature: Let's Phoenix This!

Creature Feature created by Michael is a feature that focuses on the wonderful world of fantasy, science fiction, and horror creatures.

Phoenix:

Spring is here! Well, maybe not weather-wise depending on where you live. I have seen snow in Indiana, Virginia, and Colorado recently. And there was even a NASCAR race this past weekend postponed by snow! But spring, of course, goes off the Earth's position to the sun and not a particular weather. Otherwise, it would never be summer in parts of Alaska or winter in Hawaii. Since spring means rebirth and Easter is also this weekend which also celebrates rebirth. I think this week would be a good time to explore the bird known as the Phoenix.

So what is a phoenix?A city in Arizona, yes but that name came from a mythological bird. And the city name was agreed upon because the city sprung up from the ruins of an ancient civilization. The bird lives a very long lifespan and constantly regenerates itself every so often. And when the bird dies it burst into flames and out of the flames, it becomes anew.

Phoenix originally comes from the Hebrew word chol which may have been an actual bird at one time. It is mentioned in the Old Testament by Job. There is also a story that Eve gave all the animals in the garden the fruit of knowledge, except the Phoenix, abstained from eating it thus giving it everlasting life.

Most accounts of the phoenix colors are that is red and yellow. It has been associated with the sun in some cases so these colors do match that scheme. Though there are some accounts of the bird appearing with peacock colors. There are many different cultures that have mythological varietes similiar to the Phoenix like the Hindu garuda and gandaberunda, the Slavic frebird, the Persian
Simurgh, Georgian Paskunji, the Arabian Anqa, and from that, the Turkish Zümrüdü Anka, the
Tibetan Me Byi Karmo, the Chinese Fenghuang, and the Japanese hō-ō. Though some of these such as the fenghuang are really different from the phoenix of Greek mythology. taken from Wikipedia

The phoenix appears in different media form such as...

Books: The Phoenix and the Carpet by Edith Nesbit, Harry Potter series (Fawks) and

The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

Films: Harry Potter films and Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe