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Phoenix

Phoenix · Firebird — Legendary bird reborn from flames

Fire Western East Asian Mythological Age Mystical Mythical Beast

The phoenix (Φοῖνιξ) is an immortal bird from ancient Egyptian and Greek mythology with a lifespan of 500 or 1,461 years, after which it builds a nest of cedar, cinnamon, and myrrh, sets itself ablaze, and is reborn as a young bird from its own ashes. First recorded in Herodotus's Histories Book 2, it originated from the sacred Egyptian bird Bennu of Heliopolis — the soul of the sun god Ra and embodiment of resurrection and renewal. Spreading to Greece and Rome, it gained its name from 'phoinix' (purple) and was depicted as a vibrantly multicolored bird. In Christianity it became the sacred bird symbolizing Jesus's resurrection. Similar immortal bird myths exist in every civilization — Chinese fenghuang, Japanese hou-ou, Slavic zhar-ptitsa (Russian firebird).

Origin

The concept of the phoenix originates from the ancient Egyptian 'Bennu' bird, later adopted into Greek and Roman mythology. In East Asia, a similar being appears as the Fenghuang or firebird in folklore and literature.

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