Symbolic death & resurrection in story & art
Once in a while, humans encounter a once unknown species, even if they are ancient on Earth. Was the mythical bird known as the phoenix a real bird or dragon? There is speculation about its history, and stories and legends of this mythical bird remembered in various cultures throughout time.
The Chinese phoenix known as Fung Hwang is that the same phoenix we hear about in popular culture today? Is the phoenix related to the Firebird of Slavic folklore? Was it the sunbird called Bennu - a now-extinct bird that was quite large and the focal point of story in Egyptian culture? Some argue yes, some no. You can read the various theories and history here and here.
The phoenix myth does not come from only mythology. It seems that birds, particularly species of crows known for their intelligence, have found smouldering fires and chimney smoke to be beneficial to their health. These sightings can be stunning and inspiring as the birds amidst smoke seemingly rise out of the fire and take flight. The smoke can kill parasites, such as mites and ticks, removing them from a birds skin and feathers.
The story of this creature has evolved and been told all around the world and has even been confused at times. The reality is that this bird from wherever it comes lives still in our imaginations and is a common emblem of transformation.
Less confusing is how it has been envisaged in the visual arts. Through creative expression, it has come to live in our hearts and imagination. These expressions of art and story help us make sense of our life with its perpetual change and cycles of birth and rebirth.
Generally speaking, birds with their ability to fly reminds us to take the broad view. For most humans, the closest we’ve gotten to their experience is through air travel and viewing images that the astronauts have shared with us beginning in the 20th century. These viewpoints have profoundly affected how we look at the world expanding our ideas on what it is to be a human on this spaceship we call Earth. As this view - the Overview Effect - came into our consciousness, our narrow view exploded to create a paradigm shift that profoundly influenced how we view the world.
We are like the phoenix building our funeral pyre stick by stick through our actions. Every action we take, small or large, culminates into the larger events of our lives. Then igniting the creative force of fire through a choice, consequence, or the forces of nature change comes. We die to the old and are reborn from the ashes.
Although many images are the phoenix on a funeral pyre that they have built, many images are of the birds themselves alone or gathering the materials as they build their own. Image on upper right: Grootseminarie Brugge, MS. 89/54, Folio 77b
The Phoenix: An Unnatural Biography of a Mythical Beast, The Phoenix in flames in the Ashmolean Bestiary, MS. Ashmole 1511. From Mrs. Henry Jenner, Christian Symbolism (Chicago: A. C. McClurg, 1910), facing 150.
The Phoenix: Upper Left: Museum Meermanno, Manuscript 10 B 25, Folio 30v Top Middle: Folio 31r (1);, Lower left: Kongelige Bibliotek, Gl. kgl. S. 1633 4º, Folio 37v, (1) , Lower right image: British Library, Royal MS 12 C. xix, Folio 49v, Upper Right: British Library, Harley MS 4751, Folio 45r
Image on left: From the Bodleian Library, Oxford University England, c 1225-50, image on right: From the Aberdeen Bestiary
The Phoenix alongside the personification of Hope in the work The theological Virtues c. 1500, Italian, artist unknown.
Left: Late 13th Century square tile with phoenix from Iran, probably Takht-i Sulaymän, Center: Star tile with phoenix from Iran, Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, Right: From an altar table with auspicious symbols, held in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The Phoenix mosaic from the Archeological Museum of Aquileia
Notes:
Want to read more about the phoenix read Joseph Nigg’s Ages of the Phoenix Joseph Nigg
http://bestiary.ca
https://www.huisvanhetboek.nl/home-en-1
https://www.britishmuseum.org/
https://www.baystatebanner.com/2021/05/12/disabling-prejudice-abilities-dance-boston-reinterprets-stravinskys-firebird-ballet/
IMAGES: (1) Images with the notation of the number one are republished here under Fair Use and the source is listed.
