The phoenix from the Aberdeen Bestiary.
This fabulous bird traverses both Egyptian and Greek mythologies, and its various versions are to be found in mythical literature around the world. It is said to be a huge bird with a magnificent plumage of red and gold that can live up to 500 years. It is believed to inhabit a place in Arabia near a spring of deliciously cool water. Everyday at dawn, it would plunge into this spring to bathe and sing a melodious song so sweet it would attract the attention of the sun god. Singing in the shower has never been known to have such a potent effect, but suffice to say, the song of the phoenix literally stopped the chariot of the sun god in its tracks. The phoenix however, does not seem unduly perturbed or even aware of its effect on Phoebus, until we reach the end of the story, or in the case of the phoenix, the regeneration phase.
It builds its nest on top of a palm tree using highly fragrant spices and bark of the cassia. When it feels its end nearing or is mortally wounded in an encounter, the bird retreats to its nest and set itself on fire. Completely burnt to ashes, it then regenerates from these very ashes, young and vibrant as before and not a feather out of place to show for the ordeal. What wouldn’t the modern beauty industry give to learn the secret of this eternal youth, where they’ve tried all but burn their way into youth.
The phoenix in the Forbidden City, Beijing, China.
Anyway after being regenerated, one of the first duties the bird has to perform is collect the ashes of its predecessor into the hollow of an egg made of myrrh, and take it to Heliopolis or the abode of the sun and leave it at the altar. So it would seem that the bird was aware of the sun god’s attentions, after all.
If you were to delve into the diet secrets you would find that it didn’t indulge in normal bird food such as worms and seeds, but rather feasted on aromatic gum such as frankincense, and the juice of a root from the ginger family. Though this may not fully explain its longevity, and powers of what may be termed the ultimate rejuvenation, it does set it apart from any others of its kind. It has been suggested by more down to earth practical types that this mythical bird could have been a heron, or even a peacock or a flamingo. But it remains an enigmatic fact that archaeologists have actually uncovered the 5000 year old remains of a bird much bigger than the average heron in the Persian Gulf.
