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Fabled creatures such as the Griffin, the Unicorn, and the Phoenix stir our imaginations to life. Of all of them, the phoenix or the firebird has been the most interesting to me.
The Phoenix
attributed to Cynewulf
http://www.bartleby.com/...
the description of the land where the phoenix dwells:
Winsome is the wold there; there the wealds are green,
Spacious spread below the skies; there may neither snow nor rain,
Nor the furious air of frost, nor the flare of fire,
Nor the headlong squall of hail, nor the hoar-frost’s fall,
Nor the burning of the sun, nor the bitter cold,
Nor the weather over-warm, nor the winter shower,
Do their wrong to any wight—but the wold abides
Ever happy, healthful there
The Phoenix translated in prose by Charles W. Kennedy (pdf file)
http://www.yorku.ca/...
Old English Poetry site (in Old English)
http://www8.georgetown.edu/...
Translated Old English poems
http://www.dmoz.org/...
A wonderful article that includes the phoenix of Harry Potter and other poems:
http://www.themediadrome.com/...
by John Stringer
Bulfinch also quotes Milton, in Paradise Lost,
Book V, in which Satan has escaped from Hell, and goes to Eden to tempt Adam and Eve:
he designs
In them at once to ruin all mankind.
So God asks ‘Raphaël, the sociable spirit’ to go down to talk to Adam. And Raphaël flies down:
. . . . . .Down thither prone in flight
He speeds, and through the vast Ethereal Sky
Sails between worlds and worlds, with steady wing
Now on the polar winds, then with quick Fan
Winnows the buxom Air; till within soar
Of Tow’ring Eagles, to all the Fowls he seems
A Phoenix, gaz’d by all; as that sole Bird
When to enshrine his relics in the Sun's
Bright Temple, to Egyptian Thebes he flies.
Of Mere Being
~Wallace Stevens, 1954~
The palm at the end of the mind,
Beyond the last thought, rises
In the bronze distance.
A gold-feathered bird
Sings in the palm, without human meaning,
Without human feeling, a foreign song.
You know then that it is not the reason
That makes us happy or unhappy.
The bird sings. Its feathers shine.
The palm stands on the edge of space.
The wind moves slowly in the branches.
The bird’s fire-fangled feathers dangle down.
http://ofmerebeing.wordpress.com/...
"The Phoenix", by John Tzetza (twelfth century)
translated by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
http://voskrese.info/...
A Phoenix is a single bird and synchronous with nature;
The peacock cannot equal him in beauty or in stature.
In radiance he outshines the gold; the world in wonder yieldeth;
His nest he fixeth in the trees, and all of spices buildeth.
And when he dies, a little worm, from out his body twining,
Doth generate him back again whene'er the sun is shining.
He lives in Aegypt, and he dies in Aethiopia only, as
Asserts Philostratus, who wrote the life of Apollonius.
And (as the wise Aegyptian scribe, the holy scribe, Chaeremon,
Hath entered on these Institutes, all centre their esteem on)
Seven thousand years and six of age, this phoenix of the story
Expireth from the fair Nile side, whereby he had his glory.
Li Po
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
Li Bai or Li Po (Chinese: 李白; pinyin: Lǐ Bái / Lǐ Bó) (701 – 762) was a Chinese poet. He was part of the group of Chinese scholars called the "Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup" in a poem by fellow poet Du Fu. Li Bai is often regarded, along with Du Fu, as one of the two greatest poets in China's literary history. Approximately 1,100 of his poems remain today.
ON CLIMBING IN NANJING TO THE TERRACE OF PHOENIXES
Phoenixes that played here once, so that the place was named for them,
Have abandoned it now to this desolate river;
The paths of Wu Palace are crooked with weeds;
The garments of Qin are ancient dust.
...Like this green horizon halving the Three Peaks,
Like this Island of White Egrets dividing the river,
A cloud has arisen between the Light of Heaven and me,
To hide his city from my melancholy heart.
http://www.shigeku.com/...
In Shakespeare's play The Tempest:
that in Arabia
There is one tree, the phoenix' throne; one phoenix
At this hour reigning there.
-(III.III.28)
All about the phoenix:
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/...
The phoenix, or phœnix as it is sometimes spelled, has been an enduring mythological symbol for millennia and across vastly different cultures. Despite such varieties of societies and times, the phoenix is consistently characterized as a bird with brightly colored plumage, which, after a long life, dies in a fire of its own making only to rise again from the ashes. From religious and naturalistic symbolism in ancient Egypt, to a secular symbol for armies, communities, and even societies, as well as an often-used literary symbol, this mythical bird's representation of death and rebirth seems to resonate with humankind's aspirations...
According to Greek mythology, the phoenix lived in Arabia next to a well. At dawn, it bathed in the water of the well, and the Greek sun-god Apollo stopped his chariot (the sun) in order to listen to its song.
Oriental
The phoenix (known as Garuda in Sanskrit) is the mystical fire bird which is considered as the chariot of the Hindu god Vishnu. Its reference can be found in the Hindu epic Ramayana.
In Tibet, the phoenix is also called Garuda, which means "the bird of life" and is depicted as a conglomerate of the typical brightly colored bird, eagle, and human.
In China, the phoenix is called Feng-huang and symbolizes completeness, incorporating the basic elements of music, colors, nature, as well as the joining of yin and yang. The Chinese believed that the Feng-huang lived in a mythical realm, heralding peace and harmony in the world.
The story by Hans Christian Andersen:
http://hca.gilead.org.il/...
...The Bird of Paradise—renewed each century—born in flame, ending in flame! Thy picture, in a golden frame, hangs in the halls of the rich, but thou thyself often fliest around, lonely and disregarded, a myth—"The Phoenix of Arabia."
In Paradise, when thou wert born in the first rose, beneath the Tree of Knowledge, thou receivedst a kiss, and thy right name was given thee—thy name, Poetry.
Stories
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by Rowling
Much of Fawkes' origins are unknown, but before being tamed by Dumbledore, two of his tail-feathers were procured by the wand maker Ollivander, and fashioned into the cores of two wands (a rare event, as should the two meet, it would initiate Priori Incantatem), made from yew and holly. The yew wand went to Lord Voldemort and the holly went to Harry Potter.
http://harrypotter.wikia.com/...
A Worn Path by Eudora Welty (The grandmother’s name is Phoenix Jackson)
http://www.answers.com/...
Symbolism
The most obvious symbol in the story is Phoenix Jackson’s comparison to the mythological bird, the phoenix. Dressed in vivid colors, Phoenix’s resilience is underscored by her comparison with a bird that rises from the ashes every 500 years. Additionally, Phoenix’s grandson is described by the woman as "[wearing] a little patch quilt and peep out holding his mouth open like a little bird."
The Cygnet and the Firebird by Patricia McKillip
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/...
Product Description
When a pair of mysterious firebirds appear in their world, the first transforming random objects and the second altering time in order to steal, the sorceress Nyx and her cousin Meguet are forced to investigate a dark mystery.
This book can be read as a stand alone story and despite bad reviews at Amazon this is a book I love.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
I have not read it, but this looked interesting:
Firebird by Mercedes Lackey
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/...
Synopsis
Ilya, son of a Russian prince, is largely ignored by his father and tormented by his larger, older brothers. His only friends are three old people: a priest, a magician, and a woman who toils in the palace dairy. From them Ilya learns faith, a smattering of magic, and the power of love--all of which he will need desperately, for his life is about to be turned upside-down.
The prince’s magnificent cherry orchard is visited at midnight by the legendary Firebird, whose wings are made of flame. Ilya's brothers’ attempts capture the magical creature fail. When Ilya tries to catch the Firebird, he sees her as a beautiful woman and earns a magical gift: the speech of animals.
Banished, the young man journeys through a fantastical Russia full of magical mazes, enchanted creatures, and untold dangers. As happens in the best fairy tales, Ilya falls in love with an enchanted princess, but to win her freedom will be no easy task.
A children’s book that a friend sent me for Christmas a couple of years ago which I enjoyed:
David and the Phoenix by Edward Ormondroyd
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/...
Film
The Flight of the Phoenix
Director: Robert Aldrich Cast: James Stewart, Richard Attenborough, Peter Finch, Hardy Kruger 1965
Editorial Reviews
Based on Elleston Trevor's novel, The Flight of the Phoenix opens with a well-staged plane crash in the middle of the Sahara desert...
Ballet and music
The Firebird
Igor Stravinsky
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
The Firebird (French: L'Oiseau de feu; Russian: Жар-птица, Žar-ptica) is a 1910 ballet by Igor Stravinsky and choreographed by Michel Fokine. The ballet is based on Russian folk tales of the magical glowing bird of the same name that is both a blessing and a curse to its captor...
Stravinsky's ballet centers on the journey of its hero, Prince Ivan. Ivan enters the magical realm of Kashchei the Immortal; all of the magical objects and creatures of Kashchei are herein represented by a chromatic descending motif, usually in the strings. While wandering in the gardens, he sees and chases the Firebird. The Firebird, once caught by Ivan, begs for its life and ultimately agrees to assist Ivan in exchange for eventual freedom.
Next, Prince Ivan sees thirteen princesses, with one of whom he falls in love. The next day, Ivan chooses to confront Kashchei to ask to marry one of the princesses; the two talk and eventually begin quarreling. When Kashchei sends his magical creatures after Ivan, the Firebird, true to its pledge, intervenes, bewitching the creatures and making them dance an elaborate, energetic dance (the "Infernal Dance").
The creatures and Kashchei then fall asleep; however, Kashchei awakens and is then sent into another dance by the Firebird. While Kashchei is bewitched by the Firebird she tells Ivan the secret to Kashchei's immortality and Ivan destroys it killing Kashchei. With Kashchei gone and his magic broken, the magical creatures and the palace all disappear, and all of the "real" beings (including the princesses) awaken and, with one final fleeting appearance from the Firebird, celebrate their victory.
Stravinsky Conducts Firebird (nine minutes...the whole is in parts at the same site...it takes a few seconds for the sound to begin)
http://www.youtube.com/...
Lullaby and Final Hymn from the Firebird Ballet Suite (nine minutes)
http://www.youtube.com/...
Ballet Firebird (one minute)
http://www.youtube.com/...
Diana Vishneva in Firebird pas de deux (6 ½ minutes)
http://www.youtube.com/...
I found so much information for my favorite fabulous animal, the phoenix, that I hope you will bring to comments some other poems and stories about your favorite fabled animals.
Diaries of the week:
Write on! How to break in.
by SensibleShoes
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Edward R. Murrow’s speech video
http://www.wikio.com/...
from Crooks and Liars
from Neon Vincent at the Overnight News Digest...one minute video:
Reuters: Ancient Mayan relics discovered
Mar 13 - Rare panels showing monsters, gods and serpents in an ancient creation myth are found in El Mirador, the ruined Mayan city in Guatemala.
http://www.reuters.com/...
A wonderful diary about the character Vautrin in Balzac's novels:
The Greatest Villain In Literary Creation
by FrankCornish
http://www.dailykos.com/...
A beautiful tribute in case you missed it and a lovely carving of the streetcar named Desire:
to my grandfather
by pico
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Godel, Escher, Bach series: A MU offering
by plf515
http://www.dailykos.com/...
plf515 has a wonderful book diary on Fridays early and all day.
sarahnity’s list of DKos authors has grown so much that she has her own diary.
http://www.dailykos.com/...
sarahnity says:
It turns out that we have quite a few authors hanging out here who have published books in the real world. A while ago, I started keeping a list of books by Kossacks, former Kossacks and Kossacks-once-removed. I was posting it each week to the diary series What Are You Reading and Bookflurries, but the list has grown long enough, that I've decided to turn it into a diary and post it as a weekly series on Tuesday evenings.
Not all Kossack authors may wish to lose their anonymity, so I am only including the author's UID if he has outed herself here (gender confusion intended). If you'd like to be included on the list, or if you know of an author who is left off, please leave a comment or email me.
(sarahnity@gmail.com)
Algebrateacher and plf have created The Tutoring Room. Algebrateacher says:
The Tutoring Room will always be open and updated weekly.
TTR: What every 8th-grader knows, w/poll
by algebrateacher
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Which is your favorite? See long list here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/...