The bird that is reborn from its own ashes, the Phoenix, is very popular in the West, although it was already talked about by the ancient Greeks and Romans, the origin is seemingly Egyptian. The phoenix is a mythical sacred bird believed in by the Egyptians and other ancient peoples, and which was most often associated with the worship of the sun. The Egyptians called him benu, and he was a symbol of their sun god Ra.
But what animal is the Phoenix? It is difficult to describe, it certainly has the characteristics of a bird, but still some authors recognize the similarity with herons, others equate it with eagles, peacocks, swans. In Egyptian depictions, it resembles a sparrow or a gray heron, and only later did the Greeks assume the appearance of a golden eagle with golden and purple sequins and a blue tail. The animal was known for its ability to overcome the dark forces that came from the waters of the Egyptians or from the flames according to Greek and Latin myths.
According to legend, there could be only one phoenix, which lived for 500 years (or more, depending on the source). At the end of his life cycle, he would make a nest of branches of fragrant herbs and spices, set it on fire and burn it in flames. From that fire, a new phoenix would be born, which would enclose the ashes of its predecessor in an myrrh egg and take it to the holy city of Heliopolis (the seat of the cult of the god Ra), where it would lay an egg on the altar of the sun god. The phoenix was thus a symbol of immortality. It also symbolizes rebirth, hope, honesty, perseverance, faith, eternity, light.
Phoenix came to Greek and Roman myths from the Egyptian religion. The Romans painted his image on coins and medals in the hope that the Roman Empire would last forever. In China, the fenghuang bird (protector of Chinese rulers) is actually a phoenix bird. In Russian folklore, it is known as the firebird, and among the Jews as milkam. The phoenix is a central figure in both Lebanese ancient and modern culture.
Today, it is considered a myth, a fantasy, it is certainly not a real animal, but the question arises: what exactly is reality? Symbols that affect us so strongly, condition choices and emotional states, are they unreal, because they are not made of matter?