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One of the most interesting and loved myths is that of the Phoenix.

The earliest known reference to the Phoenix is by Hesiod in the 8th century BC. It is a pagan symbol as well as a religious and mythical one and appears in most cultures in some form.

Ovid, Pliny and Tacitus all write about the Phoenix. Herodotus and Pliny call it "The Arabian Bird", but in the Greek classical stories it appears to be of Egyptian origin. The Phoenix also appears in modern literature; examples of this being both in the writings of D H Lawrence who adopted the Phoenix as an emblem and the extremely popular Harry Potter books by J K Rowling.

The Phoenix symbolizes immortality, resurrection and life after death. In ancient Greek and Egyptian mythology the Phoenix is a mythical sacred fire-bird associated with the sun god Ra a symbol of fire and Osiris as the symbol of divinity. The Phoenix was usually depicted as a heron or Benu in the Egyptian texts, but in Greek literature as a peacock or an eagle.
According to the Greeks, the bird lives in Egypt, near a cool well. Every morning at dawn, the sun god would stop his chariot to listen to the bird sing a beautiful song while it bathed in the well. The Phoenix is said to have beautiful plumage made up of red and gold coloured feathers and be of great size. The Phoenix is exceedingly gentle and in some texts the tears of the Phoenix are said to be able to cure wounds, something that J K Rowling uses in the Harry Potter books on one occasion when Harry is injured as he fights Voldermort.
Only one Phoenix exists at any point in time. When the bird feels its death is near, every 500 to 1,461 years, it builds a nest of aromatic wood comprising mainly of cinnamon twigs and sets it on fire. The bird and the nest are then consumed by the flames and reduced to ashes. A new Phoenix then arises as a chick quickly growing to full size. The new Phoenix then embalms the ashes of its predecessor in an egg made of myrrh and flies with it to the ancient Egyptian city of Heliopolis, "city of the sun," where the egg is deposited on the altar of the sun god Ra.
The Phoenix is also able to regenerate if it gets hurt or is wounded by an enemy or foe. Therefore it has become a symbol of immortality and invincibility.
In one legend, the bird flew to Heliopolis and was immolated on the altar fire; in another, it builds a nest of spices which is ignited by the sun, the bird fanning the flames with its wings.

In either case, the Phoenix remains dead for three days

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