Month: December 2018

The concept of immortality has fascinated humanity for centuries.  One of the greatest questions most religions seek to answer is what happens after.  And indeed, what does happen after? Most religions believe in an afterlife — a heaven and hell; Tartarus and the Elysian Fields.  But what about rebirth? What about reincarnation? Well, there was a myth in which this was addressed, the concept of being reborn from the ashes of what came before.  Of course, I am talking about the legendary phoenix.

The phoenix first made its appearance in Egyptian mythology, bursting from the heart of Osiris himself.  They were large birds with red and gold plumage, crying out with beautiful voices, and living for no less than half a millenia.  Only one phoenix was said to live at a time, and other creatures were said to fall dead when they saw it due to its beauty and sadness.  However, the biggest piece of the myth is its death. You see, there are several stories describing how this happens, though one thing remains the same — the phoenix dies within flames and is reborn from its own ashes.

One version of the rebirth myth states that the phoenix fashions a nest for itself, made with aromatic boughs and spices, before setting it on fire while within.  The phoenix would then die amid the flames. Once the fire died, leaving a pile of ash, the new phoenix would then burst from the ashes — the remains of its predecessor — and embalm the ashes in an egg of myrrh.  This egg would be flown to Heliopolis — “City of the Sun” — and deposited on the altar for Re, the sun god. Another version of its rebirth states that the phoenix will fly to Heliopolis to die in a fire on the altar.  Either way, the ashes left behind were said to be able to bring a man back from the dead, according to legend.

The phoenix is a creature that will live on in story — a bird who does not truly die, who is reborn from the ashes of what came before.  And whether or not we believe in an afterlife,the phoenix represents something else, something more — the idea that not just us as people, but our ideas, our hopes and dreams, can be reborn from what came before.  

For more reading on the phoenix (sources):
https://www.britannica.com/topic/phoenix-mythological-bird
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Phoenix_(mythology)

Pegasus — the name has become quite popular over the years.  From movies to video games to books, the winged horse has made its appearance and captured the hearts of audiences everywhere.  But where did this magnificent creature come from? How was it created?

According to Greek mythology, Pegasus was born from the blood of the severed head of Medusa.  A white stallion with wings, Pegasus was gifted to the Muses who accepted him with open arms. According to myth, when he arrived, the creature was so delighted that he stomped his hooves on the ground and from beneath them sprang the stream Hippocrene which is found on Mount Helicon.  This spring became known as the fountain of the Muses. Of course, there are other versions of this story, including that when the Muses sang the mountain would rumble in joy, and Poseidon told Pegasus to kick it to make it stop, thus opening the spring.

As well as causing streams to bubble up, Pegasus was also made famous when he was tamed by the great hero Bellerophon who had been gifted a bridle from the goddess Hera.  Bellerophon captured the creature, eventually riding him in battle against the chimera. Once Bellerophon is killed, Pegasus finds himself a servant of Zeus, charged with carrying his thunderbolt.  After years of faithful service, Zeus honors him by creating a constellation.

Pegasus was a son of Poseidon and Medusa, birthed from her blood.  He was a gift to the Muses, a loyal steed to the hero Bellerophon, and a faithful servant to the god Zeus.  Pegasus, with his white coat and fluffy wings, was a majestic, wild beast, and he will be forever immortalized amongst the stars.

For more reading on Pegasus (sources):
https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Creatures/Pegasus/pegasus.html
https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/myths/pegasus/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pegasus-Greek-mythology