中国的Phoenix
Fenghuang are mythological Chinese birds that reign over all other birds。 The males are called Feng and the females Huang。
In modern times, however, such a distinction of gender is often no longer made and the Feng and Huang are blurred into a single feminine entity so that the bird can be paired with the Chinese dragon, which has male connotations。
Han Chinese often use the term "Descendents of the Dragon" as a sign of ethnic identity。 The Fenghuang is also called the "August Rooster" (Traditional Chinese: 鹍鸡 kwangai [Cantonese] kūnjī [Mandarin]) since it sometimes takes the place of the Rooster in the Chinese Zodiac。
In the West, it is commonly referred to as the Chinese phoenix and occasionally Ho-Oh bird (from the Japanese name hō-ō)。
Contents [hide]
1 Appearance
2 Origin
3 Meaning
4 Modern usage
5 See also
6 External links
[edit] Appearance
A common depiction was of it attacking snakes with its talons and its wings spread。
The Fenghuang is said to be made up of the beak of a cock, the face of a swallow, the forehead of a fowl, the neck of a snake, the breast of a goose, the back of a tortoise, the hindquarters of a stag and the tail of a fish。
Its body symbolizes the six celestial bodies。 The head is the sky, the eyes are the sun, the back is the moon, the wings are the wind, the feet are the earth, and the tail are the planets。
Its feathers contain the five fundamental colors: black, white, red, blue and yellow。[1]
[edit] Origin
Fenghuang, the Chinese phoenix, has no connection with the phoenix of the Western world[citation needed]。
The images of the phoenix have appeared in China for over 7,000 years, often in jade and originally on good-luck totems。
It is a totem of eastern tribes in ancient China。 Current theories suggest that it may be a representation of a large pre-historic bird, similar to an ostrich, which were common in pre-historic China。
During the Han Dynasty (2,200 years ago) the phoenix was used as a symbol depicting the direction south, shown as a male (feng, 凤) and female (huang, 凰) phoenix facing each other。
It was also used to symbolize the Empress in a pairing with a dragon where the dragon represents the Emperor。 It might come from the merging of eastern and western tribes of ancient China。
The phoenix represented power sent from the heavens to the Empress。 If a phoenix was used to decorate a house it symbolized that loyalty and honesty were in the people that lived there。
Or alternatively, phoenix only stays when the ruling is without dark and corruption (政治清明)。
[edit] Meaning
The Fenghuang has very positive connotations。
It is a symbol of high virtue and grace。 The Fenghuang also symbolizes the union of yin and yang。 It appears in peaceful and prosperous times but hides when trouble is near。
In ancient China, they can often be found in the decorations for weddings or royalty, along with dragons。 This is because the Chinese considered the dragon and phoenix symbolic of blissful relations between hu *** and and wife, another common yin and yang metaphor。
西方的Pheonix
In ancient Egyptian mythology and in myths derived from it, the phoenix is a mythical sacred firebird。
Said to live for 500 or 1461 years (depending on the source), the phoenix is a bird with beautiful gold and red plumage。
At the end of its life-cycle the phoenix builds itself a nest of cinnamon twigs that it then ignites; both nest and bird burn fiercely and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix arises。
The new phoenix is destined to live, usually, as long as the old one。 In some cases of mythology, however, this is not true。
The new phoenix embalms the ashes of the old phoenix in an egg made of myrrh and deposits it in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis ("the city of the sun" in Greek)。
The bird was also said to regenerate when hurt or wounded by a foe, thus being almost immortal and invincible - a symbol of fire and divinity。
Tears from a phoenix can heal wounds。
Although descriptions (and life-span) vary, the phoenix (Bennu bird) became popular in early Christian art, literature and Christian symboli *** , as a symbol of Christ representing his believed resurrection, immortality, and life-after-death。
Originally, the phoenix was identified by the Egyptians as a stork or heron-like bird called a benu, known from the Book of the Dead and other Egyptian texts as one of the sacred symbols of worship at Heliopolis, closely associated with the rising sun and the Egyptian sun-god Ra。
Contents [hide]
1 Myth origins
2 Related Usage
3 See also
4 External links
[edit] Myth origins
(16th century illuminated heraldic glass panel), depicting two Bennu birds or phoenix (early Christian symbol) and The Arms of Sir Robert BellThe Greeks adapted the word bennu (and also took over its further Egyptian meaning of date palm tree), and identified it with their own word phoenix φοινιξ, meaning the colour purple-red or crimson (cf。
Phoenicia)。 They and the Romans subsequently pictured the bird more like a peacock or an eagle。 According to the Greeks 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。
One inspiration that has been suggested for the Egyptian phoenix is flamingo of East Africa。 This bird nests on salt flats that are too hot for its eggs or chicks to survive; it builds a mound several inches tall and large enough to support its egg, which it lays in that marginally cooler location。
The convection currents around these mounds resembles the turbulence of a flame。
Some medieval Jewish commentators comment upon the Hebrew word Hol (חול) in the biblical book of Job ("。
。。Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand (Hol)。。。", Job 29:18, the King James translation) as referring to phoenix (citation needed)。
[edit] Related Usage
The phoenix in the Forbidden City, Beijing, China。In China, the phoenix called Fenghuang ("凤凰"), and is the second most-respected legendary creature (second to the dragon), mostly used to represent the queen。
The phoenix is the leader of birds。
In Russian folklore, the phoenix appears as the Zhar-Ptitsa (Жар-Птица), or firebird, subject of the famous 1910 ballet score by Igor Stravinsky。
The phoenix was featured in the flags of Alexander Ypsilantis and of many other captains during the Greek Revolution, symbolizing Greece's rebirth, and was chosen by John Capodistria as the first Coat of Arms of the Greek State (1828-1832)。
In addition, the first modern Greek currency bore the name of phoenix。 Despite being replaced by a royal Coat of Arms, it remained a popular symbol, and was used again in the 1930s by the Second Hellenic Republic。
However, its use by the military junta of 1967-1974 made it extremely unpopular, and it has almost disappeared from use after 1974, with the notable exception of the Order of the Phoenix。
In Jewish folklore, it is said that the phoenix was the only animal not to join Adam in his banishment from the Garden of Eden。
A Phoenix appears as a character in the novel The Princess of Babylon by Voltaire。
The Phoenix is also a prominent symbol on the flag and seal of the City and County of San Francisco, symbolizing the city rising from the ashes of the devastation caused by the 1906 earthquake。
Similarly, the Phoenix is also the central feature of the seal and flag of the City of Atlanta, along with the word Resurgens (Latin for having been restored/rebuilt, revived, rose up/appeared again; rared up again, lifted oneself), symbolizing the seemingly continual rebirth of the city after several devastating fires, most notable of which are General Sherman's burning of the city during the American Civil War on November 15, 1864 and the Great Atlanta fire of 1917。
Phoenix, Arizona was so named due to the town's usage of old Hohokam (Native American) c *** paths, and the fact that the area contained the remains of various Hohokam settlements。
It is believed that this group migrated out of the area due to devastating floods and droughts between 1300-1450 AD。 The establishment of modern Phoenix was seen as a rebirth of this older civilization。
The new city itself suffered damage from several large floods in its early years, such as in 1900, but eventually grew into one of the US's largest metropolitan areas as of the 21st century。
The mythological bird is present on the city's flag and logo。