Blog Post 5 : " Phoenix in Popular Culture"

Each culture has its own myths, tall-tales, and legends. At first sight, the differences between cultures as one travels from place to place seem abundant. People dress differently, speak different languages and worship different deities. Surprisingly, most human societies, despite vast geographic differences, share common threads in their myths and legends one prominent example is the legend of the phoenix. Like many other components of culture, the main schisms of the myth of the phoenix are between the Eastern and Western world. Today, the phoenix is even more popular  thanks to the different literature, music and movies being release. That's why the story of the phoenix is a story that resonates strongly with the human story, which is likely why this mythical bird appears in so many diverse cultures.

According to the site, www.buzzle.com; The bird itself and its myth have been represented in various different ways by artists, writers, poets, musicians and so on. The very fact that the phoenix is a mythical creature triggers the imaginative capabilities of the artists with each one of them visualizing the bird in his own way and then recreating the myth altogether.

While according to the site, www.wisegeek.com; Today, references to the phoenix abound in popular culture. It remains a symbol of resurrection or rebirth and is often used to represent cities or institutions that underwent some sort of destruction and regrowth.The phoenix has proved an enduring allegorical symbol, symbolizing rebirth, renewal or uniqueness and often appears in modern popular culture.

In Literature:

The idea of a lone bird setting itself on fire and then rising from its own ashes is so fascinating in itself. Painters and sculptors from across the world have tried to emphasize on the various characteristics of the phoenix bird and portray them through their works.

• While Michelangelo (1475 - 1564) is better known for his sculpture and paintings, he was also a poet. It is in two poems, "Se da Prim'anni Aperto" and "The Rime Of Michelangelo" where he mentions the phoenix in a typical religious form. From "Se da Prim'anni Aperto": "Nor can the phoenix revive, we are told, except by fire. Hence if such death be mine I hope to rise again with the divine..." It is perhaps not so unusual for Michelangelo to treat the phoenix as a symbol of resurrection even though Italy by that time was Christian, for early Christianity viewed this symbol of resurrection with respect.

• French poets Guillaume de Lorris (c. 1230 fl.) and Jean de Meun (c. 1230 - 1305), authors of "Romance of the Rose", mention the phoenix in this epic poem. The poem itself is an allegory of courtship containing the elements of what may be considered the typical male-female relationship during the thirteenth century. One line from the poem is the following: "Always is a single phoenix alive, who, ere his death, has lived five hundred years..."

In Film and Television:

The bird, along with its appearance and symbolism has been a subject of great inspiration for the writers from across the globe. In some tales (prose and poetry included), the phoenix itself is one of the characters, while in some others, a character or his situation is compared with the symbolism of the bird.

• One of the recent instances of popular fiction wherein the bird itself has a character to play is J.K. Rowling's famous Harry Potter series that has a tremendous fan following of children and adults alike. Fawkes, the phoenix in the Harry Potter series is a pet and defender of Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where Harry Potter is a student. Fawkes has been portrayed as a highly intelligent bird with crimson feathers and a golden tail. Its tears have healing powers and it sings a very soothing song. Even its feathers have amazing powers and were an important constituent of Harry's as well as Voldemort's magic wands. It has also been depicted as assisting both Harry and Dumbledore in many of their heroic feats. Thus, the bird has captured the imaginations of authors for ages together and still continues to fascinate them.

• During the first part of the series finale of Avatar: the Last Airbender, the main Antagonist, Fire Lord Ozai, declares that he will both end and win the 100 years war with the world by burning most of the Earth Kingdom to the ground via the power of a comet called Sozin's Comet (Ozai's Grandfather, Fire Lord Sozin). He also stated that he will have a new world rise from the ashes of the old, having only a Fire Nation world. He then dubs himself the Phoenix King (complete with a golden Phoenix motif for armor and having a phoenix in his banners), to compliment his sinister plan and to make himself ruler of the entire world.

In Music:

Even the musicians have not been able to escape the fascination that surrounds the phoenix myth. In numerous musical lyrics, we find references either to the bird itself or to its symbolism.

• The alternative rock band Live makes reference in the song The Dolphin's Cry saying "this phoenix rises up from the ground, and all these wars are over". The Phoenix is used in this context to help symbolize the cycles of love and sexual union being reborn over and over again.

• The longest music video in history, "Runaway" by Kanye West, primarily focuses around a phoenix who has fallen to Earth and after being discriminated against, she bursts into flames to return to her original world.

The legend of the phoenix bird forms an inevitable part of the mythological traditions of many diverse cultures. This makes one ponder as to what makes the bird so special that its parallels are found even in some of the remotest reaches of the world. Basically, we humans have a lot to learn from the bird and its symbolism. All the magical powers that the phoenix possesses might have been incorporated in the myth with its inclusion in alchemy and occult religion, two traditions that delve on the notions of spiritual healing and magic. Nevertheless, the entire mythology of the phoenix bird is an arresting subject in itself. The powerful symbolism of this mythical creature is what draws us towards it. It is a very good example that shows how things get purified and refreshed after being burnt by fire. Its resurgence after being completely burnt down is a very strong indicator of the never say die' spirit which every human should cultivate within himself. In short, the phoenix stands for everything that forms part of the vicious circle of life and death.