EP: 8.The Phoenix (Greek and Egyptian Mythology)

Transcript

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Welcome, my mythic friends, to Myth This. According to yours truly, I'm your host, Wendy Morrow. On this podcast, we dive into myths and folklore from all over the world. These stories have shaped cultures, stirred imaginations, and kept us captivated for centuries. Together, we'll explore the origins, meanings, and mysteries behind these stories. It's tails with a fresh perspective and a little bit of fun. Last week, we talked about Mjolnir. Thor's hammer. It was super interesting. So fun. I guess had a lot to say about it. Please go check it out. I loved it so much. I enjoyed talking about Mjolnir. I love that name so much. Every time I say it or listen to it, I'm like, Oh, I love it. Fun, like, I just love the ending part. It's just like fun on the tongue to say. this week, we're talking about the phoenix. This is a Greek and Egyptian mythology. It's about a majestic bird that burns to ash and is reborn symbolizes cycles of life and death and renewal. I'm so excited. Also, how was your guys week? Let's get into that a little bit. I'm gonna, it's a funny story. When I said majestic, I have a slightly icky taste of the word majestic in my mouth and here's why. I dated this guy and yeah, oh, he was literally, how would you say this? awful. he always wanted me to go back to his apartment and hang out. And if you live in Utah, you know, you just know what that means. You're like, okay, calm down, calm down. Literally, like, we're not going back to your house to hang out and watch TV. Like, Netflix, you know, like, we're not going to hang out and watch Netflix at your apartment. And. And I told him I didn't want to do that, and he just kept asking to do it. He's let's just hang out in my apartment and watch Netflix. And I'm like, no, I don't want to do that. I want to go on a real date. And he was like, okay, let me plan something majestic. he never planned anything majestic. And also, why would you use a word I feel like that's such a magnificent word. Majestic is such like a elaborate, beautiful word to use. He's And to like completely destroy in such in that context because I'm like what? And he destroyed the word majestic in my brain. So as I said, majestic, I literally gave myself the egg because of that tragic, I know. Okay, let's get into today's tale. Anyways, enough about my life. We're here to listen to a story. Let's get into this. Grab your favorite drink and gather on my campfire for a tale you won't forget. The Phoenix, a flame that never dies. Imagine the vast desert of ancient Egypt, where the sun reigns supreme, casting its golden glow over the Nile and the towering pyramids. The cycles of the sun, rising, setting, and rising again, defined life for the Egyptians, who saw renewal and ecstasy. every sunrise and hope in every dawn. The phoenix, or Benu as it was called in Egyptian mythology, became a powerful symbol of these internal cycles. Don't you love that name too, Benu? Oh, that's so beautiful. Okay, now, shift to ancient Greece, where philosophers sought to unravel the mysteries of life and poets sing of immortality. Here, the phoenix was reimagined, not just as a symbol of the sun, but as an emblem of the human spirit's resilience, a creature that triumphed over death through its fiery rebirth. This is a tale that transcends borders, bridging the beliefs of these two great cultures. A story that burns as brightly as a phoenix itself. Wink wink. The roots of the myth. The phoenix, likely, originated in ancient Egypt mythology as the Benu, a heroine like bird associated with the sun god Ra. Not only do I like that name because it's easy to say, Because, you know, I'm the queen of mispronouncing names, but it just is fun to say, I mean, rah rah. Oh my gosh, that's so silly. Sorry, distraction. Squirrel moment, my bad. The Benu was said to reside in the Benben stone, a sacred obelisk in the city of the Sun. It was believed to embody the soul of raw and represent the renewal of life. Brought by the Sun's daily journey. The Greeks, inspired by the tale of the Egyptians, wove the Benu into their own mythology, transforming it into the Phoenix Herodotus, the Greek historian, described the phoenix as a majestic bird from Arabe, radiant with red and gold feathers that would live for centuries before bursting into flames and rising anew from its ashes, the tail of the phoenix. In a far off desert oasis, amidst swaying palms and shimmering sands, there lived a bird unlike any other. Its feathers glowed like molten gold, and its eyes shone with the light of a thousand sunsets. This was the phoenix, a creature blessed with the gods with the gifts of mortality, but not without sacrifice. The phoenix's life was long, spanning five hundred years. Time drew to a close, it felt a strength deep within its soul, an ancient call to return to its birthplace. It flew tirelessly across the deserts and mountains until it reached Helopolis, the city of the sun. I hope I'm saying that right. I think it's Helopolis? Helipolis, I think? Upon arrival, the phoenix began to build its nest, gathering myrrh, frankincense, and other aromatic spices. Which, have you guys ever thought how special that is? Cause where else do we hear that as a gift? Right? I'm just saying this because the new year's coming and Christmas is on the way and we hear the story of the wise men bringing myrrh and frankincense all the time. Myrrh, frankincense, and gold. I can't help but think this is somewhat Applicable and related in a sense or at you can at least pull something from this anyways The sense of the sacred oils fill the air as a bird perched atop the Benben stone. It's golden. It's golden feathers gleamed into the light of the set oil of the setting sun. Then, as the final rays of daylight kissed the horizon, the phoenix let out a hauntingly beautiful song, a melody so profound, that the gods themselves paused to listen. At the last note faded, the phoenix ignited a brilliant blaze of fire, its flames consuming both bird and nest. From the ashes rose a single egg, glowing with an inner fire. It crackled open to reveal a newborn phoenix, identical to its predecessor. Yet imbued with wisdom of all its past lives, young phoenix scratched its wings, its golden feathers, the young Phoenix stretch its wings, its golden feathers. Catching the first light of dawn. It gathered the remains of its former self into a ball of myrrh and flew to the temple of raw, where it laid the ashes upon the altar, honoring the circle of life, death, and rebirth. How beautiful is that? I love that story. The cultural significance. Let's talk about it. In Egyptian mythology, the Phoenix or Benu was more than a creature. It was a cosmic force. It represented the Nile annual flooding, which brought life to the land, and the rising sun, which renewed each day. The Phoenix ability to rise from its ashes mirrored the Egyptian belief in the afterlife and the soul's journey towards eternal existence in Greek culture, the phoenix took a new layer of meaning. it emphasized the indomitable human spirit, the triumph of life over death, and the stycical nature of existence. For early Christians, the phoenix became a symbol of Christian resurrection, illustrating the promise of eternal life. Which, I am a Christian myself, and I think that's just so cool. The phoenix became a symbol of Christ. I love that you can see where things link, in stories and folklore and tales to religion. it's just so clear, it's there, and the phoenix is one of them. The Phoenix Across Time. The legend of the phoenix has transcended its origins, appearing in art, literature, and philosophy throughout history. From the romance poet Ovid's metamorphosis to the writings of medieval alchemists, who saw the phoenix as a symbol of transformation and purification, this mythical bird has captured the imaginations of countless cultures. Even today, the phoenix inspires us reminding us that from the ashes of despair, we can rise stronger, wiser, and more radiant than ever. What a beautiful thought. Alright friends, it's time to myth this lore. The Phoenix, okay, Greek and Egyptian mythology. Let's talk about it. The scripture I chose for this story was 1st Ephesians, 4 verses 14. This is King James Version it quotes, If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. Okay, the reasoning for the matching of this, story and the scripture is because the phoenix symbolizes death and rebirth, representing cycles of life, renewal, and the hope of a resurrection. This scripture connects with the idea of transformation and the promise of new life after death. Much like the phoenix rises from its ashes, it teaches that death is not an end, but part of the cycle of eternal life. Oh, beautiful. My thoughts on this folklore, this tale of the phoenix. I love the tale of the phoenix. The phoenix has always been one of my most fascinating animals. Beneath bunnies, if not next to, is probably the phoenix. Why? Because I saw Harry Potter. And I love, I love Harry Potter and the phoenix in Harry Potter. When it comes to the phoenix and this story, I just love how you can clearly see where gospel ties in with this tale, because with frankincense and myrrh, and just him bringing that to the altar after his rebirth, it reminds me of the holidays progress, for the first time I got my own, tiny little nativity set. It can literally fit in my palms. It's so small, but I love it so much. It reminds me of that, and it reminds me of It doesn't even have the wise men in it or the angel. It's literally just mary joseph jesus christ the manger and two little animals, but it's all like Fitting in this like perfect nativity And it fits right in my palm And I love it so much I just want to cry every time I look at it because i'm like, oh my gosh This is so precious the gifts we bring to the altar Sometimes, we bring only our problems and our troubles and our trials to the altar. And though those things are much welcome and much appreciated, I think, what can I bring to the Savior, By the end of this year, right? He wants intellectual things, that can be sacrificed So something I want to gift to the savior this year is more faith, and more appreciation from the nature and the good things around me. Sometimes I forget that there are birds and butterflies and the sun and the moon. And I just want to go outside and be like, oh my gosh, I'm sorry. Sometimes I forget how beautiful this world is. But I want to give more gratitude to the blessings of life. And I want to learn how to appreciate the beautiful things of nature. So, I know that's not like a super big gift, but I think that is something I haven't done enough of is appreciate the natural things of life. Going further into that, something meaningful to me is I want to give more of my time to the Savior. I want to be able to pray more, read the Bible. Any religious text. I want to read Jesus the Christ because, it's such a long book and I've tried doing it before, couldn't finish it. But this year I, gave a challenge to myself to finish that because I want to get to know the Savior more. And that is my gift to him. And I know it's like a gift to him. That's really for me, but. It's for him I want to read the scriptures and I want to get to know my Savior more Because I don't want to be a burden. I don't want this relationship to be transactional I want it to be a beautiful thing. And what I love about the Phoenix is that it dies and then there's a rebirth and with its rebirth it has the knowledge of its previous life I think that's beautiful because Every day when we repent or when we use the grace of God in our life We are promising to do better Than we did yesterday Every day, we can become like the phoenix, and we can have a rebirth of our own. When we talk to Christ, when we get on our knees, even if you're not Christian, if you're spiritual and you're just like, meditating, and you're just talking to the divine. I believe that is a way for us to have a personal rebirth and say I'm going to do better. I'm going to take the knowledge from yesterday and become one percent better today. I'm going to be more positive today. I'm going to say hi to that person today. I'm going to be more encouraging today. I'm going to do that thing I've been putting off for a while today. I'm going to give more of myself today. I'm going to help my mother do this today. I'm going to call my grandma today. I'm going to pay a visit to an old friend today. So, rebirth is becoming better each day in our life. when you go to bed tonight, think of the phoenix. Think of rebirth. And when you wake up you are a new creature in Christ. Think about how that could influence your life and what a fun challenge that would be. Alright to end this episode, we have a question at the end of every episode. Today's question is what does the circle of death and rebirth teach us about transformation in our own lives? How can we embrace change rather than fear it? if you didn't know, you can put any questions you may have on this podcast. in the footnotes. I'm creating an Instagram, and I will probably be putting this episode on there too you'll find this on there and you'll be able to put it in the comment section or you can DM me an answer just make sure you title it, so I know which episode you're talking about, I would love to hear from you guys and the more we do this, the more I will be able to share. My listeners opinions and thoughts on my episode. if that's something you're interested in, please, I'd love to hear from you guys honestly, like honestly. And I know that some people aren't religious, even if you're not, go ahead and Put your questions in there, all are welcome. I would love to hear from you. I'm so grateful that you guys joined me on today's episode. You will hear from me again. Thank you so much for joining me in today's episode. I will see you next time bye friends.