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== Mythical Background ==
== Mythical Background ==
The '''Phoenix''' is a mythical bird, the myth of which was very popular in [[Ancient Egypt]], and which perhaps had its origin even before the proto-dynastic period. Blessed with an extremely long life, at the end of its life, the phoenix would spontaneously combust into a pile of ashes, before rising from the ashes as a new, baby phoenix to begin its life again. The myth of the Phoenix is an example of the powerful theme of [[rebirth]], so popular in mythology, which can be seen (especially in Egyptian [[mythology]]) in the tale of [[Isis]] and [[Osiris]].
The '''Phoenix''' is a mythical bird, the myth of which was very popular in [[Ancient Egypt]], and which perhaps had its origin even before the proto-dynastic period. Blessed with an extremely long life, at the end of its life, the phoenix would spontaneously combust into a pile of ashes, before rising from the ashes as a new, baby phoenix to begin its life again. The myth of the Phoenix is an example of the powerful theme of [[rebirth]], so popular in mythology, which can be seen (especially in Egyptian [[mythology]]) in the tale of [[Isis]] and [[Osiris]].
Dispite its egyption origin, the phoenix appears in some early christian art as a symbolic representation of Christ much as a [[dragon]] is used as the symbolic representation of [[Satan]].
[[Herodotus]] mentioned the phoenix in his ''History of the World,'' but considered many reports regarding the creature to be incredible.<ref>[http://classics.mit.edu/Herodotus/history.2.ii.html Herodotus ''History'' II.] Accessed May 3, 2007.</ref>
[[Herodotus]] mentioned the phoenix in his ''History of the World,'' but considered many reports regarding the creature to be incredible.<ref>[http://classics.mit.edu/Herodotus/history.2.ii.html Herodotus ''History'' II.] Accessed May 3, 2007.</ref>