Phoenix, Rochester Bestiary, c.1230

The phoenix is not mentioned in sacred scriptures but is known through nature. It is a unique bird of Arabia with a beautiful Phoenician purple colour. According to Arab traditions, the phoenix lives for five hundred years or more. When it feels its time has come, it builds a pyre from aromatic twigs and ignites it by facing the sun and flapping its wings, burning itself voluntarily. On the ninth day, it rises from its ashes, symbolising resurrection, similar to Jesus Christ’s declaration, "I have the power to lay down my life and to take it up again." This comparison emphasises Christ's divine authority to die and rise again, challenging those who doubt His power.

Ambrose explains that the phoenix, sensing its end, constructs a nest of frankincense, myrrh and other spices. As it dies, a worm emerges from its body, growing into a new phoenix. This allegory reinforces the belief in resurrection, showing that if a mere bird can rise again, so too can Christ. The phoenix, without any example or reasoning, teaches us to believe in resurrection, just as a grain that falls to the earth must die to produce new life.

Birds exist for man's benefit and their stories serve as an example. The creator who does not allow this unique bird to perish surely will not abandon His saints. Men should prepare for death by embracing Christ as their protective sheath, filled with the virtues of chastity, mercy and justice. Just as Paul, who declared, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith," prepared for his end with the fragrances of martyrdom, we too should embrace our mortality and have faith in the resurrection.

Fenix quoque licet in sacra scriptura noninveniatur;
quia tamen nos natura eius instruit; pauca de
eo dicemus. Fenix igitur est. arabie avis. sic dicta; quod
colorem pheniceum habeat. Vel quod sit in toto or-
be singularis et unica. Nam arabes singularem et
unicam fenicem vocant. Hec quingentos et ultra annos
vivens. dum se viderit senuisse collectis aroma-
tum virgultis; rogum sibi instruit. et conversa
ad radium solis alarum plausu voluntarium sibi

The phoenix is not found in sacred scriptures and is known to us through nature; we will say just a few things thereof. The phoenix is a bird of Arabia : its colour is Phoenician purple and is unique and singular in the whole world. The Arabs regarded it as singular and unique. This bird lives for five hundred years or more. When it sees that it has grown old, it gathers aromatic twigs, builds a pyre for itself and by turning toward the sun’s rays and flapping its wings,

incendium nutrit. seque urit. Postea vero die no-
na; avis de cineribus suis surgit. Huius figuram
gerit dominus noster iesus christus. qui dicit. Potestatem ha-
beo ponendi animam meam et iterum sumendi
eam. Si ergo phenix mortificandi et vivificandi se
potestatem habet. cur stulti homines irascuntur in
verbo dei qui verus dei filius est. qui dicit. Potesta-
tem habeo et cetera. Descendit namque salvator noster
de celo. alas suavitatis. odoribus novi et veteris ~
testamenti replevit. et in ara crucis seipsum pro nobis
deo patri obtulit. et tercia die resurrexit.

it voluntarily kindles a fire and burns itself. Afterward, on the ninth day, it rises from its ashes. This represents Our Lord Jesus Christ, who said, "I have the power to lay down my life and to take it up again."[2] Therefore, if the phoenix has the power to die and come back to life, why do foolish men get angry at the word of the Lord, who is truly the Son of God, who says, "I have the power," and so on? Our Saviour descended from heaven, filled the wings of sweetness with the fragrances of the Old and New Testaments, sacrificed himself for us to God the Father on the altar of the cross and rose on the third day.

Fenis quoque secundum ambrosium cum sentit sibi
mortem imminere; facte sibi thecam de thure
et mirra. et ceteris aromatibus. Impletoque vite
sue tempore; intrat et moritur. De cuius humore
carnis; vermis exurgit. paulatimque adolescit.
ac processu statuti temporis; induit alarum. re-
migia. atque in superioris avis speciem formamque
reparatur. Non ut diversa; sed quasi eadem; de
materia substancie sue avis resurgat. Quid
dicunt hic heretici. qui negant divine potestati
quod non negant phenici; Fenix vetustatem suam
novitate resurgendi reparavit. et christus resurgere non
potuit. qui potestatem habet ponendi animam
suam. et iterum resumendi eam; Doceat igitur nos avis vel
exemplo sui resurrectionem credere. que et sine exem-
plo et sine rationis perceptione iam sibi insignia re-
surrectionis instaurat. Et quia hoc ipsum nos docet
granum cadens in terram. quod nisi mortificatum
fuerit in semine; non resurgit in renovatione. Et
utique aves propter homines sunt non homines;
propter aves. Sit igitur exemplum nobis quia auctor
et creator omnium sanctos suos in eternum perire non pati-

According to Ambrose[3], when the phoenix feels death approaching, it makes for itself a nest of frankincense and myrrh and other aromatics. When its life is complete, it enters it and dies. From the fluids of its flesh, a worm arises and gradually grows. When the right time comes, it sprouts wings and regains its previous appearance and form: not as a different bird but as if the same bird arose from its own matter. Why do the heretics deny the Divine Power what they do not deny to the phoenix? The phoenix renewed its old age by rising again and Christ could not rise again, although he had the power to lay down his life and take it up again. Let the phoenix teach us in its own way to believe in the resurrection, a bird that rises again without any example to follow and without reasoning. A grain falling into the earth teaches us the same thing: if it dies in the seed, it does not rise again. Indeed, birds exist to benefit men, not men to benefit birds. Let it be an example for us, for the author and creator of all things

tur. qui avem unicam perire non passus est. sed
resurgentem eam sui semine voluit reparari. Quis
igitur huic annuntiat diem mortis ut faciat sibi the-
cam et impleat bonis odoribus atqe ingrediatur
in eam et moriatur illic. ubi odoribus gratis fetor
funeris possit aboleri; Fac et tu homo tibi thecam
et expolians te veterem hominem cum actibus suis;
novum indue. Techa tua et vagina tua christus est. qui te
protegat. et abscondat in die malo. Vis scire quia the-
ca protectio est. Pharetra inquit mea protexi eum.
Thecam ergo habes christum. thecam habes et fidem. thecam
habes et bonam consciam. Hanc imple bonis vir-
tutum odoribus. hoc est castitatis. misericordie. iusti-
cie. Et cognosce diem mortis tue. et ingredere in eam
cum fiducia resurrectionis. sicut cognovit paulus qui
ait. Bonum certamen certavi. cursum consummavi. fi-
dem servavi. Reposita est. michi corona iusticie. Intra-
vit igitur in thecam suam quasi bonus fenix. quam
bono replevit odore martirii.

does not allow his saints to perish forever and has not allowed this only bird to perish but has wanted it to rise from its own seed. Who then prepare themselves for their own death by making a sheath for themselves, filling it with good fragrances, entering it and dying there, where the pleasant odours can outsmell the stench of death? You too, man, make a sheath for yourself, strip yourself of the old man with your deeds and don the clothes of a new man. Your covering and your sheath are Christ, who protects you and hides you on the evil days. Do you want to know why it is your protection? "In my quiver," he says, "I have protected him."[4] Therefore, you have Christ as your covering, also your faith and your good conscience. Fill this with the good fragrances of virtues such as chastity, mercy and justice. Acknowledge the day of your death, embrace it and confide in the resurrection. Paul knew and said, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness."[5] He entered his covering as a good phoenix, which he filled with the good fragrances of martyrdom.

Further Reading

David Badke, The Bestiary Blog: Animals in the Middle Ages, Phoenix, November 6 2023, https://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast149.htm

Mynott, J, Birds in the Ancient World (New York: Oxford University Press 2018)

Josh Goldenberg (BA 2012) and Matt Shanahan (BA 2014), Logeion, November 2022, https://logeion.uchicago.edu/

Castiglioni, L. and Mariotti, S. (1996). Vocabolario della Lingua Latina: Latino-Italiano Italiano-Latino. Terza Edizione. Loescher Torino

Curley, M. J., Physiologus: A Medieval Book of Nature Lore (University of Chicago edition 2009)

Rackham, H., M.A., Pliny Natural History Volume III, Libri VIII-XI (London: William Heinemann Ltd, 1949)

Collins, A. H., M.A., Symbolism of Animals and Birds (New York: McBride, Nast & Company, 1913)

Henderson, C., The Book of Barely Imagined Beings (London: University of Chicago Press, 2013)

White, T. H., The Bestiary: A Book of Beasts (New York: G.P Putnam’s Sons, 1960)

Matthews, J. and Matthews C., The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures: The Ultimate A-Z of fantastic beings from myth and magic (London: HarperElement, 2005)

Barney, S. A., Lewis, W. J., Beach A., Berghof O., The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006)

Endnotes

[1] The phoenix is primarily rooted in ancient Greek mythology. However, the concept of the phoenix has connections to various ancient cultures, including those in Egypt and Persia. The association with Arabia specifically comes from Herodotus, the ancient Greek historian, who mentioned that the phoenix came from Arabia to the Egyptian city of Heliopolis every 500 years to be reborn.

[2] John NKJV 10:18: No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

[3] The text is most probably referring to Saint Ambrose, known as Ambrose of Milan, who was a prominent church father and theologian, known for his influential writings and contributions to Christian doctrine. Ambrose of Milan did write about various topics, including nature and animals.

[4] Isaiah NKJV 49:2: And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me, And made Me a polished shaft; In His quiver He has hidden Me.”

[5] Timothy NKJV 4:7-8: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

This passage reflects the Apostle Paul's reflection on his life and ministry, expressing his confidence in having fulfilled his mission and his expectation of receiving a reward from the Lord.