Phoenix (mythology) Phoenix (mythology) In Greek mythology, a phoenix (; , "phoînix") is a long-lived bird that cyclically regenerates or is otherwise born again. Associated with the Sun, a phoenix obtains new life by arising from the ashes of its predecessor. According to some sources, the phoenix dies in a show of flames and combustion, although there are other sources that claim that the legendary bird dies and simply decomposes before being born again. There are different traditions concerning the lifespan of the phoenix, but by most accounts the phoenix lived for 500 years before rebirth. Herodotus, Lucan, Pliny the Elder, Pope
Bi Fang bird by various persons associated with the circle around Liu An, ruler of Huainan, dating back to the second century BCE. "Huainanzi" associates the Bi Fang bird with the Wu Xing element Wood (Strassberg 2002, 110-111) Bi Fang bird The Bi Fang (畢方) is a mythological bird, encountered in Chinese mythology. The Bi Fang is thought to have one leg. The importance of the Bi Fang bird is that it is one of the creatures of Chinese mythology. However, sources vary in terms of its description. Han Fei dates back to the third century BCE.The Bi Fang bird is described by