tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3407624264627208128.post632952433756237922..comments2024-01-26T21:38:25.924-08:00Comments on Duane's PoeTree: Jack Scott writesDuanesPoeTreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17053093400086634552noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3407624264627208128.post-21921822512446184392016-01-06T10:55:54.221-08:002016-01-06T10:55:54.221-08:00The a phoenix was a long-lived bird that cyclicall...The a phoenix was a long-lived bird that cyclically flamed out of existence every 1,400 years and then regenerated itself by arising from the ashes of its predecessor. Various ancient writers claimed that the bird was the size of an eagle. Some described its peacock-like coloring, though Herodotus said it was red and yellow (Ezekiel the Dramatist specified red legs and yellow eyes), but Lactantius said that its eyes were blue like sapphires and that its legs were covered in yellow-gold scales and had rose-colored talons. The bird was sometimes associated with the similar-sounding Phoenicia, famous for its purple dye made from conch shells, and its name was supposedly derived from its allegedly purple-red hue; because the costly purple dye was associated with the upper classes, the phoenix was referred to as "the royal bird." It was often pictured with a nimbus, often with seven rays like Helios, the Greek personification of the sun. Pliny the Elder described the crest of feathers on its head, and Ezekiel compared it to a rooster that was larger than an ostrich.DuanesPoeTreehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17053093400086634552noreply@blogger.com