ik ga mij volgend jaar (hopelijk tegen februari) een tattoo laten zetten op de rug.
het zal een féniks worden. hier alvast een paar mooie beeldjes, ik weet nog niet goed in welke vorm ik het ga laten zetten.
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The Phoenix is a legendary bird common to various ancient civilizations.
According to myth, the Phoenix was a fabulous Arabian bird that was as large as an eagle with brilliant scarlet and gold plumage and a melodious cry--and only one existed at a time. The Phoenix's lifespan was 500 years, and as its end approached, the creature made a nest of aromatic branches and spices, set it on fire, and was consumed in the flames. From the ashes miraculously sprang a new Phoenix.
The ancient Egyptians linked the myth of the Phoenix with their longings for immortality; from Egypt the bird's symbolism spread amongst the Mediterranean world of late antiquity. At the close of the first Century, Clement of Rome was the first Christian to interpret the legend of the Phoenix as an allegory of the resurrection and of life after death. The Phoenix was also compared to undying Rome, and its image appears on the late Roman Empire's coinage as a symbol of the Eternal City.
In Chinese mythology, the Phoenix was a symbol of high virtue and grace. As conceived by the Chinese imagination, the Phoenix has a large bill, the neck of a snake, the back of a tortoise, and the tail of a fish. It carries in its bill either two scrolls or a square box that contains sacred books. According to tradition, the Phoenix's song includes all the five notes of the traditional Chinese music scale; its feathers include the five fundamental colors (red, black, white, green, and yellow) and its body is the composite of the six celestial bodies: the head symbolizes the sky; the eyes, the sun; the back, the moon; the wings, the wind; feet, the earth; and the tail, the planets. The phoenix appears only in peaceful and prosperous times, and hides itself when there is trouble; therefore, the Phoenix is a sign of peace. In Chinese mythology, the Phoenix is represented by the fen-huang, a bird symbolizing the union of yin and yang.