Magical Magic Creature Spotlight: Phoenix
Jan. 16th, 2013 08:59 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
sweettalkeress.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
deathtocapslockPhoenix
MOM Classificaton: XXXX
The Phoenix is a red-and-gold bird that hails from the mountains of Egypt, South Asia, and China (go figure). One of its most remarkable features is its ability to burst into flames and regenerate. Now, Rowling states that this enables the bird to reach “an immense age.” That begs the question: do Phoenixes die permanently? Is there any way to permanently kill a Phoenix? I know that at least one fanfic has posited that the Phoenix's regenerative capabilities relate to its healing tears somehow, and that if those are disabled the Phoenix will permanently die; but that's never come up in canon.
Anyway, Phoenixes are herbivorous and completely non-aggressive. In fact, as a footnote explains:
The Phoenix gains a XXXX rating not because it is aggressive, but because very few wizards have ever succeeded in domesticating it.
Which, I'm sure, is supposed to bluntly force the point that Albus Dumbledore is a special snowflake for having a pet Phoenix. However, if the Phoenix is so gentle and nonviolent, it raises the question of just how good of a mascot it is for Gryffindor (as Fawkes seems to be in CoS). After all, Gryffindors value bravery and charging into violent situations head-on above all else, and most prominent ones display a bit of a sadistic streak. Is it just because the bird's red and gold?
Maybe I'm overthinking this—I'm pretty sure that the real reason why Fawkes belongs to Dumbledore and helps Harry acquire the Sword of Gryffindor is so he remains relevant and useful.
Anyway, other abilities Phoenixes have include tears with healing powers, the ability to disappear and reappear at will, and a song that can embolden the pure of heart and terrify the “impure,” whatever that's supposed to mean.
Fun fact: when I was a little girl I used to wish I was a Phoenix. The idea of being a beautiful magical bird that never died seemed really cool at the time.
MOM Classificaton: XXXX
The Phoenix is a red-and-gold bird that hails from the mountains of Egypt, South Asia, and China (go figure). One of its most remarkable features is its ability to burst into flames and regenerate. Now, Rowling states that this enables the bird to reach “an immense age.” That begs the question: do Phoenixes die permanently? Is there any way to permanently kill a Phoenix? I know that at least one fanfic has posited that the Phoenix's regenerative capabilities relate to its healing tears somehow, and that if those are disabled the Phoenix will permanently die; but that's never come up in canon.
Anyway, Phoenixes are herbivorous and completely non-aggressive. In fact, as a footnote explains:
The Phoenix gains a XXXX rating not because it is aggressive, but because very few wizards have ever succeeded in domesticating it.
Which, I'm sure, is supposed to bluntly force the point that Albus Dumbledore is a special snowflake for having a pet Phoenix. However, if the Phoenix is so gentle and nonviolent, it raises the question of just how good of a mascot it is for Gryffindor (as Fawkes seems to be in CoS). After all, Gryffindors value bravery and charging into violent situations head-on above all else, and most prominent ones display a bit of a sadistic streak. Is it just because the bird's red and gold?
Maybe I'm overthinking this—I'm pretty sure that the real reason why Fawkes belongs to Dumbledore and helps Harry acquire the Sword of Gryffindor is so he remains relevant and useful.
Anyway, other abilities Phoenixes have include tears with healing powers, the ability to disappear and reappear at will, and a song that can embolden the pure of heart and terrify the “impure,” whatever that's supposed to mean.
Fun fact: when I was a little girl I used to wish I was a Phoenix. The idea of being a beautiful magical bird that never died seemed really cool at the time.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2013-01-17 11:43 pm (UTC)That's a wish you might be glad was never fulfilled. I have an old comic book that has a story about a man who also wished for that and whose wish was granted.
This young, healthy man had a morbid fear of death, so he made a deal with a phoenix to become one so he could live forever. The bird explained he would incinerate the man, and he would be reborn as his present age from the ashes. The bird would return periodically to repeat the procedure, but it would be at his convenience, so the man would never know when the bird was coming. The only way he could die would be if his body was completely obliterated.
The man was immediately incinerated, which was every bit as agonizing as you might think. After that, the man didn't fear death; he feared being immolated again. He lived every second in fear that the phoenix was coming back. One day when he was walking down the street, he heard wings behind him and began running in terror, convinced the phoenix was after him. He ran, screaming, "No! No! Get away! I've changed my mind! Don't burn me again! Don't burn me!" He ran right into a metal refinery and fell off a catwalk into a vat of molten metal, which obliterated his body. A worker at the facility said to the cute little songbird who had followed him in, "Wow, that guy was nuts. How could anybody be afraid you?"
I also want to recommend again the wonderful fanfic by our own wolf_willow31, Birds of a Feather, in which Fawkes rescues Snape after Nagini's attack, and they go adventuring together. Unlike most of the real HP books, this sweet and adorable story is ideal for children.
no subject
Date: 2013-01-18 04:06 am (UTC)One of the biggest plot problems for Birds of a Feather was trying to explain why a powerful magical bird like Fawkes would be loyal to someone like Dumbledore. I had to go with the idea that Fawkes is reasonably accepting and nonjudgmental (and somewhat naïve), and Dumbledore had him fooled. That also makes it easy for Fawkes to decide to help Snape and accept him.
(Thanks for the rec! *blushes*)