Phoenix

The Phoenix (Φοἳνιξ) was a mythical bird that was said to have originated in Asia. The Greeks believed that the Phoenix came from Egypt. The bird was said to be able to breathe fire.

The Greeks, like the historian Herodotus, equated the Phoenix with the Egyptian bird called Bennu. The Bennu resembled a large heron, with a long beak and long legs. The Bennu was sacred to the sun god of Heliopolis, either Atum or Re.

Later legends said that the bird had the ability to live over a hundred years before it began to build a huge bonfire. The bird would then set the bonfire alight before jumping into it. When the fire died down, the Phoenix would be reborn as a young bird.