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XXII. The King of Birds; or, the Lay of the Phœnix: an Anglo-Saxon Song of the Tenth or Eleventh century. Now first translated into the Metre and Alliteration of the original. By George Stephens, Esq., Corresponding Member of the Literary Society of Finland, and Member of the Council of the Swedish Archæological Society, Author of a Translation of Frithiof's Saga, from the Swedish, &c. &c.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 June 2012
Extract
The Myth of the Phœnix is one of the most ancient in the world. Originally a temple-type of the immortality of the soul, its birth-place appears to have been the sunny clime of the fanciful and gorgeous East. Even in the days of Job and of David it was already a popular tradition in Palestine and Arabia. Afterwards it passed over to Egypt, Greece, and Rome; but, as it went, lost feather after feather, until the spiritual, and delicate, and beautiful parable sank into the tangible folk-legend of a nine days' wonder. The fathers of the Christian Church were the first to restore to it its original form and hidden meaning.
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- Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 1844
References
page 256 note a “Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the [sand].” Job, ch. xxix. v. 18.— “Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth is renewed like the [eagle's].” Psalm ciii. v. 5.—The Rabbins very justly translate both passages by the term KOL or phœnix. They have several traditions on this subject.
page 258 note a Of course we except the handful of words, mostly ecclesiastical,, adopted by the Anglo-Saxons themselves from the literature of the Church. Such words are hymn, synod, &c.
page 258 note b We have in our possession a very fine specimen of art and of naïveté. It is a splendid landscape (by Visscher, engraved on copper) illustrating the strength of Sampson, who is jaw-ing a lion in front, while a Paynim Philistine is seen in the background shooting wild-ducks with an apparently excellent double-barreled Manton.
page 313 note * This epithet of the Rue is probably not given to it from its odour, which is unpleasant, but from its having been early adopted as the plant and symbol of Penitence and Humility. Hence its characteristic name, Herb of Grace.