The legend of the phoenix has been in the popular imagination since ancient civilizations. This magical, mythical bird has been a part of the plot since time immemorial. Even today, you would find mention of the phoenix, in books, tales and movies. A city in the United States is named after this bird, which rises from its ashes and the "Harry Potter" movie series has it interwoven in many sub-plots.

Since the story has come down to us through the oral tradition, there is no single version of it. It varies from teller to teller – each adding something of their own and changing tiny aspects of it. How the story originated in the first place is also widely debated. It’s impossible to put down a specific place or time to its origin. Over the centuries not only the story has changed, but also the origination of the story.

Certain aspects of the myth have remained unchanged, though history has tampered the myth itself. The phoenix is believed to be a supernatural creature, capable of living a minimum of a thousand years without being sick or injured. Such an incredible lifespan! Some believe that disease and drought can affect the lifespan of the bird to the extent it would enter its life's next phase.

Once a phoenix has either lived for a thousand years or succumbed to some outside disease or injury, it begins to gather twigs, branches, and wood. This gathering process does not create a nest like other birds, but rather a traditional funeral pyre. A pyre was used in ancient cultures to dispose of a dead body, often including personal artifacts in the rubble that would be burned with their owner. Some cultures even instructed spouses to sacrifice themselves into the pyre upon the death of their mate.

After the pyre has been built, the phoenix ignites and begins to burn. This part of the story has changed and some believe the bird does not need to gather items to create a pyre, but rather self ignites and the flames burn without any fuel. The alteration to the story is not the only one, as there is great debate what happens after the bird is burned.

There is unanimity that the phoenix burns it to ashes, and rises again to live another thousand years. This makes the phoenix the champion against all kinds of adversity and a symbol of hope for many organizations and groups. This cycle is repeated again and again by the phoenix.

Another take on the tale goes on like this. The fire burns the phoenix, but not before it lays an egg from which an offspring is born that lives for a thousand years and this cycle goes on. One cannot be sure of which version to believe, but the triumph over adversity is common in all versions.

No one knows how this story began in the first place. Some believe that a story was created around a fire-colored bird that was captured long ago, while others say the phoenix was actually a raven that used to dance in the embers of a dying fire.