Destiny Defined – Fènghuáng
Destiny Armory Defined entry
Do not grieve the dying star. Its death kindles newer life, and thus the wheel turns again.
- Phoenix Protocol
Basic Information
Released: Destiny2 : Shadowkeep
Rarity: Exotic
Category: Other
Other SubCategory: Armor Ornament
Affiliations: Warlock
Misc: Ornament for Phoenix Protocol
Additional / Expanded Information
The Fènghuáng is similar to the phoenix in China, where it is a sacred symbol of the royal Empress. The difference in the two creatures is that the Fènghuáng is also given properties associated with dragons, representing loyalty, justice, goodness, and honesty.
Definition Summary
Fènghuáng: “Chinese Phoenix” aka “August Rooster” is a mythological bird from East Asian mythology that reigns over all other birds. The males were originally called feng and the females huang, but gender is no longer made and they are blurred into a single feminine entity so that the bird can be paired with the Chinese dragon, which itself is traditionally male. Fènghuáng typically appear as a symbol in culture often depicted attacking snakes with its talons and its wings spread.
According to the Erya’s chapter 17 Shiniao, Fènghuáng is made up of the beak of a rooster, the face of a swallow, the forehead of a fowl, the neck of a snake, the breast of a goose, the back of a tortoise, the hindquarters of a stag and the tail of a fish.
This has changed over time and it is now often described as a multitude of many birds, such as the head of a golden pheasant, the body of a mandarin duck, the tail of a peacock, the legs of a crane, the mouth of a parrot, and the wings of a swallow. Some art shows the bird holding scrolls or a box with sacred books or with a fireball.
The Fènghuáng’s body symbolizes the celestial bodies: the head is the sky, the eyes are the sun, the back is the moon, the wings are the wind, the feet are the earth, and the tail is the planets. It is told in folklore to have been born from the sun. Its body contains the five fundamental colors: black, white, red, yellow, and green.
It is widely believed that the bird will only appear in areas or places that are blessed with peace and prosperity or happiness.
