The Phoenix

I don't recall exactly when the term myth became part of popular parlance for a misconception or outright falsehood, but it's used that way so often one feels almost embarrassed using it any other way. The primary meaning of myth, however, suggests that it is a story concerned more with truth than falsehood.

Mythic tales like Beowulf and the Odyssey tell us about the human condition and communicate themes of love, conflict, loss, and triumph. In the Odyssey, for example, the more fantastic elements such as the encounter with the cyclops are intended to show the extent to which Odysseus will go to be reunited with the woman he loves. It is the story of a soldier's journey home and it tells the tale of anyone who has found themselves far from the person they wish to be and the things that matter the most. It describes a journey of the heart and soul.

Another mythic theme is the story of the Phoenix, the creature that rose to new life from the ashes of its own demise. Many of the films to which I've referred in previous posts are modern versions of the Phoenix myth. The Rocky series depicts a man from nowhere who achieves a dream, falls into defeat, and rises again. In the final installment, his battle is as much with himself, grief, and age, as it is with a younger, presumably more powerful and agile, opponent. Unlike Odysseus, who used cleverness and guile to overcome his enemies, Rocky relies on something within. He is an incredibly deep character who draws upon unseen resources time after time.

Perhaps it's because of the aging Baby Boomer population that film and fiction seem to be taking a second look at the Phoenix in the guise of the older heroic figure. Consider Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Here we find an obviously greying Professor Dumbledore engaged in a battle of Wagnerian proportions with Lord Voldemort who finds himself outmatched.

There really is something to be said for experience. In the fall, back home in Colorado, you can drive up to Rocky Mountain National Park and watch the elk rutting season unfold. Younger, seemingly more virile elk challenge the herd elders for supremacy and the rumble of antlered heads butting echoes across the valleys sounds like canon fire. It's always inspiring to me to see an aging, powerful elk hold the field while all the "boys" have withdrawn in defeat.

Maybe we're becoming more comfortable with myth once again or maybe we're just beginning to realize there is more to a person than appearances. In any case, the essential truth of the Phoenix is, it's never too late until it's over and, like Will Smith's character in Independence Day, "I ain't heard no fat lady yet."