Probably the most important of the mythological Birds, and a favorite motif in tattoo artwork, the phoenix was known in ancient Egypt, Greece, China, and the Middle East. In the many stories that surround it, two aspects remain constant—its matchless splendor and the immortality it derived from rising from its own ashes. When the time of its death would draw near, it built a nest of aromatic twigs in which it would burn, simply from the heat of its own body. From the pyre, a reborn phoenix would rise. It is a symbol of the undying soul and ultimately one of regeneration, resurrection, and immortal life. Tattoo Symbol Meaning www.tattoobody.org