Phoenix Legend

The legend of the Phoenix has been around for centuries. There are a few variations, but the basic idea goes something like this:

The Phoenix is a supernatural creature, living for one thousand years. Once that time is over, it builds its own funeral pyre and throws itself into the flames. As it dies, it is reborn anew and rises from the ashes to live another one thousand years. Alternatively, it lays an egg in the burning coals of an open fire, which hatches into a new Phoenix and the life cycle repeats. We like ours scrambled, so we tend to discount this variation of the legend and have concerns about the safety of laying eggs directly into an open flame. We’re working with OSHA on that.

There are a few theories as to what might have given rise to such a legend. Perhaps a brightly colored bird was captured in Asia and sold in a foreign land with wild stories about the bird's legendary powers in hopes of jacking up the price. Perhaps that foreign land was the Southwestern United States, which is where we’re based.

Perhaps someone saw a common peacock backlit by the setting sun and believed the bird to be on fire. Maybe the peacock was actually on fire and it was very late at night. There are a myriad of possibilities, none of which can be confirmed, especially by the poor peacock.

One theory about the origins of the Phoenix legend is rather bizarre, but may be closer to the truth than some others: The original 'Phoenix' may have been a crow or raven dancing in a dying fire. Perhaps the fire was fine and in fact the bird was dying and not really dancing at all. This seems more likely, especially if the fire was fine. We’re working with the ASPCA on this one. We do know that if you throw our little stuffed animal into a fire it will burn.

Ravens and crows have been known to practice a peculiar form of behavior called 'Anting'. The bird will disturb an ant's nest or sit over something sweet (like spilled honey or an almost empty soda-pop can), spread out its wings, and allow ants to run up and down its body. It is thought that the ants give the bird a sort of 'back massage' this way, or that they feast on feather mites that live on the bird and cause irritation. For whatever reason, they seem to enjoy the sensation and have been known to do it repeatedly. One or two of us have tried this and did not enjoy the sensation at all. Those individuals are working with their counselors on this one.

In a similar way, some of these birds will sit over a hot surface, such as the dying embers of a fire, and spread out their wings. Perhaps they do it for the same reason we sit in a sauna - they just enjoy the heat - or perhaps they use the intense heat to encourage feather mites to find a different home. Since they won't talk, it's hard to tell. However, if a bird such as a large raven sits on the embers of a fire, and for some reason chooses to flap its wings (maybe as a way to cool off, or maybe because it's ready to take to the air) then it could stir the fire to life again. The sudden resurgence of flames around it would almost certainly cause the bird to take off. Or burst into flames itself, which is highly likely given that it decided to sit in the fire in the first place.

Regardless of all that legendary stuff, Kio is a young Phoenix, like us. Kio was born from the ashes of a previous life’s fire and will live and grow for a thousand years. Kio will mature and grow like any living creature, and we hope that you will choose to join Kio’s growing family of customers so that you can share in and benefit from the evolution of the legendary Phoenix.