Birth of a Fenix... 4.5 months later

Well... it has been a while since my pride and joy and graced this planet and I am going to copycat a friend of mine who has explained the name origins of his kids. Here we go!!!!

My son's name is Fenix Mateo Jarry. I will explain Mateo first just because its so much easier. My dad's first name is my middle name. My first name is now Fenix's middle name... with a Spanish twist!

Fenix is a much longer and more complex story. First let me explain a little about the myth of the phoenix. The phoenix is a mythological bird that holds great power and influence. It is a story found in many cultures across the word. The most common story is that this unique bird builds a final nest/funeral pyre and is then consumed by fire only to be reborn out of its own ashes. This story meant a lot for my wife and I as we had just gone through a rough time in our lives (through the fire) and we had just come out of it and new life came out of it. So it means a lot to us. There are some really cool stories about the phoenix and I will just share a couple.


One story involves Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. When the famous couple ate the forbidden fruit, Jewish myth says that they shared it with all the animals in the garden, which is why they all got kicked out. The only one that was spared was the phoenix because he did not partake and his reward was this type of immortality.

Another story describes how in ancient Greece the phoenix was a sign of good fortune. Politicians looking to gain favor with their public would avidly search for the rebirth of the phoenix which was an good omen and a sign of a great era to follow.

Besides the hundreds of stories the phoenix also symbolizes many things for many different peoples. Here are a few:

Immortality, Life after death, and Resurrection: Christians adopted the symbolism of the phoenix as an allusion to Christ's resurrection. In the Middle East they link the phoenix with palm trees which they consider to be eternal and powerful with their ability to prosper in desert conditions(very similar to rising from the ashes).

Divinity, Spirit, and Spiritual Obedience: Almost all cultures consider the phoenix to be a divine creature. The Chinese believe it to be the most sacred creature after the dragon. In fact the phoenix complements the dragon (yin-yang principle). In Japanese and Greek myths the phoenix represents the sun which was viewed as a god. Also in Judeo-Christian stories the phoenix embodies spiritual obedience as it is the first creature to hear God's command and obey it.

Health, Healing, and Balance: Obviously any creature that can regenerate itself from its own ashes must be in top physical condition and in great health. It is believed that the tears of a phoenix can heal any wound or injury including death. Some cultures say that the phoenix acts as a sort of ozone layer and protects the planet from the harmful rays of the sun. Another tradition shows how the phoenix values life and describes that the phoenix never kills and does not crush anything wherever it steps. The phoenix also plays a significant role in terms of balance. The chinese identified him as a symbol of inseperable fellowship, between couples and with the universe. This inseperable fellowship consists of maintaining a perfect balance which the Chinese held as of utmost importance.


Another reason that we went with Fenix was the fact that it is trilingual. Being that my wife is latina and we are both linked to Quebec and I have we both speak English it was important that it worked in the three languages. There is an accent over the "e" which this blog does not accept and so Fenix is acutally spelled the Spanish way since the "ph" as an "f" sound does not exist in Spanish. We also wanted to be different and not have to link it to the city in Arizona... so there.


So we hope for the best for our little man. We feel that the name Fenix reflects a piece of us and our lives and the things we hope for our son. I believe that it is tough and macho enough while maintaining a certain grace and artistic quality which we hope to pass on to our curious boy.





There are tons of other stories about the phoenix the span many, many cultures and if you would like to hear more please let me know. Or if you just want to know about Fenix I will be more than happy to field those questions as well!