PART 4 – Ch.XXVIII.4

Prehistoric monuments of metallurgic art in Dacia

(The Arimaspian or Hyperborean treasure from Petrosa)

PART 4

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XXVIII. 4. The fibula in the shape of a phoenix (III. Fibula maior).

We shall speak here about a third object from the treasure of Petrosa, about a fibula which represents the figure of a sacred bird in the size of a hawk.

The entire surface of this gold bird was at the moment of the discovery of the treasure, decorated in a brilliant way with various fine stones and crystals, in red, green, blue and yellow colors.

Above, on its head, this bird had as crest a red garnet, its eyes were formed of red stones, and on its tail were suspended on fine gold chains four globules of white stones in the shape of eggs.

The entire aspect of this bird was extraordinary beautiful. It represented most probably a miraculous bird of the antique religion.

The birds had played in the beliefs and superstitions of the Pelasgian people a very important role, especially with the Etruscans and Latins. Among these birds some were considered of good omen, others of bad omen, or ominous.

Their apparition, their song and their flight at some places and times were signs which predicted the good or bad intention of the divinities.

In Etruscan rituals were described a number of species of birds that, as Pliny writes, nobody had seen, which was surprising considering their abundance in rites (H. N. lib. x. c. 17).

It is without doubt though that the ornamentation of the big gold bird from the Petrosa treasure is not the result of the imagination of the artist.

With the Pelasgian people, especially in the religious cult, everything had its typical forms, traditional, from which no diversion was allowed. We can therefore suppose that we have here the figure of a bird to which the artist had given birth following a traditional model.

One particularity though attracts the attention of the archaeologist and historian. On the breast of this mysterious bird is figured a lectulum, a bed or cradle, formed from thin gold threads, and the intermediary cavities of this cradle were filled with precious stones when the treasure had been dug out to light (the description of the canon Dr. Fr. Bock). In this cradle were seated a big blue stone in the shape of an egg [1].

[1. Odobescu, Le tresor de Petrossa, I. 16 (TN – translated from French):

The sworn statement of the peasants Nicolae Baciu, his son George, Ion Lemnariu and Achim, the son of Nicolae, given at 10 July 1838: a bird, as big as a sparrowhawk, or bigger than a blackbird, covered with blue, red and green stones.

The interrogatory of the Albanian Anastase Verussi: The big bird had a beak on which could be recognized the trace of the stones which had disappeared.

The report of Kyr-Iacov ….addressed at 12 July 1838: Five birds, one of which, as big as pigeon, had on its back (belly) a large brushed ruby of oval shape and of the size of an egg, while its body was covered with various stones, red, blue, green, yellow and white.

The deposition of Ion Lemnariu (16 July 1838): A bird of the size of a blackbird, without wings or feet, its head curved backwards, ornamented with three rows of red, green and blue stones, some of them as large as hazelnuts, the other even larger …. And on its crop was a blue oval stone of the size of two hazelnuts. This bird was hollow inside and through all the cavities from which the stones had fallen, a black dust emerged. As for eyes, it had red stones of the size of a small pea].

(TN – I take the liberty to add this photo, taken from “The world atlas of treasure” by Derek Wilson, 1981)

Finally, the bird was figured with its wings gathered under its breast and with stretched tail, as in the attitude of alighting.

What sort of bird was this, we shall try to find out with the help of the descriptions transmitted to us by the Greek and Roman authors.

The noblest and at the same time the most phenomenal bird of ancient traditions was the phoenix. This bird, as the antique theology said, was one only in the whole world (unica simper avis). It was consecrated to the sun (Solis avis) and lived, according to some, 700 years, and according to others, 509 years. When the end of its long life got close, it built from nicely scented twigs and plants a bed or nest, sat on this nest and ended its life; from its marrow an egg formed straight away, out of which was born a new phoenix.

We shall reproduce here the main data which we find mentioned by the Greek authors regarding this fabulous bird; they will serve us to understand the character and historic importance of this object, unique among all the archaeological treasures known to this day.

We shall start firstly with Herodotus. He writes (lib. II. c. 73):

“Another sacred bird also exists, called phoenix, which it is true that I have not seen, I know of it only as described to me. It visits Egypt very rarely, only at an interval of 500 years, as the Heliopolitans tell us. It comes, as it is said, only when its father had died. Its size and shape, if represented exactly by the description, are as such: some of its feathers are colored gold, others red, and by shape and size it resembles very much the aquila (vulture). This phoenix, as it is said …. departs from Arabia, transports to the temple of the sun the body of its parent enveloped in myrrh and buries it in the temple of the sun. It transports it in the following way: firstly it makes an egg of myrrh, of a weight which it could carry, then it tries if it could bear it; after this experiment, it hollows out the egg, places inside the remains of its parent and plugs the hole again with myrrh. So the weight of its parent covered in myrrh is the same of the former egg. Then it transports it to the temple of the sun”.

And we find the following with Pliny (H. N. lib. X. c. 2):

The noblest of birds is the phoenix of Arabia, but I don’t know if this were only some fable, that it might be only one in the whole world and that it could be seen only rarely. As it is told, it is of the size of an aquila, its neck shines like gold all around, and it is red on the rest of its body, its tail is blue, intermingled with red feathers, under its neck it has frills and a crest on its head. The first among the Romans who had spoken about this bird was Manilius, a senator distinguished for his self acquired knowledge. He said that in Arabia this bird is consecrated to the Sun, it lives 509 years and when it grows old it builds a nest with twigs and myrrh, fills it with aromas, seats itself on this nest and dies. From its bones and marrow is firstly born a worm, out of which develops a chick, and the first thing this new phoenix has to do is to take care to fulfill the funerary honors to the former one. It transports the whole nest close to Panchea, to the city of the Sun and places it there on the altar. The same Manilius also tells us that with the end of the life of this bird, also ends the revolution of the great year, and a new period starts, with the same characteristics of the seasons and the constellations.

Cornelius Valerianus also writes that at the time of the consuls Q. Plautius and Sex. Papinius (a. R. 789, or 36 ad), the phoenix flew down towards Egypt. This bird had been brought to Rome when princeps Claudius was censor, in the year 800 of Rome (47ad), it was shown around and a report was drawn about this case, but nobody doubted that this phoenix was a fake”.

We find other important notes with Tacitus (Annal. Lib. VI. c. 28) who writes:

“At the time of the consul Fabius and L. Vitelius (a. R. 788; 34ad), after a centuries long period, has arrived in Egypt the bird phoenix. Its coming here was a miracle which has served as matter of discussion for the most learned men of this country and of Greece. I shall report here the facts on which general opinion concurs, as well as other data less certain, but which presents an interest. This bird is consecrated to the sun, and all that have described its shape say that it has a figure and feathers different from those of the other birds. Opinions about the length of its life vary. According to most, it lives 500 years, but there are some who affirm that it has a life to 1461 years. The first phoenix had appeared, as it is said, at the time of Sesostris, the second at the time of Amasis, the third at the time of Ptolemy the Macedonian, who has ruled over Egypt. This last bird had flown to the city named Heliopolis, accompanied by several flocks of other birds, they also astonished by this unknown form. But its age is unknown. Between Ptolemy and Tiberius have been less than 250 years, and because of this some believe that this bird had not been the real phoenix, and that it did not even come from the countries of the Arabs, as it did not have any characteristic confirmed by ancient traditions. This bird, when the number of years of its life comes to and end and its death closes in, builds in its country a nest, which it fecundates with its generative power, out of which a chick is born later, which immediately upon growing up takes care to bury its father. It does this not without knowledge, but it lifts firstly its weight of myrrh, and tries it on a longer flight, to see if it could bear the load and make this trip, after which lifts the body of its father and takes it to the altar of the sun, where it burns it. But this data is unsure and full of fable. Nevertheless, the people in Egypt do not doubt that this bird is seen there sometimes”.

The poet Ovid, who had been interested especially in ancient religious traditions of the prehistoric times, also writes the following (Metam. lib. XV. v. 397 seqq): “The phoenix, after living its 500 years, builds with its claws and beak a nest formed of aromatic barks and nicely scented spices, of yellow myrrh and cinnamon, lies on this bed and ends its life surrounded by perfumes; then from its body, as it is said, another young phoenix is born, destined to live as many hundreds of years, which, after reaching an age when it is strong enough to be able to transport a load, lifts from the tall tree the nest of twigs with its weight, then taking flight, transports with piety its parent’s cradle and casket, and places it in the temple of Hyperion, in front of the sacred doors”.

And finally, the poet Claudianus, who lived in the 4^th century ad, describes this bird like this:

“Its eyes sparkle with a secret light, around its neck the feathers glow like flames, above the head it has a red crest whose point shines like a star and lights up the darkness of the night with a clear light, its feet are red as the purple of Tyr, a blue circle surrounds its wings and its upper part is decorated with golden feathers” (Phoenix).

We are presented now with two important geographical questions.

The first is: in which parts of the ancient world lived this miraculous bird?

And the second: where did this bird transport, according to ancient traditions, its nest, or bed, containing the bones of its parent?

According to Suidas (see Phoinix), who had in front of him a considerable number of mythological and historical sources, today vanished, the phoenix came to Egypt “from an unknown land”.

According to the poet Claudianus (Phoenix, v. 1), the phoenix lived in a wood surrounded by the flowing waters of the Ocean (Oceanos potamos). The same Claudianus also names the phoenix “Titanic bird” (Titanius ales), or in other words the phoenix figured with the ancient authors as a bird from the lands of the legendary Titans.

According to the geographer Mela (Orb. Lib. III. c. 8), the country of the phoenix was in Panchea – near Oceanos potamos – close to the Ceraunic mountains or of Cerna of today.

According to the poet Ovid (Amor. Lib. II. 6. v. 49 seqq), the phoenix lived on a hill in the fine region of Elysius, the geographical region of prehistoric times identical with the beautiful Valley of Jales in Romania, about which we shall speak later [2].

[2. The name phoenix attributed to this bird, is neither Egyptian, nor Greek; it could be only in the language of the Pelasgians, for whom sacred birds played such an important role. In truth, as Ovid tells us, the Assyrians, or maybe another people who answered to this name, called the phoenix phoenica (Metam. lib. XV. v. 393).

We have here without doubt a name which belongs to the ancient body of the Romanic languages. In reality “phoenica” is the same name with the Romanian form of “paunica”, the feminine form of the peacock. The noble figure of the phoenix, its elegant head (with crest), which resembles that of the peacock, the variety and extraordinary beauty of its feathers, especially their shining like gold, all these could drive the ancients to consider the phoenix as a smaller species of the peacock].

It results therefore, from the geographical traditions which we have, that the phoenix, the famous bird of ante-Christian religion, lived in the legendary region from the northern hemisphere, near the Istru, close to the Ceraunic mountains, or of Cerna, in those parts, sheltered from the cold and violent winds of the north.

We ask now where did this fabulous bird transport its nest and casket with the remains of its parent.

According to Pliny (H. N. lib. X. 2), the phoenix went to the city of the Sun, which was situated close to Panchaea (prope Panchaeam in Solis urbe). The same city, urbs Solis, was, according to the geography of Mela, exactly on the territory of Pancheea close to the Ceraunic mountains. And, according to Tacitus, the phoenix transported the body of its parent to Heliopolis (the city of the Sun). But Tacitus, as a cautious historian, avoids toaffirm that the phoenix went to Heliopolis in Egypt, because several cities existed in different parts of the world, which the Greeks named Heliopolis. According to Ovid, the phoenix went to the temple of Hyperion (the Father Sun). But where was this sanctuary, he doesn’t say (Metam. lib. XV. v. 405 seqq).

And according to the poet Claudianus, the phoenix transported the body of its parent to urbe Titana or to the city of the Titans (Phoenix, v. 92).

As we see, the city Heliopolis from the legend of the phoenix is entirely different from that of Egypt. To clarify the subject we need to also add here that Herodotus himself, who had visited Egypt, doesn’t mention at all that the priests of Heliopolis might have told him that this foreign bird called phoenix might have appeared sometime to that temple.

The most illustrious temple of Apollo, as divinity of the Sun, was, as we know, not in Egypt, but in the northern parts of the ancient world, in the region of the pious Hyperboreans.

It is therefore evident that the bird, which was consecrated to the Sun par excellence, or to Apollo, could not, according to the beliefs of the ancients, travel to another temple but to the most renowned sanctuary of prehistoric times, in the blessed region of the holy Hyperboreans, sanctuary to which Apollo himself traveled (Diodorus Siculus, lib. II. c. 47).

We also have other important data about the temple and city of the Sun from the Lower Danube.

According to the Argonautic traditions, the miraculous sanctuary of the Sun was in the city of king Aietes, who reigned over the Colchi, or on the territory of the so-called Hyperboreans. In the gilded rooms of Aietes were, according to the poet Mimnermus, the brilliant rays of the Sun (Valerius Flaccus, Argon. lib. V. v. 225). Even the capital of this wealthy king is named “Solis urbs” (Ibid. lib. V. v. 225). It is also called Titania (Titanis Aia – Apollonius Rhodius, Argon. lib. IV. 131), and the poet Claudianus tells us that the phoenix transported the remains of its parent to the city Titana. We also note that near the Lower Istru existed the territory called Panchaea and the region famous for its riches, Arabia felix (see Ch. XXIV.2).

Finally, we must mention here another important fact. The district of Buzeu in Romania, on the territory of which the treasure of Petrosa has been discovered, has as emblem a temple in the style of Dacian religious architecture, and on the frontispiece of this temple is figured a bird in the moment of its alighting. According to the ancient religious ideas, on a sacred building could be figured only a sacred bird. On other versions, this emblem shows a church with three towers, and at the lower part in front of this church is figured a bird turned to face the main portal, and having tied on its feet an object of a round shape (Grecianu, Eraldica romana, p. 147).

The emblem of Buzeu District (Romania)

Representing a temple on which a bird (phoenix) alights.

(From the seal of the law court of Buzeu District, year 1851).

The elements of this emblem are without doubt antique, as also very ancient are the emblems of several districts from the Romanian Country and Moldova. (Autonomous cities had their religious insignia even in prehistoric antiquity). The emblem of Buzeu district presents, as we see, the legend of the ancient phoenix, which alights on the frontispiece of a temple built in an ante-Christian style, or as Ovid tells us, which places in front of the sacred doors the remains of its parent covered in a myrrh egg [3].

[3. We also note here that the ancients knew an Apollo with the epithet of Phuxios (Pauly-Wissowa, see Apollo), a name which indicates a particular cult of Apollo near the river Buzeu].

We have talked so far about the legends and the mysterious country of the bird phoenix, which the Latin authors also called solis avis, ignea ales, unica simper avis, vivax phoenix, aeterna avis. Now we have only to establish the true character of the large clasp from Petrosa.

This gold bird figured with a lectulum on its breast and having in this cradle a precious stone in the shape of a yellowish or blue egg, presents by its shape and ornamentation, the type of a young phoenix which transports to the altar of the sun the nest and remains of its parent enveloped in an egg of myrrh, as the ancients said [4].

[4. Charles de Linas believed that this fibula represents an aquila, or a hawk, without considering two decisive facts: if the artist had really wanted to represent one of these birds, then certainly he, as a famous technician in working in precious metals and stones, could have been able to give this bird a shape closer to that of an aquila, or a hawk; and in this case he certainly would not have decorated his work with red, blue and green stones.

Finally, we must also mention here an important particularity. Ion Lemnariul, the discoverer of the treasure, tells us that the inside of this bird was hollow, and that in the cavities from which the stones had fallen, existed a sort of black dust which, as Verussi says, when thrown on fire produced a smell like tar; this was very probably what had remained from the decomposed aromatic substances].

A lot of discussion has taken place in latter times, if the emblem of the Romanian Country represented in its coat of arms a raven or an aquila.

The fact is positive though that the figure of this heraldic bird varies on the coat of arms of the Romanian Country even starting with the 14^th century. We mention this century because the oldest specimens of this emblem had begun to become known only at that time. In truth, on some coat of arms and seals appears a raven, while on others we see figured a bird which by its forms and attitude is neither raven, nor aquila, as a number of Romanian literati have believed in latter time, certainly under the influence of the nationalistic ideas, that the Romanian people being formed by Roman colonists could not have had other political and military insignia but the aquila.

Firstly though, we must establish here the general historical character of the national Romanian coat of arms.

The symbols of the Romanian Country, Moldova, Transilvania and Banat (Sulzer, Geschichte d. Transalp. Daciens, III. 680-681) are Apollinic. In all of these appear figured the sun and the crescent moon. But sometimes, along with the sun and the moon we also see represented in the emblems of the Romanian Country Ursa Major (archtos), with 9 or 6 stars.

It symbolizes the so-called Geticum polum, Hyperboream Ursam, Geticum plaustrum (Martial, Epigr. lib. IX. 46. v. 1-2; Lucanus, Phars. lib. V. 23; Claudianus, Bell. Get. v. 268; Statius, Thebaid. XII. v. 650), cardinem mundi (Pliny, lib. IV. 26), which according to the ancient geographical and astronomical ideas, leant on the high mountains of Dacia, on the legendary column of the huge mountain Atlas or Oltului (Virgil, Aen. Iv. 482).

We shall speak now especially about the two different birds which appear figured, either one, or the other, in the emblems of the Romanian Country.

In ancient legends the raven too was a symbol of Apollo (Eratosthenes, Catast. 41; Herodotus, lib. IV. 15; Statius, Silv. II. 4. 17). It accompanied the god of light in his travels. (According to Romanian legends, the raven was white in the beginning and its feathers got blackened by the heat of the Sun – Marian, Ornit. II. 5). Herodotus mentions the tradition that the poet Aristeas from Proconnes, who had composed an epic poem about the Arimaspi, had followed Apollo in the shape of a raven, to Metapontion in lower Italy (lib. IV. c. 15). The raven is the sacred bird of the god Mithras, so much venerated in the regions of Dacia (see Ch. XIV. 12). The raven is also figured on the sacred platter from Petrosa; it is everywhere a symbol of the Hyperborean divinities, from the north of the Thracian peninsula (Bolliac, Trompeta Carpatilor, Nr. 939, 1871).

We ask now what represents the second bird figure in the emblem of the Romanian Country, bird which has a gentle and noble aspect, which doesn’t resemble the vulgar form of the raven, nor has any characteristics of a predatory bird, as is the aquila.

In “Pravila” printed at Govora in 1640, this bird is figured in the moment when it places the nest above some flames. It can even be noticed at the center of the nest and between the bird’s claws, the shape of a white egg.

The Phoenix, as heraldic bird on the coat of arms of the Romanian Country,

represented at the moment when it places its nest above some flames.

Above are the sun, the moon and Ursa Major, composed of 9 stars.

After “Pravila” printed at Govora in 1640.

(Cf. Bianu and Hodos, Bibliografia romanesca vechia, Tom. I, p. 110).

This heraldic bird is also figured in the Romanian Liturgy printed at Bucuresci in 1680, here shown standing on the top of a tree (phoenix), and near this tree are seen three pagan altars.

The Phoenix as emblem of the Romanian Country,

represented standing on a palm tree (phoenix), near which are seen three altars of antique shape.

After the Liturgy printed at Bucuresci in 1680.

(Cf. Bianu and Hodos, Bibliografia romanseca vechia, I, 231)

And on another specimen from 1682 are also seen figured three pagan altars and the phoenix placing its nest on the big altar in front, which burns.

The coat of arms of the Romanian Country from 1682, showing three altars of antique shape,

and the Phoenix depositing its nest on the big altar at the front, which burns.

After the Gospel printed at Bucuresci in 1682.

(Cf. Bianu and Hodos, Bibliografia rom. vechia, I. 247)

We can therefore establish here with total certitude that the second symbolic bird of the ancient emblems of the Romanian Country presents the same characteristics which the ancients attributed to the phoenix, and that it really represents a phoenix. This is proof again that the true country of this bird, consecrated to the sun was in the countries from the Lower Danube, as confirmed also by the traditions we examined here.

Finally, another peculiarity. The heraldic bird of the Romanian Country is figured with a cross in its beak, sometimes simple, other times double.

In the Slavonic Octoich printed at 1575, this cross has at its upper part the shape of an ancient Pelasgian swastika, symbol of the renewed sun, or of the spring sun, and the same in the Slavo-Romanian Book of Psalms from 1577 (Bianu and Hodos, Bibliografia rom. Tom. I. 61, 67).

The Phoenix in the ancient religion was the symbol of immortality, of eternity.

The poet Claudianus calls it aeterna avis. In the same way, the cross is in Christian religion the symbol of resurrection, or of eternal life [5].

[5. Northcote et Brownlow, Rome souterraine, Paris 1872, pag.302 (TN – translated from French):

One must not believe that all the birds one sees represented in the paintings and inscriptions of the catacombs are doves … Some maybe represent the phoenix. The acts of St. Cecile tell that she had a phoenix sculpted on the sarcophagus of the martyr Maximus, as symbol of resurrection …. It was sculpted on pagan graves …. it is often seen represented standing on the symbolic palm tree (phoinix means in Greek both palm tree and phoenix) …. Maybe we must see the image of the phoenix in those of the catacomb birds which bear in their beak not an olive branch, but a palm frond].

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