#atozchallenge: Birds of Fantasy

It's the second day of the A to Z Blogging Challenge and I've already flubbed it. Non-technologically minded writer that I am, I accidentally scheduled this post for the wrong day.

Whoops.

So, here it is, 9 minutes before midnight, getting put back where it ought to be. So sorry, folks and Seuss fans!

Now, where were we? Ah, yes. Birds. Day one of the Thinks....

Oh the Thinks You Can Think! by Dr. Seuss

I thought about a lot of birds for this entry (and, yes, some yellow and some blue). I even considered writing a story off the birds flying through my imagination. But what I couldn't stop thinking about most of all were all the birds I had already encountered through some of my favorite fantasy books, movies, and our own mythology. That's what I decided to share with you all today.

First and foremost are the Great Eagles in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. How can you not love these intelligent characters? I first read about them in The Hobbit but my love for them has only grown as I've delved into Tolkien's history. For example, did you know that the Eagles were sent to Middle-earth to keep an eye on the Noldor elves and their enemy, Morgoth? That alone explains so much of their actions.

In poetry, there is Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven." I made sure to read this poem for the first time in the middle of a very stormy wintery night. It sent chills up my spine and forever rooted itself as a favorite in my imagination. (For a not-so-serious pun on The Raven, check out Terry Pratchett's talking raven, Quoth.)

Then there was Lieutenant Puffin in the Swan Princess. Does anyone remember that cartoon? I was still a kid when it came out and I was in love with it from day one. It ranks right up there with The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, and Beauty and the Beast. Puffin not only got things done but was that reliably hilarious character that nearly every children's cartoon is now known for.

Last, but not least, is the Phoenix. I have long loved this fiery bird of ancient myths. There is something so poetic and arresting about a bird who bursts into fire and is reborn from the ashes. Certainly I am not the first person to think this, as it has been featured again and again in books, poems, and movies. My two favorite modern renditions are Fawkes from Harry Potter and the Firebird trilogy by Kathy Tyers.

What are your thinks about birds today?

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