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NameBennu
AlternatesBenu
PronunciationBEN - OO
ClassificationBird
OriginEgyptian
Latin TextNone
Pharaoh
In Myth:
Before the Phoenix, the Egyptians told of a firebird named the Bennu. It was typically represented as a heron with a straight beak and back, with two feathers protruding from the back of its head. Although the Bennu was often described as red or golden in color, many pictures depict it as gray. It occasionally wore the atef, a crown of Egyptian kings.
The Bennu was a representation of the sun. It was said to be the ba of the sun god Re (Ra), his spirit. It was born every morning and traveled an entire lifespan in one day. At the end, the old Bennu would burn itself and be rejuvinated into youth once more. This is very much the same sequence Ra follows, from being the young Khepri in the morning, Ra-Horakhty midday, and aged Atum in the eve.
FledglingBy another account, the Bennu was said to spring forth from Osiris's heart as he was killed.
The Bennu is also strongly tied to creation. This is a very tricky area as the years have left the tale very muddled because of its association with the creator god Ra. In the beginning, there was only darkness and a chaotic sea Nu (Nun), according to the Egyptian tradition. The earth god Geb (Keb) then brought forth a mound from this sea. By the simplest account, the Bennu took rest on this mound, representative of the obelisk or pyramid, and with a mighty voice broke all silence by naming all things at once.
It is also said that under the form of the Great Cackler, a large sort of cosmic goose, Geb laid an egg from which either the Bennu, the sun, or all creation sprung from. By a more sensical account, it was his wife Nut, the sky goddess, who laid the egg.
The Egyptian Book of the Dead contained a formula through which one might transform a deceased soul into a Great Benu.
It dwelled in Heliopolis, the city of the sun, alternatingly in the Persea tree or an obelisk called the benben stone, both from which it was said to end and begin its daily journey.
The name of the Bennu is thought to come from the word wbn, meaning either "to rise" or "to shine".


Egg
StagesEgg
Fledgling
Pharaoh
StrengthGreat Magic Prowess
WeaknessPoor Physical Prowess
AddedJuly 9, 2004
Creator's Notes:
Bennu is and probably will remain the monster that took the longest time to complete, with development lasting almost two years. This also marks perhaps the greatest length of time in which Battling Dragons went without the addition of a new, adoptable species. It should be noted that a large wave of B-Monsters did debut during the Bennu's development.
The Bennu, like many monsters before it, debuted with only its young pictures drawn. Monsters are put up for adoption as soon as possible and finished later, usually. Bennu was highly unusual in that players had a very advantagous field of play, full of dark creatures that made easy prey. Thus, levels climbed and eggs hatched quickly. A filler image (which was a sketch of Bimblesnaff's Bmoala colored red) was used, thus this prolonged laziness until the filler image had to be used for not only the Fledgling, but also the Pharaoh. Things were eventually fixed -- two years later -- and the Bennu is finally at peace.
The elder Bennu was decided to be gray not only to show age, but also to differentiate itself from other firebirds. Gray is a color unique to the Bennu, thus the opportunity was jumped on.
It is always good for an egg to have a different shape. Bennu's egg is a combination of the Great Cackler legend and others relating to creature involving a pyramid-shaped mound.
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