| Philomena | |
|---|---|
 Renewed Philomena, as she appears at the end of the episode A Bird in the Hoof and in most other material  Philomena, as she appears throughout most of the episode A Bird in the Hoof and in some other material | |
| Kind | Phoenix |
| Sex | Female |
| Owner | Princess Celestia |
| Other links | |
| More info | |
|---|---|
| Eyes | Light brilliant yellow |
| Colors | ¤ Vivid amaranth and luminous vivid gamboge feathers |
| Voice | Tabitha St. Germain[1] |
Philomena is Princess Celestia's pet phoenix, residing in Canterlot and introduced as a central character in A Bird in the Hoof.
Name
The name "Philomena" is of Greek origin, meaning "powerful love". The name's English spelling is Philomena, though on the show's storyboard by Sabrina Alberghetti it shows up as "Philemena".[2] One of Hasbro's online coloring pages, a question on Hasbro's My Little Pony Facebook page, and a tweet by Hasbro's My Little Pony Twitter account spell the name "Philomeena".[3][4][5] The 2012 My Little Pony trading cards use "Philomena" and list it as a trademark.[6]
According to A Bird in the Hoof writer Charlotte Fullerton, Philomena was originally named Phoebe.[7]
Depiction in the series
- "She is quite a sight, isn't she?"
- — Princess Celestia referring to Philomena
Philomena appears in A Bird in the Hoof, introduced at the party held at Sugarcube Corner in honor of Princess Celestia's visit. The bird initially appears to be very sickly, coughing and molting uncontrollably. Fluttershy, worried at the sickly state of the bird, takes Philomena away to her home without telling anyone so that she can heal her properly. Throughout the episode, Fluttershy tries desperately to heal Philomena, but she had never seen a bird like her before and all her attempted treatments seem to make her condition worse. Philomena eventually escapes, leading Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle into a chase around Ponyville to catch her. They eventually find her, but when she loses her last feather, Philomena bursts into flames. As Fluttershy cries at the sight of the ashes, Princess Celestia arrives. The princess bends her head down over the pile of ash and tells her incinerated pet to stop fooling around and scaring everypony. Suddenly, Philomena rises again, renewed and in better shape.
- "I'm afraid mischievous little Philomena here took the occasion to have a little fun with you, Fluttershy. Say you're sorry, young lady."
- — Princess Celestia scolding Philomena
Philomena apologizing to Fluttershy.
Princess Celestia explains to Fluttershy that Philomena, like all phoenixes, plucks all her feathers and burns into ashes at the end of her life cycle, only to rise from the ashes and renew herself. Princess Celestia describes her pet bird as being mischievous, prompting her to apologize for all the troubles she had caused. Philomena herself is even shown blushing and behaving rather regretfully towards Fluttershy. As the newly revived phoenix begins flying around for a bit, she intentionally drops one of her feathers into Fluttershy's mane, much to the pony's delight. Soon after, Rainbow Dash gets Philomena to tickle the royal guards on the nose as a prank; when they successfully make the guards laugh, they share a high five.
During Magical Mystery Cure, Philomena's ashes appear in one of Fluttershy's flashbacks.
Other depictions
Philomena appears in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Issue #1 on page 3/Dynamic Forces cover RE, in her pre-renewal state. She also appears in My Little Pony Micro-Series Issue #8, in My Little Pony Micro-Series Issue #10, in My Little Pony: Friends Forever Issue #3 on cover A, in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Issue #17, in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Issue #20, in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Issue #27, and in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Issue #28,[8] in her post-renewal state. An alternate universe version of her appears in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Issue #19.
The Elements of Harmony guidebook
On the outside, PHILOMENA seemed like a poor, suffering, and squawking old bird, but Princess Celestia's pet had a secret. After losing her feathers and bursting into flames, she transformed herself into a beautiful phoenix.
Gallery
See also
- Philomena on the Collectible Card Game Wiki
- This article's speculation page
References
- ↑ Interview: Tabitha St. Germain. Everfree Radio (2012-07-31). Also listed in the Japanese credits for S1E22.
- ↑ A storyboard from A Bird in the Hoof (2011-09-25). Archived locally
- ↑ Activity: Hidden Medicine. Retrieved on 2012 April 15.
- ↑ The ponies love having pets as pals! Which animal companion would you like to befriend? (2012-02-20). Retrieved on 2012 June 3.
- ↑ Tweet by the My Little Pony Twitter account (2012-06-05). Retrieved on 2012 June 7.
- ↑ Scan of Philomena's trading card. Retrieved on 2012 July 3.
- ↑ MLP Writer Charlotte Fullerton's Panel at Midwestria. YouTube (2012-10-20). Retrieved on 2015 August 13.
- ↑ My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #28. Books. iTunes. Retrieved on 2015 March 6.
