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| − | [[Image:MetCemBrunswigSphynx.jpg|thumb|300 px|Marble sphinx on tomb in Metairie Cemetery, New Orleans]]
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| − | The '''sphinx''' has had a long history of secrecy and intrigue, being viewed by many [[culture]]s as guardians of knowledge and as speaking in riddles. Originating in [[Ancient Egypt]], the sphinx as a [[mythical creature]] existed in [[Ancient Greece]] and [[Mesopotamia]], was revered by the later Western World, and to this day still exists in Eastern cultures. The sphinx has no history of real living existence, but exists only in [[art]] and [[literature]], representing human desire for that which is greater than themselves, both in terms of the body and the mind. Yet the sphinx also embodies paradox, beautiful and alluring, she is also dangerous even deadly; the guardian of knowledge and threat to evil, encountering a sphinx is described as confusing and destructive. Ultimately the sphinx represents human desire and ability to penetrate the mysteries of the universe, while warning us to venture there at our own risk. Perhaps the sphinx guards such knowledge until such time as true human beings, worthy and capable of understanding truth, appear on the earth.
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| − | ==Description==
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| − | [[Image:Wien Schloss Belvedere DSC03014.JPG|thumb|left|300 px|A sphinx at the entrance of Belvedere Palace, Vienna, Austria]]
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| − | The sphinx varies in physical features, but is almost always a composite of two or more animals, and some versions are part-human part-animal. In [[ancient Egypt]] there are three distinct types of sphinx: The '''Androsphinx''', with the body of a [[lion]] and head of person; a '''Criosphinx''', body of a lion with the head of [[sheep|ram]]; and '''Hierocosphinx''', that had a body of a lion with a head of a [[falcon]] or [[hawk]]. In [[Greek mythology]] there is less variation: a winged lion with a woman's head, or a woman with the paws, claws, and breasts of a lion, a [[serpent]]'s tail and [[eagle]] wings.
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| − | Found throughout history, in tales and in art, the sphinx always possesses an enigmatic character. Alluring, knowledgeable, and dangerous, the sphinx is to be approached with caution.
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| − | ==Egyptian sphinx==
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| − | The sphinxes of [[ancient Egypt]] were regarded as [[icon]]ic images. Usually, the sphinxes appeared as giant [[statue]]s with the faces of [[pharaoh]]s and almost always were regarded as protectors of temples or sacred areas. To what extent the sphinx played a role in ancient Egyptian mythology is an issue of debate. While the sphinx is not the only combination of animal and man to emerge in the [[religion|religious]] [[art]] of the time, it may be one of the first, pre-dating all other anthropomorphic images of animal deities.
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| − | [[Image:Sphynxes.JPG|thumb|280px|right|Avenue of ram's-head sphinxes at Karnak in Luxor]]
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| − | The most famous and largest of sphinxes, the [[Great Sphinx]] of [[Pyramids of Giza|Giza]], was originally dated to around the fourth century, but the possibility has been raised that the sphinx might go back all the way to before the Old Kingdom. Other famous Egyptian sphinxes include the alabaster sphinx of Memphis, localized within the open-air museum at that site; and the ram-headed sphinxes (in Greek, ''criosphinxes'') representing the god Amon, in Thebes, of which there were originally some nine hundred.
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| − | The largest and most famous Egyptian sphinx is ''Sesheps'', the "Great Sphinx of Giza," situated on the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the [[Nile River]]. The Great Sphinx is a statue with the face of a man and the body of a [[lion]]. Carved out of the surrounding [[limestone]] bedrock, it is 57 meters (260 feet) long, 6 meters (20 feet) wide, and has a height of 20 meters (65 feet), making it the largest single-stone statue in the world. Blocks of stone weighing upwards of 200 tons were quarried in the construction phase to build the adjoining Sphinx Temple. It is located on the west bank of the Nile River within the confines of the Giza pyramid field. The Great Sphinx faces due east, with a small temple between its paws.
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| − | [[Image:GreatSphinx1867.jpg|thumb|left|275px|The Great Sphinx in 1867. Note its unrestored original condition, still partially buried body, and a man standing beneath its ear]]
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| − | The Great Sphinx was believed to stand as a guardian of the Giza Plateau, facing the rising sun. It was the focus of solar worship in the Old Kingdom, centered in the adjoining temples built around the time of its probable construction. Its animal form, the lion, has long been a symbol associated with the sun in ancient Near Eastern civilizations. Images depicting the Egyptian king in the form of a lion smiting his enemies appear as far back as the Early Dynastic Period of Egypt.<ref>Winston, Allen. 2003. [http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/sphinx1.htm "The Great Sphinx of Giza: An Introduction."] Retrieved January 23, 2007.</ref>
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| − | The face of the Great Sphinx is believed to be the head of the pharaoh [[Khafra]] (often known by the Greek version of his name, ''Chephren'') or possibly that of his brother, the Pharaoh [[Djedefra]], which would date its construction from the fourth dynasty (2723 B.C.E. – 2563 B.C.E.). However, there are some alternative theories that re-date the Sphinx to the pre-Old Kingdom, and, according to one hypothesis, to [[prehistory|prehistoric]] times.
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| − | After the [[necropolis]] was abandoned, the Sphinx became buried up to its shoulders in sand. The first attempt to dig it out dates back to 1400 B.C.E., when the young [[Thutmose IV|Tutmosis IV]] formed an excavation party which, after much effort, managed to dig the front paws out. Tutmosis IV had a [[granite]] ''[[stela]]'' known as the "Dream Stela" placed between the paws. The ''stela'' reads, in part:
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| − | [[Image:Egypt.Giza.Sphinx.01.jpg|280px|none|thumb|right|The Great Sphinx of Giza, with the Pyramid of Khafre in the background]]
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| − | <blockquote>...the royal son, Thothmos, being arrived, while walking at midday and seating himself under the shadow of this mighty god, was overcome by slumber and slept at the very moment when Ra is at the summit (of heaven). He found that the Majesty of this august god spoke to him with his own mouth, as a father speaks to his son, saying: Look upon me, contemplate me, O my son Thothmos; I am thy father, Harmakhis-Khopri-Ra-Tum; I bestow upon thee the sovereignty over my domain, the supremacy over the living ... Behold my actual condition that thou mayest protect all my perfect limbs. The sand of the desert whereon I am laid has covered me. Save me, causing all that is in my heart to be executed.<ref>Mallet, D. [http://www.harmakhis.org/The%20Stele%20of%20Thotmes%20IV%20%28Translation%29.htm Translation.] Retrieved February 22, 2007.</ref></blockquote>
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| − | [[Ramses II]] may have also performed restoration work on the Sphinx. However, it was not until 1817 that the first modern dig, undertaken by Giovanni Battista Caviglia, uncovered the Sphinx's chest completely. The entirety of the Sphinx was finally dug out in 1925.
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| − | ==Greek sphinx==
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| − | [[Image:Oedipus_and_sphinx.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Fourth century B.C.E. Attic red-figure Kylix from the Vatican Museum]]
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| − | While it is more than likely that the Greeks acquired the idea of the sphinx through cultural diffusion, they nonetheless incorporated it to a large degree into their written mythology and gave it its name (a potential combination of the Greek verb σφινγω — ''sphingo'', meaning "to strangle" and the name Φιξ — ''Phix''.
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| − | There was a single sphinx in [[Greek mythology]], a unique demon of destruction and bad luck, according to [[Hesiod]] a daughter of [[Echidna (mythology)|Echidna]] and of [[Orthrus]] or, according to others, of [[Typhon]] and Echidna. She was represented in vase-painting and bas-reliefs most often seated upright rather than recumbent. [[Hera]] or [[Ares]] sent the sphinx from her [[Ethiopia]]n homeland (the Greeks remembered the sphinx's foreign origin) to [[Thebes]], where she guarded the entrance to the city, asking all those who passed her famous riddle "Which creature in the morning goes on four feet, at noon on two, and in the evening upon three?" All those who answered wrong were killed, and it was not until [[Oedipus]] came along and solved the riddle that the besieged city was liberated, making Oedipus king (the answer to the riddle is man; a baby crawls when young, walks on two legs as an adult, and uses a cane in old age).<ref>Hamilton, Edith. 1942. ''Mythology''. New York: Little, Brown. ISBN 0316341517</ref> Bested at last, the sphinx then threw herself from her high rock and died. An alternative version tells that she devoured herself. The exact riddle asked by the sphinx was not specified by early tellers of the story and was not standardized as the one given above until much later in Greek history. Thus Oedipus can be recognized as a liminal or "threshold" figure, helping effect the transition between the old religious practices, represented by the sphinx, and new, Olympian ones.
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| − | == Sphinx in South and South-East Asia ==
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| − | In contrast to the sphinx in [[ancient Egypt|Egypt]], [[Mesopotamia]], and [[ancient Greece|Greece]], where the traditions have been largely lost due to the discontinuity of the [[civilization]],<ref>Demisch, Heinz. 1977. “Die Sphinx.” ''Geschichte ihrer Darstellung von den Anfangen bis zur Gegenwart.''</ref> the traditions of the "Asian sphinx" are still very much alive. The earliest artistic depictions of "sphinxes" from the South Asian subcontinent are to some extend influenced by Hellenistic art. But the "sphinxes" from Mathura, Kausambi, and Sanchi, dated to the third century B.C.E. until the first century C.E., also show a considerable non-Hellenist, indigenous character. It is therefore unlikely that the concept of the "sphinx" originated through foreign influence.<ref>Deekshitar, Raja. [http://www.geocities.com/sphinxofindia/earlyart.html The Sphinx in Early Indian Art.] Retrieved February 9, 2007.</ref>
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| − | [[Image:Purushamrigatribhuvanai01.JPG|thumb|left|200px|Purushamriga or Indian sphinx depicted on the Shri Varadaraja Perumal temple in Tribhuvana, India]]
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| − | In South [[India]] the "sphinx" is known as ''purushamriga'' ([[Sanskrit]]) or ''purushamirukam'' ([[Tamil]], meaning human-beast). It is found depicted in sculptural art in temples and palaces where it serves an apotropiac purpose "warding off evil," just like the "sphinxes" in other parts of the ancient world.<ref>Demisch, Heinz. 1977. “Die Sphinx.” ''Geschichte ihrer Darstellung von den Anfangen bis zur Gegenwart.''</ref> According to tradition, it is said to take away the [[sin]]s of the devotees when they enter a temple and to ward off evil in general. It is therefore often found in a strategic position on the ''gopuram'' or temple gateway, or near the entrance of the ''Sanctum Sanctorum''.
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| − | The ''purushamriga'' plays a significant role in daily as well as yearly [[ritual]]s of South Indian [[Hinduism|Shaiva]] temples. In the ''sodasa-upacara'' (or 16 honors) ritual, performed between one to six times at significant sacred moments throughout the day, it decorates one of the lamps of the ''diparadhana'' or lamp ceremony. And in several temples the ''purushamriga'' is also one of the ''vahana'', or vehicles of the deity during the processions of the ''Brahmotsava'' or festival.
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| − | In the Kanya Kumari district, in the southernmost tip of the [[Indian subcontinent]], during the night of ''Shiva Ratri'', devotees run 75 kilometers while visiting and worshiping at twelve [[Shiva]] temples. This Shiva Ottam (or Run for Shiva) is performed in commemoration of the story of the race between the Sphinx and Bhima, one of the heroes of the epic ''[[Mahabharata]]''.
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| − | In [[Sri Lanka]], the sphinx is known as ''narasimha'' or “man-lion.” As a sphinx it has the body of a [[lion]] and the head of a [[human being]], and is not to be confused with [[Narasimha]], the fourth reincarnation of the deity [[Mahavishnu]]; this [[avatar]]a or incarnation is depicted with a human body and the head of a lion. The "sphinx" Narasimha is part of the [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] tradition and functions as a guardian of the northern direction and was also depicted on banners.
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| − | In [[Myanmar]], the sphinx is known as ''manusiha'' and ''manuthiha''. It is depicted on the corners of Buddhist ''stupas'', and its [[legend]]s tell how it was created by Buddhist monks to protect a new born royal baby from being devoured by ogresses.
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| − | ''Nora Nair'' and ''Thep Norasingh'' are two of the names under which the "sphinx" is known in [[Thailand]]. They are depicted as upright walking beings with the lower body of a lion or [[deer]], and the upper body of a human. Often they are found as male-female pairs. Here too it serves a protective function. It is also enumerated among the mythological creatures that inhabit the ranges of the sacred mountain Himmapan.<ref>[http://www.himmapan.com/himmapan_lion_thepnorasri.html Thep Norasri.] Himmapan.com. Retrieved February 9, 2007.</ref>
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| − | ==Similar creatures==
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| − | Not all human-headed animals of antiquity are sphinxes. In ancient [[Assyria]], for example, bas-reliefs of bulls with the crowned bearded heads of kings guarded the entrances to temples.
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| − | In the classical Olympian mythology of Greece, all the deities had human form, though they could assume their animal natures as well. All the creatures of [[Greek mythology|Greek myth]] that combine human and animal form are survivals of the pre-Olympian [[religion]]: [[centaur]]s, Typhon, [[Gorgon|Medusa]], [[Lamia (mythology)|Lamia]], and so forth.
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| − | In [[Hinduism|Hindu]] tradition, one of the [[avatar]]s of [[Vishnu]] was the [[Narasimha]] which means "man-lion," although this avatar had a human body and the head of a lion.
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| − | ==Artistic Representations==
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| − | [[Image:Oedipus And The Sphinx - Project Gutenberg eText 14994.png|thumb|left|300 px| Oedipus and the Sphinx]]
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| − | Beyond the monuments in [[Egypt]], the sphinx has been depicted in [[art]] for centuries. Some of the most famous depictions, ranging from [[ancient Greece]] to [[Asia]], are variations of [[Oedipus]]' encounter with the sphinx. Some depictions show a sphinx in a position of power and wisdom, looking down on Oedipus as he tries to solve the riddle, while others depict the battle of minds as an epic, mortal fight.<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9069103 "Sphinx."] ''Encyclopedia Britannica''. Retrieved January 23, 2007.</ref> In any case, the artistic iconography of the Greek legend represents man's ability to penetrate the mysteries of the world, to use his mind in epic measures.
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| − | The revived ''Mannerist Sphinx'' of the sixteenth century is sometimes thought of as the ''French Sphinx''. Her lovely coiffed head is erect and she has the pretty bust of a young woman. Often she wears [[pearl]]s. Her body is naturalistically rendered as a recumbent [[lion]]. Such sphinxes were revived when the ''grottesche'' or "grotesque" decorations of the unearthed "Golden House" (''Domus Aurea'') of [[Nero]] were brought to light in late fifteenth century [[ancient Rome|Rome]], and she was incorporated into the classical vocabulary of [[arabesque]] designs that was spread throughout [[Europe]] in [[engraving]]s during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Her first appearances in French art are in the School of Fontainebleau in the 1520s and 1530s; her last appearances are in the [[Baroque|Late Baroque]] style of the French [[Régence]] (1715–1723).
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| − | [[Image:Fernand Khnopff 002.jpg|thumb|600px|center|Fernand Khnopff's symbolist version of a Sphinx]]
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| − | == Notes ==
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| − | <references/>
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| − | ==References==
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| − | * Hamilton, Edith. [1942] 1998. ''Mythology''. Boston, MA: Back Bay Books. ISBN 0316341517
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| − | * Hancock, Graham and Robert Bauval. 1997. ''The Message of the Sphinx: A Quest for the Hidden Legacy of Mankind''. Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0517888521
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| − | * Regier, Willis Goth. 2005. ''Book of the Sphinx''. Thrupp, Stroud, Gloucestershire: Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0750938617
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| − | * Zivie-Coche, Christiane. 2004. ''Sphinx: History of A Monument ''. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. ISBN 0801489547
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| − | == External links ==
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| − | All links retrieved June 6, 2007.
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| − | *Alford, Alan. [http://www.eridu.co.uk/Author/egypt/lost.html Egypt—The Lost Civilization Theory]
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| − | *Reader, Colin. [http://www.thehallofmaat.com/modules.php?name=Articles&file=article&sid=93 “Giza Before the Fourth Dynasty.”] The Hall of Maat – An academic article arguing the case for water erosion evidence
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| − | *[http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~loxias/sphinx.htm/ Oedipus & the Sphinx] – The Classics Pages by Andrew Wilson
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| − | *[http://www.wikimapia.org/#y=29975274&x=31137585&z=18&l=0&m=s Satellite images of Great Sphinx of Giza] at WikiMapia
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| − | *[http://guardians.net/egypt/sphinx/ Guardian’s Sphinx] – Photo gallery by Andrew Bayuk
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| − | *[http://www.catchpenny.org/nose.html The Sphinx's Nose] – Catchpenny Mysteries by Larry Orcutt
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| − | {{Credit2|Sphinx|105122524|Great_Sphinx_of_Giza|98331962|}}
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