Sphinx-
Good morning my dearest friends and followers. Today I am going to bring you all into the world of ancient times of the Mythology creature of the Sphinx in Greece. The Sphinx was one of the
the most famous Mythological Creatures of its times both in Egyptian Mythology & Greek Mythology. However, unlike that of the Greek Sphinx which is an female Creature. In the Egyptian Sphinx is typically a male creature. In Greece the sphinx has a lions body and a females head. In tradition they are launched as a lion with the wings of a very large bird and the face and the breasts of a woman. She is mythicized as treacherous and merciless. It is said that those who cannot answer her riddles will suffer a fate typical in the evil monster type dragons who love riddles too-in those tales if you don't answer the riddle correctly the dragon will kill and eat you. Apparently just like that of the mythicized female Sphinx too if you don't answer her riddles you could have the same faith by being killed, eaten by a changed ravenous monster. Some have said that the Sphinx is to have guarded the entrance to the city of Thebes of Greece. Which anyone to enter the city would have to ask a riddle to obtain passage. As to the exact riddle the Sphinx would ask, it was never the same or not ever specified. So this could be one of the reason the Sphinx got more of a reputation of being a ravenous monster.
Another mythology lore was that Hera or Ares, who sent the Sphinx from her Ethiopian homeland-Even though the Greeks always remembered the origin of the Sphinx to be Thebes in Greece to have Sophocles to write this in his writings & history's most famous riddle of the Sphinx too:
'Which creature in the morning goes on four feet, at noon on two, and in the evening upon three?'
The Sphinx would strangled and devoured anyone who was unable to answer: Oedipus solved the riddle by answering-'Man-who crawls on all fours as a baby, then walks on two feet as an adult, and walks with a cane in old age'...
However, the tale doesn't end with answering the hardest riddle. Upon Oedipus solving the riddle the Sphinx threw herself from her high rock and died. I guess the mythology creature couldn't live with the fact that a human or god had solve her most unsolved able riddle. There were other version to the tale which in my own opoion is hard to believe that a great mythology beast would do-that is 'Devouring herself. Maybe it was another way of death.
The Sphinx was an ancient Egyptian divinity, who personified wisdom, fertility and nature. She is also represented as a lion-body, with the head and bust of a woman. It wears a peculiar sort of hood which completely envelops her head and falls down on either side of her face.
The Sphinx is represented according to the Greek genealogy as the offspring of Typhon and Echidna. The Goddess Hera upon one occasion displeased with the Thebans, sent them the Sphinx this awful monster as a punishment for their offences. So later the Sphinx took her seat on a rocky eminence near the city of Thebes, commanding a pass which the Thebans were compelled to traverse in their usual way of business, she propounded to all comers a riddle and if they failed to solve it, she tore them in pieces. During the reign of the King Creon, so many people had fallen a sacrifice to the monster Sphinx, that the King Creon determined to use every effort to rid
the country of this beast. So on consulting the oracle of Delphi, the King Creon, he was informed that the only way to destroy the Sphinx was to solve one of her riddles. If this happens she would immediately precipitate herself from the high rocks on which she was seated to her death. So King Creon made a public declaration to take effect that whoever could give the true interpretation of a riddle propounded by the monster, should obtain the crown and the land of his sister- Jocaste. So as the tale goes, Oedipus offered himself as a candidate for the task.
Oedipus proceeded to the spot where the Sphinx kept guard, to receive her riddle-but of course Oedipus new that answer' . The Sphinx said, 'What creature goes in the morning on four legs, at noon on two and in the evening on three?" Oedipus replied, That it must be man, who during his infancy creeps on all fours, in his prime walks erect on two legs, and when old age has enfeebled his powers calls a staff to his assistance and thus has as it were three legs.'
The moment that Oedipus finished his answer the Sphinx no sooner heard his reply, which was correct, after that she flung herself over the precipice and perished in the abyss below.
the most famous Mythological Creatures of its times both in Egyptian Mythology & Greek Mythology. However, unlike that of the Greek Sphinx which is an female Creature. In the Egyptian Sphinx is typically a male creature. In Greece the sphinx has a lions body and a females head. In tradition they are launched as a lion with the wings of a very large bird and the face and the breasts of a woman. She is mythicized as treacherous and merciless. It is said that those who cannot answer her riddles will suffer a fate typical in the evil monster type dragons who love riddles too-in those tales if you don't answer the riddle correctly the dragon will kill and eat you. Apparently just like that of the mythicized female Sphinx too if you don't answer her riddles you could have the same faith by being killed, eaten by a changed ravenous monster. Some have said that the Sphinx is to have guarded the entrance to the city of Thebes of Greece. Which anyone to enter the city would have to ask a riddle to obtain passage. As to the exact riddle the Sphinx would ask, it was never the same or not ever specified. So this could be one of the reason the Sphinx got more of a reputation of being a ravenous monster.
'Which creature in the morning goes on four feet, at noon on two, and in the evening upon three?'
The Sphinx would strangled and devoured anyone who was unable to answer: Oedipus solved the riddle by answering-'Man-who crawls on all fours as a baby, then walks on two feet as an adult, and walks with a cane in old age'...
However, the tale doesn't end with answering the hardest riddle. Upon Oedipus solving the riddle the Sphinx threw herself from her high rock and died. I guess the mythology creature couldn't live with the fact that a human or god had solve her most unsolved able riddle. There were other version to the tale which in my own opoion is hard to believe that a great mythology beast would do-that is 'Devouring herself. Maybe it was another way of death.
The Sphinx is represented according to the Greek genealogy as the offspring of Typhon and Echidna. The Goddess Hera upon one occasion displeased with the Thebans, sent them the Sphinx this awful monster as a punishment for their offences. So later the Sphinx took her seat on a rocky eminence near the city of Thebes, commanding a pass which the Thebans were compelled to traverse in their usual way of business, she propounded to all comers a riddle and if they failed to solve it, she tore them in pieces. During the reign of the King Creon, so many people had fallen a sacrifice to the monster Sphinx, that the King Creon determined to use every effort to rid
the country of this beast. So on consulting the oracle of Delphi, the King Creon, he was informed that the only way to destroy the Sphinx was to solve one of her riddles. If this happens she would immediately precipitate herself from the high rocks on which she was seated to her death. So King Creon made a public declaration to take effect that whoever could give the true interpretation of a riddle propounded by the monster, should obtain the crown and the land of his sister- Jocaste. So as the tale goes, Oedipus offered himself as a candidate for the task. Oedipus proceeded to the spot where the Sphinx kept guard, to receive her riddle-but of course Oedipus new that answer' . The Sphinx said, 'What creature goes in the morning on four legs, at noon on two and in the evening on three?" Oedipus replied, That it must be man, who during his infancy creeps on all fours, in his prime walks erect on two legs, and when old age has enfeebled his powers calls a staff to his assistance and thus has as it were three legs.'
The moment that Oedipus finished his answer the Sphinx no sooner heard his reply, which was correct, after that she flung herself over the precipice and perished in the abyss below.
I hope you all find the post interesting my dear friends and followers. Your friend always Wendy
