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***Trigger warning: this article mentions death and suicide.***
The Sphinx is a mythological creature, generally seen as a guardian. It usually has the head of a man and the body of a lion. Alternatively, it may have the head of a woman or the addition of falcon wings. Sphinxes make an appearance in many cultures, but the Great Sphinx of Giza is the most well-known and the most famous. It is carved from limestone and is 240 feet (73 meters) long and 66 feet (20 meters) tall. This earns it recognition as one of the largest monuments in the world. It is located in Egypt on the west bank of the Nile River next to the Great Pyramids of Giza. The date of the Sphinx's construction is generally thought to be between 2600 and 2500 BC. Egyptologists (people who study ancient Egyptian civilization, history, and language) generally agree on these dates since the head of the Sphinx resembles Pharaoh Khafre, the ruler during that era.
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In Greek mythology, the Sphinx was sent by Hera (Greek queen of the gods) or Ares (Greek god of courage and war, also Hera and Zeus's son) to Thebes in Greece. Her job was to ask a difficult riddle to anyone who passed by. No one was able to answer this riddle, and were strangled and eaten by the Sphinx. Enter Oedipus. Oedipus was on a journey to avoid fulfilling his fate where he would kill his father and marry his mother. He had already fought with and killed his father Laius. As he continued on his travels he came upon the Sphinx.
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She asked him what is possibly the most famous riddle of all time: "Which creature has one voice and yet becomes four-footed and two-footed and three-footed?" He answered correctly: "Man—who crawls on all fours as a baby, then walks on two feet as an adult, and then uses a walking stick in old age".
In some versions of the story, there is a second riddle: "There are two sisters: one gives birth to the other and she, in turn, gives birth to the first. Who are the two sisters?" Again he answered correctly: "Day and night".
After Oedipus defeated her in this battle of wits, the Sphinx met her end. There are different versions of how this occurred. She may have been killed by Oedipus. She may have ended her life by jumping from her rock. Or she may have devoured herself. In any case, there was much celebrating now that the Sphinx was no longer. Oedipus was rewarded by becoming king of Thebes and wedding Queen Jocasta, whose husband had died. After they had four children together, they discovered that Jocasta was indeed his mother. She committed suicide, and Oedipus blinded himself and went into exile. Like so many other stories in mythology, he tried to escape his fate but brought it to fruition instead.
Did You Know:
Other famous Egyptian sphinxes include one with the head of Pharaoh Hatshepsut, carved from granite, and the Sphinx of Memphis, carved from alabaster.
The Freemasons chose the sphinx as one of their symbols to demonstrate a sense of mystery.
In "The Infernal Machine" by Jean Cocteau, the Sphinx tells Oedipus the answer to the riddle. She is tired of killing people and wants Oedipus to fall in love with her. He does not.
The sphinx can also be found in artwork of the Assyrian, Mycenaean, Persian and Phoenician civilizations.
Contrary to popular belief, Napoleon Bonaparte's army had no involvement with the loss of the Great Sphinx of Giza's nose. The true cause was long term erosion.
