The sphinx is a mythical beast of ancient Egypt with the head of a man and the body of a lion, often symbolizing the pharaoh as an incarnation of the sun god Ra. It is is carved of rock.
The Great Sphinx is known to the Arabs as "Abul-hol" meaning the father of terror. People often refer to the Mystery or Riddle of the Sphinx.Many believe that the original head was that of the lion.The eyes gaze out afar with a look of intense and profound thoughtfulness and the mouth still wears a smile. The word sphinx is now used to describe an inscrutable person who keeps his thoughts and intentions secret.
The Riddle of the Sphinx
The Riddle of the Sphinx refers to the legendary Greek creature with the body of a lion and the head of a woman. The myth surrounding the Greek Riddle of the Sphinx is therefore attributed to Greek mythology. In this story the Sphinx of Thebes asked a riddle of all travellers who passed by. If the traveller failed to solve the riddle, then the Sphynx of Thebes would kill them.
The riddle of the Thebes Sphinx is:
"What goes on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening?"
The answer to the riddle is:
"A man. He crawls on all fours as a baby, walks on two legs as an adult, and walks with a cane in old age."
The riddle was solved by Oedipus and then he defeated the Sphinx as no one has ever solved this riddle except oedipus. "From Hommer's Iliad and odessy"
