Sphinx - Goddess or Beast?

[Black_Tail]

I've been researching the Sphinx and I only came across her mentioned as a lunar death goddess once. I feel drawn to her and I wanted to see what others are thinking.

[black dove]

I don't know much about Egyptian religion, but ancient Greek culture also mentions the Sphinx. In the play "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles, the Sphinx waits outside a city, killing everyone that attempts to exit, if they cannot answer her riddle "What walks on 4 legs in the morning, 2 legs in the noon (or evening or something like that...), and 3 legs at night. Eventually, this began to severely demoralize the population of the city. Oedipus (the future king and thought to be dead son of the current king of Greece) challenges the Sphinx. Of course, this is his first time hearing the riddle, so he takes PLENTY of time contemplating it. His answer: Man. We walk on fours as a child, we walk on two legs from about age 4-who knows how long, and when we grow old, we use a crutch (third leg)... at least we did during those times. Anyway, Oedipus was correct, lived, and the Sphinx left since she was defeated.

I'm sure you've already read the story before, but i just thought you'd like to hear it. I personally have never heard mention of the sphinx as a deity, but rather a monster... but then again, that was Greece, and I'm not well acquainted with Egyptian myth/lore. The sphinx in this story could have also had something to do with some rough waters between Greece and Egypt at the time... or some prejudice that Sophocles held. Anyway, I hope this helped somehow.

[Black_Tail]

Thanks dove for the input. Hopefully I can find more.

[black dove]

Yeah, hahaha. Sorry, I probably gave the least useful piece of information to you that you'll find. After all, its a play, not a piece of true religion. Good luck

[Black_Tail]

its a myth, and a lot of metaphor has been drawn from that story and more.

[Victoria Mnemosyne]

I have found this
Sphinx Mythology: The Great Sphinx was believed to stand as a guardian of the Giza Plateau, where it faces 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. During the New Kingdom, the Sphinx became more specifically associated with the god Hor-em-akhet (Greek Harmachis) or Horus at the Horizon, which represented the Pharaoh in his role as the Shesep ankh of Atum (living image of Atum). A temple was built to the northeast of the Sphinx by King Amenhotep II, nearly a thousand years after its construction, dedicated to the cult of Horemakhet.

http://www.all-about-egypt.com/sphinx-facts.html

[Black_Tail]

huh, Thanks so much ^^

[Victoria Mnemosyne]

sorry if its not really what yuore looking for >.<

[Black_Tail]

No, its fine. Thank you for the input.

[FireQueen]

I've never heard of the Sphinx as being a death goddess before..... interesting.

Another piece of random information :: on The Chariot aka the VII major arcana card in the Magickal Tarot deck, there are two sphinxes pulling the chariot. The title of the card is also known as the Lord of the Triumph of Light and the sphinxes indicate the choices, often conflicting, that the charioteer must needs steer through / navigate in order to achieve the desired objective and indeed will be achieved through persistence and adherence to the principles of honour, wisdom and morality.

Brightest blessings.

[Black_Tail]

Huh, thanks for the insight. ^^