The Sphinx is best described as a symbol of “arcane wisdom” (Olderr 126) and evil power in ancient Greece around 1200 BC. Her disposition is represented by the mythical story associated with her, specifically, her interactions with Oedipus. The Sphinx had also existed long before with other meanings in cultures like Egypt. Since then, its symbolism has become so captivating that its meaning is almost proverbial in the Western world today (Britannica 16).
The Sphinx really fits its beast title. In Greek legend, the Sphinx is a female symbol with the body and feet of a lion, the head and breasts of a woman, and the wings of an eagle (Scafella 179). Although the literally described sphinx sounds horrible, the visual representations of ancient Greece are tantalizing. Such representations most commonly appeared on ivories, painted plaques, and pottery (Britannica 16). Although there are many representations of the sphinx, for the purposes of this essay the example used is that of the Greek Sphinx seated on a short Ionic column before Oedipus. This representation is painted on an Athenian vase from the Archaic Period in Greece, between 800 and 500 BC. C. (Boardman 246).
The name “Sphinx” is a Greek name derived from the verb sphiggein, meaning “to squeeze or unite” (cited in Scafella 179). His myth is well described by Albert E. Cowdrey in his fictional story The Name of the Sphinx: “Its function was to harass and obstruct the tourist trade of Thebes by compelling visitors to answer a riddle. If they were wrong, he killed them” ( 104). She posed this riddle, taught to her by the Muses: “What is it that has but one voice, and yet becomes quadrupedal, bipedal, and quadrupedal?” (Britannica) Although not explicit in ancient myth, the meaning of her name suggests that she may have killed those who responded incorrectly by strangling them. Her role links her directly to another ancient myth, the tragically ironic story of Oedipus.
Oedipus was the prince of Thebes, who was abandoned by his father when he was born due to a prophecy that his son would kill him. His father tied his feet and left him on a lonely mountain (Encarta). Oedipus eventually returned to Thebes, which was plagued by sphinxes. However, when his question was put to him, Oedipus correctly answered: “Man, who crawls on all fours in infancy, walks on two feet in adulthood, and leans on a cane in old age” (Britannica 16). The sphinx was so distraught that he jumped from his perch and killed himself. The story goes on to say that the Thebans were so grateful to Oedipus that they offered him the kingship, which was rightfully his anyway, and he unknowingly married his mother, the queen (Encarta).
The Sphinx first appeared in Greece around 1600 BC. C., but it was not until later, around 1200 a. C., that the legend acquired an identifiable meaning and became what is commonly known today. However, prior to Greek times, the Sphinx as a symbol had existed for over a thousand years in cultures such as the Egyptian, where it is most commonly believed to have originated (Scafella 180). While many features have remained the same in the Sphinx, some core features have changed. The most obvious distinction is the sex of the Sphinx. While the Egyptian sphinx was exclusively male, the Greek sphinx was almost always female. The Greek sphinx was typically used as a symbol of wisdom and evil, while the Egyptian sphinx, especially in its oldest forms, was often associated with divinities and used as a symbol of protection. It had no mysterious or deceptive nature. An example of this role is his presence “before the temples of the Nile valley, outside the pyramid of Kaphren” (Suhr 97). Also, in Egypt, the Sphinx was wingless and often reclined, unlike the Greek Sphinx, which was usually seated, especially on its high perch at Thebes (Scafella 180).
Looking at the deeper symbolism of the sphinx, it may well be one of the most elusive symbols in human history. Although many theories converge and diverge like choppy waves, they have only one similarity, whose meaning is, above all, enigmatic. One prominent insight, however, is the obvious reference to intelligence being conflated with animalism: “…the hybridization of man and lion suggests the dominance of human intellect over raw animal power” (Hajar). This idea is further clarified by Friedrich Hegel, a German philosopher in the 1800s: “The human head springing from the animal body represents Mind as it begins to rise above Nature… however be able to completely free yourself from it.” their shackles” (cited in Scafella 185). These ideas fit well with the time period in which they are set, in which civilization and war were competing realities of everyday life.
Another interesting interpretation is that the sphinx is a purely psychological symbol, representing the complexity and duality of the human mind: “Unlike many mythical creatures, the sphinx was never believed to be more than a thing of the imagination” (Hajar ). In today’s Freudian terms, the Sphinx would be considered an element of the unconscious, of whose presence we are certain only because of the tangible consequences of its existence (Cirlot 304).
Finally, on a highly divergent note, one theory eloquently conjectures that “the sphinx mask belongs to the mother image and also to the symbolism of nature; but beneath the mask lie the implications of the myth of multiplicity or of the enigmatic fragmentation of the cosmos” (Cirlot 304). Though, keeping with the accepted theme of deception, this theory is unique in expressing a superficial maternal side to the Sphinx, evidently stemming from her prominent breasts. It is striking that female symbols are used in the Sphinx, which almost always refer exclusively to affection and compassion, a symbol opposed to anger. It is possible, as Cirlot alludes, that such symbols are used to dramatize the underlying symbolism through the use of a deceptive physical appearance.
Since its slow rise to power from ancient Egyptian myth to Greek legend and current colloquial consciousness, the Sphinx has become the visual embodiment of deception, rage, enigma, and intelligence. Her death is a memory of triumph over animal rage. But that memory is a fallacy that haunts the mind. The human triumph did not end with the symptom of animalism, nor with the malignancy of intelligence. It ended with only the visual representation of a reality that humanity is forever a victim of, its own collective mind. The brilliance of the Sphinx is thus to deceive more in her feigned death than when she lived.
Works Cited
Boardman, John. Athenian red-figure vases: the archaic period. London: Thames and Hudson, Ltd., 1975.
Britannica, Encyclopedia. “Sphinx.” Encyclopaedia Britannica: 200th Anniversary Edition. Flight. 21. United States: William Benton, 1969.
Encarta Encyclopedia. “Oedipus.” Microsoft Encarta 2005 Online Encyclopedia. http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761557812/Oedipus.html
Cowdrey, Albert E. “The Name of the Sphinx.” Fantasy and Science Fiction. Flight. 107, Issue 6 (December 2004): 100-120.
Cirlot, JE Dictionary of symbols. Great Britain: Redwood Books, Towbridge, Wiltshire, 1971.
Hayar, Rachel. “Culture: Lore of the Sphinx”. World and I Vol. 14, Issue 2 (February 1999): 228.
Major, Steve. Symbolism: A Complete Dictionary. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., 1986.
Soans, Catherine, and Alan Spooner, eds. “Sphinx.” Oxford Thesaurus. New York: Oxford University Press Inc., 2001.
Scafella, Frank A. “The Sphinx.” Mythical and Fabulous Creatures: A Sourcebook and Research Guide. Ed. Malcolm South. New York: Peter Bedrick Books, 1987.
Suhr, Elmer G. “The Sphinx.” Folklore. Flight. 81, No. 2 (Summer 1970): 97-111.
