S is for Sphinx


Sphinx statues were built in ancient Egypt to guard tombs and temples. They have the body of a lion and the head of a person. The most well known is the Great Sphinx in Giza, which guards Khafra's pyramid.

Taken from here
- The Great Sphinx is very mysterious - there have been many stories and legends concerning it, and some people believe that there are hidden passageways and rooms beneath it, although nothing has been found.

- The beginning of a story is written on a slab between the Sphinx's paws. It reads that one day a young prince fell asleep next to the Sphinx. He was tired from hunting all day. He had a dream; the Great Sphinx promised him that he would become the ruler of Egypt if he cleared away the sand covering its body up to its neck. Unfortunately, the rest of the story is gone, so we'll never know the original ending, though I'm sure a lot of us could come up with one.

- The Great Sphinx is one of the largest and oldest statues in the world. It faces the sunrise, and guards the pyramid tombs of Giza.

Taken from here
- The Great Sphinx has been eroded a lot over the years - the original Sphinx would have looked very different. It had a long braided beard and a nose and was also painted in bright colours. 

- The nose of the Great Sphinx is one of its mysteries - it no longer has one, and nobody knows what happened to it. Some people believe that it was chiselled off by someone who thought the Sphinx to be evil.

- There was also a Sphinx in Greek Mythology, which terrorised Thebes, and killed anyone who couldn't answer its riddle. Harry Potter, anyone?

If I ever go to Egypt (I've wanted to for years now) I'd love to see the Sphinx. 

Comments

  1. Sophie Duncan22 April 2014 at 10:56

    I'd love to visit Egypt and see its treasures too. The stories round the Sphinx are really interesting - I think, if memory serves, isn;'t there even some suggestion that the head was re-carved at some point, given that the head is out of proportion with the rest of the statue. I like the solution to why the Sphinx lost its nose thanks to Obelix knocking it off in Asterix and Cleopatra! ;P
    Sophie
    Sophie's Thoughts & Fumbles - A to Z Ghosts
    Fantasy Boys XXX - A to Z Drabblerotic

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  2. Alex J. Cavanaugh22 April 2014 at 12:39

    I imagine the desert winds have eroded much of the Sphinx. I wonder if that boy became a ruler?

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  3. Hilary Melton-Butcher22 April 2014 at 14:03

    Hi Laura .. I didn't know about that story .. but I too would love to visit Egypt and see the Sphinx - it must be amazing ... I love the Asterix stories and reading Sophie's comment made me laugh ... Obelix would do just that ...

    Cheers Hilary

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  4. Colin Smith22 April 2014 at 14:17

    It sounds as if making sphynxes for tombs was a common practice. Are there others beside the Great Sphynx? And yes, I'm sure many of us would like to finish that story... :)

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  5. S. L. Hennessy22 April 2014 at 14:49

    Swear to god, all I could think as I stood in the presence of this amazing statue is "Walk like an Egyptian". I feel bad about it, but it made my family laugh.

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  6. Julie Flanders22 April 2014 at 16:14

    I didn't know about the story between the paws. How interesting!

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  7. L.G. Keltner22 April 2014 at 16:20

    The Sphinx is definitely one of the things I'd most like to see!

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  8. Bish Denham22 April 2014 at 16:43

    Lots of wonderful mysteries. I think there's a whole lot about Egypt that we don't know, but think we do.

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  9. Chrys Fey22 April 2014 at 17:38

    I love Sphinx statues. I always thought there were hidden passageways under them, so I'm surprised that none have been found.

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  10. Crystal Collier22 April 2014 at 19:47

    LOL! I keep thinking of Despicable Me when someone steals a pyramid and replaces it with an inflatable one. Oh man! Whew! But that really has nothing to do with your wonderful and informative post. Nicely done!

    True Heroes from A to Z

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  11. Rob Z Tobor22 April 2014 at 20:12

    DAMN I thought you might do Sand. . . . . . Well Done Miss Laura.

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  12. cleemckenzie23 April 2014 at 05:27

    Wonderful post. The Sphinx has come a long way, so it and its creators deserve kudos. Cement doesn't hold up this long.

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  13. Shan Jeniah Burton23 April 2014 at 07:31

    I love the mysteries inherent in the Sphinx and other ancient creations. I love that we can all have our own secret theories, and never know whether we were right.

    I'm glad I found my way to your blog. It's intriguing over here. =)

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  14. Tasha Duncan-Drake23 April 2014 at 11:35

    I would love to see the monuments of Egypt too, I'm just a wuss and would prefer it if it wasn't so hot and you didn't need armed guards :).
    Tasha
    Tasha's Thinkings - AtoZ (Vampires)
    FB3X - AtoZ (Erotic Drabbles)

    ReplyDelete

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