Assyrian Lamassu, a winged bull with a human head (421 BC)
The Greek sphinx is a demon of destruction who poses certain questions to those who approach it and devours anyone in its path. Its name, according to one interpretation, comes from the Greek word sphingo (to squeeze, strangle), which indicates its demonic nature. According to another interpretation, it stems from the Egyptian term Shesep-ankh Atum (Living image of the god Atum), which was used as a general term for royal statues in the Ancient Kingdom but mostly referred to the Great Sphinx in the New Kingdom.
Similar protective qualities characterize the Middle Eastern sphinxes, which were often placed as gatekeepers. They are usually depicted standing, with eagle wings, the body of a bull, lion paws, and a human head. Sometimes, they take on both female and male forms, like the Sumerian adad (male sphinx) and lama (female sphinx). Although no stories have been recorded, the motif of the sphinx pr The Sphinx has been present in the Middle East since prehistoric times. The oldest one is dated back to 9500 BC at the site of Gobekli Tepe. Hittites, Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians, Phoenicians, Persians, and others have left us their own depictions of sphinxes.
The Sphinx from the island of Naxos, around 560 BC, is located in the museum in Delphi.
Images, reliefs, and sculptures of human-animal beings with the body of a lion and the head of a human can be found throughout India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, etc. It is believed that they have protective and rejuvenating properties.
Although in some traditions the sphinx appears as a positive figure, and in others as a negative one, it is still the same symbol because symbols, as Jung says, are psychologically laden with meaning, and their revelation depends on the level of consciousness of the individual as well as society as a whole. So, what does the sphinx represent?
Edip and the Sphinx, Francois Xavier Fabri (1766 – 1837).
Terracotta Khmer Sphinx, Cambodia, around 1200 – 1400.
Winged sphinx from Darius’ palace. In Suzi, the Persian Empire (480 BC)
Purušamriga from Melukote, a sacred place in southern India
A ancient, almost forgotten Egyptian legend speaks of her origin: the sphinx was created from different animals, and eventually a head resembling a human but mute and terrifying appeared. This creature ran, swam, and flew, devouring and destroying everything in its path. Eventually, the god of wisdom Thot entered the sphinx and awakened its irrational head. This way, the terrifying but now tamed animal lay on its belly. However, this is not the end of the story. The tamed sphinx became the protector of Egyptian mysteries associated with Osiris. Legend has it that in the end, when man understands it, the sphinx will be thrown into the sea in front of its paws. Liberated by intelligence, the soul will ascend to the sky with the first rays of the rising Sun, no longer in need of experiences within the sensory, conditioned world.
This story symbolically speaks of the long and arduous evolution of consciousness: from primitive man Through the embodiment of the human self, the mastery of instincts, and the liberation of the soul from the material world, one can ascend towards spiritual realms. Greek thought, through Oedipus, Sophocles’ hero, reaffirmed the story of the Sphinx by considering only its beginning and end. Oedipus, whose name “swollen feet” indicates a traveler tired from a long journey, answers the Sphinx’s question about humanity. After hearing the correct answer, the Sphinx kills itself, and he continues on to his ultimate test, surrendering to an unfathomable fate.
Different sphinxes represent different stages of human development, but the fundamental sphinx is a symbol of Egyptian, Indian, and ancient understanding of the human being as a being in the process of evolving consciousness through numerous reincarnations. The four components that make up the sphinx are the four elements: Earth (bull), Water (eagle), Air (human), and Fire (lion), through whose conflict evolution takes place. From a psychological standpoint, these four aspects represent different aspects of the human personality: the body, energy, emotions, and the intellect. tsi zadatak, sfinga će se okrenuti i otvoriti vrata ka novim mogućnostima i napretku. In pursuit of its purpose, it will dissolve into the ocean, while humanity will continue on its journey.