Originally from Egyptian mythology, the sphinx was described as a winged monster, usually male. Legend has it that there are three kinds of sphinx – the Androsphinx with a human face, the Criosphinx (sacred in Oman) with a sheep’s head, and the Hieracosphinx with a phylon’s body. The Assyrians and Persians described the sphinx as a winged bull with a human face, beard, and crown. In Greek mythology, the sphinx became a female evil, a symbol of divine retribution. “Sphinx” comes from the Greek “Sphiggein,” meaning “to tighten,” because the Greeks imagined the Sphinx as a monster that would choke people to death.
In Greek mythology, the Herapaeus sphinx sat on a cliff near the city of Thebes, stopped passers-by and asked them a riddle taught by the Muses that would devour those who guessed wrong: “What animal walks on four legs in the morning, on two at noon, and on three at night? When his legs were at their maximum, he was also at his slowest and weakest.”Oedipus guessed the correct answer, and the answer was “man”.The Sphinx was so ashamed that she jumped to her death (said to have been killed by Oedipus). According to Apollodorus, the Sphinx was born to Ecadena with her son, the two-headed dog Ottius. The human face of the Sphinx symbolizes wisdom and knowledge.
In European decorative arts, the sphinx gained much attention with the Renaissance. Later, the Egyptian version of the sphinx spread to other cultures, although it was variously portrayed and developed in different cultural traditions.