History Art / TheSphinx

A colossal statue in the form of a lion with a human head wearing an ancient Egyptian headdress (and which may or may not have originally been a normal lion head) '''The Sphinx''' is one of the best known man-made structures in the real world. It is so closely associated with {{UsefulNotes/Egypt}} that it serves as an instant visual clue of the setting, even more so than ThePyramids (which also exist in other parts of the world.) The Sphinx is located next to the Great Pyramid of Giza, the largest one in the world.

This Sphinx has nothing to do with the one from the [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek Myth]] of Oedipus (the one with the RiddleOfTheSphinx). Rather, the Greek called the statue (which is at least 4000 years old) Sphinx due to its resemblance to that monster. However, The Sphinx is considered "riddling" because, even today, we don't know who made it or why; most puzzling, there are no surviving records from that time that explain these things. Naturally, that has led to lots of [[EpilepticTrees crazy theories]] about it.

* CatsAreMean: Subverted, felines were considered sacred in ancient Egypt.

* NiceHat: The sphinx wears a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemes Nemes]], a headdrees worn by the pharaohs.

* TimeAbyss: While not particularly old by geological standards, the Sphinx is older than all existing civilizations, and possibly even predates it's equally famous Egyptian siblings, the Great Pyramids. While it's exact construction is unknown, theories range from around 5000 to as old as 8000. Even by the youngest estimates, the Sphinx is so old that it would've already been considered ancient and mysterious during the lifetime of UsefulNotes/{{Tutankhamun}}.

* DreamSequence: The ''The Dream Stela of Thutmosis IV'' placed between the sphinx's paws tells a story about the young Thutmosis IV resting in the sphinx's shadow (protected from the midday sun). He fell asleep and dreamt that the god Hor-em-akhet-Atum-Khepri was his father. The god promised the kingdoms of upper and lower Egypt to Thutmosis IV if he cleared away the sand that had been building up around the Sphinx. Thutmosis IV got the sand removed, the sphinx restored and the ''Dream Stela'' stone placed between the paws.

** It has also suffered the kind of wear and tear you can expect from a stone monument sitting exposed to the elements for 5000 years, though much of it has been repaired as of the 20th century.

* TimeAbyss: While not particularly old by geological standards, the Sphinx is older than all existing civilizations, and possibly even predates it's equally famous Egyptian siblings, the Great Pyramids. While it's exact construction is unknown, theories range from around 5000 to as old as 8000.

* MonumentalDamage: The statue is missing its nose, believed to have been an act of religious vandalism long ago.

* SevenWondersOfTheWorld: By extension from the great pyramid and the rest of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giza_Necropolis Giza Necropolis]].

This Sphinx has nothing to do with the one from the [[Myth/GreekMythology Greek Myth]] of Oedipus (the one with the RiddleOfTheSphinx). Rather, the Greek called the statue (which is at least 4000 years old) Sphinx due to its resemblance to that monster. However, The Sphinx is considered "riddling" because, even today, we don't know who made it or why; most puzzling, there are no surviving records from that time that explain these things. Naturally, that has led to lots of [[EpilepticTrees crazy theories]] about it.

It is famously [[TheNoseless without a nose]]. PopularHistory attributes this to UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte's cannons accidentally shooting it off during the brief French occupation of Egypt (1798-1801), but in reality the nose was most likely hacked off by a 14th-century Muslim religious fanatic (who was [[DisproportionateRetribution hanged for vandalism]] by the Sultan in response).

* LivingStatue: In some stories. Often shown speaking in cartoons (in riddles, of course.)

* OlderThanDirt: It was built in approximately 2500 BC.

** In an issue of [[DCComics DC's]] Adventure Comics from the early 80's, the heroes of ComicBook/DialHForHero battled it- but it (conveniently) turned out to be an imitation and not the real statue, so they destroyed it.

It is famously [[TheNoseless without a nose]]. PopularHistory attributes this to NapoleonBonaparte's cannons accidentally shooting it off during the brief French occupation of Egypt (1798-1801), but in reality the nose was most likely hacked off by a 14th-century Muslim religious fanatic (who was [[DisproportionateRetribution hanged for vandalism]] by the Sultan in response).

It is famously without a nose. PopularHistory attributes this to NapoleonBonaparte's cannons accidentally shooting it off during the brief French occupation of Egypt (1798-1801), but in reality the nose was most likely hacked off by a 14th-century Muslim religious fanatic (who was [[DisproportionateRetribution hanged for vandalism]] by the Sultan in response).

This Sphinx has nothing to do with the one from the [[GreekMythology Greek Myth]] of Oedipus (the one with the RiddleOfTheSphinx). Rather, the Greek called the statue (which is at least 4000 years old) Sphinx due to its resemblance to that monster. However, The Sphinx is considered "riddling" because, even today, we don't know who made it or why; most puzzling, there are no surviving records from that time that explain these things. Naturally, that has led to lots of [[EpilepticTrees crazy theories]] about it.

In fiction, often the target of MonumentalDamage or even MonumentalTheft. Or just [[LivingStatue getting off its duff]] and stomping on people.

[[caption-width-right:350:Riddle me this, riddle me that...]]

!Tropes

* TheNoseless

* AmbiguousGender: One of its many riddles: Is the head a man's or a woman's? Looks kind of manly, but it's missing the [[BadassBeard intricately coiffed beard]] that ancient Egyptian men sported.
** Bits of an alleged beard have been found, but given the lack of damage to the chin, it's likely that it was added on later and then fell off.

* AncientEgypt

* NiceHat: The sphinx wears a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemes Nemes]], hea headdrees worn by pharaohs.

* NiceHat

* SevenWondersOfTheWorld

[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/TheSphinx_821.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:225:Riddle me this, riddle me that...]]

* NamesTheSame: It has many namesakes, most intentional.
** there's a MarvelComics supervillain based on it (who resembles the ComicBook/{{X-Men}}'s foe Apocalypse, except he came first.)

* FridgeLogic: Why are there no records of the building of such a monument, not even engravings on its sides? [[AncientConspiracy Were they erased by someone]]?
* IAmNotShazam: It's not really a sphinx, but rather an homage to some important ancient Egyptian figure (there are similar statues in Egypt, just not so big.) What the statue was originally called (or who is it based on) is a mystery.
** A popular theory says it is Pharaoh Khafre, the one who had the Great Pyramid made.
** Another theory says it was originally a full lion (compare the head to the body - it's really tiny) later remade into a human head. The theory says it also originally looked into the star sign "Lion" - 8000 YEARS AGO.
** Its name in Arabic means [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast "The Terrifying One"]].
** [[IncrediblyLamePun Ironically]], The Wizard {{Shazam}} did live in Ancient Egypt, maybe he knows the answers!