Talk:Sphinx

message: While doing my research on the purushamriga the issue of the meaning of the word mriga was part of the discussion. The translation 'human-beast' comes from A.B.Keith's translation of the Yajur Veda (1914), p.452. I am aware that in classical Sanskrit mriga generally means deer or antelope (etc). But for instance the scholar B.G.Tilak in his book "The Orion, or the researches into the anto the antiquity of the Vedas" mentions that in the Rig Veda the word mriga can also mean lion. I have therefore chosen to follow the translation of Keith, because it is obvious (see the photos in my website) the purushamriga is part lion, part human. It is also described as such in the tradition by various works and scholars.
There are a few instances where we find depictions of purushamriga, the Indian Sphinx, with deer hooves instead of claws. For instance in the examples from Thailand. And I have also found a few in South India. But this could have been the result of the artist understanding the word mriga to mean 'deer'. I am not sure of this. It is still under investigation. 
In the meantime I prefer to use the term given by Keith, 'human-beast'.
Rajadeekshitar 08:22, 9 February 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Purushamriga, human-beast or man-deer? 

message: For people with a short attention span and no genuine interest in the history of images or ideas, it might seem like a good idea to split Sphinx into numerous brief articles, so that any possible interconnections will be untraceable. I hope this won't be done as thoughtlessly as it was suggested. Leave the splitting for the individual Pokemon characters, please! They offer a fine example of how minute splitting can render Wikipedia subjects incomprehensible. Wetman 04:51, 25 Aug 2004 (UTC)
replies: text: I agree in principal, there are too many fragmented articles that disturbs comprehension, although once enough material accumulates it makes sense to have separate articles, with an umbrella article (like this one) that ties common themes and subjects together, similar to what was done with First Crusade or Middle Ages. But not until there is enough material to justify a split should one be made, and only when the top level article can contain a summary of the main points which are expanded in detail the offshoot article. Stbalbach 21:56, 20 Mar 2005 (UTC)
thread_title: Splitting up the article '''Sphinx'''

message: "On the vernal equinox, the Great Sphinx points directly toward the rising sun." Any particulars would be welcome. --Wetman 19:39, 20 Mar 2005 (UTC)
thread_title: Orientation of the Great Sphinx

message: We need administrator help to make this move. There was an error made while making a disambiguation page. Stbalbach 23:59, 7 May 2005 (UTC)
replies: text: OK, yeah, that's what it should be. I saw someone changing a link to Sphinx on an article and making it Sphinx (iconic image) and went here to look for what was going on but didn't see anything except moving Sphinx to Sphinx, which makes no sense. Looks like someone got too bold and moved the article and had to get help to get it back but it wasn't spelled out so that someone coming to see could know what was going on. DreamGuy 00:44, May 8, 2005 (UTC)
Great; this really deserves primary topic ranking, but having a disambig page for the other uses is handy, too.  Panic over; move along now, nothing to see here. Don't forget to share your holiday snaps with the WikiCommons Sphinx. –Hajor 00:58, 8 May 2005 (UTC)

text: This was my first try at creating a disambiguation page.  Sorry about the major mixup.  I was using Elevation as an example and the main article there is a disambiguation page.  --Randy 01:46, 8 May 2005 (UTC)
replies: text: 's ok. The difference with elevation is that the (first three, at least) uses are more or less equally important, so that article is made into the disambig page. Here, one of the meanings is clearly far more prominent, so it gets the choice location and the other (subsidiary) ones are relegated to Sphinx (disambiguation). DreamGuy (above) asks the key question: What on earth on the disambig page comes anywhere near close to being something that someone who typed that word in would be looking for instead of this? That's the clincher.  Anyway, all sorted and no harm done. Cheers, –Hajor 02:04, 8 May 2005 (UTC)

text: A quantitative way is the "What links here", if one Sphinx article has a lot of incoming links, thats a good bet it should occupy the prime real estate. Plus your technically supposed to edit all the articles to remove the disambig, and looking at Sphinx that would have been a huge job :) Stbalbach 02:29, 8 May 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  admin article rename request 

message: If not done so, why not include the story of the riddling sphinx? That story, if you're looking for it, is on almost every search engine. The best site is link title. It will tell you the story in different versions. This message for all LITERATURE LOVERS.--Mac Simms 17:28, 3 December 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  Legend Story 

message: Can anyone render the following assertion—"extrapolated to norms of the race", etc— sensibly and suggest where it originates?
Like other monsters taken from Greek mythology, the basic themes of the Egyptian and Greek sphinxes are extrapolated to norms of the race as a whole. For example, most portrayals of the Sphinx have is either obligated to, or fond of, forcing potential victims to answer riddles to spare their lives. Sphinxes are depicted with varying levels of intellect and savagery, and tend to live in desert areas.
For the time being, I've moved it here. --Wetman 02:48, 15 June 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  One point-of-view 

message: May I suggest adding this self-made photograph to the article? -- Omernos 17:13, 4 July 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Photograph 

message: Who invented these Greek names: "Androsphinx" (it can't be with the head of a woman with that name, can it?), "Criosphinx", and "Hierocosphinx"? Are these antiquarian inventions? 18th century? 19th century? And whence the name "Sesheps"? An inscription somewhere?--Wetman 03:14, 14 September 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Whose names are these? 

message: Are ya'll sure it was an invention of the egyptians? I heard somewhere that its precedents were in the fantasticd animals represented on mesopotamian carvings, whom the egyptians traded with. Any answer to that? get back to me ya'll, peace. Teth22 19:42, 31 January 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  About the Sphinx's origins... 

message: i have to do a report on the greek sphinx and i need to know some of its' habbits, origins, and stuff like that. i need hard core evidence, something that is believeable. so far, i know nothing about the greek sphinx. so can you please help me? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 216.220.95.1 (talk) 16:12, 26 March 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  the origin of the greek sphinx 

message: I am currently having a discussion on the nose of the Sphinx, did it get destroyed by European invaders, did it fall off because of erosion, did it fall off because of a failed restoration attempt or some other way? (Or is it even known.) Thanks !
It was shot off by Napolean's soldiers, but I don't hav ea source.
 says that the missing nose was smashed of by a Muhammad Sa'im al-Dahr who was a Sufi fanatic. Should there be a bit more information on the Great Sphinx? Akid 23:53, 11 August 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  What happened to the nose? 

message: Trying to dig up sources, until then using the talk page as a holding place for the new section. Jason Harvestdancer | Talk to me 17:04, 30 October 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: In occult symbolism they sphynx has the head of a human, the wings of an eagle, the front quarters of a lion, and the rear quarters of a bull.  This corresponds to the fixed signs of Astrology, with the human being Aquarius and air, the lion being Leo and fire, the bull being Taurus and earth, and the eagle being Scorpio and water
The sphinx with the body of the lion and human head represents the astrological point in between where Leo ends and Virgo begins and it symbolises the taming of the spirit. Astrology is a unifying factor in the sphinxes across all the different cultures represented on the page and explains the similarities between them.  —Preceding charmvirgo comment added by Charmvirgo (talk • contribs) 20:51, 6 February 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  New Section - Sphynx in Occult Symbolism 

message: has any body got information about the sphinx in persia. There are a lot pictures of the "persian" sphinx but no information about it's importance and mythologie in persia! in the article there is no word about the sphinx in persia!  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.142.97.177 (talk) 23:30, 5 January 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  persian sphinx  

message: This section and the picture added could be useful, but it needs some citations for verification. Particularly: Sphinxes were placed at the entrance of the temple to guard the mysteries, by warning those who penetrated within, that they should conceal a knowledge of them from the uninitiated; and hence Portal derives the word from the Hebrew TSaPHaN, to Hide. - this needs a reliable source added, especially the 'uninitiated' bit, as it sounds a bit like Masonic terminology being pushed onto Egyptian use of the Sphinx. 
Also, by which Portal suggests that the priests intended to express the idea that all the gods were hidden from the people, and that the knowledge of them, guarded in the sanctuaries, was revealed to the initiates only.
The editor mentions Champollion but does not directly cite him, and no modern reliable sources are cited. Those sentences need to be removed if a reliable source is not given for them. Brando130 (talk) 17:25, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Sphinx in Freemasonry 

message: Guys, maybe you should take a look at this: http://guardians.net/hawass/remnants.htm
It says the Sphinx was there from around 7000 BC, before the egyptian civilization started.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 189.54.239.148 (talk) 12:23, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: No, it's quite interesting, but says this theory is rubbish. Johnbod (talk) 01:15, 30 April 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Rubbish? Why? It seems only a head of the Sphinx is Egyptian origin, the body could be older Zenanarh (talk) 11:00, 8 May 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Sphinx prior to ancient egypt? 

message: I've yanked the following footnote, which I think was intended to be a comment about the text, not a footnote.  Not to say it's inaccurate--I wouldn't know--but it definitely isn't supposed to be a footnote.Ethan Mitchell (talk) 02:35, 6 January 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: It is incorrect to make a connection between the sphinx in general or the purushamriga, the Indian sphinx, and Shri Narasimha, the fourth avatar or incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Narasimha is Lord Vishnu, a deity, incarnated to destroy evil on earth. Vishnu is known in the tradition and doctrine as the Preserver of the Hindu Trimurti or Trinity. He is depicted as a human being with the head of a lion. The purushamriga is a demi-god with the body of a lion and the head of a human being, and is one of the pramotha-ganas of Lord Shiva, according to the doctrine. There is absolutely no relevant connection between the two according to Hindu doctrine.
I was reverted back in and I've reverted it back out.  My thinking:  It appears the same word is used in different places in different ways and that seems to be clear in the text.  The lower case use of narasimha appears to be a sphinx.  The upper case Narasimha is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.  If it needs to be more clearly spelled out, let's not use footnotes. (John User:Jwy talk) 03:34, 6 January 2009 (UTC)
thread_title: Footnote Issue

message: 248 edits since 2 January have resulted in this. The one improvement was made by a logged-in editor.  I'm removing this from my Watchlist. About three adults are holding this article together. Can they get some support from the Administrative teeners?--Wetman (talk) 18:14, 14 April 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: I'm not exactly a teener, but I've protected it for a month, after that, we'll see. Dougweller (talk) 18:48, 14 April 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Long-range semi-protection needed 

message: The bottom of the page mentions a dissertation that discusses the symbolism of the sphinx's different parts: man, lion, eagle, ox, serpent. The article shows that the original Egyptian sphinx was only man and lion. It further tells that Greek mythology added the eagle and serpent. But, the article makes no mention of the ox features. In fact, none of the images I saw presented a sphinx with ox legs. It would be interesting to know whether the ox characteristics pre-date the description in Ezekiel or if it was applied in more modern times. -BaronGrackle (talk) 12:44, 25 January 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: I've deleted that section, it was a combination of a minor fringe view and some original research about Exekiel and doesn't belong in an encyclopedic article based on reliable sources. Dougweller (talk) 13:59, 25 January 2010 (UTC)
thread_title: Origins of the ox legs?

message: Two things that I seem to remember from my studies of ancient Greece: that one of the other main traits of a traditional Greek sphinx were the ears of a donkey, and that the "great sphinx" wasn't a sphinx at all The sphinx was created by (I think) the Babylonians and spread into Greek mythology (and also stayed their as it became Persia). When the Greeks from the classical period went to Egypt, which was really old even back then, they saw the "Sphinx" and since it was close enough to their depictions of a sphinx they named it as such in their writings, and since most of our knowledge stems from the Greeks and the middle east we continued to call it a sphinx. But, it doesn't have wings, or the right type of tail, or ears (although I think those were less common), and the Egyptians didn't consider it a "sphinx" just a hybrid between a human and the most powerful animal that they new existed, the lion. And if you have seen any Egyptian gods you know that they are all about combining animals with humans or other animals. Now I would put some of this in the article but I don't have any citations for any of this stuff and it runs counter to many of the things said in this article.
I do think however we should cut out most of the info on "The Sphinx" as their already is an article on the "Great Sphinx of Giza" and we should try to clarify that they have been retroactively classified as sphinx and that they do not have the same mythological history.140.232.185.74 (talk) 06:11, 23 September 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  The Sphinx is not a sphinx 

message: "The face and breast of a woman, she is mythicised as treacherous and merciless."
But there are Sphinx that have neither a female face nor chest, unless I am missing something, we should do as follows:
"Usually represented with the face and breast of a woman and mythicised as treacherous and merciless."  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 189.179.150.149 (talk) 21:19, 10 May 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  The face and breast of a woman 

message: As regards the power of speech, however, the Egyptians could not even acquire that dim comprehension which they had for the power which enables man to stand upright. Their souls had first to undergo the right schooling, so that in later times they might be able to understand the riddle — how the Christ lives in man's gift of speech. That riddle was to be received with the most sacred reverence by the maturing human soul. 
This was provided for in the most wonderful way by the Hierophants, the Initiates of the Egyptian civilization, when they erected the enigmatic Sphinx with its dumb, granite form which only produced sound under the influence of the Cosmos when the human beings of that day were in an exalted state of consciousness. In the contemplation of the silent Sphinx, from which sound only proceeded at sunrise under certain cosmic conditions and in certain relations, there came to man that deep reverence by which the soul was prepared to understand the language which must be spoken when it would be brought to higher consciousness how the Christ-Impulse gradually enters into the evolution of earthly humanity. That which the Sphinxes themselves could not yet say, although they prepared the way for it, had to be said to mankind.
http://wn.rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA/GA0152/19140307p01.html
See also the Colossi of Memnon, for example
The Colossi of Memnon, Thebes: These statues were a major tourist attraction in the ancient world. Each morning, visitors were rewarded by the sound of tones emitted from the statues with the rising of the sun. Conventional historians like to attribute this well documented phenomenon to a freak of nature due to damage to the statues caused by an earthquake in the 1st century BC. However, as early as the 5th century BC, Assyrian soldiers partially dismantled the statues in order to find the hidden mechanism within which they suspected was creating the tones. They found nothing. There was no mechanism to find. The tones were created by the subtle knowledge of the Egyptian priests in fashioning forms which resonated with the etheric formative forces streaming out of the earth each morning. 
http://www.bariumblues.com/etheric_formative_forces.htm  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.66.108.229 (talk) 15:30, 27 June 2015 (UTC)
replies: text: And this WP:FRINGE material is going to improve the article how?  Ian.thomson (talk) 16:38, 27 June 2015 (UTC)
thread_title:  Rudolf Steiner's remarkable statement on the Sphinx 

message: I believe that  ʾabū l-hawl "father of dread", could be deleted from the article. If it is the Arabic name of sphinxes in general, then is irrelevant here on en.wiki; however, I believe that it is the Arabic name of the Great Sphinx of Giza only, in that case keeping it in this article is simply incorrect. Khruner (talk) 12:17, 23 March 2016 (UTC)
thread_title:  Arabic name 

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thread_title:  External links modified 

message: thumb|a face of an old man appears on the Rocca Salvatesta watched from Fondachelli-Fantina at midday 
Shifegu, added this image to the article. I don't think a picture of a natural formation, which happens to resemble a sphinx adds anything useful to the article. I removed it once, but Shifegu added it back. What do other editors think? Paul August ☎ 14:26, 15 December 2016 (UTC)
replies: text: Yes, removed again. Johnbod (talk) 15:42, 15 December 2016 (UTC)
replies: text: I agree. That being said I can definitely see the sphinx... Iry-Hor (talk) 15:48, 15 December 2016 (UTC)
replies: text: I agree with the removal. The sphinx claim is unsourced and even so, likely non-notable enough for the article. I see the sphinx too, but only because someone pointed out it before. Just a case of pareidolia I guess. Khruner (talk) 16:52, 15 December 2016 (UTC)
replies: text: Sorry, but no I doubt very much that this rock was "sculpted", and so no I don't think this image adds anything useful to the page. Paul August ☎ 14:17, 16 December 2016 (UTC)
replies: text:  to endorse the thesis that the Rocca Salvatesta was sculpted, give a look at the other picture below showing a face of an old men that appears on its entire wall always around  midday observed from an other area in Fondachelli-Fantina, the high Patri' river, the ancient Longanus river.— Preceding unsigned comment added by Shifegu (talk • contribs) 23:03, 29 December 2016 (UTC)
replies: text:  Our WP:VERIFY policy requires us to use sources for disputed or controversial material. What you are doing we call original research and isn't allowed. Doug Weller talk 13:55, 30 December 2016 (UTC)
thread_title: Newly added image

message: As far as I can tell none of the cited sources mention the Sphinx in connection with this Iranian Gopat. And I have been unable to find any such source. Paul August ☎ 10:47, 20 July 2018 (UTC)
replies: text: I removed it but it's back in a different form. I found no sources suggesting it's like the sphinx. Doug Weller talk 18:34, 20 July 2018 (UTC)
thread_title:  Iranian Gopat? 

message: Without them it's just original research. Doug Weller talk 18:29, 20 July 2018 (UTC)
thread_title:  Similar to the sphinx section needs sources 

message: The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion:
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Participate in the deletion discussion at the . —Community Tech bot (talk) 10:08, 30 June 2021 (UTC)
thread_title:  A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion 

message: Sphinx 156.204.198.68 (talk) 16:48, 14 March 2022 (UTC)
thread_title:  When they built it? 

message: It has a human head on a lion body to show there strength and braveness 156.204.198.68 (talk) 16:49, 14 March 2022 (UTC)
thread_title:  Why it has a human head 

message: Hello, 
I found missing information on the Sphinx article, I searched for information on the subject not only on Wikipedia and added information already existing on Wikipedia. 
These posts have been deleted, and I consider it a censorship of the truth about  the Sphinx. 
Please help me to reverse these changes made by the users (Apokryltaros and HMSLavender) who are deleting posts because I suppose they practice some censorship not because of a simple text formatting issue 😉 
Thank you very much,
Aurelian Virgil Dragne Aurelian Virgil Dragne (talk) 06:08, 13 March 2023 (UTC)
replies: text: Why is it too much to ask of you to cease your accusations of censorship?  Is it too much trouble for you to explain your edits based on merits and or WP:sources, instead of false claims of persecution? --Mr Fink (talk) 15:53, 13 March 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  The riddle... 

message: Anubis should be added to the "see also" list of hybrid creatures, unless gods are purposefully left off the list:
 Interzone826 (talk) 01:22, 21 March 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  Anubis 

message: Someday, I will have time to figure out Wikipedia. Meanwhile, I worked at the Penn Museum long ago and we were always told that the sphinx there was the 3rd largest in the world. Thanks to anyone who can look into it. Not sure where to find "sphinxes by size". Can research later. Best, Rose RoseSuna (talk) 19:59, 8 July 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  Surprised the the Sphinx at Penn Museum is not here 

message: — Assignment last updated by Mimimccammon6 (talk) 01:47, 26 January 2024 (UTC)
thread_title: Wiki Education assignment: ENGL 172T Studies in Victorian Literature

message: Hello,
I'm currently in a group final project for ENGL172T (Studies in Victorian Literature) and our plan is to add a section on the Decadent movement. Specifically my group plans on adding a section about the Decadent movement and its connection to the Sphinx, specifically its use as a motif or symbol used in Decadents texts. Anyone please feel free to let us know of any changes we should, or could, make! Thank you in advance for your patience and support! Mimimccammon6 (talk) 19:15, 8 March 2024 (UTC)
thread_title:  WikiEdu Project for UCR Intent