What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening? This riddle was supposedly asked to travelers by a mythological creature called the Sphinx. This monster had the body of a lion but the face of a human. This same creature occurs in surprisingly many cultures, with, of course, local variations.
Probably the most famous of the ancient sphinxes is the huge one carved from rock near the Great Pyramids of Egypt. In this version, the Great Sphinx of Giza, as it is officially known, had the body of a lion and the head of a man. In the Greek version of their sphinx, the monster had the body of a lion, the face of a woman, and a pair of wings. Another major difference between the two types of sphinx was their character. The sphinx of Greece was a merciless man-eating monster, killing anyone unable to answer her riddle. On the contrary, the Egyptian man-faced sphinx was kindly.
Other cultures also imagined sphinxes with a lion's body and person's face, with or without wings. Ancient Persians depicted sphinxes in stone and wall paintings. In South and Southeast Asia, winged sphinxes appear not only in ancient drawings and sculptures, but even now frequently in modern drawings, paintings, and wood carvings. The sphinxes in most of these areas are seen as good spirits, protecting people from harm. These beasts are closely related to local Hindu and Buddhist mythologies and traditions.
So, have you figured out the riddle yet? The answer is: a man. People crawl as babies in the morning of their lives, then walk on both feet in the afternoon, and finally, with the assistance of a cane, on three feet in the evening. Now, should you ever come across a sphinx, you will have the correct answer to her riddle and not be eaten alive.
1. What is the main purpose of the article?
(A) To compare different sphinxes.
(B) To give a history of sphinx mythology.
(C) To explain an ancient riddle.
(D) To detail9 the use of sphinxes in art.
2. In what way are Greek and Egyptian sphinxes the same?
(A) They both have wings.
(B) They both have the face of a man.
(C) They both have the body of a lion.
(D) They both have the face of a woman.
3. According to the article, in what way are Greek and most South and Southeast Asian sphinxes different?
(A) Greek sphinxes are seen as benevolent.
(B) The Greek version is much older than the Asian sphinxes.
(C) Greek sphinxes had wings, but Asian sphinxes didn't.
(D) Sphinxes are still depicted in modern Southern and Southeast Asian art.
4. Which sphinxes are mentioned as being related to religious influences?
(A) Greek.
(B) Egyptian.
(C) Persian.
(D) Southern and Southeast Asian. |
