A sphinx (/sfks/ SFINKS, Ancient Greek: [sphks], Boeotian: [phks], plural sphinxes or sphinges) is a legendary animal with a human head, lion-like body, and eagle-like wings.

The sphinx is a cunning and ruthless creature with the head of a woman, the haunches of a lion, and the wings of a bird in Greek mythology. According to Greek myth, she confronts people and asks them to solve a riddle; if they can't, she kills and eats them. [1] In the myth and play of Oedipus, there is a lethal rendition of the sphinx.

 In contrast, the sphinx in Egyptian mythology is often shown as a man (an androsphinx; Ancient Greek: v), and is thought to be kind and powerful like the Greek version. Both the Grecian and Egyptian sphinxes were revered as protectors, and statues of them frequently guard temple gates.

The sphinx experienced a significant resurgence in European decorative art during the Renaissance. Images of the sphinx during this time period were initially similar to the ancient Egyptian version, but when they were later exported to other cultures, the sphinx was frequently conceived of quite differently. This was partly because descriptions of the originals were translated differently and partly because the idea evolved as it was incorporated into other cultural traditions.

Nonetheless, sphinx representations are frequently seen in big architectural buildings like temples or royal tombs.

The verb "to squeeze" or "to tighten up" is related by folk etymology with the Greek word "sphinx," which is derived from the word. [4] [5] This name might have originated from the way that lions kill their prey—by biting the prey's throat and holding them down until they pass away. But according to historian Susan Wise Bauer, the term "sphinx" actually refers to the statue of the animal, which was carved out of "living rock" (rock that was a contiguous part of the stony body of the Earth, shaped but not cut away from its original source), rather than the beast itself. Shesepankh, which means "living image" in Egyptian, was the original form of the word.