. Symbolism of animals and birds represented in English church architecture . ry, Mermen are calledTritons. 203 CHAPTER XII THE SPHINX, TERREBOLEN, UNICORN,SERRA, REMORA, AND PHCENIX The fabulous Sphinx seems to have had heroriginal home in Egypt, and to have symbol-ised the annual overflow of the river to Herodotus, many representa-tions of her were to be found there in ancientdays. She was sculptured with the head ofa woman, and the body of a lion. She passes from Egypt into Greece, whereshe is found in Greek tragedies propoundinga riddle to the Thebans, who are killed fornot


. Symbolism of animals and birds represented in English church architecture . ry, Mermen are calledTritons. 203 CHAPTER XII THE SPHINX, TERREBOLEN, UNICORN,SERRA, REMORA, AND PHCENIX The fabulous Sphinx seems to have had heroriginal home in Egypt, and to have symbol-ised the annual overflow of the river to Herodotus, many representa-tions of her were to be found there in ancientdays. She was sculptured with the head ofa woman, and the body of a lion. She passes from Egypt into Greece, whereshe is found in Greek tragedies propoundinga riddle to the Thebans, who are killed fornot being able to guess it. Qidipus is at lastsuccessful, and the Sphinx then destroysherself. Augustus had a carving of a sphinxon his seal to symbolise the advantage ofsilence. On comparing the curious carving on thefifteenth century font of Upavon, Wilts, witha small drawing in the mappa mundi, we wereable to discover that the Upavon example,which is carved just below a lion, must be asphinx. According to the mappa mundi, thesphinx has the wings of a bird, the feet of a 204.


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