Planar Adventures for Dummies: Ecology of the Lammasu, Shedu, Sphinx and Simurgh

Sphinxes attested in archaeology

Nomenclature: alad, apsasu, chamrosh, cherub, foo dog, foo lion, lammasu, Neo-Hittite chimera, purushamriga, shedu, simurgh, sphinx, tetramorph, urmaḫlullû

Description: Celestial beings with the body of a winged lion or bull and the head of a human, ram or hawk; assigned the duty of guarding scared places and secrets from intruders, but those that pass their tests are rewarded.

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Sphinxes were revered as apotropaic (protective) or tutelary deities in the ancient cultures of the Middle East. They guard gateways, palaces, temples, tombs, lavatories and other sacred places from those who would defile or plunder them. In India they are called purushamriga or "human-beast." In Assyrian lama or lamassu is the feminine term, while shedu is the masculine term. However, sphinxes are sexless and do not reproduce: they are either created or arise spontaneously to guard a sacred place.

Chinese guardian lions, Breath of Fire IV

Sphinxes have the bodies of big cats or cattle (sometimes other animals or a hybrid thereof), the heads of men or beasts, and usually a pair of wings. Some may confuse sphinxes with griffons or manticores, but this is a grave mistake and woe to the poor fool who says so within earshot of the sphinx.

Mantisphinx, Creepy Creatures: Bestiary of the Bizarre

Regardless of their animal aspects, sphinxes are always dressed in style. Elaborate headdresses, skirts and jewelry are their daily regalia. It remains unclear where these ornaments come from or how the sphinx puts them on, and they may simply be part of the sphinx's own body.

Lammasu or Shedu, hybrid bull/lion

The Face

A sphinx's head gives some indication of its personality, what it guards, and the nature of its tests, but only very generally. They are associated with both the pharoahs and the Egyptian deities that share their heads. Here are some examples:

The androsphinx, gynosphinx or harmachis bears the faces of dead monarchs, kings and queens alike. They are revered as symbols of the cosmos, astrology, the union of physical and intellectual power. They are associated with the human-headed gods Amon, Khem, Pthah and Osiris.
The criosphinx bears the head of a ram. They are revered as guardians of the sun and symbols of silence. They are associated with the ram-headed god Neph (aka Nef, Kneph, Cnouphis, Cnoubis, Noub, Nou?).
The hieracosphinx or axex bears the head of a hawk or other bird. They are revered as symbols of solar power and associated with the hawk-headed gods Re and Horus.

The gypsosphinx bears the head of a vulture. They are revered as symbols of maternity and associated with the vulture-headed goddess Nekhebet.
The threskisphinx bears the head of an ibis. They are revered as symbols of knowledge and associated with the ibis-headed god Thoth.

The cynosphinx, canisphinx or luposphinx bears the head of a jackal, fox, wolf or other canine. They are revered as symbols of death and safe passage to the afterlife. They are associated with the jackal-headed god Anubis.
The crocosphinx, dracosphinx or saurosphinx bears the head of a crocodile, lizard, dragon or other reptile. They are revered as symbols of the pharoah's power, fertility and military prowess. They are associated with the crocodile-headed god Sobek.
The mantisphinx bears the head and claws of a mantis. They are known for being emotionless and for guarding sites of arcane power.

Cynosphinx guarding Tutankamun's tomb

Rumors

The MM is wrong: sphinxes are celestials, not monstrosities. What else do you type a creation of the gods?
Sphinxes have the torsos of men, similar to centaurs, regardless of the aspect of their head and lower body.
While sphinxes are sexless, they may sire or bear half-celestial offspring with a mortal partner. The half-sphinx has the choice of living as a mortal or serving as a sphinx.
Sphinxes are related to the chimera, lamia, and manticore.

This is false. Stories of man-eating sphinxes are due to confusion between them.
Sphinxes are mortal enemies of the manticore. The origin of this feud remains unknown, and neither desires to speak of it. (credit to 13th Age)
There are no fallen sphinxes. Sphinxes that fall become lamias and manticores.

Nagas are enemies of the sphinxes, associated with the chaos dragon Apep.

This is false. Nagas are loosely kin to sphinxes, and may be good or evil.

Sphinx depicted with torso in woodcut

The Simurgh and Chamrosh

Nomenclature: Saēna (Avestan), Sēnmurw (Pahlavi), Simargl (Slavic), Simorḡ (Persian), Sīna-Mrū (Pāzand), and various transliterations thereof

Known by many names throughout history, the simurgh is a gigantic cynosphinx or dracosphinx with colorful plumage and wings wide enough to block out the sun when it flies. It speaks all languages and sees through time. It is famous for raising the heroes Rustam and Zal.

It lives on Mount Albur and guards the Tree of Life that seeds all the world's plants and animals. If that was not enough, the mountain is set on an island in the middle of the Vourukasa sea. The sea is filled with voracious fish that will eat anything that tries to cross the waters.

The simurgh is served by the chamrosh, smaller cynosphinxes or cynogriffins. They carry the seeds of the Tree of Life into the sky, where they are rained upon the earth by the clouds. According to legend, they appear every three years to repel those who invade Persia.

The simurgh has an evil counterpart that also lives atop a mountain. This evil simurgh resembles a black cloud or mountain as it flies, and its claws are huge enough to carry off elephants with ease. It was eventually slain by the hero Isfandiyar.

The Greek Sphinx

The sphinx originates from Egyptian and Middle Eastern cultures. When it was exported to the Greeks, they invented a wholly new monster with little resemblance to the original. As the Greeks were also the source of the manticore, it is possible they confused the two. Where the original sphinxes were tutelary deities, the Greek sphinx (or phix in Boeotian dialect) was a man-eating monster spawned by Echidna. She made her home at a crossroads and refused passage unless the traveler could answer its riddle. If they failed, she ate them. When Oedipus finally answered her riddle, she committed suicide and her reign of terror ended.

"Gynosphinx" is actually a neologism, possibly invented by D&D by analogy with the Androsphinx of Egyptology. The female sphinx of Greek mythology is properly known as the Theban sphinx, Greek sphinx, or phix.

In earlier editions of D&D, sphinxes were a loose amalgam of the Egyptian and Greek traditions. In 5e, sphinxes returned to their roots as tutelary guardians with only a trace influence by the Greek tradition in the form of the gynosphinx and her riddles. If one desires to replicate the functionality of the sphinxes of earlier editions, I would recommend folding them into manticores.

Relevant links

Useful reference books

Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth by Carol Rose
Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore by Theresa Bane

Planar Adventures for Dummies

Pages

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Ecology of the Lammasu, Shedu, Sphinx and Simurgh