Untitled Essay, Research Paper
The Riddle of the SphinxThe study of myths probably began in the 4th century. BC. when Euthemerus
explained
them as exaggerated adventures of historical individuals. The allegorical
interpretation of
myths , stemming from the 18th century study , says that at one time myths
were invented
by wise men to point out a truth, but after a time myths were taken literally.
The linguistic
corruption interpretation says that myths could be understood as allegory
for events found in
nature. The Jungians school denoted myths as a mechanism of wish fulfillment.
Sir James
Frazer, believed that all myths were originally connected with the idea of
fertility in nature,
with birth, death, and resurrection of vegetation as a constantly recurring
motif. Though the
modern interpretation of myths is not general but a specific explanation
for myths of a single
people. The theological interpretation states that myths are foreshadowings
of facts of the
Scripture or corruptions of them. This view, which is not contemporarily
popular, is
surprisingly enlightening when attention is paid to the meaning of names
of characters and
places in relation to Biblical stories. Even recent fairy tales which fall
into the category of
myth, often reveal through metaphor more truth in scripture than one would
anticipate.The most relevant and necessary topic for the understanding of the imagery
and
symbolism of myth is found in the framework of the celestial zodiac. The
pictures found
today in the zodiac were not developed by the Greeks, but were in place perhaps
as early as
4000 B.C. predating even the civilizations of Sumaria. The pictures were
not arranged in
haphazard order to aid in the tracking of the star movements but with order
and purpose of
depicting an epic narrative. This understanding of the zodiac reveals an
intelligence and
scientific understanding that was corrupted through time . The symb
which remains can
be analyzed to reveal the basic truth behind it.The story of the sphinx is an excellent example of the zodiac / myth connection.
The
sphinx a composite creature with the head of a woman or man and the body
of a lion was
associated with the guarding of sacred sites of antiquity. It represented
the whole of the
narrative of the zodiac, with the head of a woman, Virgo the beginning of
the celestial cycle
and the body of a lion, Leo,the end of the cycle. In fact, the actual design
for what scripture
calls a cherub is in actuality,a sphinx. The angels were beings whose sole
purpose was to
reflect the will and the glory of the God who created them. They were depicted
symbolically
as composite creatures whose parts reflected the zodiacal narrative. The
Greek myth
Oedipus Rex contains symbols of relevance to corrupted truth. When Oedipus
encountered
the Greek sphinx, he was asked a riddle., “What speaks with one voice, yet
in the morning
walks on four legs, walks at noon on two legs and in the evening walks on
three legs?”
Oedipus was the only man to answer correctly. The answer was “man”. Upon
hearing her
riddle solved the sphinx screamed in rage, threw herself to the rocks below
her lofty perch
and died.Such a simple answer to this enigmatic question leaves one to ponder its
significance.What
more can be gleaned from the content of the story? The sphinx as it has been
stated was
actually a symbolic depiction of an angel. This angel was not, however, anything
like the
dutiful messengers of God described in scripture but a horrible monster bent
on the destruction of
any man it came in contact with. The biblical basis for such a creature is
found in Ezekial 28.
The “king of Tyre” or “King of the rock” as he is symbolically addressed,
was the greatest of
all angels. In fact so great was his splendor that he believed himself as
great as his creator.
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