The hieracosphinx is a mythical beast found in Egyptian sculpture and European heraldry. The god Haroeris ("Horus the Elder") was usually depicted as one. The name Hieracosphinx comes from the Greek Ιερακόσφιγξ, itself from ἱέραξ (hierax "hawk") + σφίγξ ("sphinx").

Description

The Hieracosphinx has the head of a hawk and the body of a lion. The name was coined by Herodotus for the hawk-headed sphinxes that he saw in Egypt; the other being the ram-headed sphinx which Herodotus called Criosphinx.

In popular culture

The Hieracosphinx is the name of a monster card in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game. In the Real-time strategy game Age of Mythology, worshipping Bast allows players to upgrade their Sphinxes to Hieracosphinxes.