Horus as a Sphinx

This is a really interesting piece from the British Museum!

It is a sandstone 𓂋𓅱𓂧𓏏𓌗𓈙 statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 of a falcon 𓃀𓇋𓎡𓅄 headed sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤! Usually sphinxes 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏦 are depicted as being the body of a lion 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛 with the head 𓁶𓏺 of a man 𓊃𓀀𓏤, but obviously this one is quite different!

This particular statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 is dated to c. 1250 B.C.E.; the reign of Rameses II 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓. This sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 and many other similar ones used to stand guard at Rameses II’s 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 at Abu Simbel.

Sphinxes 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏦 are incredibly powerful creatures because not only do they represent the physical strength 𓄇𓏏𓂝𓏭 of a lion 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛, but also the power of a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. While the pharaoh’s 𓉐𓉻 head 𓁶𓏺 isn’t represented on this sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤, a falcon is. Falcons 𓃀𓇋𓎡𓅄𓏦 are associated with the god 𓊹 Horus 𓅃𓀭, who is the personification of the pharaoh’s 𓉐𓉻 power. Since one of Horus’ 𓅃𓀭 roles is as the god 𓊹 of pharaonic power, it makes sense that sphinxes 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏦 can also represent pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 while using a falcon 𓃀𓇋𓎡𓅄 head 𓁶𓏺.