Saturday, 6 December 2008

The Iggy Sphinx

A lot of people don’t know what the Great Sphinx in Egypt is. Some say it is a lion with a human head but I say it is a dog. Maxy, shown here, is an Italian Greyhound or commonly known as an Iggy. The Romans found the breed domesticated in Egypt when they conquered it. They then introduced the Iggy as a companion to the rich throughout the Empire hence its name. The earlier Iggies had pointed ears that stood up but now they just flop down. Remains of Iggies have been found in Pompeii and in a number of the pharaoh’s tombs. Now the Egyptian God of the Dead, Anubis, has an Iggy head not a jackal and I believe the Sphinx is also an Iggy. In the archeological circles they say the Great Sphinx originally had a different head than one of the pharaohs. Could it have been Anubis’ face that broke and was re-carved? Here is Maxy silhouetted to give a good perspective of the Great Sphinx. As you can see Maxy’s favourite sitting position is identical in proportion to the Great Sphinx. No lion but a dog.

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