Hieracosphinx
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The hieracosphinx is a mythical beast, a gryphon-like chimera found in Egyptian sculpture and European heraldry [1] comprising a lion with the gryphon's aquiline head replaced by that of a falcon. The name was coined by Herodotus to the falcon-headed sphinxes that he saw in Egypt. The other being the ram-headed sphinx which Herodotus called Criosphinx. The hieracosphinx is taken by some as an augury of the evil.
- ^ Gwynn-Jones, P. Ll. (1998) The Art of Heraldry : origins, symbols, designs, London : Parkgate, ISBN 1-85585-560-7
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