Hades and the Sphinx

Well, this was just a little thing for fun that I wrote last year, featuring my favorite characters from Greek mythology.

Hades and The Sphinx

 

               One gloomy day in the land of Greece, the mighty Hades, God of the Underworld, strolled down the pathway to Thebes. The proud dog Cerberus, panted with his three tongues as he trotted alongside his master. Inside the city of Thebes, an important meeting of the Gods took place. Why Zeus decided this meeting must not reside on Olympus floated in the back of Hades’ mind, but the thought dwindled. Suddenly, Cerberus barked three times, each with a different head, and leaped ahead like a cat after a mouse. Hades followed his canine companion to the tunnel of Thebes, the place just before the city. Cerberus howled like a wolf at some unseen being at the top of the tunnel. As Hades raised his mighty head to gaze at the top, a slender creature slinked its way down from its perch in movements like water, coiling around the rocks and then planting its haunches in front of Hades.

The creature bore white fangs and sharp claws, a snake for a tail, the wings of an eagle, and body of a lioness. The demon faced Hades with a human face, and then spoke: “Stop. Who would pass the Tunnel of Thebes must answer me these riddles three, ere the other side he see.” Hades stared at the demon, confusion passing across his dark face. “And what are you?” he simply asked. The creature frowned as she placed her paw on her face. “I am The Sphinx, daughter of Orthus and the Chimera. If you wish to pass through the tunnel, you have to answer my riddles.” Hades pondered this command for several seconds, and then replied: “Alright, fine. But don’t waste my time. What are the riddles?”

“Here is the deal. Solve my riddles and you may pass through, but get any of them wrong and I will eat you.” Her smirk suddenly glistened in the sunlight peeking through the clouds. Hades gave an annoyed huff, “Whatever, let’s just get this over with.” Cerberus calmed down at the confidence in his master’s voice, and silenced his barking. The Sphinx licked her furry brown paw and drew it over her ears as she recited the riddle, such as she recited many times before: “Which creature walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?” The God of the dead put his fingers to his temples, as if lost in thought, but only a few seconds later he boastfully said, “Man! The answer is man. Please, Sphinx, if that the best you can do?” The Sphinx’s smile widened, like that of a cat, and said, “Good show, Mr. Hades. But that was only the first riddle. Can you solve the second and third?” Ever since Oedipus answered her riddle all those years ago, many travelers could solve the first riddle, but none could solve the second. “Of course I can! Do you think I’m a fool?” This the Sphinx did not answer, for all beings are fools compared to demons. “Here is the second riddle: There are two sisters: one gives birth to the other and she, in turn, gives birth to the first. Who are the two sisters?” Her smile reached her ears when surprise crossed the God’s face. No mortal could ever solve this riddle, and none had lived to spread the word. But could a God solve this riddle? “Take all the time you need,” the demon said with closed eyes as she lied down on the rocky sand. Hades glanced at his canine guard for help, but the three-headed dog simply chased some butterflies. Perplexed and slightly enraged, the powerful God fiddled with the riddle’s words, trying to find a hidden message.

Half an hour passed, and the golden chariot in the sky slowly climbed downwards. Finally, Hades rose to his feet, and gazed at the Sphinx with fire in his eyes. “Sphinx, I cannot solve your riddle. Will you please tell me the answer?” The Sphinx lifted her head, for she slept during the God’s troubled thought process. “No. But I will give you a head start.” Lifting her haunches, her leg muscles flexed and rippled under the brown fur, and the snake on her tail bore its poison-dipped fangs. Hades and Cerberus trembled in fear, and the dog took off running. Hades suddenly realized that the demon made a mistake. “You cannot eat me, foolish creature.” This remark took the Sphinx aback, and hatred flared in her eyes. “I am immortal, a God. Such a silly demon like you can’t possibly defeat me. Nobody can!” said the God of the Underworld, taunting her with his words. The Sphinx snarled like a mad dog, and flashed her claws, “But I can still chase you.”

Sprinting down the trail, the mighty Hades ran as fast as a cheetah, running away from the terrible Sphinx. She jumped from tree to tree like a monkey, and growled with fury. Never had anyone escaped the grasp of her claws and fangs. The demon chased the dark God and his pet across the land, straight to the gates of the Underworld. The Sphinx growled through the bars, fangs dripping, lips curling as she wailed, “I’ll get you next time!” She crawled out of the black pit and back to Thebees.

 Three days later, Persephone convinced Hades to venture out of his hiding place. Cerberus still hid his face from the light at his post, the feeling of hot lion breath still steaming on his neck. “Dear Hades,” Persephone cooed, “Why did the Sphinx scare you so? You are a much better being than a hybrid demon. She made you miss your meeting.” “She, what?” Hades asked. “She WHAT?!” His voice roared through the cambers, echoing across the land. Even Zeus himself heard distant bellow from his chair on Olympus. “Dear, you should not have acted so bold to her. Maybe if you were nicer, she would of let you pass,” Persephone tried to reason with her dark husband. Hades stormed through the rooms, steam rising from his ears, fire replaced his once beautiful head of black hair. He stomped into the final chamber that held the souls. Their wails and moans filled the whole room; no mortal could bare the noise.

 Hades forced his sharp, long fingers into the waters below. The souls started glowing yellow, then orange, then red. The souls flamed with fury, and they shot up from their pit. Hades bellowed with rage as the souls engulfed with fire. Cerberus and Persephone tried to calm their master, but his actions tired him. He lay down on the rocky earth as the souls escaped the Underworld. The souls happened to erupt from the caverns directly at the top of Mount Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland. The eruption shook the earth, the mountain spewed smoke and lava, all at the hands of Hades. Since that day, Hades never set foot near Thebes, in fear and in shame, from the Sphinx. He learned his lesson, to never boast to any living being, especially to a demon.

Author's Note

Mount Eyjafjallajokull is a real mountain.
Sphinx are at times considered demons.
If you can figure out the answer to the riddle, take a guess.