The Spinx

Before I start this blog, I would like to ask one question: What is the deal with all these fathers hearing that their grand/son is destined to kill them, try to murder them first, fail, then years get killed randomly by them? That's something that really bugs me about spy novels/myths: if I wanted to kill someone, I would point a gun/arrow at their head, shoot, check their breathing, then relax. I wouldn't say, "Oh, how 'bout I tie Johnny Jr. to a tree on the side of a busy street where kind-hearted peasants are known to walk by and hope that he starves without anyone bothering to help him?" It's stupid!

Anyways, moving on...

Laius is a king who hears one of the above-mentioned prophecies, does the above-mentioned thing, and has his son Oedipus end up growing as a peasant.

One day they cross each other on the road to Thebes, and due to the fact that neither of them behave in a very courteous manner, Laius and Oedipus' horse get killed. The oracle is fullfilled (no one saw that coming).

When Oedipus gets home, he learns that a spinx has been terrorizing the villagers, telling them a riddle then killing them if they don't know the answer. None of them knows the answer, so there are many, many deaths. Oedipus, however, is not afraid. He goes up to the sphinx and she aks him a riddle, which is as follows: What animal walks on four legs in the morning, on two at noon, and upon four at night? The answer: Humans.

The sphinx is distraught at the fact someone solved her riddle, and she kills herself, to which I have nothing to say but: "Jeez, take a chill pill. Plenty of people have solved my riddles before yet I'm still alive. Follow my example."

The peasants are very grateful to Oedipus, and they make him king, which is when he unknowingly marries his mother (no comment). When they find out, however, instead of a tearful, cheesy, soap opera-y, mother/son reunion, she kills herslef and he tears his eyes out (although I suppose that would make a good soap opera too. He wanders around until he dies.

The End.

I think I see a point to reading all of these myths after all. They explain references in literature.

For example: In the fourth Harry Potter book, Harry is confronted by a sphinx in the Third Task, who tells him that if he doesn't answer her question correctly she will "savagely attack" him. The difference is that here he has a choice on whether or not he wants to answer, and when he does she smiles, and does not kill herself. Unless that was really a tragic and bitter smile right before her gory death is edited out of the book. Only J.K. Rowling knows.