The hieracosphinx (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ἱερακόσφιγξ) is a mythical beast found in Egyptian sculpture and European heraldry.[1] The god Haroeris ("Horus the Elder") was usually depicted as one.[2] The name Hieracosphinx comes from the Greek Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Ιερακόσφιγξ, itself from Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ἱέραξ (hierax "hawk") + Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: σφίγξ ("sphinx").[3]
The Hieracosphinx has the head of a hawk and the body of a lion. The name was coined by Herodotus for the hawk-headed sphinxes that he saw in Egypt; the other being the ram-headed sphinx which Herodotus called Criosphinx (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Κριόσφιγξ).
The Hieracosphinx is the name of a monster card in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game.[4]
In the Real-time strategy game Age of Mythology, worshipping Bast allows players to upgrade their Sphinxes to Hieracosphinxes.