DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17#0060
40 PYRAMIDS AND PROGRESS.
Mariette, Maspero, Pétrie, Sayce, and many others, consider it to be pre-historic.
The enormous creature is cut out of the living rock, and the same strata
appears a short way off to the south, and at almost a similar elevation. All
the stone between has been excavated for building tombs and temples, long
subsequent to the carving of the Sphinx, which was carefully left as a venerated
monument. This alone is enough to prove its great antiquity. It was much
admired and protected in Greek and Roman times, and even the early Mahome-
tans seemed to have respected it. But the fanatical Mamelouks regarded it as
an Afreet, or evil spirit, and used it as a target for their matchlocks, and even
battered its features with cannon shot. Even now there is much need for this
venerable relic to have the consideration of the Government. There should
be trustworthy guardians appointed to take charge of it. The Bedouins from
the adjacent village crowd about the place, running all over the crumbling stone,
climbing to the top and capering like monkeys, to earn baksheesh. Now the
neck is all worn away owing to the softness of that part of the stone, being
acted upon by the sand-blast of the desert, while the head remains intact, being
of hard rock. These wild creatures dancing on the top may actually loosen
the head so as to endanger its breaking off altogether. With all that it has
suffered, though ruined and battered by wanton violence, it is, perhaps, the
most wonderful monument in the world. In certain lights we do not notice
the battered countenance, and the earnest eyes seem to glow like those of a
faithful dog, trying to express what it cannot utter.
I had often tried to take its portrait, and one day recently I tried again.
I mounted the hillock of sand which commands the view of the Great Sphinx
itself, opened the sketching apparatus—the faithful Arab holding the big umbrella
over me to exclude the burning sun—and began to sketch the once lovely
countenance. The Arabs of bygone times made a target of its head, with the
result that only in certain positions of the light can its original expression be
even imagined, much less caught by camera or by the draughtsman. As I
puzzled over this part of the work, I heard my Arab friend say, " Sar, if you
saw what she was like when she was made, you would be glad, would not you ? "
I said, " I should be glad indeed. I am sure she was beautiful ; but how horribly
spoiled now."- "I once found a little sphinkes, a nice little model, and, I think,
as old as the big one." "What became of it? Could I see it?" He waited
till all the Arabs standing round had disappeared, and from the folds of his
voluminous mantle produced a little sphinx, about five inches high, broken away
below, but with a lovely face, quite perfect as to head and features, and of
beautiful workmanship. The modelling and carving was exquisite. The stone
was green basalt, so hard that it could barely be marked with a sharp penknife ;
Mariette, Maspero, Pétrie, Sayce, and many others, consider it to be pre-historic.
The enormous creature is cut out of the living rock, and the same strata
appears a short way off to the south, and at almost a similar elevation. All
the stone between has been excavated for building tombs and temples, long
subsequent to the carving of the Sphinx, which was carefully left as a venerated
monument. This alone is enough to prove its great antiquity. It was much
admired and protected in Greek and Roman times, and even the early Mahome-
tans seemed to have respected it. But the fanatical Mamelouks regarded it as
an Afreet, or evil spirit, and used it as a target for their matchlocks, and even
battered its features with cannon shot. Even now there is much need for this
venerable relic to have the consideration of the Government. There should
be trustworthy guardians appointed to take charge of it. The Bedouins from
the adjacent village crowd about the place, running all over the crumbling stone,
climbing to the top and capering like monkeys, to earn baksheesh. Now the
neck is all worn away owing to the softness of that part of the stone, being
acted upon by the sand-blast of the desert, while the head remains intact, being
of hard rock. These wild creatures dancing on the top may actually loosen
the head so as to endanger its breaking off altogether. With all that it has
suffered, though ruined and battered by wanton violence, it is, perhaps, the
most wonderful monument in the world. In certain lights we do not notice
the battered countenance, and the earnest eyes seem to glow like those of a
faithful dog, trying to express what it cannot utter.
I had often tried to take its portrait, and one day recently I tried again.
I mounted the hillock of sand which commands the view of the Great Sphinx
itself, opened the sketching apparatus—the faithful Arab holding the big umbrella
over me to exclude the burning sun—and began to sketch the once lovely
countenance. The Arabs of bygone times made a target of its head, with the
result that only in certain positions of the light can its original expression be
even imagined, much less caught by camera or by the draughtsman. As I
puzzled over this part of the work, I heard my Arab friend say, " Sar, if you
saw what she was like when she was made, you would be glad, would not you ? "
I said, " I should be glad indeed. I am sure she was beautiful ; but how horribly
spoiled now."- "I once found a little sphinkes, a nice little model, and, I think,
as old as the big one." "What became of it? Could I see it?" He waited
till all the Arabs standing round had disappeared, and from the folds of his
voluminous mantle produced a little sphinx, about five inches high, broken away
below, but with a lovely face, quite perfect as to head and features, and of
beautiful workmanship. The modelling and carving was exquisite. The stone
was green basalt, so hard that it could barely be marked with a sharp penknife ;