How about a birthday riddle for the enigmatic man of the hour?
What walks on four legs in the morning,
two legs at midday,
and three legs in the evening?
Does that riddle sound familiar? It probably does since it is the famous “Riddle of the Sphinx.” One can hardly refer to enigmas and riddles without including the Sphinx.
Not that sphinx…
I’m talking about the famous Greek version of the Sphinx (Σφίγξ). She (all the best monsters were female) had a human head, the haunches of a lion and was often depicted with the wings of a bird.
Sphinx with Oedipus
Source
Pictured above with the famous Oedipus, she doesn’t look terribly dangerous, but looks can be deceiving. As usual, there are several etymological stories relating to the Sphinx, but the common element is that she was a sort of curse on the city state of Thebes for some ancient transgression. Stationed outside the city, she asked her riddle of all who passed her and devoured them all when they failed to answer correctly. The situation had become so dire that the regent of Thebes…one Creon (of Antigone fame) promised the throne of Thebes to anyone who could answer the mysterious riddle.
Along came Oedipus (this is after he killed King Laius – who he didn’t know was his birth father – and before he married Jocasta – who he didn’t know was his birth mother…you can’t make this stuff up!) who took up the challenge and correctly answered the Sphinx’s riddle…when he did, she was so distraught that she flung herself off the mountainside. Enigma of the Sphinx solved.
Now, I would never venture to argue that Richard Armitage devours those who misread his cues, but he has often been plenty enigmatic since joining the Twitterverse. So then, in honor of the Sphinxine Birthday…let’s answer that riddle
Four legs in the morning:
Two legs at midday:
Three legs in the evening:
Ancient Armitage 
LOL! Excellent tie in! Happy Armitage day.
These birthday posts are getting to be a challenge! (and for the record, I’m not subliminally suggesting someone has a big head…I’m just a lazy photo editor!)
I agree. At birthday #6 I don’t have a lot of original ideas left. So I’m impressed when someone does, lol 🙂
[it’s a good thing he’s not a family member. I’d be like, it’s your birthday? AGAIN??]
Being in the throes of Mini Me’s big day (August 24th) which I’ve been bugged about incessantly since June, I’m not real big on the birthday thing, so this was a convenient fluke 🙂
Ha! Wonderful! 🙂
I try 😀
Too funny!!
I especially like the one with the cane – for whatever reason, that one cracks me up!!
1- I thought there’d be an illusion to a slightly different third leg. 2. I agree these birthday posts are getting more difficult – this year I used some of his own content for half, and recycled last year’s for the rest, and 3. why are they both called Sphinx?
1. Naughty!!
2. Right?!
3. Probably because the Greeks tended to be the travel writers of the ancient world, and the appellations they gave foreign things often stuck (Mesopotamia, hieroglyphics, etc) So a Greek traveler goes to Egypt in the 6th century, sees the Giza monument (there is no known inscription dating to its construction date, and the later Egyptians referred to it as Hor-em-akhet (English: Horus of the Horizon; Hellenized: Harmachis) and says, “Hey! That looks kinda like a Sphinx!” Shazam – The Sphinx ever since.
Thank you i did wonder about that too
Brilliant i like Opa Armitage most as well 😊and that is one hairy baby! I’m glad you guys still find fun things to say I’ll just clap along and open the purse which i find easier than thinking what to say.Funny enough i always find things to say after as the day always turns out nice.
I always look forward to what the new birthday year brings!!
That last image is burned into my retinas forever! ROFL
I think he looks kind of like a bobble head figure there…
Ha! Great post! And I love the Oedipal reference–in terms of the age difference between himself and his older wife/mother. Richard would be fantastic and cougar hearts would melt everywhere. *wink*
that is a dream casting time waster of mine…who might play Jocasta opposite Armitage?? (I have some ideas…)
ME!!!
How about the actress who played Katie Dartmouth in Strikeback? Orla Brady. She was then 49 by the bios (born in 1961)–so 10 years older than Richard Armitage, but she looked at least ten years younger. And with Jocasta probably having Oedipus at 14, then marrying him when she was about 35, the age difference is close enough to work. Here is here picture from 2012 in Sinbad:
Orla Brady would be great…she has a great skill at the kind of quiet pathos of a character like Jocasta.
FINALLY catching up here, too. Oh, those manips. I mean, baby RA may still be cute (although I draw the line at stubbly cheeks on a toddler) but octogenarian RA? Not an image one likes to contemplate. Mind you, RA is reverting into youth, by the look of things. Nothing to worry about, then…
Oh, I don’t know. I have noticed over the years that the octogenarians LOVE me! (Like pass me their phone numbers and ask to escort me around town LOVE me…kind of disconcerting initially) so Octogenarian Armitage might be just the thing…of course, by then I’ll be Octogenarian Obscura…eeek!
Ha! I have a similar thing going on with elderly gents. Maybe it’s to do with wearing glasses? Octogenarian Armitage hanging on your arm might be a nice idea, and hopefully he’d have a few interesting stories to share of his life as a movie star…
IDK…maybe they think they have a better chance making passes at “girls who wear glasses” ??
Ahem, I think that it is totally it…
I would be in my 90’s then–but totally game for Richard As my escort. We could try to do the match matchy dress up thing together … with our canes. Ha!
OMG, the matching outfit. Rofl!!!