after rescuing one of these creatures from a dragon and befriending it.
Mithraic temples often included a mysterious nude snake-entwined figure holding two keys who had the head of one of these animals. A knight wins back his wife Laudine  (loh-DEEN)  after rescuing one of these creatures from a dragon and befriending it. After killing an asura while in the form of a boar, Vishnu killed the asura's elder brother Hiranyakashipu  (hee-rahn-yahk-SHIH-poo)  by taking a form that was half-man, half one of these creatures. Yvain  (ee-VAIN)  was known as the "Knight of" this animal, while the avatar (*)  Narasimha had the head of one. In a Greek folktale, one of them hiding in a cave becomes friendly after Androcles  (ANN-droh-kleez)  pulls a thorn from its paw. A creature with the body of one of these animals kills itself after Oedipus provides the answer "man" to its riddle. For 10 points, the Sphinx had the body of what large feline?
Mithraic temples often included a mysterious nude snake-entwined figure holding two keys who had the head of one of these animals.
 lion s [prompt on big  cat s]