Know Your Mythology Creatures ! [ Griffin ]

Hey guys! In this post i'll be posting about mythology creatures, mainly from Greek.

In every creatures that the ancient Greek believed, there must be a great story behind it. I mean where is Hydra derived from... or the Cerberus.

Well, swerve your path here to learn about the ancient creatures, at the same time edifying your knowledges about the world !

Myth 4: Griffin

Statue of a griffin at St Mark's
 Basilica in Venice.

The Griffin/Gryphon is a legendary creature with a body of a lion and the head of an eagle. As we know, the lion was traditionally, considered the king of the beast while the eagle was the king of all birds. Griffin, was somehow thought to be the an especially powerful and majestic creature of all.

The griffin was also thought of as king of the creatures. Griffins are known for guarding treasure and priceless possessions.

 Adrienne Mayor, a classical folklorist, proposes that the griffin was an ancient misconception derived from the fossilized remains of the Protoceratops found in gold mines in the Altai mountains of Scythia, in present 

day southeastern Kazakhstan.

 In antiquity it was a symbol of divine power and a guardian of the divine.Some have suggested that the word griffin is cognate with Cherub.

Form:

Most statues have bird-like talons, although in some older illustrations griffins have a lion's forelimbs; they generally have a lion's hindquarters. Its eagle's head is conventionally given prominent ears; these are sometimes described as the lion's ears, but are often elongated (more like a horse's), and are sometimes feathered.

. The Achaemenids considered the griffin "a protector from evil, witchcraft and secret slander".

The Pisa Griffin is a large bronze sculpture which has been in Pisa in Italy since the Middle Ages, though it is of Islamic origin. It is the largest bronze medieval Islamic sculpture known, at over three feet tall (42.5 inches, or 1.08 m.), and was probably created in the 11th century in Al-Andaluz (Islamic Spain)

Medieval Lores: 

Griffins not only mated for life, but also, if either partner died, then the other would continue throughout the rest of its life alone, never to search for a new mate. The griffin was thus made an emblem of the Church's views on remarriage. 

A Hippogriff is a legendary creature, supposedly the offspring of a griffin and a mare.

 Being a union of a terrestrial beast and an aerial bird, it was seen in Christendom to be a symbol of Jesus, who was both human and divine. As such it can be found sculpted on some churches.

Heraldic Significance:

In heraldry, the griffin's amalgamation of lion and eagle gains in courage and boldness, and it is always drawn to powerful fierce monsters. It is used to denote strength and military courage and leadership. Griffins are portrayed with a lion's body, an eagle's head, long ears, and an eagle's claws, to indicate that one must combine intelligence and strength.

In British heraldry, a male griffin can be shown without wings, its body covered in tufts of formidable spikes. The female griffin is more usually shown, as in the Lindsell crest or the Bevan family crest, right. Some traditions say that only female griffins have wings.

                                         

 Griffins are a symbol of the sun, wisdom, vengeance, strength, and salvation.

Now you know about Griffin ^^ "