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Griffin
Also Griffon, Grifon and Gryphon. Composite
creature, half lion and half eagle, the griffin was far more formidable than
either of those beasts. It had the body and the tail of a lion but was eight
times as large; it had an eagle's head and wings but was a hundred times
stronger — though there have been variations on these features in different
cultures.
In European bestiaries the griffin is usually portrayed as
awesomely fierce. This bizarre creature was thought to dwell in the
mountains, from which it swooped down on its prey; with powerful talons the
beast could carry back to its nest a horse and rider — it was said to have a
ravenous appetite for both — or even a pair of oxen yoked together.
Sometimes, griffins were themselves used for transport by the gods; the
chariot that bore Nemesis, the ancient
Greeks' dreaded goddess of vengeance, was frequently drawn by
griffins. Naturally enough, humans were well advised to avoid the beast at
all costs. But it was so powerful that parts of its body were greatly prized
as talismans
against evil
and misfortune. Especially sought after were its claws, the size of oxen
horns, which were said to darken at the merest touch of poison. During the
Middle Ages, antelope horns or the tusks of extinct
mammoths were often sold to the gullible as griffins' claws.
The griffin first appeared in carvings in the ancient
Middle East and Greece. Then gradually its image became widespread in
European art. Though it was often pictured, it was rarely described. One of
the earliest written references to it was in 'Arimaspea', a long
travel poem written in the seventh century BC by the Greek mystic Aristeas
of Proconnesus. Peoples now thought to be the Chinese and Mongols told him
about fierce, gold-guarding monsters that Aristeas called griffins. Over the
centuries the griffin was allotted a variety of roles. In 'Prometheus
Bound', the Greek dramatist
Aeschylus (525-456 BC) called griffins "the silent hounds of
Zeus." And in the 14th century, inspired by medieval
comparisons of Christ
with an eagle and a lion, the Italian poet Dante made the griffin a symbol
of Christ. For others, however, the griffin was a
demon that carried off sinners. If the griffin was based on any
actual animal, the most likely candidate is the Lammergeier, one of the
largest birds in the world, which inhabits mountainous regions of Europe,
Asia, and Africa. Its name is a German word meaning 'lamb vulture'. The
creature is alleged, probably mistakenly, to swoop down on lambs and carry
them off.
Related
books:
Prometheus Bound.
 The
Book of Gryphons.
Wonder Beasts: Tales and Lore of the Phoenix, the Griffin, the Unicorn, and
the Dragon.
More
books.
Further info:
Griffins.
Gryphon's Guild.
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