Griffins are portrayed with a lion's body, an eagle's head and wings, long ears, and an eagle's claws, to indicate that one must combine intelligence and strength.
The three spellings for griffin are - gryphon, griffin and griffon.
Over the centuries the griffin - as with other mythological creatures - has taken many shapes. The griffin has served many purposes, including but not limited to "the vigilant guardian of treasure and of kings. It has been called "The Hounds of Zeus".
It has pulled the chariots of Pharaoh, Apollo, Nemesis, and Alexander the Great. A major heraldic animal, it has been emblazoned on the shields of knights and on the coats of arms and royalty. It has been watchful and loyal, graceful and swift, rapacious and vengeful, monstrous and divine. While the griffin is a mortal enemy of horses, its magic talons have detected poison and its feathers have cured blindness.
Winged lions are not true griffin, nor is the winged lion of the sea. All of them, though - along with countless other hybrid variations - are 'gryphonic.'"
The first griffin was carved on a cylinder seal from an ancient city called
Other griffins have been found in Egyptian tombs and on Mesopotamian cylinder seals, which were used as signatures at the dawn of written language.
Later griffins, lacking wings, were found on the
In later Greek art the aspect of griffins change. No longer protectors, they are now fierce beasts. Moulded in bronze, they "feature a hooked beak, pointed ears and tongue. In Greek vase paintings, the griffin is often depicted attacking other animals or men, but the beast was also associated with the god Apollo and the goddesses Athena and Nemesis."
Despite its large presence in art, though, griffins didn't usually show up in written literature. The griffins most people think of were the ones featured in ancient stories, guarding hoards of gold high in the mountains and defending it against all who desired it. Herodotus mentions this story as being in an epic poem The Arimaspeia by Aristeas of Proconnesus. Pliny and Aelian talk about gold-guarding griffins, too.
During Medieval times the griffin was either evil or good, depending on who you asked. Griffins in heraldry were almost always snarling and ready to strike out with their talons. In art of the time they are shown devouring sinners and ripping animals apart. In contrast to this, Church people saw the griffin as "a symbol of the earthly and divine natures of Christ".
The unique form and noble look of the griffin made it perfect for heraldry. Female heraldic griffins on shields and crests have wings, while the males sport fans of spines growing from their shoulders. They live on today at Renaissance festivals and in our imagination. (crystalinks)
