Griffin facts for kids
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| Grouping | Mythological hybrids |
|---|---|
| Similar creatures | Hippogriff, simurgh, Poubi Lai, Uchek Langmeidong, Pakhangba, Keibu Keioiba, sphinx |
| Mythology | Ancient Egyptian, Persian, Renaissance |
| Other name(s) | Griffon, gryphon |
The griffin or gryphon (less often called gryphen, griffon, griffen, or gryphin) is a legendary creature, an animal belonging to the world of mythology, story telling and fantasy. It has the body, tail, and back legs of a lion; the head and wings of an eagle; and sometimes an eagle's talons as its front feet.
In the past griffin was a symbol of strength and dexterity. It often looked after a treasure.
The Griffin is used as the symbol for Brisbane Waters Secondary College on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. following the griffin is the Collegiate phrase "Strength Through Unity"
History
There is evidence of representations of griffins in Ancient Iranian and Ancient Egyptian art dating back to before 3000 BC. In Egypt, a griffin can be seen in a cosmetic palette from Hierakonpolis, known as the "Two Dog Palette", which is dated to ca. 3300-3100 BC. In Iran, griffins appeared on cylinder seals from Susa as early as 3000 BC. Griffin depictions appear in the Levant, Syria, and Anatolia in the Middle Bronze Age, dated at about 1950-1550 BC. Early depictions of griffins in Ancient Greek art are found in the 15th century BC frescoes in the Throne Room of the Bronze Age Palace of Knossos, as restored by Sir Arthur Evans. It continued being a favored decorative theme in Archaic and Classical Greek art.
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In Central Asia, the griffin appears about a thousand years after Bronze Age Crete, in the 5th–4th centuries BC, probably originating from the Achaemenid Persian Empire. The Achaemenids considered the griffin "a protector from evil, witchcraft and secret slander". The modern generalist calls it the lion-griffin, as for example, Robin Lane Fox, in Alexander the Great, 1973:31 and notes p. 506, who remarks a lion-griffin attacking a stag in a pebble mosaic at Pella, perhaps as an emblem of the kingdom of Macedon or a personal one of Alexander's successor Antipater.
The Pisa Griffin is a large bronze sculpture that 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). From about 1100 it was placed on a column on the roof of Pisa Cathedral until replaced by a replica in 1832; the original is now in the Museo dell' Opera del Duomo (Cathedral Museum), Pisa.
Images for kids
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Bronze griffins from ancient Luristan, Iran, 1st millennium BC. Vorderasiatisches Museum Berlin
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Bronze griffin head from Olympia, Greece. 7th century BC. Olympia museum
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The Pisa Griffin, in the Pisa Cathedral Museum, 11th century
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The chief coin type of the Greek city state of Abdera was known as "the Griffon" because of the mythical animal depicted on it
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Griffin inscription at Sanchi Stupa from 3rd century BCE
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Statue of a griffin at St Mark's Basilica in Venice
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Illustration for Mandeville's legend by H. J. Ford, 1899
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Griffin misericord, Ripon Cathedral, alleged inspiration for the Gryphon in Lewis Carroll’s Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
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"Griff" Statue in the forecourt of the Farkashegyi Cemetery Budapest, 2007
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The Gryphon is the emblem and mascot of the University of Guelph
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Company logo for Merv Griffin Entertainment, using a silver griffin statue
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Early historic references to the gryphon describe the area of the Dzungarian Gate, a region where Protoceratops and Psittacosaurus skeletons are very common.
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A heraldic griffin passant of the Bevan family crest
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Heraldic guardian griffin at Kasteel de Haar, Netherlands, 1892–1912
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Rogue taxidermy griffin, Zoological Museum, Copenhagen
See also
In Spanish: Grifo para niños
