Griffon
Return Home
Return to Mystical Creatures Page
Once upon an ancient time, three mythical creatures engaged in mortal combat in the skies above the world: the dragon, the chimera and the gryphon. The dragon used fire and his ability to fly to crushing effect, while the chimera looked in all directions at once with his many heads, appearing an invincible enemy. The gryphon watched his two foe for a long time, seeking out their strengths and weaknesses. At last he engaged in conflict. Using his wit and intelligence he lured the dragon into the depths of the ocean where his fire was extinguished forever. Burrowing through the earth beneath the chimera, the gryphon attacked from the one direction the chimera had not expected. The chimera never recovered from the surprise and was easily vanquished. In this way a creature thought much smaller and weaker than its adversaries won a great victory! The 9th century Irish writer Stephen Scotus asserted that gryphons were highly monogamous. Not only did they mate for life, but if one partner died, the other would never re-mate. The egg-laying habits of the female were first properly described by St. Hildegard of Bingen, a German nun writing in the 12th century. She outlined how the expectant mother would search out a cave with a very narrow entrance but plenty of room inside, sheltered from the elements. Here she would lay her eggs (about the size of Ostrich eggs), and stand guard over them, especially protecting them against the mountain lions which then roamed the areas inhabited by the gryphon. Some authorities claimed that griffins hatched out of chunks of agate rather than eggs. The Griffin is a monster with the body of a lion, the head and wings of an eagle, and back covered with feathers. Like birds it builds its nest, and instead of an egg lays an agate therein. It has long claws and talons of such a size that the people of that country make them into drinking-cups. India was assigned as the native country of the Griffins. They found gold in the mountains and built their nests of it, for which reason their nests were very tempting to hunters, and they were forced to keep vigilant guard over them. Their instinct led them to know where buried treasures lay, and they did their best to keep plunderers at a distance." Griffins love gold and gemstones, which they steal, hoard and guard with savage strength and ferocity, in ancient times they were symbols of guardianship, protection and the retribution of justice, but in the 19th century assumed the mantel of harmless, and even gentle creatures. The vast majority of gryphon's belong to the one species, Raptopantthera gryphos. There are two main varieties: the northern, or Hyperborean griffon, and the Indian griffon. The northern gryphon lives in the hilly forests and mountains of north-eastern Europe and Russia. These forested areas once extended deep into the Ukraine - much further south then they do today. The Indian griffin is found in mountainous regions of North-Eastern India and the Middle East. The only other species of the genus is the opinicus, Raptopanthera opinicus, recognizable by its feline, as opposed to aquiline, forelimbs. It was always rare and is now most certainly extinct. The griffon is a large, fierce looking creature, about 2 ft higher then a shire horse. The strong wings sprouting from its back are strong enough to carry it at enormous speeds, and lift it off the ground bearing heavy prey. Long ears, sharp eyes and cruelly hooked bills make the griffon a fearsome beast. The tail functions as a rudder in flight. The heavy rear paws help provide extra thrust during take-off and are used to hold pray down while the beak and claws do their worst. The claws are like massive eagles' feet. As the griffon swoops on its quarry, the rear talon sinks into the flesh first. Then the front claws close to form a deadly cage, firmly gripping the doomed creature. The gryphon's only known relative is the Hippogriff - the offspring of a horse and a griffon. Such unions are incredibly rare, since the relationship between the two species is usually one of predator and pray. Unlike griffins, hippogriffs could be tamed and used as aerial mounts, in which role they were immortalized in the Italian Renaissance poet Ariosto's famous saga, Orlando Furioso.