"Snakes, dragons, vultures, guarding treasures, always guard the paths to immortality, for gold, diamonds and pearls are symbols that embody the sacred principle and bestow strength, life and omniscience"
Mircea Eliade
Griffin - mythical creature with the head, claws and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. It symbolizes dominance over two spheres of existence: earth (lion) and air (eagle). The combination of the two most important solar animals indicates the overall favorable character of the creature - the griffin personifies the Sun, strength, vigilance, and retribution.
In myths and legends different traditions The griffin acts as a guard. He, like a dragon, guards the path to salvation, located next to the Tree of Life or another similar symbol. He guards treasures or intimate, secret knowledge. 
The image of the griffin is ancient eastern origin, where, along with other fantastic animals, he was believed to guard the gold of India. According to Flavius Philostratus (3rd century), “griffins actually live in India and are revered as sacred to the Sun - that is why Indian sculptors depict the chariot of the Sun drawn by four griffins.”
In the ancient Egyptian tradition, the griffin combined in its image a lion, personifying the king, and a falcon, which was a symbol of the sky god Horus. In the era Ancient kingdom The griffin was a symbol of the victorious ruler who strides over the trembling bodies of his enemies. The griffin also appears in the Middle Kingdom: its image, suspended in front of a cart, leads a soldier to victory. IN late period the griffin is considered a “mighty animal” and a symbol of dispensed justice; in the era of the Ptolemies and Rome, the gods Horus and Ra were depicted in the form of a griffin. 
In Greece, the griffin symbolized power, confident in its strength, but also insightful and vigilant. The griffin appears as an animal whose rider is Apollo. These monstrous fast birds were also harnessed to the chariot of the goddess of retribution Nemesis, which symbolizes the speed of retribution for sins. Being the embodiment of Nemesis, they turned the wheel of fate. 
In ancient Greek culture, images of griffins are found on art monuments of prehistoric Crete (XVII-XVI centuries BC), and then in Sparta (VIII-VII centuries BC). The first mention of griffins that has come down to us belongs to Herodotus (5th century BC). He writes that these are monsters with lion bodies and eagle wings and claws that live in the far north of Asia and protect gold deposits from the one-eyed Arimaspi (fairy-tale inhabitants of the north). Aeschylus calls griffins "the bird-beaked dogs of Zeus that do not bark." The Greeks believed that griffins were guardians of the golden copies of the Scythians. Later authors add a lot of details to the description of griffins: they are the strongest of animals (with the exception of lions and elephants), they build their nests of gold, and do not enter into conflicts with heroes and gods.
A fantastic scene of a battle between a tigress and a griffin is depicted on objects of Scythian art from the 7th century. BC e. One of the horse headdresses from the first Pazyryk mound depicts a lion griffin fighting a tiger. The gold jewelry of the “Sarmatian animal style” depicts a scene of torment: an eagle griffin and another fantastic creature attacking a feline predator, the “panther.”
The image of a griffin is also found in the Christian tradition. 
In the medieval church art The griffin becomes a very common character and, being an image of an ambivalent character, on the one hand, symbolizes the Savior, and on the other, those who suppressed and persecuted Christians, since it is a combination of a predatory eagle and a ferocious lion. Initially presented as the devil-stealer of souls, already in Dante the griffin becomes a symbol of the dual nature of Christ - divine (bird) and human (animal) due to his dominion on earth and in heaven. The solar symbolism of both animals that make up the griffin reinforces this positive interpretation. Therefore, the griffin is considered the winner of the serpent and the basilisk, embodying demons of the devil. The very ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven is symbolically associated with griffins. 
During the Middle Ages, the griffin became a favorite heraldic beast, where it symbolizes the combined qualities of the eagle and lion - vigilance and courage. Böckler (1688) deciphers the griffin as follows: “Griffins are depicted with the body of a lion, the head of an eagle, long ears and clawed eagle paws, which should mean the union of mind and strength.”
Press griffin, donated by A.S. Pushkin to A.A. Delvig. 1st quarter XIX V. Ormolu.
The press was donated in 1829 along with the quatrain: “Who grew Theocritus’s tender roses in the snow?..”. After the death of A.A. Delvig, the press was kept by his wife, and later by her relative A.A. Baranova, from whom it was transferred to the State Literary Museum. Exhibited at the A.S. Pushkin Dacha Museum. 
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Griffin - this bird is supposedly so big that it can easily lift any armed person into the air. She has four legs, like a lion, with large, sharp, curved claws. The back of the body is completely black, the front is red, the wings are white: the head, nose, mouth are like those of an eagle, and the eyes are fiery. As they say, she makes her nest on the tops of high mountains.
The nest is made of pure gold, and this bird guards the gold very vigilantly. He is not at all afraid of other animals, boldly attacks them and defeats all except the lion and the elephant. When it sees a person approaching, it attacks him, fearing for its cubs. She lives in wild, deserted places, where there is a lot of gold, and because of this gold, two thousand people gather and come at night, when griffin sleeping They collect gold quietly, in the dark, because if the bird wakes up, it will kill every single one of them.
After three or four years, people come again to try their luck in the places where the griffin bird lives.”
Dove detailed description griffin, Mishkolchi claims that “there is no such bird anywhere in the world” and believes that... But let’s give the floor to Mishkolchi himself. Every line here is interesting, since we are talking not only about the griffin: “It is impossible to establish who invented this bird. Most modern book writers take all their descriptions from ancient books, without giving themselves the trouble to understand them and write not what they themselves know, but pass off what others have written as their own. They write not so much for the glory of God, but for their own glory, wanting to show that they also know how to write books.”
What else is possible talk about the griffin? It is known that this fabulous animal was popular among the ancient Greeks. It was probably born in the East - its images are found in Perseiolus, destroyed by Alexander the Great. There are images of a griffin on frescoes in the main hall of the Knossos palace on the island of Crete. We can still see the griffin today - on coats of arms. However, the griffin's greatest popularity probably dates back to the Middle Ages, when it was depicted on countless noble coats of arms. However, the griffin was also a heraldic animal of Budapest - there were two griffins on the city’s coat of arms. But what is a griffin? Bird? Hard to say. He has wings, an eagle's head and at the same time the legs of a lion. Sometimes on noble coats of arms he was depicted with a lion's head, and then the griffin had only wings left of the bird.
Occurs description of the griffin and in modern books according to natural science, and this “griffin” is no longer a fairy-tale creature. But enough to intrigue the reader. We are talking about a griffon vulture (one of the types of vultures), which is sometimes called a griffin. Once upon a time, this bird, now rare in Europe, lived in Hungary. Nowadays, griffon vultures are quite widespread in North America and Asia. The wingspan of this bird reaches 2.6 meters.
Ancient authors called the South American condor a griffin. Here is what Janos Feldi wrote about him: “This is the largest of all flying birds. Wingspan 15 feet (about 5 meters)
Color black and white. Nests on rocks in the mountains. It flies very fast. Feeds on animals and dead fish thrown up by the sea.
Often kidnaps calves, sheep and ten-year-old children.” When you read such literature, you get the impression that the condors' favorite food is ten-year-old children. And the readers took this for at face value, as evidenced by the fact that almost all nature books and authoritative travel accounts contained stories like the following: “I had the opportunity to see this myself when I was traveling in Switzerland. One day, a chamois hunter and I went to the mountains. We've climbed to the top
high cliff and I stood, enchanted by the magical landscape, when suddenly the hunter grabbed me, pointing with his other hand somewhere into the distance.
Looking in the direction the hunter was pointing, I stepped back in horror. There, on the mountainside, a shepherd boy was sleeping. Sank down next to him huge vulture and was already preparing to push the child into the abyss with his wings, but at that moment the brave hunter fired and, fortunately, did not miss. Scary bird fell dead.
The boy threw himself on his knees and, raising his little hands to the sky, thanked God for saving him from certain death. What a touching sight it was!” (A. B. Reichenbach).
To justify the ancient authors, one could say that, as Humboldt claims, the condor sometimes attacks large mammals. If this is the case, then the condor could be dangerous for the child as well. But one can hardly believe this, since the condor feeds primarily on carrion. Like all vultures.
Sirens and Harpies
Miskolci writes: “Speaking of the griffin, we should also mention sirens and harpies. They served the ancient poets to depict dissolute, lascivious women and greedy, cruel thieves.”
Well, let's talk about the harpy now. In fact, it should have been spoken of in the plural, since the harpies do not act alone, but in whole gangs.
Let's start with the fact that harpies are not exactly birds: they have the wings of a bird and the head of a dog. “These are the winged dogs of Zeus, who have a special role. In those distant times, when the Argonauts sailed off the coast of Tracia, an old clairvoyant named Phineus lived there. The gods deprived him of his sight because he revealed to people everything that Zeus wanted to keep secret. But blindness was not his only misfortune. As soon as poor Phineus sat down at the table, the harpies immediately appeared. They descended from the sky and grabbed the best pieces from the table. They soiled the leftover food so much with their excrement that it was impossible to sit at the table due to the terrible stench. The ill-fated Fileus would have died of hunger if the Argonauts had not delivered him from the harpies.”
The prototype for harpies was probably thieving baboons. True, they don’t have wings, but their heads look like a dog’s, and they don’t need to be taught how to steal. They make devastating raids on gardens.
Now let's turn to sirens. Readers may be surprised that we talk about sirens in the chapter dedicated to birds, since it is common knowledge that sirens are aquatic animals. This is true, but in Greek mythology, sirens are birds. “They have wings and fly in flocks around ships, enchanting sailors with their singing.
They also tried their charms on the Argonauts. However, Odysseus later managed to outwit them. Odysseus certainly wanted to hear the singing of the sirens. But this was deadly, because those who listened to the sirens followed them, and the ship, as a rule, crashed against the rocks.
Odysseus covered the ears of his companions with wax, asked him to tie himself to the mast and ordered them not to untie him until the ship went far from the places where the sirens lived.”
On Greek vases, sirens were depicted as winged creatures with the head of a woman. The origins of the legend are unknown. Perhaps the origin of the legend was facilitated by the gulls or petrels accompanying the ships.
Verlioka's message
Griffin - a fantastic, mythical creature, half-eagle, half-lion , with a long snake tail. It symbolizes dominance over two spheres of existence: earth (lion) and air (eagle). The image of a griffin combined the symbolism of an eagle (speed) and a lion (strength, courage). The combination of the two most important solar animals indicates the overall favorable character of the creature - the griffin personifies the Sun, strength, vigilance, and retribution. Griffins, in Greek mythology, monstrous beasts with a curved eagle's beak on a bird's head and the body of a lion.
Ancient Greek authors believed that the griffin's body was larger in size than eight lions combined, and that it was stronger than a hundred eagles. The griffin was able to lift and carry a horse with a rider or a pair of oxen in one harness to its nest. In Greece, the griffin symbolized power, confident in its strength, but also insightful and vigilant. The griffin appears as an animal whose rider is Apollo. These monstrous fast birds were also harnessed to the chariot of the goddess of retribution Nemesis, which symbolizes the speed of retribution for sins. Being the embodiment of Nemesis, they turned the wheel of fate.
The first mention of griffins that has come down to us belongs to Herodotus (5th century BC). He writes that these are monsters with lion bodies and eagle wings and claws that live in the far north of Asia in Hyperborea and protect gold deposits from the one-eyed Arimaspi (fairy-tale inhabitants of the north). Aeschylus calls griffins "the bird-beaked dogs of Zeus that do not bark." The Greeks believed that griffins were guardians of the golden copies of the Scythians. Later authors add a lot of details to the description of griffins: they are the strongest of animals (with the exception of lions and elephants), they build their nests of gold, and do not enter into conflicts with heroes and gods.
In ancient Greek culture, images of griffins are found on art monuments of prehistoric Crete (XVII-XVI centuries BC), and then in Sparta (VIII-VII centuries BC).
Griffin - winged monster with a lion's body and an eagle's head, guardian of gold. In particular, it is known that the treasures of the Riphean Mountains are protected. From his scream the flowers wither and the grass withers, and if there is anyone alive, then everyone falls dead. (Greek) (glor.)
The griffin's eyes have a golden tint. The head was the size of a wolf's with a huge, terrifying-looking beak a foot long. Wings with strange second joint to make folding them easier.
IN Slavic mythology all approaches to the Iriysky garden, Alatyr mountain and an apple tree with golden apples. guard t griffins, basilisks. Whoever tries these golden apples will receive eternal youth and power over the Universe. And the apple tree itself with golden apples is guarded by the dragon Ladon. There is no passage here for either foot or horse.
U for about 400 years, humanist scientists , historians, folklorists, philologists, archaeologists, paleozoologists are trying to explain the origin of the image of griffins; it still remains mysterious and unclear in its essential features. Over the centuries, many guesses and hypotheses have been put forward about the formation of this image: it was declared completely fictitious, it was derived from birds, from extinct species of animals, from tapirs, its roots were sought in Assyrian, Scythian, Egyptian cultures, and finally, in 1993, researcher E. Mayor stated that the problem was solved: the image of griffins came from the observation of the remains of a protoceraptos in the Gobi Desert.
Etymology of the word
The word "griffin" comes from the Greek "Γρυψ", which most likely comes from the Greek "Γρυπος" - "bent" or "twisted". However, given the Eastern origins of this fictional creature, there are theories about the origin of the Greek word from the Assyrian "*k"rub" - "fairy-tale creature", from which in turn the Hebrew word "keˇrûb" (cherub) came. is also connected with the Old Persian “giriften” - “to grab”
In modern art criticism, the meaning of the lexeme “griffin” is much broader than in literature. A griffin can be called not only a creature with a lion’s body and the wings and head of an eagle, but also other combinations of these animals. There are “lion griffins”, i.e. creatures with the body of a lion, wings, sometimes front legs like an eagle, but with the head of a lion, and “eagle griffins”, i.e. classical griffins, with the body of a lion, wings and head of an eagle. In the most in a broad sense, the word “griffins” can be used to refer to almost all combinations of a four-legged animal with a bird that cannot be clearly identified. This is precisely what should be kept in mind when reading that the first images of griffins are found already in the 3rd millennium BC. Of course, not all creatures that combine the features of a bird and a quadruped are classified as “griffins”; there are also very specific images that are clearly separated from griffins, like Imdugud - "Griffin in reverse."
The most likely ancestral home of griffins, as most researchers admit, is Western Asia. The prototype of their image should be sought in the religious art of Babylonia and Assyria. The image of griffins was influenced by the iconography of the so-called. karubu (Akkadian "protector"), which were depicted as bulls with human head or winged lions. The mythology associated with these creatures is unknown, but they probably served as guards. This is also supported by one of the probable hypotheses about the origin of the word "griffin" from "*k"rub." The replacement of a lion or human head with an eagle's head apparently already occurred in Assyria. "Babylon knew a winged lion with long pointed ears and eagle paws and tail; Assyria sometimes replaced the lion's head with the head of an eagle with a crest." (178: p. 305). Assyrian eagle-headed vultures are characterized by a short mane (often feathered) and an image bird's head at the tip of the tail. Sometimes the prototypes of griffins are considered to be creatures whose bronze figurines were found in the complexes of the so-called Luristan bronzes of the 8th-6th centuries. BC. (sometimes this complex is identified with the Scythian or Cimmerian culture, sometimes with the Kassites), although they have a number of distinctive properties - they are often depicted with horns. They are quite close to Persian images of griffins, which were also depicted with spiraling horns, a lion-like body and, often, bird-like hind legs as opposed to b Assyrian. These Persian griffins, among which " lion griffins"were more common, widely represented in surviving monuments ancient Persia. G.A. Pugachenkova put forward the assumption that such creatures, before the introduction of Mazdaism under Darius and Xerxes, personified devas - evil spirits, whose sanctuaries were destroyed during the establishment of the cult of Ahuramazda. The appearance of these creatures with a protective function, for example, in the royal palace in Susa, means, on the one hand, a rethinking of this image, and on the other, the persistence of superstitions and ideas of the people. Griffins are known in ancient Altai art; this image was common among the Scythians.
A little should be said about the griffins in Ancient Egypt. Indeed, the combination of a four-legged feline and a bird occurs in Egyptian art. Pharaohs could be depicted as such creatures, trampling their enemies with their paws, but they were mostly depicted with a human head. Griffin-like creatures, sometimes indeed very reminiscent of Greek images, appear in Egypt during the New Kingdom, but their appearance is probably also explained by Central Asian influence. One cannot help but recall the creatures whose role may have had something in common with the Western Asian and karubu, and the appearance is sometimes very reminiscent of griffins - these are sphinxes.
Images of griffins in Greek art were quite stable and had a number of characteristic features. Although they sometimes talk about images of griffins in Cretan-Mycenaean art, for example, about griffins on the frescoes of the Knossos Palace, they have very little in common with the image of a griffin in Greek art, which appeared in the 7th century. BC. Typically, griffins were depicted in Greek art with a lion's body, wings and an eagle's head, and also, quite often, with an open mouth and a characteristic upturned tongue. They also had ears that stuck up (sometimes this type is referred to as a "long-eared griffin") and a bump, crest, or a kind of horn between the eyes and ears. Certain details of Greek griffins - protruding ears and crest - find analogies in ancient Altai art, although direct analogies are difficult due to significant differences in the image. In turn, such a detail as the tuft is found in Western and Persian images, but also has a number of differences - for example, the tuft is often depicted as part of the mane, but among Greek griffins it looks more like a bone growth. The earliest Greek images date back to approximately the middle of the 7th century. BC. - this is an image of a griffin with a cub from Olympia in the Peloponnese, bronze heads of griffins from the island of Samos. Antiquity was characterized by a set of scenes in which griffins appeared. The most common are single images of griffins, but the plot of the struggle between griffins and Arimaspians, which is most characteristic of Greco-Scythian art, is also quite common. It is interesting that the last plot appears around the 6th century. BC. and previously unknown. In addition, griffins are periodically depicted harnessed to chariots driven by various deities, most often Apollo. There are several unique depictions of the griffin in ancient Greek art - most notably a bronze relief depicting a griffin with its calf from Olympia (Peloponnese), dating back to 630 BC. It is sometimes believed that it was located in the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, but the construction of this temple dates back to the 5th century. BC, so this image could only have been transferred there. The image of two griffins on the so-called is well known. Lycian sarcophagus.
In general, it should be noted that the image of a griffin in ancient Greek art was completely independent and had a set of unique properties, which makes it quite difficult to determine its origin. The classic image of the griffin - a creature with the body of a lion, the wings and head of an eagle - undoubtedly finally took shape in ancient Greek culture. Exactly to Greek language(with reservations) the name “griffin” dates back, a uniquely identifiable visual image of a griffin developed in Greek culture, and, finally, it was in ancient Greek literature that the first descriptions of this creature appeared. All this makes it possible to unambiguously identify this image and distinguish it from its predecessors or similar images. However, there is no doubt that the prototype of the griffin should be sought in the East - in the cultures of Assyria, Babylon and Ancient Egypt.
It is widely believed that the griffin was usually considered in a positive way and symbolized Christ, or at least positive values for a Christian, does not stand up to criticism. Most likely, we owe this stereotype not so much to the symbolism of the Middle Ages, but to Dante, the authors of the 17th-18th centuries. and heraldry. To clarify some issues related to symbolic meaning griffins in Christian culture, we will have to turn to the most important book for every Christian - the Bible.
The Vulgate mentions griffins twice, but in the Middle Ages they did not pay much attention to this - at least they did not often mention it when talking about griffins (among the passages cited, only Bartholomew of England can be remembered), and it seems that this news did not have much impact neither on factual knowledge, nor on the symbolic interpretation of the griffins. Griffins are found in the Vulgate in the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy in parallel places where food prohibitions for the Jews are discussed (Lev. 11.13, Deut. 14.12. - for the convenience of the reader, all references to the Bible, if the text in this case does not diverge from the Latin version, are given in the Russian Synodal translation), and they are mentioned among unclean birds, i.e. prohibited for consumption. In fact, the Hebrew text apparently meant some kind of eagle or gyrfalcon.
There are no griffins as such in the Bible, but there are some clearly related images there. Of course, this is the image of a winged lion, well known in Christian symbolism, since it was often in this guise that one of the evangelists appeared, according to the most common interpretation - Mark. The episode in the New Testament that gave rise to such an interpretation is found in the Revelation of John the Theologian (Rev. 4.6-8). Although cherubim are meant here, since the image of the four animals is certainly inspired by the vision of Ezekiel, namely the image of the merkaba, the heavenly chariot carrying the ark (Ezek. 1), the image of the winged lion could well have influenced the symbolism or moral interpretation of griffins. It is also quite interesting that the book of Ezekiel was written during the Babylonian captivity and absorbed the imagery of Babylonian religious art, in which winged lions and other similar creatures were not uncommon. Another interesting image of a winged lion in the Bible, this time in the book of Daniel (Dan.7.2-4):
Griffins are fictional winged creatures that are half lions and half eagles. They have sharp claws and snow-white or golden wings.
Etymology
The word comes from Lat. grȳphus and through it from Greek. γρύψ. According to one hypothesis, Greek name goes back to ancient Hebrew. "kerub" (see cherub). According to another hypothesis, it comes from the Greek γρυπός (“hook-nosed”).
Ancient authors:
They were first mentioned by a 6th century poet. BC e. Aristaeus of Proconnesus, as well as Aeschylus (Prometheus 803) and Herodotus (History IV 13).
Griffins are also associated with some images of the Scythian “animal style”.
Medieval symbolism
It was believed that they came from India, where they guarded huge treasuries of gold.
These mystical creatures symbolize power over heaven and earth, strength, vigilance and pride. The griffin also became an attribute of the goddess of retribution - Nemesis: she was often depicted in a chariot drawn by griffins.
Initially, Satan was depicted in the form of a griffin, luring human souls into a trap; later this animal became a symbol of the dual (divine and human) nature of Jesus Christ. Thus, the griffin also became an enemy of snakes and basilisks.
Griffin in heraldry:
Heraldic griffin
The griffin on the coat of arms of the Altai Republic The griffin is a frequently encountered non-heraldic figure on coats of arms. Symbolizes power, authority, vigilance, speed and strength.
The male version of the griffin (English male gryphon) was depicted as wingless and with tufts of scarlet thorns (indicating Sun rays), sometimes even with horns or tusks.
In heraldry, there is an image of a sea griffin (English sea-griffin), denoting the connection of the armiger with water. Such a griffin is wingless and has a fish tail instead of a lion's body.
The griffin lives on distant islands Indian Ocean. He has the body of a lion, and the head and wings of an eagle. The griffin has a special gift: finding treasures, and therefore its nest is usually lined with gold. Near the poison, the griffin's claws change color, and when the wax is burned from its ears, healing smoke is released along with the mistletoe.
The griffin is depicted on the coat of arms of the Romanov family.
Griffin in modern culture
In the cartoon "The Magic Sword: Quest for Camelot", the Griffin, who has cat eyes and ears, works for the main antagonist.
Griffin - popular character works of the fantasy genre.
In the Harry Potter series, the house name Gryffindor means "golden griffin" in French. Additionally, Professor Dumbledore's office has a brass griffin knocker to knock on the door with.
Griffins were used to attack the castle in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.
Griffin is a popular unit in computer strategies: Warcraft; HOMM, starting from the first part; King's Bounty; Disciples - melee units associated with the elf race.
Gryphon is an English rock band.
In Ukraine special forces e judicial police is called "Griffin"
The griffin is a mythical creature with the head, claws and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. It symbolizes dominance over two spheres of existence: earth (lion) and air (eagle). The combination of the two main solar animals indicates the overall favorable character of the creature - the griffin personifies the Sun, strength, vigilance, and retribution.
In myths and legends of various traditions, the griffin acts as a guardian. He, like a dragon, guards the path to salvation, located next to the Tree of Life or another similar symbol. He guards treasures or intimate, secret knowledge.
The image of the griffin is of ancient Eastern origin, where, along with other fantastic animals, it was believed to protect the gold of India. According to Flavius Philostratus (3rd century), “griffins actually live in India and are revered as sacred to the Sun—that’s why Indian sculptors depict the chariot of the Sun pulled by four griffins.”
In the ancient Egyptian tradition, the griffin combined in its image a lion, personifying the king, and a falcon, which was a symbol of the sky god Horus. In the era of the Old Kingdom, the griffin was a symbol of the victorious ruler who walks over the trembling bodies of his enemies. The griffin also appears in the Middle Kingdom: its image, suspended in front of a cart, leads a soldier to victory. In the later period, the griffin is considered a “mighty animal” and a symbol of dispensed justice; in the era of the Ptolemies and Rome, the gods Horus and Ra were depicted in the form of a griffin.
In ancient Greek culture, images of griffins are found on art monuments of prehistoric Crete (XVII-XVI centuries. V. BC), and then in Sparta (VIII-VII century .V. BC.). The first mention of griffins that has come down to us belongs to Herodotus (5th century BC). He writes that these are monsters with lion bodies and eagle wings and claws that live in the far north of Asia and protect gold deposits from the one-eyed Arimaspi (fairy-tale inhabitants of the north). Aeschylus calls griffins "the bird-beaked dogs of Zeus that do not bark." The Greeks believed that griffins were guardians of the golden copies of the Scythians. Later authors add a lot of details to the description of griffins: they are the strongest of animals (with the exception of lions and elephants), they build their nests of gold, and do not enter into conflicts with heroes and gods.
A fantastic scene of a battle between a tigress and a griffin is depicted on objects of Scythian art from the 7th century. BC e. One of the horse headdresses from the first Pazyryk mound depicts a lion griffin fighting a tiger. The gold jewelry of the “Sarmatian animal style” depicts a scene of torment: an eagle griffin and another fantastic creature attack a feline predator, the “panther.”
In medieval church art, the griffin becomes a very common character and, being an image of an ambivalent character, on the one hand, symbolizes the Savior, and on the other, those who suppressed and persecuted Christians, since it is a combination of a predatory eagle and a ferocious lion. Introduced originally as the devil-kidnapper For souls, already in Dante the griffin becomes a symbol of the dual nature of Christ - divine (bird) and human (animal) due to his dominion on earth and in heaven. The solar symbolism of both animals that make up the griffin reinforces this positive interpretation. Therefore, the griffin is considered the winner of the serpent and the basilisk, embodying demons of the devil. The very ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven is symbolically associated with griffins.
In the Middle Ages, the griffin became a favorite heraldic beast, where it symbolizes the combined qualities of the eagle and lion - vigilance and courage. Böckler (1688) deciphers the griffin as follows: “Griffins are depicted with the body of a lion, the head of an eagle, long ears and clawed eagle paws, which should mean a combination of intelligence and strength.”
The word “griffin” (or “griffin”, as this beast is sometimes called) comes from the Greek grops (Latin gryphos). It is likely that this word came from another Greek term - grupos, which means “bent”, “crooked”. Some scholars have suggested that grupos was borrowed from Eastern languages: perhaps from the Assyrian k'rub, that is, “fantastic winged creature,” or the Hebrew kerub, “winged angel.”
First appearing in Ancient Assyria, the griffin soon became known from the Himalayas and China in the East to the coast of Ireland in the West. The oldest image of a griffin known today was discovered near the city of Shusha (in the territory of modern Iran). This beast was depicted on a seal made around 3000 BC.
Griffins have long been known in Egypt. During the Fifth Dynasty, the pharaoh himself was depicted as a griffin, throwing the enemy to the ground (this symbolized the power of the ruler). Egyptian influence can be seen in Minoan culture, which endowed the griffin with the qualities of a magnificent warrior.
Long before the first written mentions of the griffin appeared, it was depicted on items made of ivory, stone, bronze, and silk (for example, on coins from Abdera, from the island of Telos). It could be found everywhere: from vases in palaces to mosaics in tombs (the most typical example is a relief in the palace of King Kapar Gudzan, 870 BC)
In Greece, griffins are found on art monuments of prehistoric Crete (17-16 centuries BC), and then in Sparta (8-7 centuries BC). The Greeks associated them primarily with the gods: Dionysus, Nemesis and Apollo. The latter was often depicted riding a griffin or riding in a chariot drawn by griffins.
In the Middle Ages, the griffin could often be seen on coats of arms, cathedral walls, and on the pages of manuscripts. Nowadays, this beast comes to life on the pages of books and film films.
The very appearance of the griffin and his disposition in different cultures presented differently. More often rear end His body is that of a lion, although there could be other options: a panther, a dog. The tail looked like a dragon's or a snake's. The front part of the body is birdlike, but sometimes ears could be seen on the griffin’s head (which, apparently, should have indicated talk about the animal’s excellent hearing). In a number of cases, the griffin's beak was decorated with small, but very sharp teeth. The griffin's head usually had small horns or a crest. The neck was decorated with a row of spikes or lush mane
Because of significant differences in the appearance of each griffin, they even tried to classify these creatures . The medieval German scientist H. Prince divided them into three types: the bird griffin, the snake griffin and the lion griffin. But other authors of the time disputed this division, because the last two specimens were usually depicted with a body covered with scales, which means they were relatives of dragons. It was believed that only the bird griffin could be classified as a griffin.
The character of griffins also varied (depending on the specific culture and mythology). In general, the griffin was a proud, brave and freedom-loving animal that did not recognize anyone's dominance. All these qualities made him perhaps the best guardian, as which he acted in many legends and myths (for example, the Greeks considered griffins to be the guardians of the Hyperborean gold).
The first written mention of the griffin belongs to the ancient Greek author Aristaeus of Proconnesus, who lived in the 7th century BC. He described his journey deep into Central Asia, where the writer went in search of the fabulous people of the Hyperboreans and the sanctuary of Apollo (revered by them as the lord of light and darkness). In his travels, Aristaeus met a tribe of Immedonians, who told him that to the north of their possessions there was a mountain range where gold-bearing rivers flowed, and the one-eyed people living there - the Arimaspians - continually stole treasures from the fast and evil monsters guarding him. It is not known what the Immedonians themselves called these monsters, but Aristaeus calls them griffins, because by that time some legends about these animals had already developed in Greece.
Herodotus (5th century BC) in his “History” describes monsters with lion bodies and eagle wings and claws that live in the far north of Asia and protect gold deposits from the one-eyed Arimaspians.
Aeschylus calls griffins “the bird-beaked dogs of Zeus that do not bark.” Later researchers relied further on these authors, considering them eyewitnesses of what they wrote about.
True, the more time passed, the more information about griffins became more confusing and contradictory. Aristeas himself would have been incredibly surprised if he had learned that the people of the Middle Ages believed in the existence of griffins largely thanks to his writings. After all, Aristaeus never claimed to have seen a griffin with his own eyes. But be that as it may, this beast continued to appear in medieval bestiaries along with other animals, both real and fictional.
Bestiaries usually divided animals into “good” and “evil”. Griffin was often classified as one of the latter, although many authors gave him positive qualities. It was assumed that the griffin was a symbol of knowledge, since he knew where to find gold.
Also in the Middle Ages, it was believed that the griffin indirectly symbolizes the dual nature of Christ - divine (bird) and human (lion).
The famous Italian traveler Marco Polo (1254-1324), who made his grandiose trek through Central Asia to China, made an attempt to find real evidence of the existence of griffins. He tried to find them in Madagascar, having heard about birds “in the structure of their body resembling an eagle of colossal size.” Polo actually found them, but they had nothing in common with the griffin, because the traveler had a great idea of what a “real griffin” should look like.
From this country (Turkey) they travel to Bactria, where an evil and treacherous people live, and in that region there are trees that produce wool, as if they were sheep, and fabrics are made from it. There are “hypotans” (hippos) in this region otama), who live either on land or in water. They are half people, half horses and eat only human flesh when they can get it.
There are also many vultures in that region, more than in other places; some say that the front of their body is that of an eagle, and the back of a lion, and this is true, they really are built that way; however, the body of the vulture is larger than eight lions put together, and it is stronger than a hundred eagles. The vulture, of course, can lift and carry to its nest a horse with a rider or a pair of oxen when they are taken out into the field in one harness, since the claws on its paws are huge, as big as the body of an ox, from these claws they make drinking cups, and from its ribs - bows.
"Travels", presumably John Mandeville
According to medieval ideas about the world, the existence of various fairy-tale creatures was considered a fact not subject to discussion. Various parts Their bodies were credited with miraculous properties. Griffin was no exception. According to legend, if you make a cup from its claw, it will immediately change color when it contains poison. Obtaining such a claw was, of course, not easy - it was given to a person as a reward if he cured a griffin from a serious illness. True, history is silent about what happened to those who still failed to cure this beast. In the Middle Ages, several such cups were known, although in fact they all turned out to be made from the horns of quite ordinary animals.
It was said that the blind could see if they passed a griffin's feather over their eyes. And several early German medical books mention that if a griffin laid its head on the chest of a woman suffering from infertility, she would be cured of her illness.
In the 17th century, several voluminous works appeared, in which the authors tried to figure out where truth ends and fiction begins in countless descriptions incredible creatures. And already in 1646, Sir Thomas Browne declared that the griffin was nothing more than a purely symbolic creature. This can be considered the sunset of the era of griffins - very soon they finally “left” the real world, moving into the sphere of art and poetry.
Despite the fact that the era of griffins has long passed, they are still in demand in modern art: cinema, painting and literature.
The wayward animal appears on film quite rarely, and the last famous picture with his participation - “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” (although, by and large, it was not a griffin that was shown, but a hippogriff). Buckbeak turned out to be one of the most charming heroes of the third “Harry Potter”, and if there was an “Animal Oscar”, it would certainly be awarded to this particular creature.
Artists working in the fantasy genre often turn to the image of the griffin. It can be seen in the works of such masters as Tim Hildebrandt and Boris Vallejo. Well, those who want not only to look at a griffin, but also to feel like they are in its skin (or sitting on horseback, or rather, in feathers), can play computer games where the griffin is no less common than the unicorn. Suffice it to recall the strategy “World of Warcraft” and the famous “Heroes” series (“Heroes of Might and Magic”).
Griffin from the tabletop wargame “Mage Knight” allows pretty girls to ride him.
In fantasy literature, griffins appear quite rarely. For example, in the “DragonLance” saga by M. Weiss and T. Hickman. There, these animals are presented as stubborn and willful, but still submissive to their masters. They are also present in the novels of Andre Norton, Piers Anthony and Clifford Simak. There are also griffins in works for children: “Alice in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll and “The Griffin and the Minor Canon” by Frank Stockton.
Griffins in prophecies
Michel Nostradamus (1503-1566) - famous astrologer, scientist and prophet - used the symbolic image of griffins in his 86th century:
Like a griffin, the king of Europe will come,
Accompanied by the Aquilonians.
He will lead large army red and white,
And he will oppose the king of Babylon (X, 86).
Researchers suggest that here we're talking about about the Russian Tsar Alexander I (the griffin is the coat of arms of the House of Romanov), who will lead the coalition army European countries(red and white - British and Austrians) and defeat Napoleon. Nostradamus called “Aquilon” the “region of the north wind” - i.e., most likely, Russia.
Nostradamus is also credited with “sixenes” (prophetic quatrains), which were actually written by a certain Vincent Seve in the 17th century. In sixenes 29 and 56, the griffin is again mentioned, however, given that these predictions of Nostradamus are fake, it is hardly worth looking for a secret meaning in them.
Despite their very advanced age, during which griffins are known to people, these creatures continue to live. The synthetic image, which embodied the features of the most proud and noble animals - the eagle and the lion - turned out to be so successful that it has survived to this day without any significant changes. Unlike other representatives of the non-existent menagerie, the griffin is so bright, original and majestic that even in our time - the era of computers, space and international terrorism - one cannot help but want to believe in the veracity of ancient legends about a beautiful freedom-loving creature with the body of a lion and the wings of an eagle.
Griffin
A fabulous animal with the head and claws of an eagle, the body of a lion, but without wings. Used in heraldry. Symbolizes the sun, sky, golden light of dawn, as well as the combination of the properties of an eagle and a lion. As the guardian of treasures, it signifies vigilance and retribution. In the East, the griffin shares with the dragon the symbolism of wisdom and enlightenment. IN Ancient Greece as a solar animal he was dedicated to Apollo; as the personification of wisdom - Athena; as a symbol of retribution - Nemesis. In Christianity, the griffin means evil, taking away the souls of the devil, as well as those who persecuted Christians. Later, according to Dante, it came to symbolize the two natures of Christ and the role of the Pope as spiritual and temporal ruler.
GRIFFIN. Character from ancient Greek mythology.
The griffin was depicted as a monster with the body of a lion and the head of an eagle. He was called the dog of Zeus, since it was believed that the Griffin was harnessed to his chariot. In Ancient Greece, images of monsters are very common; they can be seen carved on the columns of buildings and ancient amphorae.
Many have been attributed to griffins medicinal properties, for example, their feathers allegedly had the ability to cure blindness. Cups were made from the claws of monsters that changed color if poisoned wine was poured into them.
The ancient Greeks first learned about these creatures from the stories of the vagabond traveler Aristius, who allegedly saw them during a six-year journey through Asia, southern Russia, and the Caucasus Mountains. For several years, Aristius lived with the Issedonians, a tribe of people whose customs included eating their parents, whose skulls they kept all their lives.
The Issedonians told the traveler about the magical country of Hyperborea, in which wild tribes of one-eyed Arimaspians lived. Their main occupations were cultivating the meager mountain land and searching for gold.
In higher mountainous areas lived griffins, who guarded a large supply of gold from the inhabitants of Hyperborea.
They were so huge and strong that they carried whole bulls into their nests. Returning to his homeland, Aristius told his relatives a lot about the mysterious country and its inhabitants.
Ctesias in Indica wrote about Indian griffins guarding gold.
« India also has gold. But it is not mined in rivers by washing sand, as, for example, in the Paktolos River. Gold is found in numerous and high mountains where vultures live -
four-foot birds the size of wolves, with paws and claws like a lion. Their entire body and wings are covered with black feathers, only their chest is red.Because of them, gold is difficult to mine, despite the fact that it is extremely abundant.
." Ctesias "Indica".
In the biography of the legendary Pythagorean Apollonius of Tyana, written by Flavius Philostratus in beginning of III V. AD It is said that griffins use their beaks to carve gold out of rocks and build nests from it. Griffins too« are revered as dedicated to the Sun (Helios) - that’s why Indian sculptors depict the chariot of the Sun drawn by four griffins.”
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Griffins in arts and crafts
The first images of griffins are found in the 3rd millennium BC. In the art of Sumer and Babylon ( III-I millennium BC) there are known images of a lion griffin in the form of a winged lion with long pointed ears, eagle paws and a tail; Assyria (XVII-VII centuries BC) sometimes replaced the lion's head with the head of an eagle with a crest among griffins. Assyrian eagle-headed griffins are characterized by a short mane (often feathered) and an image of a bird's head at the tip of the tail. Persian lion griffins (with eagle-like hind legs) were depicted with spiral horns. The same vulture-like creatures with horns were found in the Luritanian bronze complex (II-I millennium BC) in Western Iran.
Griffins were indispensable characters of the Scythian “animal style”.
Readabout images of griffins in Scythian burials in O. Tkachenko’s work “Keepers of the Sacred Land”
In Ancient Greece, griffins were apparently first mentioned by a poet of the 6th century. BC. Aristaeus from Prokonessos in the poem "Arimaspeia", Aeschylus (525 BC - 456 BC) in "Prometheus" and Herodotus in "History". Images of griffins are often found in coats of arms. In particular, the griffin is depicted in the coat of arms of the Romanov family.
The most common images are of single griffins. In ancient Greek and Scythian art, the plot of the struggle between griffins and Arimaspians, which appeared around the 6th century, is also quite widespread. BC. Griffins were periodically depicted harnessed to chariots driven by various deities, most often Apollo.
© A.V. Koltypin, 2012
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Read works
GRIFFIN is a mythical beast that combines the qualities of the king of beasts and the king of birds.
NAME. One of the ancient Russian names for the griffin is NOG, so the Gryphon has a named sister - the bird Nog or
ABILITIES: Flowers wither and grass withers from his scream, and if there is anyone alive, then everyone falls dead
PECULIARITIES. The griffin cannot stand it, and at any opportunity is ready to tear them to shreds.
STEPHENESS: The griffin is able to find and secretly store gold, so it came to symbolize science and usury.
IN STORIES: In Slavic mythology, all approaches to the Irian garden, and the apple tree with golden apples are guarded by griffins, . Whoever tries these golden apples will receive eternal youth and power over the Universe. And the apple tree itself with golden apples is guarded by the dragon Ladon. There is no passage here for either foot or horse.
Griffin on the coat of arms of the Psebai State Municipality Krasnodar region, Kerch and the Republic of Crimea.
Altai Republic
The griffin is on the emblem of the town of Krasnaya Polyana in Sochi
Griffin in heraldry -
The griffin can simultaneously be a loyal guard and an aggressive, treacherous attacker. The griffin appeared in the world a very long time ago. Not even all Gods know where and when it arose. The griffin is known throughout Midgard-earth. His images can be found on both sides of the ocean. All that is known about the Griffin is that it was first noticed in the north of Rus'. Therefore, we can say that the Griffin is a Slavic, northern bird-beast. His images can be found on stone and gold, on leather and papyrus; on bones and on parchment. And everywhere he appears before us in the calm and majestic form of a winner, well aware of his strength, beauty and superiority over the entire world around him. True, in some images it can be presented with a different tail: a snake or a bird, a dragon or a lion. But a lion's body, eagle's wings and a head with a beak are present in all images of the bird-beast Griffin.
A griffin is a creature with the head, neck, front legs, wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. The griffin symbolized the strength of the lion, as well as the vigilance and wisdom of the eagle. At the same time, the mythical beast signified duality. According to legend, a griffin can find and store gold. Because of this, these creatures became a symbol of science and usury.
Other interpretations of the essence of the griffin.
The griffin was a symbol of spiritual (poetic inspiration).
The griffin was also a symbol of revenge.
The griffin became most widespread in heraldry in England.
In Russia, the griffin is used in the coat of arms of the Altai Republic, since it is believed that the white griffin (Kan-Kerede) is the guardian of peace native land. At the same time, the griffin is the patron of animals and birds. The griffin is also used as a central element on the coat of arms of the city of Sayansk.
(189) Found on the Internet and edited for the site.
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