File:Knossos_fresco_in_throne_palace.JPG · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
griffin
Sign in to saveAlso known as griffon, gryphon
The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (; Classical Latin: gryps or grypus; Late and Medieval Latin: gryphes, grypho etc.; Old French: griffon) is a legendary creature with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion, and the head and wings of an eagle with its talons on the front legs.
A griffin is a legendary creature combining the body and back legs of a lion with the head, wings, and talons of an eagle. It has appeared throughout history in stories and art across different cultures, making it one of the most recognizable figures in mythology and heraldry.
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Key facts
- Mythical creature.image
- Knossos fresco in throne palace.JPG
- Mythical creature.caption
- Restored griffin fresco.
- Mythical creature.Folklore
- Greece, Ancient Iran, Armenia, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Mesopotamia
- Mythical creature.Grouping
- Mythical creature
- Mythical creature.AKA
- Axex, Opinici, Keythong
- Mythical creature.Similar_entities
- Hippogriff
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Knossos fresco in throne palace.JPG
Show 1 more fact
- Commons category
- Griffins
via Wikidata · CC0
~42 min read
Article
58 sectionsContents
- Overview
- Nomenclature
- Etymology
- Persian names
- Egyptian names
- Form
- Cauldron figurines
- Tendrils
- Top-knob
- Warts
- Art in antiquity
- Mesopotamia
- Iran
- Egypt
- Near East elsewhere
- Greece
- Central Asia
- Ancient parallels
- Classical accounts
- Grecian accounts of the gryphon
- Griffins of India and gold-digging ants
- Pliny and later
- Divine creature
- Medieval accounts
- Christian symbolism
- Claw, egg, feather
- Medieval iconography
- Folklore
- In heraldry
- Houses and cities using the device
- Variants
- Hippogriff
- Heraldic subtypes
- Wingless griffin
- Sea-griffin
- Opinicus
- In architecture
- In fiction
- Theories of origin
- Possible influence by dinosaurs
- Modern culture
- Popular fiction
- Modern art
- Logos, mascots
- School emblems and mascots
- Police and military
- Professional sports
- Amusement parks
- Iran Air Logo
- In film and television
- Eponymy
- Fauna names
- Gallery
- See also
- Explanatory notes
- References
- Further reading
- External links
The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (; Classical Latin: gryps or grypus; Late and Medieval Latin: gryphes, grypho etc.; Old French: griffon) is a legendary creature with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion, and the head and wings of an eagle with its talons on the front legs.
==Overview== thumb|upright|Falcon-headed feline predator or "griffin". End of Dynasty 0, 3000 BC, Western Kom, [[Tell el-Farkha, Egypt.]] Because the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle the king of the birds, by the Middle Ages, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature. Since classical antiquity, griffins were known for guarding treasures and priceless possessions.
Gallery (31)
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