Fantastic Fantasy Fiction: Griffin

Griffin

The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (Latin: gryphus) is a legendary creature with the body, tail, and back legs of a Lion; the head and the wings of an eagle; and an eagle's talons as its front feet. Because the Lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle the king of the birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature, The griffin was also thought of as king of all creatures. Griffins are known for guarding treasures and priceless possessions. In antiquity it was a symbol of divine power and a guardian of the divine. (Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffin)

The Griffin is a fascinating mythical creature whose roots reach from Western Europe to the Eastern edges of India, and even beyond.

Mythology:

The most common portrayal of the griffin in mythology is a creature with the body and regal, kingly mythical creature who commanded deep respect.

Griffin mythology reads a lot like dragon mythology in that griffins were thought to be very wise and wily characters who spent a good deal of time seeking out and guarding gold and treasures. Other legends have the griffin as a trickster, much like the Sphinx, who would challenge people with riddles in a contest of wits. The winners would get to keep their lives and treasures, and the losers... wouldn't. The Sphinx also has the body of a lion.

As they represented both wisdom and power, griffins were commonly associated with strength in was, thus being an obvious choice for many coats of arms from ancient to medieval families and armies. The Republic of Genoa used the griffin as a symbol of its seafaring power on all of its ships in the middle Ages. (Source:http://www.gods-and-monsters.com/mythology-griffin.html )

As with most mythical creatures, the griffin has ties to ancient Greek mythology. Specifically, it was said that a griffin pulled the chariot of Apollo, the sun god. This would be appropriate, as the griffin was thought to be stronger than an ox or a horse, and had the ability to fly, thus carrying the sun god to and from the sun and earth.

This makes the griffin a possessor of fiery forces - and not to be trifled with when in partnership with Apollo. Given it's power, and considering it can be just as nefarious as it can be kind, respect must be paid when invoking the spirit of the griffin. Apollo often also represented wisdom in the form of knowledge, which is also a characteristic of the griffin.

The Celtic creature "Griffin" , is a symbol if duality, Part eagle and half-part lion (depending on the region - even part serpent, horse or dog), the meaning of the griffin reflects its dual physical form by presenting a balance of both good and not so good qualities.

The griffin's more likable qualities include nobility, gentleness, and justice. Depicted on ancient stone tombs, griffins are the guardians and protectors of life, and remain loyal in their protection even in the afterlife. Griffins count nobility, vigilance and strength among their many positive attributes.

the griffin is an incredibly strong symbol, and used only when the mightiest god's attention needs to be captured, and reserved only when the need is greatest. Misused, or invoked for selfish reasons, the griffin brings about gluttony, vengeance, ferocity, and violence.

Uses in Media:

Films: Griffin's imagery, as well as, they themselves have been used in Hollywood blockbusters. Some of the many instances are: -

1. Harry Potter Series: One of the four houses in Hogwarts, "Gryffindor" originated from Griffin, by J K Rowling. The students placed in this famous house, portray exemplary qualities, such as, wisdom, power & bravery, as that of a griffin.

Also the staircase, leading to Dumbledore's head office was covered by a statue, called griffin, and had a similar form.

2. A griffin was featured in "Scooby Doo: Abracadabradoo", with its own mythical backstory.

3. The Chronicles of Narnia; The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe: Griffins were shown in the movie, and they could understand the language of humans, and even interact with them. Although griffins never featured in the books.