The griffin is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, a guardian of treasures and a symbol of power. Present as early as the ancient Near East and then in the Greco-Roman world, it travels through the imagination all the way to the medieval bestiary.
Griffin
Griffin
6 min read
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Appears in the art of the ancient Near East and Egypt as early as the 3rd millennium BC
- Associated in Greek mythology with Apollo and Nemesis, and portrayed as the guardian of the gold of the Hyperboreans or the Arimaspians
- Described by Herodotus (5th century BC), and later by Pliny the Elder and Aelian, as a guardian of treasures at the edges of the world
- Becomes in the Middle Ages a major figure in Christian bestiaries and a very widespread heraldic charge
- Symbolizes the union of earthly strength (lion) and celestial sovereignty (eagle)
Works & Achievements
Decoration of the Minoan throne room, among the oldest known images of the griffin as guardian of power.
A now-lost Greek poem, the first major literary source on griffins as guardians of gold.
Gold griffins and reliefs from Persepolis that spread the motif from the East to Greece.
A Roman encyclopedia that fixed the description of the griffin handed down to the Middle Ages.
A medieval reference work describing the griffin as half-lion, half-eagle, the enemy of horses.
Here the griffin becomes a Christian allegory of the dual nature of Christ.
Anecdotes
In the 5th century BCE, the Greek historian Herodotus recounts that the gold of the far North is guarded by griffins. According to him, the Arimaspians, a one-eyed people, spend their time stealing this treasure from the winged monsters, which defend it fiercely. This war over Scythian gold fascinated the Greeks for centuries.
In the Minoan palace of Knossos, on Crete, painted griffins flank the stone throne of the royal hall, around 1500 BCE. Placed there to protect the ruler, they show that, long before the Greeks, the griffin was already a powerful symbol of power and guardianship.
In the Middle Ages, churches sold precious “griffin claws” mounted on silver: these were in fact the horns of ibex or antelope. People also believed that the large eggs displayed as relics were griffin eggs, when they were actually ostrich eggs.
In the Divine Comedy, around 1320, Dante imagines a griffin pulling the chariot of the Church at the summit of Purgatory. Half-eagle (golden), half-lion (white and purple), the creature symbolizes the dual nature of Christ, both divine and human.
At the end of the 20th century, the historian Adrienne Mayor proposed a surprising hypothesis: the legend of the griffin may have come from fossils of beaked dinosaurs, such as Protoceratops, discovered by ancient nomads in the gold-rich deserts of Central Asia.
Primary Sources
“It is in the north of Europe that by far the greatest quantity of gold is found; but how it is obtained, I cannot say with certainty. The story goes that the Arimaspians, men who have but a single eye, steal it from the griffins.”
“The Arimaspians wage perpetual war, around the mines, with the griffins—a kind of winged creature, as is commonly reported—which draw gold from their underground tunnels and guard it with a marvellous greed.”
“It is called a griffin because it is a winged and four-footed animal. This kind of beast is born in the Hyperborean mountains. Throughout its body it has the appearance of a lion; in its wings and head, it resembles the eagle, and it is fiercely hostile to horses.”
“Between the four came a triumphal chariot, upon two wheels, drawn at the neck of a griffin. The animal's bird-like limbs were of gold, and the others white mingled with vermilion.”
Key Places
Mythical lands of the far North where griffins guarded gold against the Arimaspians. The Ancients placed them near the mountains and mines of Central Asia.
Minoan palace whose throne room is adorned with painted griffins. One of the oldest depictions of the griffin as a guardian of power.
Persian capital where sculpted griffins appear among the royal animals. There, the motif expresses the majesty and protection of the sovereign.
Bronze Age site buried under volcanic ash, where frescoes depict griffins. A witness to the spread of the motif across the Aegean Sea.
Desert region rich in Protoceratops fossils and gold deposits, which may have inspired the legend of the griffin according to a modern hypothesis.
Typical Objects
A precious object of the Middle Ages, mounted in silver and displayed as a reliquary or a drinking horn. In reality these were ibex or antelope horns, believed to detect poison.
Large eggs presented as griffin eggs in the treasuries of medieval churches. They were in fact ostrich eggs, hung up as wondrous objects.
According to the Greeks, griffins amassed and defended the gold of the northern mountains. This hoard embodies inaccessible wealth, protected by a supernatural force.
In Greco-Roman art, griffins draw the chariot of Apollo or of Nemesis. Dante takes up the image with the chariot of the Church in the Purgatorio.
A charge of the coat of arms combining the lion (king of beasts) and the eagle (king of birds). It symbolizes vigilance, courage, and the guarding of possessions.
Griffins painted framing the royal seat in the throne room of Knossos. They embody the sacred protection of Minoan power.
School Curriculum
Vocabulary & Tags
Key Vocabulary
Daily Life
Morning
At daybreak, the griffin of legend scans the horizon from the mountain heights, perched near its treasure. With its eagle eyes, it watches for the marauders prowling around the gold mines.
Afternoon
In the afternoon, it patrols its territory and swoops down on its prey. The bestiaries describe it as especially hostile to horses, which it attacks like a great winged beast of prey.
Evening
As night falls, it returns to its nest to defend the gold it has gathered. According to the Greek tales, it is often at night that the Arimaspians try to steal away its riches, sparking fierce battles.
Food
A carnivore of legend, the griffin feeds on horses, livestock and sometimes, in the darkest bestiaries, on careless men. Its eagle's and lion's strength makes it a formidable hunter.
Clothing
The griffin wears no clothing: the front of its body is covered in the plumage and hooked beak of an eagle, while the rear has the tawny coat and powerful tail of a lion.
Housing
It nests in the inaccessible mountains of the North, the Hyperborean Mountains. Medieval bestiaries tell that it builds its nest of gold and places there stones of agate, said to hold magical powers.
Historical Timeline
Period Vocabulary
Liens externes & ressources
Références
Œuvres
Fresques de griffons du palais de Knossos
≈ 1600-1500 av. J.-C.
L'Arimaspée d'Aristée de Proconnèse
VIIe siècle av. J.-C.
Orfèvrerie et reliefs scythes et achéménides
Ve-IVe siècle av. J.-C.
Histoire naturelle de Pline l'Ancien
77 apr. J.-C.
Étymologies d'Isidore de Séville
vers 625
La Divine Comédie (Purgatoire) de Dante
vers 1320
