Creature of the Week – Griffin

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The griffin is one of the most well-known legendary animals, known in Mesopotamia and Egypt since 3300 BC.

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The griffin has the body of a lion, and the head, wings, legs, and talon of an eagle. Lions are the king of beasts and eagles are the king of birds, so the griffin is a powerful and majesty creature. Because of their dual nature, medieval Christians saw them as a symbol of Christ's human and divine qualities, which is why many medieval churches had griffin sculptures.

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Griffins are said to guard treasures and to be fiercely protect of their hoard, just like dragons. Their favorite prey were horses.

According to the American Museum of Natural History, dinosaur bones have been discovered of a half-eagle, half-lion hybrid, the Protoceratops. Perhaps our ancestors saw their bones and fossils and that's how the origins of the griffin myth originated from.