Griffin: The mythical creature that scares away thieves
Do you know about the creature that has the body of a lion and the wings and head of an eagle? Doesn’t ring a bell? Well, that’s because it doesn’t really exist in reality unlike certain hybrid animals such as liger (lion plus tiger) and zonkey (zebra plus donkey). Okay, then what is it? The answer is simple: It is a mythical beast by the name of griffin. If you haven’t ever heard of it, chances are you may have seen its statues or mascots but never really observed it carefully. Anyhow, whoever knows of griffin considers it quite scary, and rightly so. Today, we are going to learn more about the creature that primarily exists in Greek mythology.
They are the guardian of treasures
In ancient Greek and Sumerian mythologies, griffin is a creature that would frighten and fend away thieves and grave diggers. In fact, griffins were often regarded as the guardian of treasures. Not only that, miners hunting for gold in the Gobi Desert in Asia often believed that they fought off griffins who were guarding the gold.
Pulled Apollo’s carriage
Apollo is the all-powerful Sun God in Greek mythology, and it is often believed that griffins are the ones who drive his carriage. The reason behind it is that griffin has the strength of a lion and can run on land as well as fly across the sky using its eagle wings.
Inspired by dinosaurs
Millions of years ago, there lived a particular dinosaur species called Protoceratops. Historians believe that the myth of griffin is based on them as the resemblance between the mythical beast and the dinosaur species is remarkable. It too had four legs and long shoulder blades that could easily be mistaken as wings. After all, griffins are four-legged creatures with wings! What’s more fascinating is that the fossils of Protoceratops are also found in Gobi Desert where the myth of griffins is prevalent.
Griffin may be a biblical vulture
The name griffin also applies to a real-life vulture-like scavenger bird that is primarily found in the mountainous regions of Southern Europe, North Africa and Asia Minor. Christians often believe that it is the real-world version of the eagle from the Bible that is so rare that it has been turned into a myth.
Not only that, but Christians also consider griffin as a symbol of loyalty for they believe that these creatures mate for life and when they lose their partners, they continue to live alone for the rest of their lives. Maybe, that’s why the creature is held as the emblem of the Catholic Church’s opposition to re-marriage.
Griffin has an Iranian equivalent
Griffin, in the Iranian mythology, is called Shirdal that literally translates to “Lion-Eagle”. In fact, till date, Iranians worship Shirdal as their protector. Griffin is thus visible in ancient Iranian art forms such as cylindrical seals, coins and wall arts all dating back to 3000 BC and beyond.