Griffin - Isben - Fourth Hour

The Griffin is a creature with the head, wings and, feet of an eagle, and the body of a lion. Said to have been originated from India or Ethiopia but some think it came from Russia. Griffins were very popular back in the fifteenth century and in ancient Egypt. People thought Griffins guarded treasures or other things of much value. They supposedly lived in nests in high peaks. I personally do not believe Griffins do or have ever existed.

Simply because it is very hard to believe that there was ever a creature that is half eagle and part lion. Though I don’t believe griffins ever existed, they do have a lot of symbolic meaning.

Some reasons people believe in Griffins is because of the stories that were told. For example in a book about Alexander the great when it talks about a griffin attacking a stag in a mosaic. Religion was a major influence on why people believed in griffins.

Some reasons people do not believe in Griffins is because they have never seen one and because the creature sounds way too mythical to be real. If griffins did exist we probably would have spotted one by now or at least have a picture.

People would use statues of Griffins and place them on towers to intimidate enemies or on comers. In some cathedrals in France and Italy there are stories of Alexander the great capturing a pair of Griffins and starving them for a few days. He then took them to his throne and teased them with chunks of meat over their head. The story later says that Alexander tries flying up to heaven to look at god but an angel stops him and he returns back to earth.

Resources

Figure 1, 04/07/09 dragora.wetpaint.com/page/Griffins
http://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast151.htm
http://monsters.monstrous.com/griffins.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffin