Griffins

[Toni]

I have been reading an interesting piece on Griffins. It caught my eye because of the "Griffons" in Merecedes Lackey's books which I read years ago. This article doesn't tell what lineage of Mythology they come from. Does anyone know?

 

[Myrddin]

I don't know for sure, but I am tempted to say that they come from Classical myth. It sounds right.

 

[Wise Old Owl]

I can't honestly remember. I do remember reading about them when I was in high school but then, a lot of those years are a blur. Aren't Griffins the creatures with the head of an eagle, the tail of a snake and the body of a lion? Or am I confusing them with other mythological creatures?

 

[Myrddin]

I can't honestly remember. I do remember reading about them when I was in high school but then, a lot of those years are a blur. Aren't Griffins the creatures with the head of an eagle, the tail of a snake and the body of a lion? Or am I confusing them with other mythological creatures?

Basically, but there's no tail of a snake. Just the head of an eagle and body of a lion. Chimaera has the heads of a goat, a snake, and a lion, all of which can breathe fire, the body of a lion, and the tale of a snake. There's also the Hippogriff which has the head of an eagle, and body of a horse.

 

[LegendofJoe]

The Greeks I believe were the first to speak of griffins. They made nests of gold and were hunted by strange one-eyed men.
Griffins are depicted also in Persian architecture.
The hippogriff was probably invented by Ariosto during the renaissance.
They appear in his book Orlando Furioso.

 

[OracleLady]

I have been reading an interesting piece on Griffins. It caught my eye because of the "Griffons" in Merecedes Lackey's books which I read years ago. This article doesn't tell what lineage of Mythology they come from. Does anyone know?

This may have no relevance to your post, for I have not done the research; however, it may provide a clue for you. Extensive research has been done on one of my husband's family surnames, which is "Griffin." The Griffin lineage extends far back into Welsh/Celtic traditions, from what I recall. There may be some insight there. I do recall seeing family trees where the names switch over to Welsh-looking names.