Griffins - Kanapaha Botanical Gardens - Gainesville, Florida, USA
N 29° 36.763 W 082° 24.538
17R E 363576 N 3276701
A pair of griffins, mythical lion-eagle hybrids, guard the entrance to the Eloise Page Memorial Labyrinth at the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens in Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Waymark Code: WM8AED
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 02/28/2010
Views: 5
From
Wikipedia: "The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (Latin: gryphus) is a legendary creature with the body of a lion, the head of an eagle and the wings of a dragon. As the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle was the king of the birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature. Griffins are normally known for guarding treasure. In antiquity it was a symbol of divine power and a guardian of the divine."
From Encyclopedia Mythica: "The Griffin is a legendary creature with the head, beak and wings of an eagle, the body of a lion and occasionally the tail of a serpent or scorpion. Its origin lies somewhere in the Middle East where it is found in the paintings and sculptures of the ancient Babylonians, Assyrians and Persians. In Greek mythology, they took gold from the stream Arimaspias and, neighbors of the Hyperboreans, they belonged to Zeus. The later Romans used them for decoration and even in Christian times the Griffin motif often appears. Griffins were frequently used as gargoyles on medieval churches and buildings. In more recent times, the Griffin only appears in literature and heraldry."