Griffin - Kew Gardens, London, Great Britain. - Epic Beings and Creatures on Waymarking.com

A stone statue of the Griffin of Edward III one of ten heraldic beasts known as the "Queen's Beasts" displayed along the Palm House Terrace in the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, London, UK.

The Griffin:
"The griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion; the head and wings of an eagle; and an eagle's talons as its front feet. Because the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle the king of birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature. The griffin was also thought of as king of all creatures. Griffins are known for guarding treasure and priceless possessions.

Form:
Most statues have bird-like talons, although in some older illustrations griffins have a lion's forelimbs; they generally have a lion's hindquarters. Its eagle's head is conventionally given prominent ears; these are sometimes described as the lion's ears, but are often elongated (more like a horse's), and are sometimes feathered.

Infrequently, a griffin is portrayed without wings, or a wingless eagle-headed lion is identified as a griffin. In 15th-century and later heraldry such a beast may be called an alce or a keythong.

In heraldry, a griffin always has forelegs like an eagle's hind-legs. A type of griffin with the four legs of a lion was distinguished by perhaps only one English herald of later heraldry as the Opinicus where it also had a camel-like neck and a short tail that almost resembles a camel's tail.

History:
While griffins are most common in the art and lore of Ancient Greece[citation needed], there is evidence of representations of griffins in Ancient Persian and Ancient Egyptian art dating back to before 3000 BC.[6] In Egypt, a griffin can be seen in a cosmetic palette from Hierakonpolis, known as the "Two Dog Palette",[7] which is dated to ca. 3300-3100 BC.[9] In Persia, griffins appeared on cylinder seals from Susa as early as 3000 BC.[10] Griffin depictions appear in the Levant, Syria, and Anatolia in the Middle Bronze Age,[11][12] dated at about 1950-1550 BC.[13] Early depictions of griffins in Ancient Greek art are found in the 15th century BC frescoes in the Throne Room of the Bronze Age Palace of Knossos, as restored by Sir Arthur Evans. It continued being a favored decorative theme in Archaic and Classical Greek art." Text Sources: (visit link) & (visit link)

Time Period: Ancient Approximate Date of Epic Period: 3000BC Epic Type: Mythical Exhibit Type: Figure, Statue, 3D Art

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