Legendary Creatures

The protector and animal representation for our coven is the mighty Griffin. The Griffin (AKA – Gryphon, Griffon) is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and wings of an eagle. As the lion was considered the “King of the Beasts†and the eagle the “King of the Airâ€, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature. The incredibly rare offspring of griffin and horse were referred to as hippogriff.

Dating back several centuries B.C., the Griffin was said to rule both air and land, watchful, loyal, strong, and swift. 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. In ancient times they were symbols of guardianship and the retribution of justice, but in the 19th century they assumed the mantel of harmless and even gentle creatures.

The vast majority of Griffins belong to the one species, Raptopantheria gryphos. There are two main varieties: the northern, or Hyperborean Griffin, and the Indian Griffin. The northern Griffin lived in the hilly forests and mountains of north-eastern Europe and Russia. These forested areas once extended deep into the Ukraine – much further south than they do today. The Indian Griffin is found in mountainous regions of North-Eastern India and the Middle East. The only other species of the genus is the opinicus, Raptopanthera opinicus, recognizable by its feline, as opposed to aquiline, forelimbs. It was always rare and is now most certainly extinct.

The Griffin is a large, fierce looking creature, about 2 feet higher than a shire horse. The strong wings sprouting from its back are strong enough to carry it at enormous speeds, and lift it off the ground bearing heavy prey. Long ears, sharp eyes and cruelly hooked bills make the Griffin a fearsome beast. The tail functions as a rudder in flight. The heavy rear paws help provide extra thrust during take-off and are used to hold prey down while the beak and claws do their worst. The claws are like massive eagles’ feet. As the Griffin swoops on its quarry, the rear talon sinks into the flesh first then the front claws close to form a deadly cage, firmly gripping the doomed creature. Griffins love gold and gemstones, which they are known to steal, hoard and guard with savage strength and ferocity.