Symbolism - griffin

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griffin

The griffin is a mythical creature, with the head, wings and talons of an eagle and the body and hind legs of a lion. It is thus composed of the most royal of the birds and the beasts. The griffin was thought to find and guard mines of gold and hidden treasures. It is a principal device in heraldry, signifying valor, strength, vigilance, and perseverance. The symbolism of the griffin was described by Alexander Nisbet in his System of Heraldry (1722) translated from Latin as: "The griffin represents wisdom joined to fortitude, but wisdom should lead, and fortitude follow." A distinctive feature of the griffin is that it has ears, which are large and stand up from its head. This is the only feature that differentiates a griffin's head from an eagle's. The griffin can be found in all the heraldic positions (segreant, passant, sejant etc.). A male griffin, for some reason, does not have wings; instead it is adorned with spikes at various points. The male griffin is a much rarer heraldic charge than the winged female.

In the middle ages hybrids such as this one were assumed to be possible and to actually exist, just as a mule, which is a cross between a horse and a donkey, existed. It then followed logically that as mules were unable to reproduce, neither would the griffin. This explained why griffins were so rare and hardly ever seen.

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Last Updated: Sunday, November 23, 2008